Actually, there are two factors. We consider the cultural hubs program, or sector, to be essential. Today, we want to show that, with the projects we are working on, together or separately, we already have groups of artists, craftspeople and creators in various areas, including the digital arts, as well as the visual arts. The districts and the residents are linked as a result of public outreach, exhibition and awareness activities. Currently, we believe that the demand for projects corresponds exactly to what the program is in the process of developing. We have prepared a presentation about the program as we design it. But we have also prepared some recommendations. I could move immediately to the recommendations if you wish, given the little time we have.
The basic principle, in our opinion, is to encourage hubs to become established in infrastructures that already exist; this is for reasons of economy. It is also what our taxes can be used for. Hubs can be created in centres of activity that are already diversified in nature, that meet the criteria, but that can vary with the size of the project. For example, the project led by Pied Carré extends over four floors, with 200,000 square feet of space. Three or four clusters of workshops can be placed together. Equipment and space is used in common and a community forms between the artists, the entrepreneurs, the companies and the craftspeople. This gives rise to a creative stimulus. We already own the infrastructure; we just have to adapt the space. The idea is to link the concept of the project to the site we have, whenever possible. For us, that represents a major saving.
One of the difficulties with projects of this kind is clearly the funding, which has two aspects. First, there is the physical location, meaning the buildings, the renovation work, the equipment, and so on. Then there is the operation, which is all about the concept of the centre. The approach we have taken with all our projects is to establish financial viability. We have to develop our own operating revenue, but we also have to obtain financial support in order to support our projects in an affordable way. There is a diversity of tools, but they can be brought together into one complete whole, to complement municipal, provincial and federal programs.
On the municipal level, there are certainly tax incentives and property taxes, which vary with the districts. We have to examine how we can become involved in the regulations. In city centres, in combination with the province, there is funding specifically for social economy equipment and programming, funding, that is, for things other than culture. The idea, of course, is not to take away funding from culture. We have to find ways of developing these hubs using an economic development approach. By that, we mean developing the social economy and the financial viability with support that meets the demands.
I will stop here because my presentation includes many elements and subcategories. Mr. Fortin and I intend to present the committee with a much more detailed brief. Today, we mostly wanted to stimulate your interest so that you can read the brief more attentively when we submit it.
Thank you.