Huron County Council has approved up to $500,000 in funding for the development of the Canadian Centre for Rural Creativity in Blyth over the next five years.
Peter Smith is the Project Director for the Centre.
He explains the Centre is an expansion of what the Blyth Centre for the Arts in creating a cultural hub in Blyth.
Smith says it's a three-pillar initiative that includes the renovation of the Memorial Hall which starts in September, the development of Canadian Centre for Rural Creativity and developing a rural fund or trust for long-term sustainability.
The Centre is looking at other artistic disciplines as well as entrepreneurship and innovation and that's evolved so far into four programs.
The first is Creative Fashion Arts – Creative Textiles, the second is Theatre Arts and that will lead to a post-secondary program.
The third is New Media and the fourth is called The Rural Voice.
Smith says the Rural Voice is about communications with each, with other organizations and outside our borders to urban centres.
The Canadian Centre for Rural Creativity is located in the former Blyth Public School.