[Past] A is for Art, B is for Belonging: Arts as an Economic Development Engine
What does it mean to root culture in place — and what happens when you do?
Join Kitty Scott, Director of Fogo Island Arts, and Michael Rubinoff, Artistic Director of the Musical Stage Company and originating producer of Come From Away, on Thursday, May 28 at 2:30pm (NL) / 1:00pm (ET) / 10:00am (PT) for a compelling conversation on how the arts can serve as a powerful catalyst for economic development and a deep sense of belonging.
Drawing on Fogo Island’s remarkable model of community-embedded arts practice — where contemporary art, ecological resilience, and local economic renewal are inseparably intertwined — and on the global phenomenon of Come From Away, which transformed the story of a small Newfoundland town into Canada’s most successful musical export, Scott and Rubinoff will explore how authentic engagement with place can generate creative work that resonates far beyond its origins, attract investment and visitors, foster community pride, and demonstrate that culture is not a luxury but a cornerstone of sustainable local economies.
Michael Rubinoff
Artistic Director | Musical Stage Company
Michael Rubinoff is an Olivier and Dora Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated producer, widely regarded as Canada’s foremost champion of new musicals. As the originating producer and visionary behind the creation of Come From Away, the most successful Canadian musical in history, he was recognized with one of Canada’s highest civilian honours, the Meritorious Service Cross. In 2011, he founded the Canadian Music Theatre Project (CMTP), a groundbreaking incubator for new musicals. Rubinoff currently serves as the Artistic Director of The Musical Stage Company.
Kitty Scott
Director | Fogo Island Arts
Kitty Scott is a curator, writer, and senior arts administrator recognized internationally for her curatorial leadership. Former Deputy Director and Chief Curator of the National Gallery of Canada, she has also served as the Carol and Morton Rapp Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Director of Visual Arts at The Banff Centre, and Chief Curator at Serpentine Galleries. Her curatorial credits include the Canadian Pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale, co-curation of the Liverpool Biennial, and a core agent role at dOCUMENTA (13). She was Chief Curator of the 2025 Shanghai Biennale and has taught at numerous institutions including the Curatorial Practice Program at the California College of the Arts, San Francisco. She currently serves as Director at Shorefast and Fogo Island Arts.
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