Candidate Forum On The Arts Set

They’ve talked about jobs, policing, schools, and taxes. On Monday, the candidates in the mayor’s race will take on a new topic: the arts.

The candidates will take part in a public forum on the role of the arts in New Haven, on Monday at 7 p.m. at Co-op High downtown.

The event is being organized by the Arts Council of Greater New Haven. It will be the first of its kind this election, and maybe ever.

Cynthia Clair, head of the council, said the event won’t be a debate per se: ​“It’s really more conversational.”

For an hour, the candidates will answer a set of prepared questions. A half-hour of questions from the audience will follow. WTNH’s Jocelyn Maminta will preside.

“We’re going to get at several key issues for the arts community,” Clair said. The forum will cover topics like the role of arts education in public schools, the role of arts in the community, and how the candidates perceive the arts, Clair said.

“We feel we’re a tremendous asset to the community, but we’re curious to hear how the candidates feel,” Clair said. ​“Can the city leverage us in a different way than we’ve been used?”

Clair said the council has sent the candidates some information on the ​“arts industry” in town: attendance numbers, impact on the economy, money spent.

“Our interest is in having a place at the table as New Haven’s future is being discussed,” Clair said.

All five candidates confirmed their attendance: Toni Harp, Henry Fernandez, Justin Elicker, Sundiata Keitazulu, and Kermit Carolina.

Clair said the mayoral candidates forum on the arts may be the first of its kind in the city, ever.

The Independent plans to live-blog the event.