Victoria's ArtsScan FAQs

What is Victoria Arts Scan?

Victoria Arts Scan is an arts and cultural mapping project designed to inventory information on Victoria's arts and cultural assets - the scope of arts and cultural organizations and resources that currently exist in Victoria. The Life Cycles Project Society, a local non-profit group, has been contracted to collect and analyze data and prepare a report that identifies opportunities and gaps in Victoria's current arts and cultural community and make recommendations for future priorities. This information will be used to develop the City's first Arts and Cultural Plan in 2010.

What is an Arts and Cultural Plan?

An Arts and Cultural Plan guides the City's vision and role in supporting local arts and culture, and identifies initiatives to increase arts and cultural opportunities for the Capital City over the next five years.

How does the City currently support arts and culture?

In 2005, the City of Victoria was declared a "Cultural Capital of Canada" by Heritage Canada. Recreation and Culture staff lead, support, facilitate and coordinate recreation, arts and culture, and community development initiatives in Victoria. The City has been working with local arts and cultural groups over the past decade in various capacities. It supports everything from multicultural festivals and Canada Day celebrations, to public art, Victoria's Poet Laureate, and the City of Victoria Butler Book Prize. For a complete list of the arts and cultural projects the City supports, see the following document: http://www.victoria.ca/cityhall/pdfs/victoria-arts-scan-list-100119.pdf

What is Victoria's Public Art Policy?

On August 26, 2010, Victoria City Council approved a new policy to increase funding for art in public spaces and expand opportunities for artists and members of the public to participate in the process. The new Art in Public Places Policy is the result of a six-month review of the City's 17 year old public art policy. More information is available here: http://www.victoria.ca/cityhall/departments_comdev_pubart.shtml

What does the Victoria Arts Scan involve?

Life Cycles is developing a database in consultation with a four-person Arts and Cultural Steering committee. The role of the Mapping Our Arts and Cultural Resources Steering committee is to provide advice to the mapping project. Committee members include James Lam, Manager, CRD Arts Development; Helen Marzolf, Director at Open Space Arts Society; Paul Scrivener, Executive Director of the Community Arts Council; and Scott Walker, Coordinator of the Professional Arts Alliance of Greater Victoria. In December, Life Cycles began meeting with representatives from Victoria's arts and cultural community, including music, visual arts, theatre/performing arts, dance, film/video, and literary sectors. Consultation will be completed by mid-March 2010. In addition to one-on-one meetings, an online questionnaire was developed as a convenient way for arts and cultural organizations to provide input. The information collected will form part of the Victoria Arts Scan inventory.

How can the public provide input?

The City would like to know how the public feels Victoria's arts and cultural community can be enhanced. A lecture featuring Joanne Edey-Nicoll, Assistant Director of Parks, Culture and Recreation for the City of New Westminster, will be held on Wednesday, January 20, 2009 from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. at City Hall. The presentation outlined New Westminster's Art Strategy and the role it plays in supporting arts and culture in this municipality. Following the lecture, group discussions will provide an opportunity for participants to provide input.

How is Victoria Arts Scan funded?

This arts and cultural mapping project is funded by a $10,000 Legacy 2010 Now grant, made possible by the BC Provincial Government, in addition to $10,000 from the City of Victoria.