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Culture Plan: Five Strategic Themes

The strategic themes and key goals which have been distilled from the extensive community input and outlined in this Culture Plan are listed below. 

Innovation | Learning | Connecting People, Ideas and Communities | Neighbourhoods | Valued and Valuable

1. Vancouver – A Creative City: Innovation

Vancouver is home to a growing and dynamic creative community.  There are a multitude of vibrant, active and plentiful individuals and organizations engaged in the performing and visual arts, film and television, new media, literature and publishing. Vancouver artists have established international reputations and have helped draw attention to the creative energy and outpouring of talent in our city.  We must build on their success and ensure that Vancouver is a platform that launches the works and careers of a new generation of artists and creators.

Goal:  Recognize Vancouver – locally, nationally and internationally – as a city of creative innovation, a city of ideas, a city which leverages the unique and authentic voices of the diverse, young and growing cultural community, a city which realizes its full creative potential, a city on the leading edge of cultural activity and development.

Strategy: The City of Vancouver will collaborate with our partners in the community to take actions which foster innovation in all aspects of our cultural policies, programs and services that support the incubation of cultural ideas and expression.

Suggested Action Steps from the Community Consultation and Creative City Conversation Day

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2. Vancouver - A Creative City: Learning

Vancouver is a dynamic city of cultural and inter-cultural learning. With the educational resources, educators and institutions in our community – the K-12 school system, private and public post-secondary institutions, museums and libraries, we have a remarkable array of resources which will enable us to enhance and expand cultural awareness, expression and creativity.

Goal: Build on Vancouver’s reputation as a city of learning, a city that embeds cultural exchange, cultural curiosity and cultural development as part of lifelong learning – from the very young to the elderly – to ensure that all our citizens have the opportunity to engage with and participate in cultural education throughout their lives and to ensure that every citizen has the opportunity to develop his or her expressive capacities.

Strategy: The City of Vancouver will support the goal of lifelong learning for all the citizens of Vancouver by collaborating with our partners in the community to embed cultural awareness, instruction and programming within all our institutions and systems.

Suggested Action Steps from the Community Consultation and Creative City Conversation Day

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3. Vancouver - A Creative City: Connecting People, Ideas and Communities

In Vancouver, a large number of creators, organizations, festivals and celebrations, businesses, government, and communities have converged to form our unique cultural system. Our city is fertile ground for creativity, collaboration and entrepreneurship which allows us to leverage our wealth of talent towards a new and energized commitment to connecting people, ideas and communities.

Goal: Take advantage of Vancouver’s position as a creative city where connectivity is a hallmark of our cultural system – artists, creative industries, institutions, communities, and neighbourhoods. It is a city engaged in a dynamic conversation, an ongoing dialogue and an exploration of cultural enterprise and opportunity on a regular and consistent basis, connecting people and communities, sharing innovative ideas and programs.

Strategy: The City of Vancouver will play a leadership role and with our cultural partners in finding practical ways to create an environment of collaboration, to create opportunities for continuing dialogue among cultural partners and to invite citizens to engage and participate in cultural activities.

Suggested Action Steps from the Community Consultation and Creative City Conversation Day

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4. Vancouver - A Creative City: Neighbourhoods

Vancouver’s neighbourhoods are a treasured resource. It is in our neighbourhoods that our citizens live, work and play. As our neighbourhoods have grown and adapted to change, they have shown resiliency and a willingness to embrace changing demographics and new challenges. More importantly, our neighbourhoods have developed their own unique identities that define their character and their contribution to the city and the region. Our neighbourhoods are the foundation of safe, sustainable communities.

Goal: Highlight Vancouver as a city of vibrant creative neighbourhoods by showcasing the talent, enterprise and diversity of our artists, communities and neighbourhoods for our citizens and visitors.  Build on the unique identity of our neighbourhoods – engaging local residents, artists and businesses – to ensure that the rich culture, creativity, diversity and innovation of Vancouver lives and  is accessible to all.

Strategy: We will support neighbourhoods to develop their own cultural plans by seeking new partnerships and collaborations and by encouraging new initiatives and activities that make neighbourhood cultures a central facet of Vancouver’s cultural life.

Suggested Action Steps from the Community Consultation and Creative City Conversation Day

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5. Vancouver - A Creative City: Valued and Valuable

Culture is an important aspect of the quality of life which Vancouverites enjoy and take pride in. It is increasingly apparent that culture is a valuable contributor to our social cohesion, to the overall health and well-being of our citizens and to our economic development. As talent, creativity and culture are nurtured and supported over the next ten years, culture will become an increasingly valued and valuable resource – valued by our citizens for the enrichment it brings to their lives and their families and valuable to our citizens for the economic impact resulting from Vancouver’s increasing importance as a cultural tourism destination, and valued as a city that offers a rich and varied choice of arts and entertainment experiences to residents and visitors.

Goal: Ensure that citizens and taxpayers of Vancouver experience in real and concrete ways the value that arts and culture bring to the city and their lives, families and businesses; promote our growing reputation as an international cultural tourism and entertainment destination known as a place where culture is vibrant and happening and where we value and celebrate the rich multicultural and intercultural expression that is unique to Vancouver.

Strategy: Increased public participation means increased financial viability for quality cultural experiences. Therefore, we will work with our partners in the non-profit arts and cultural sector, cultural industries, business and public sectors to develop new and innovative ways to highlight and profile the creative sector to the citizens of Vancouver and promote Vancouver’s reputation as a Creative City.

Suggested Action Steps from the Community Consultation and Creative City Conversation Day

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