City of Vancouver Releases Draft 2018 Budget
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The City of Vancouver has released its draft 2018 budget, including information about how resources will be allocated to cultural services. The draft budget can be found online here, with the section pertaining to cultural services beginning at pp. 305. Among the planned investments, the City will contribute $580,000 in grants for arts and culture, following recommendations from the initial phase of the Creative City Strategy development.
The BC Alliance for Arts + Culture thanks the City of Vancouver for their support of the thriving industries of arts, culture and heritage. We encourage readers to contact the City to express their appreciation for this increased investment.
The complete list of cultural services investments can be found below.
Creative City Strategy
- Finalize a new Creative City Strategy.
Grants and awards
- Invest an additional $580,000 in grants for arts and culture to support key recommendations emerging from the initial phase of the Creative City Strategy development.
- Conduct annual reviews of applications (500+) for cash and in-kind grants to arts and cultural organizations and artists.
- Implement recommendations arising from a capacity and sustainability support review for City-supported non-profit arts and cultural organizations.
- Launch a review of the Mayor’s Arts Awards program and processes.
- Support the Juno Awards in partnership with Music BC Industry Association.
Public art
- Select and fund multiple artist-initiated projects throughout Vancouver.
- Complete the Home and Away public artwork by Lead Pencil Studio at Empire Fields in Hastings Park.
- Work collaboratively with the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations to develop significant new public art projects and increase Indigenous visibility on their unceded territories.
Cultural infrastructure and spaces
- Open a new 10,000-square-foot artist production community amenity space downtown at 1265 Howe Street.
- Report back on Making Space for Art, a study underway in collaboration with Civic Theatres performing arts survey, which will inform planning to retain, expand and develop vibrant, affordable and sustainable arts and cultural spaces in Vancouver.
- Report back on strategies for artist production space in industrial land.
- Award multi-year terms for seven City-owned artist studios.
