A City of Kingston staff report (web link) published to the city's website outlines a meeting to take place December 13, 2023 for "Approval of Kingston Music Strategy and Implementation Plan." The report, from Community Services Commissioner, Jennifer Campbell, recommends the Arts, Recreation & Community Policies Committee approve a plan that will see arms-length agency Tourism Kingston receive an additional $200,000—previously approved for the city's Arts & Culture Services Department—to implement the Music Strategy beginning in Q1 2024.

The plan will see Tourism Kingston establish a Music Office to be run by an appointed Music Officer "...who is closely connected to and embedded in the music sector," the report detailed, and whom will be charged with developing a work plan for 2024. The report indicated that, while the $200,000 will fund the Music Officer position and some programming for the coming year, further requests for "additional capital and operating investment" would be made through "future budget processes."

The plan will also see the immediate formation of a Kingston Music Working Group to advise Tourism Kingston towards successful implementation of the Music Strategy. The group will be made up of members of Kingston's music industry, although the report did not outline a protocol by which Working Group members would be considered and/or selected.

The report describes the process leading to the December 13 approval meeting as the result of "...an extensive public validation process of the recommendations and actions included in the Strategy, which saw input from numerous groups including City staff, key partners and the broader Kingston community..." although it did not name the individuals, groups or partners involved. A page on the City of Kingston website (web link) provides an overview of the process to develop the Music Strategy now being presented for approval to the Arts, Recreation & Community Policies Committee.

The creation of a music-sector specific strategy was a recommendation in the Creative Industries Profile Sector Report and Strategy approved by Kingston City Council in April 2021 (web link). Posted: Dec 12, 2023