Community Engagement

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Community Engagement Cultural Planning
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Vancouver's Creative Sector

• Highest per capita of artists in Canada
• Leadership in new media, film, design, theatre,
  museums, music
• 3.8 million attending performances, exhibitions,
  special events, festivals and celebrations
• Cultural workforce increasing 23.7 (vs general
  increase of 5.3)

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New Vision for Arts and Culture in Vancouver
Cultural Values Creativity, Excellence,
Diversity, Openness, Accessibility, Collaboration
Strategic Themes, Goals and Directions Innovation,
Learning, Connecting, Neighborhoods, Valued and
Valuable
Implementation Plans Grants Review Cultural
Tourism Plan Public Art Review Facilities
Priorities Plan
Annual Operating Plans 2008-2018
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Public Process
stakeholder
collaborate
connections
consult
feedback
engagement
input
Community
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• Community
• all the people living in a specific locality
• a body of people having a religion, a
  profession, etc, in common
• ecology, a group of animals or plants living or
  growing together in the same area

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• Consult
• seek information or advice from (a person, book,
  watch, etc.)
• refer to a person for advice, an opinion
• seek permission or approval from (a person) for
  a proposed action

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• Engagement
• the act or state of engaging or being engaged
• a betrothal
• an encounter between hostile forces
• a moral commitment or obligation

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• Collaborate
• to work or cooperate with another, especially in
  literary or scientific pursuits
• to cooperate traitorously with an enemy

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Whats your motivation?

• consultation

• engagement

• collaboration

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Whats your commitment?

• relationships

• power/authority/control

• level of risk

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Creative City Culture Plan 2008 - 2018

• Creative City Task Force Mandate
• Review Citys approach to cultural development
  and services
• Undertake stakeholder community consultation
• Identify strategic goals, directions and
  objectives for Citys role in strengthening
  Vancouvers cultural community

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Creative City Consultations

• Community Dialogue
• Creative City Task Force
• Focus Groups
• Hot line
• Web Site (online toolkit, quiz and surveys)
• Creative City Conversation Day 1
• Feedback Survey (draft recommendations)
• Open House
• Creative City Conversation Day 2

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Strategic Themes Innovation, Learning,
Connecting, Neighborhoods, Valued and Valuable
Implementation Plans Grants Review Cultural
Tourism Plan Public Art Review Facilities
Priorities Plan
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Public Art Review

• Community Engagement
• Public Art Committee
• Review Advisory Committee
• Public Meeting/Workshop
• One-on-one Meetings
• Estimated reach 150
• Input was used to identify issues and develop
  recommendations
• Strengths expertise of community process got
  people excited and supportive
• Weaknesses not enough time overall or staff
  resources to support process

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Cultural Tourism Strategy

• Community Engagement
• Advisory Committee
• Project co-led by CoV and Tourism Vancouver
• Estimated reach goal wasnt numbers but
  organizational relationships and awareness
  raising
• Strengths very focused access to expertise
  process got people excited and supportive
• Weaknesses not enough time

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Grants and Awards Review

• Community Engagement
• Advisory Committee
• Online survey
• Workshops
• One-on-one Interviews
• Estimated reach 350
• Input was used in advisory capacity and to
  directly inform priorities and recommendations
• Strengths breadth and balance of input
• Weaknesses timing was terrible (with 3
  simultaneous consultations and job action) not
  enough time to prepare

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Cultural Facilities Priorities Plan

• Objectives
• Gaps
• Evaluation criteria
• Key priorities for development / redevelopment
• Strategies and tools
• Partnerships

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Cultural Facilities

• Community Engagement
• Advisory Committee
• Sector Workshop
• Focus Groups
• Leadership Interviews
• City staff interviews
• Online survey arts organizations
• Online survey individual artists / creators
• Criteria workshops
• Recommendations workshops
• Estimated reach 750
• Input used for advisory / process (engagement,
  support, partnerships) and product (priorities
  and strategies)

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Results

• Process (engagement, credibility, partnerships,
  capacity building...)
• Product (quality of information and
  recommendations)
• Political support
• Culture Plan and four sub-plans to Mayor and
  Council
• 10-15 year work plans
• Land-use and investment policies
• 3million added to the culture budget
• Service level improvements

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Reflections

• too much simultaneous engagement
• not enough time for each engagement
• not enough time for staff to prepare
• consultants skills
• harness multiple tools including technology
• communications plans / over communicate
• make room for venting
• ongoing discussions / involvement?

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Jacqueline.gijssen_at_vancouver.ca