Agenda Index City of Vancouver

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

TO: Vancouver City Council
FROM: Director, Office of Cultural Affairs
SUBJECT: Strategies for Regional Arts and Cultural Development in Greater Vancouver
 

RECOMMENDATION

CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS

COUNCIL POLICY

In 1993, City Council approved as a priority, a Vancouver Arts Initiative recommendation to encourage Greater Vancouver municipalities to work together on regional arts issues.

PURPOSE

This report is to:

… Update Council regarding progress of the Regional Cultural Plan Steering Committee,
… Present for endorsement the Phase II report Strategies for Regional Arts and Cultural

… Seek Council's approval of principles to guide implementation planning.

SUMMARY

Recognizing the importance of arts and culture to Greater Vancouver's social and economic development, in 1995, the GVRD Board endorsed an inter-municipal initiative to prepare a cultural development strategic plan. A Steering Committee was struck comprising cultural planning staff from member municipalities. The Director, Office of Cultural Affairs, participates on behalf of the City and was elected Chair.

In 1997, following two years of intensive research and analysis, the Regional Cultural Plan Steering Committee's presented its Phase I report on the state of the region's cultural sector: Arts and Culture In Greater Vancouver - Contributing to the Livable Region. With the support of Vancouver Directors, the GVRD Board endorsed the report, and authorized proceeding to develop a strategic plan.

In 1999, with the support of the Vancouver Directors, the GVRD Board endorsed the Phase II report, Strategies for Regional Arts and Cultural Development in Greater Vancouver. Additionally, the Board authorized and funded the Steering Committee to develop implementation options for consideration in June/July 2000. The GVRD Board then referred the Strategies and the Next Steps cover report to member municipalities for comment.

The Strategies report recommends three Strategic Directions:

… Improving information exchange and understanding of arts and cultural opportunities region-wide,
… Facilitating regional cultural economic development initiatives; and,
… Enabling coordinated planning and development of region-serving cultural programs and facilities.

These Strategic Directions capture the key issues and opportunities in arts and cultural development that are best addressed cooperatively at the regional level, and would complement or enhance initiatives of local governments and cultural organizations. The Steering Committee also recommends that Greater Vancouver municipalities together form a cultural development partnership to take the initiative on implementation.

This report contains staff assessment and recommendations that Council endorse theStrategies report, and communicate to the GVRD that the City of Vancouver approves development of the implementation options on the basis of the following principles:

… The strategies will build on existing strengths, be achievable, and deliver benefits region-wide. They will complement and enable local arts initiatives, not substitute for them.
… This is an inter-municipal initiative. Local interests and autonomy will be respected.
… This is a collaborative process to be implemented in consultation with member municipalities, identified partners and community stakeholders.
… Adequate and appropriate funding is needed.*
… Delivery must be efficient and effective, with careful allocation and use of resources.
… Annual progress reports and performance measures will be required to assure accountability and transparency.

* We understand this to mean that the inter-municipal partnership, its activities, and contributions to any project or special initiative will be funded equitably by the partners.

BACKGROUND

The Greater Vancouver metropolitan area has grown rapidly over the past decade, adding more than 500,000 people from diverse cultural origins to reach a total population of 2 million. This has been paralleled by shifts in the urban region's economy to an increasing emphasis on knowledge and information-based industries, tourism, and higher order services.

Vancouver's cultural and economic interests are strongly affected by these broader changes. The sharing of arts and culture among the diverse groups in our communities increases inter-cultural and inter-generational understanding, strengthens social bonds and our mutual sense of identity. Demand for access to a diverse choice of art and culture is increasing, and many of the new and rapidly growing economic activities require cultural inputs - including cultural tourism, new media, film and television. This sector is strategically important to the future of Greater Vancouver due to the numerous connections between arts and culture and so many other aspects of community and regional development.

In 1993, City Council recognized this evolving environment and approved as a priority, a Vancouver Art Initiative recommendation to encourage Greater Vancouver municipalities to work together to address these opportunities and needs on a regional basis.

In 1995, the GVRD Board endorsed an inter-municipal initiative to prepare a strategic cultural development plan. A Steering Committee was struck comprising cultural planning staff from member municipalities. The Director, Office of Cultural Affairs, participates on behalf of the City and was elected Chair. The Steering Committee's mandate is to:

… develop a plan to meet the cultural needs of Greater Vancouver, addressing issues of cultural development, cultural diversity, economic development and population growth;
… ensure an efficient and effective process of cultural development based on a regional strategic plan and thorough coordination of cultural planning, facility development and support programs; and to
… ensure a broad range of high quality cultural services to meet the needs of both residents and visitors to the lower mainland.

In 1997, following two years of intensive research and analysis, the Regional Cultural Plan Steering Committee's presented its Phase I report on the state of the region's cultural sector: Arts and Culture In Greater Vancouver - Contributing to the Livable Region. With the support of Vancouver Directors, the GVRD Board endorsed the report, and authorized proceeding to develop a strategic plan.

That strategic plan, developed with extensive community consultation and input, is detailed in the Phase II report, Strategies for Regional Arts and Cultural Development in Greater Vancouver. In November, 1999, with the support of the Vancouver Directors, the GVRD Board endorsed the Phase II report. Additionally, the Board authorized and funded the Steering Committee to develop implementation options for consideration in June/July 2000. The Board then referred the Strategies and the Next Steps cover report to member municipalities for comment.

