News and Information

New Arts & Culture Policy Council

City Council has established an Arts and Culture Policy Council which will advise Council and staff on civic arts and cultural issues, programs and services.

 

Celebrating 125 Years of Incorporation in 2011!

On April 6, 2011 the City of Vancouver celebrated 125 years of incorporation. Read the latest news and information, get social online, and learn about the planning process.

 

2011 City of Vancouver Book Award Winner Announcement

On October 18th, 2011, Mayor Gregor Robertson recognized Michael Christie  for "Beggar's Garden". Last year the independant jury selected Bruce Grenville & Scott Steedman's Visions of British Columbia as the recipients of the 2010 Award.

 

Honouring the Contributions of Vancouver's Arts & Culture Community in 2011

On Thursday, October 6th the 2011 recipients of the 2011 Mayor's Arts Awards were celebrated for their contributions to the City. During the evening both established and emerging artists in 10 disciplines were honoured, and recognition given to those committed to the arts in three additional categories

 

The Birds Lands in Southeast False Creek

The Birds is Myfanwy MacLeod’s new artwork for Southeast False Creek Olympic Plaza. The work highlights both the lighter and graver sides of what can happen when a non-native species is introduced to an environment, how the beauty of birds can sometimes mask their threat to biodiversity. Selected as one of the top Public Artworks in 2011 by Americans For the Arts.

 

Great Beginnings
in the Downtown Eastside

Art and culture activities, celebrations and street festivals are just the Beginning. Learn more about the program, current events, past projects and how you might be able to get involved!

 

SEE IT HEAR IT FIND IT - Art for the Senses
The Olympic and Paralympic Public Art Program

Through the City of Vancouver’s Olympic and Paralympic Public Art Program public art is being brought to new and familiar places.

More than 20 new permanent and temporary public artworks have been commissioned for the 2010 Winter Games.

This diverse collection ranges from grand light-based works and sculptural installations at city landmarks to celebratory works in the heart of our communities. Look for these new commissions in parks, on streets and waterways, and in the skies above.

 

Vancouver's Cultural Plan

The vibrancy of Vancouver's arts and culture scene is a priceless benefit to its citizens and visitors. In 2008, City Council affirmed it's commitment to a diverse and healthy creative sector through the adoption of the Cultural Plan for Vancouver 2008 - 2018.

To achieve the goals set out in the plan, Cultural Services will continue to work on behalf of City Council to offer direct support and information services to large and small not-for profit cultural organizations. It coordinates cultural grant and promotional support programs and manages the City’s Public Art Program which includes community projects as well as large-scale public and private development initiatives, and the City's Olympic and Paralympic Public Art Program celebrating the 2010 Winter Games.

Working with other civic departments, Cultural Services participates in the development and upgrading of cultural facilities through zoning incentives and capital funding. It is also responsibile for the operation of the three Civic Theatres: The Vancouver Playhouse, the Orpheum and the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

In addition, Cultural Services is involved in many special development projects including the Hastings Park/PNE Master Planning Process and the Olympic Live Sites.

Using the Culture Plan as a map, Cultural Services will continue to advise Vancouver City Council on issues, policies, and strategies related to arts and culture in the city. These activities will be informed by research and analysis of trends in Vancouver’s cultural sector and best practices in other cities.

 

Get the Latest News from Cultural Services

Join one of our three mailing lists to be one of the first to know what’s happening at the City’s Cultural Services department. Receive the latest information on arts and cultural opportunities, event information and other civic cultural news.

 

Upcoming Deadlines & Events

City of Vancouver Book Award 2012 -- May 23, 2012

The City of Vancouver is now accepting submissions for the annual City of Vancouver Book Award. The $2,000 prize will be presented to the winning author in October 2012. Deadline for submission is Wednesday, May 23, 2012.

 

Vantage Point Workshops and Labs
Deadline: Ongoing

The City of Vancouver, through the departments of Cultural Services and Social Policy, has partnered with Vantage Point to offer creative learning opportunities for leaders in the non-profit community.

Recent Events

Community and Neighbourhood Arts Development Program Information sessions – January 9 and 11, 2012, 6:00-7:30pm

Community non-profit organizations, artists, and all interested parties joined Cultural Services staff to learn more about the Community and Neighbourhood Arts Development Grants Program, what organizations and projects are eligible, what types of projects have been successful and what is required to make an application.

The information sessions were free, but space was limited to 60 spaces per workshop.

 

Celebrate Vancouver 125 at the Vancouver Poetry Conference
-- October 19-22 , 2011

Vancouver’s Poet Laureate, Brad Cran, is hosting the Vancouver Poetry Conference at SFU Woodward’s from October 19-22, 2011. Visit v125pc.com to register as a delegate for the four-day literary evnet or to view the detailed conference schedule, poet photos and bios.

 

2011 Cultural Infrastructure Grants Adjudication

Curentltly being assessed, the results from the 2011 Cultural Infrastructure Grants will be publicly available by the end of November. Cultural Infrastructure Grants are available once per year to Vancouver-based non-profit, cultural organizations to assist with projects related to cultural facility purchase, construction, renovation, or expansion.

 

Artist Studio Regulatory Review: Posters from Open Houses held in June 2011

June 2011 - Launched in late 2009, the Artist Studio Regulatory Review has been conducting roundtables with artists and City staff to help improve opportunities for artist studio creation, presentation and operation. Staff are seeking feedback on proposed recommendations (see PDF file - 900KB, which contains the posters presented at the open houses held on June 8 and 9, 2011). Some text may appear small on screen as the posters were printed for large format presentation.

If you have further comments/suggestions or if you would like to be added to our Artist Studio Regulatory Review mailing list, please contact Diana Leung, Cultural Planner for the Regulatory Reviews.

The final staff recommendations with be presented to City Council (scheduled for July 2011). City staff will act on the adopted recommendations starting this Fall 2011.

 

Live Performance Venue Regulatory Review Update

The Regulatory Review team has completed Phase I of the 3-phased Review. For up-to-date information on the Review, please refer to the information panels (1.53mb) created for two public open houses that took place in January 2011.

On Thursday, February 3rd, staff reported to Mayor and Council with recommendations as a result of the completion of Phase I. Please refer to the Meeting Agenda and Report for details.