Executive Summary
2019 – 2022

Introduction

As the cultural and community hub for Dartmouth, Alderney Landing is playing a pivotal role in the revitalization of downtown Dartmouth. At the same time, there is a sense that it could be so much more than what it is today. To explore this potential, the Board decided to undertake a strategic planning exercise in the fall of 2018 to help guide the organization over the next three to five years.

This strategic planning process has received extensive input from the community through an online survey and a community workshop, supplemented with additional input from a few key partners, members of the Board and staff. In total, 1,167 individuals participated in one of four ways, 1) an online survey; 2) a board and staff workshop; 3) a community workshop; and 4) interviews with key partners.

Strategic Outlook

This new three-year strategic plan is designed to provide a blueprint for Alderney Landing staff and board of directors to fulfil the potential of what Alderney Landing could be. It was built in conjunction with the broader community and partners of Alderney Landing and is meant to guide decisions, actions and behaviours. As such, the board and staff will mobilize to ensure future plans are built and driven by this new strategic plan. The new strategic framework is as follows:

Strategic Framework
Mission
& Vision

The vision and mission provide the highest-level direction for the future state of the organization. The vision provides direction on what Alderney Landing is striving to be while the mission answers the question of why the organization exists and what its mandate is.

Vision Statement
Celebrated as a vibrant gathering place and the heart of a dynamic Dartmouth experience.
Mission Statement
Alderney Landing is a vital cultural and community gathering place that brings together the public with local artists, performers, farmers and vendors.
Overarching
Goal

Alderney Landing’s overarching goal is to enhance the overall experience for the community and to increase engagement.

This will come through diverse community and cultural programming, clarity of focus for core offerings and maximizing the use of the facility, ultimately leading to the community’s desire for Alderney Landing to be a vibrant gathering place seven days / week.

Strategic
Focus Areas

The core offerings of the market, theatre, gallery and events are the backbone for achieving success. While there is great potential in each area, currently there is a lack of clarity regarding each offering’s purpose and strategic direction going forward. This plan is intended to create clarity as well as to map out how each supports Alderney Landing’s vision, mission and overarching goal. The goals for each of the four areas are:

Market

To be a best-in-class local community market!

Theatre

To be a sought-after theatre that engages, inspires and entertains the community.

Gallery

To be a widely respected, well-known and attended public art gallery.

Events

To be a premier outdoor event destination.

Foundation

The foundation is represented by the themes that run through-out every aspect of Alderney Landing, including programming, core offerings and how it fundamentally operates. As part of Alderney Landing’s DNA going forward, foundational elements include a commitment to diversity and inclusion, a showcase for local talent and products, a commitment to quality and excellence standards and finally, increased and more constant communication with the community. These foundational elements should be core to all that Alderney Landing takes part in.

Enablers

Enablers ensure the organization is strong and has the necessary infrastructure to grow and evolve. Internally driven, focused plans in each of these enablers are critical to ensuring Alderney Landing is set up for success now and in the future.

Core Offering
Strategic Overview

Market

Goal: To be a best-in-class local community market

Aspirations:

  • Be a key partner to a thriving community of local farmers, artisans and permanent vendors.
  • Provide a wide range of diverse, high quality, locally made and grown goods for the community.
  • The Saturday market is a year-round, vibrant destination that is loved by the community and a must visit experience for visitors.
  • The Sunday market is a celebration of culture and diversity.

Gallery

Goal: To be a widely respected, well-known and attended public art gallery.

Aspirations:

  • Be a sought-after opportunity for emerging and established artists (biased towards local) to showcase their work.
  • Provide access and expose the community to a wide variety of high quality, diverse (medium, cultural, etc) visual arts.
  • Increased awareness and attendance via community outreach programs such as programming, better leveraging the facility, Alderney Landing’s other core offerings and select partners.
  • Strive for financial self-sufficiency and new revenue generation streams.

Theatre

Goal: To be a sought-after theatre that engages, inspires and entertains the community.

Aspirations:

  • Be a sought-after roadhouse that is affordable, accessible and known for service excellence.
  • Be proactive in attracting high quality performances that have wide community appeal.
  • Have a strong brand identity which can be used to grow awareness with a regular base of theatre goers.
  • Be financially self-sufficient.

Events

Goal: To be a premier outdoor event destination.

Aspirations:

  • Deliver high quality, annual signature events that are highly anticipated, well attended, and appeal to a wide range of audiences.
  • Be a critical partner and sought-after event space for civic, provincial and private events.
  • Known as a safe, family friendly, well managed space for events.

Helpful Documents or Files