Copies of these reports are attached as "Appendix A", and provide a thorough summary of the research, consultations and strategic planning activities undertaken to date, as well as key findings and recommendations of earlier reports.

Not included in the attachments, but on file with the Clerk, are: Federal Government Expenditures on Culture in B.C. 1987/88 to 1996/97, and, Government of British Columbia Expenditures on Culture 1987/88 to 1996/97. These two reports analyze senior government spending/investment on culture in B.C. over the past decade, each revealing a long-standing pattern of disproportionately low level of support. On the basis of these documents the Steering Committee calls for an urgent approach to the responsible Ministers to convey these analyses and invite their participation in a process to improve the financial environment for arts and cultural development in Greater Vancouver.

The Phase II report, Strategies for Regional Arts and Cultural Development in the Greater Vancouver recommends Strategic Directions, priority Actions, and the creation of an implementation plan to realize region-wide benefits.

Strategic Directions

The Strategic Directions capture the key issues and opportunities in arts and cultural development that are best addressed cooperatively at the regional level, and would complement or enhance initiatives of local governments and cultural organizations

… Improving information exchange and understanding of arts and cultural opportunities region-wide,
… Facilitating regional cultural economic development initiatives; and,
… Enabling coordinated planning and development of region-serving cultural programs and facilities.

Four Priority Actions

To achieve our collective goals, 25 Actions have been recommended by stakeholder and community consultations. Of these, 4 are recommended as priorities that offer the most immediate potential for region-wide benefits:

… Improve the financial environment for region-serving arts and culture in Greater Vancouver, to ensure their quality and sustainability and provide for growth.
… Develop a "Greater Vancouver Cultural Information Network" to improve the availability of information about arts and culture.
… Develop and implement a cultural tourism strategy to increase, and enhance regional distribution of, the economic and social benefits of cultural tourism.
… Review in detail the challenges and obstacles to regional touring of performing and visual arts and heritage exhibitions, and develop a program to improve access to existing arts and cultural activity region-wide by facilitating their distribution to existing venues.

Next Steps: Creation of an Implementation Plan

Using a business planning model, the Steering Committee will develop a consolidated implementation plan that puts definition to the ongoing inter-municipal partnership options, specifies the near-term products to be delivered, and identifies prospective service delivery partners. The consolidated plan will also include these three essential components:

… Initial three year plans for each of the four priority Actions, leading to projections of the scope of action and the scale of resources required,
… Options for the form and governance of the structure best able to achieve the desired outcomes; and,
… Options for appropriate funding sources.

To ensure the proposed partnership is fully supported, municipal Councillors will be invited to participate in a comprehensive workshop currently scheduled for June 7th, and membermunicipalities will have the opportunity to review all implementation options. To guide the process in the meantime, the Steering Committee is seeking approval of a set of principles.

Principles

… Implementation of the strategies will build on existing strengths, be achievable, and deliver benefits region-wide. It will complement and enable local arts initiatives, not substitute for them.
… This is an inter-municipal initiative. Local interests and autonomy will be respected.
… This is a collaborative process to be implemented in consultation with member municipalities, identified partners and community stakeholders.
… Adequate and appropriate funding is needed.*
… Delivery must be efficient and effective, with careful allocation and use of resources.
… Annual progress reports and performance measures will be required to assure accountability and transparency.

* We understand this to mean that the inter-municipal partnership, its activities, and contributions to any project or special initiative will be funded equitably by the partners.

DISCUSSION

The issues and opportunities addressed in the Strategies report are important to the cultural sector, and this sector is important to Vancouver and the Greater Vancouver community as a whole. Some strategies address concerns that are particularly relevant to the City of Vancouver, others are more important for neighbouring municipalities. Together they present a balanced plan for cultural development region-wide, addressing a sector that is regional by nature.

It is clear that one of Vancouver's objectives is to see region-serving organizations supported equitably by the resident and visitor populations they serve. But while this is important, it is neither Vancouver's only goal, nor its only benefit from the proposed Strategies.

There is significant potential for growth in the arts and cultural sector, but it will not just happen. In consultations the Steering Committee heard, repeatedly, the belief that success for the Strategies depends on formation of an inter-municipal partnership for cultural development. The collective municipalities are not only recognized as being closest to the action and best able to do what is necessary, they are seen as long-term reliable partners prepared to take the initiative and provide the necessary leadership.

A reading of the Strategies report makes readily apparent the benefits of working together; to co-ordinate planning, to craft collaborative solutions, and to facilitate partnerships withstakeholders. Not least in importance, the Steering Committee makes a telling case for the need to speak with one voice to engage senior governments.

CONCLUSION

The Strategies report provides a pragmatic plan to address the cultural development needs and opportunities in Greater Vancouver. The Strategic Directions, identified through research and consultation, recommend action on issues and opportunities that are best addressed at the regional level. The principles to guide development of implementation options are reasonable and fair.

Municipalities have been consulted at the staff and elected level, as well as stakeholders like arts and heritage organizations, educational institutions, cultural industries, tourism and other business organizations, and other levels of government.

The next step is to develop the proposed implementation options and the Director, Office of Cultural Affairs RECOMMENDS that Council endorse the September 1999 report of the Regional Cultural Plan Steering Committee entitled Strategies for Regional Arts and Cultural Development in Greater Vancouver, and communicate their support for preparation of an implementation plan in accordance with the principles outlined in this report.

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