BC Artscape is an independent non-profit urban development organization based in Vancouver. Affiliated with Artscape , our mandate is to develop cultural spaces in BC that serve the needs of artists and cultural organizations as well as the local community. Projects of BC Artscape are carefully designed to address the opportunities and challenges of their particular local context by employing an in-depth community engagement process where we listen and learn from artists, cultural organizations, community groups, residents, businesses and community leaders to build a dynamic and inclusive project vision.
Our objective is that each of our projects are:
- An accurate reflection of the community they are located within
- Affordable with secure tenure
- A supportive home for artists , cultural organizations and community members to collaborate and share resources
- A public place to gather and connect across cultures and generations
- Self-sustaining
Each project is guided by a Community Steering Committee with representatives who are local artists, cultural producers, residents, business owners and other members of the community who support our community engagement, research and vision development. The Community Steering Committee helps to define and implement the project vision, inform the tenant selection criteria, and build momentum and support with an ever-widening circle of stakeholders. Once a project is operational, a Community Stewardship plan offers a range of opportunities for community members and tenants to participate in the project’s governance and delivery of the project vision. Our approach empowers the community to be both a driving force in a project’s development stages and the key measure of its ongoing success.
