Family-oriented films are the latest addition to Barrie’s waterfront cultural agenda this summer.

Dubbed the “Lawnchair Luminata” initiative, the new plan calls for one film to be screened one Wednesday in each of June, July and August; on other Wednesdays, the program includes jazz, theatre and visual arts.

“It’s all about reinforcing the foundations of the community. It comes down to making the downtown and waterfront a family-oriented place. It’s an opportunity to bridge between mainstream and culture and help people understand how culture fits into our everyday life,” said Ward 6 Coun. Michael Prowse.

One of city council’s strategic priorities is to use culture to not only build a sense of community, but to enhance the city’s economic potential. In 2005, the arts contributed $95 million to the city’s economy, and the city’s cultural plan recommends investing in the arts in the city core, which would become a hub for the community’s self-expression, as well as to make the city more attractive to tourists and the wealth-generating creative class.

The plan also noted that 52 per cent of those who attend arts and music events outside Barrie would spend more money in the city if they had the opportunity.

The introduction of the films comes at a small price, $3,500, noted Prowse. “It’s very little seed money, yet it entrenches the opportunity for culture and for our residents to get back to the grassroots. It builds community,” he said.

“The more we grow, the further we step away from that and it’s important to reinforce things that allow us to embrace our community and shape our identity.”

Other communities that have embraced showing movies in parks during the summer include Toronto, Ottawa, London, North Bay, Fredericton, Calgary and Victoria. Some municipalities sponsor the series, while others hand it over to community organizations.

Ever since the city introduced cultural grants two years, the Barrie Film Festival has been receiving city support to bring award-winning films from around the world to the city. On the first Wednesday of each month, the BFF offers Screen One at the downtown Imperial Cinemas, as well as running a film festival every autumn.

The Lawnchair Luminata series will feature themes, which will blend the film, the music, the art and the theatre presentations into a cohesive package.

Because of that diversity, the project shows how arts organizations in the community can work together, said Barrie’s cultural development officer Onalee Groves.

“It’s really exciting for us as the newly created cultural department to see the arts community working together and cohesively. We want to bring the groups together to share resources and make themselves more effective, while at the same time, creating a vibrant community that will entice residents and visitors alike to see Barrie as a regional cultural centre,” she said.