Capacity

Capacity ensures that communities have the resources they need to support culture. The Ministry of Culture and Community Spirit along with our partners is implementing initiatives such as those outlined below, to expand the roles of neighborhood and community centers etc as local cultural hubs which allows sectors most able to create and offer quality cultural services at a localized level.
Aboriginal Arts Organizational Project Supports creating and producing performing arts activity by assisting aboriginal community performing arts organizations with annual operating expenses.
Aboriginal Consultation The program facilitates consultation with Aboriginal communities where resource development may adversely affect significant Aboriginal traditional use sites that appear on the Listing of Historic Resources, and helps resolve land use conflicts and to ensure these sites preserved for the future.
Alberta Geographical Names Program The program coordinates the proper naming of geographical features, maintains the provincial names database, liaises with other levels of government (local, provincial, national and international) regarding geographical names, and with the general public who have a stake or interest in heritage of geographical names.
Alberta Main Street Program The Alberta Main Street Program is a strategy for conserving heritage resources in historic commercial districts, reclaiming these areas as vibrant communities and centres of commercial activity.

Arts Partnership Provides financial support for innovative partnership initiatives between clients and stakeholders.
Board Development Program BDP provides board governance training and resources to board members of not-for-profit organizations, including arts and cultural organizations, in Alberta.
Collections Preservation and Research Supporting the growth, preservation and study of collections ensures that all Albertans have access to their natural and cultural heritage. Collections and research programs also enhance other heritage centres in Alberta by providing artifacts, technical support and expert advice.
Community Facility Enhancement Program Build, purchase, repair, renovate, upgrade or otherwise improve community public-use facilities
Community Initiatives Program Assist with a broad range of smaller community based projects.
Community Spirit Donation Grant Program To acknowledge the important contributions of Albertans to support non-profit and charitable organizations in Alberta.
Education Programs Develops, delivers and evaluates curriculum-based programs that are delivered to formal educational groups of all ages, using a variety of media and methods that represent the themes and opportunities available at the historic sites, museums and interpretive centres in the HSM Branch.
Education and Web-based Programming To deliver on-site education programs to classes (K-12) and to provide learning opportunities on the web for all Albertans. 50,000 school children receive a unique learning experience at the museum each year. Thousands more access virtual exhibitions and collections online.
Enhanced Charitable Tax Credit The enhanced charitable tax credit provides an opportunity for a donor to donate to his/her favourite registered charity. In fact, the donor may consider donating more because of the enhanced charitable tax credit. As a result, the charity receives more.
Exhibits/Visitor Experience The museum's permanent galleries focus on the Alberta story, while the Feature Gallery acts as a window into international culture for our visitors.
Facilitation, consultation, and training services The Community Development Branch provides facilitation, consultation and skill development services to communities, networks, organizations, community leaders, and government to develop their capacity in addressing issues including cultural issues/opportunities.
Heritage Conservation Advisory Service This program is responsible for providing advice on the proper conservation of historic places, the review and approval of proposed alterations to provincially and municipally designated historic places, and support for Alberta Historical Resources Foundation grant programs.
Heritage Preservation Partnership Program To support the long-term preservation of Alberta’s historic places, and the preservation and presentation of Alberta history through heritage awareness, publications and research initiatives.
Heritage Roadside Sign Program This program is responsible for the creation, placement and maintenance of roadside signage celebrating Alberta's heritage.
Major Community Facilities Grant Program Build, purchase, repair, renovate, upgrade or otherwise improve major community public-use facilities.
Major Facilities Available only to the EPCOR Centre for Performing Arts ($500,000) and the Citadel Theatre ($250,000.)
Municipal Heritage Partnership Program This program comprises a comprehensive suite of flexible, cost-shared heritage programs designed to support municipalities in the identification, development and conservation of their local heritage resources, including assisting in the designation process.
Public participation/public engagement services The Community Development Branch provides customized services to community organizations and government ministries and agencies in the design, delivery, management, and facilitation of public/stakeholder participation/engagement around a wide variety of topics including cultural issues/opportunities.
Special Events and Web Access A wide range of special events are developed and delivered at the historic sites, museums and interpretive centres in the HSM branch, which provide the visiting public with fun, educational and entertaining opportunities to experience Alberta's heritage. Web-based initiatives enable Albertans and others to access a wide range of information about their past.
Summer School Operations Supports operating expenses for Artstrek, Music Camp, Summerscapes, and Youthwrite, Film & Video Summer Schools.
Temporary/Feature and Permanent Exhibits Permanent exhibits form the basis of public access to the collections and stories at the museums, interpretive centres and historic sites in the HSM Branch, Temporary/Feature exhibits are developed to share other aspects of the collections, that may not be always accessible to the public.
Theatre Operation and Facility Rental The Royal Alberta Museum is also a performing arts venue with a 418 seat theatre and smaller performance spaces used for special events by professional, amateurs, community groups and the museum.

Research Provides academic-quality analysis on heritage matters for the public and other government departments. Provides the intellectual foundation for long-term documentation and conservation of Alberta's diverse heritage.
Web site/marketing Currently under development, the Museum's new site will be an interactive hub servicing a broad audience ranging from tourists to research professionals, with information on exhibits, educational programming, science and regional points of interest. It is the primary on-line tool employed by the Museum, and supplemented by current social media tools like You Tube, Facebook, Flickr and Wikepedia. The web site and other social media tools will support the growth of the Museum's scientific, exhibit and education programs ensuring all Albertas have access to their natural heritage.