What will the Sunshine Coast arts, culture and heritage scene look like in the year 2017? In the next couple of months the community will have an opportunity to discuss and answer that question. Francine Lucas & Associates has been hired by the steering committee of the Sunshine Coast Regional Cultural Strategy to direct a community consultation process. A cultural scan, the first phase of this project, was completed last year and a full report along with an online database of the cultural assets of the Lower Sunshine Coast is available at www.coastculture.com. The cultural strategy will address the gaps that were identified during the scan. Through a variety of community dialogues, the goal will be to articulate region-wide vision and mission statements for arts/culture/heritage. It will also identify and prioritize regional and community cultural objectives over the next 10 years. With commitments from arts and cultural organizations, individuals and local government, an action plan will be established to achieve these long-term goals. Community input will begin with a series of focus groups being held during the last week of January. Next, three mini-forums will take place across the region in mid-February and the project will wrap up with a community forum in mid-March. This project is guided by a steering committee made up of cultural representatives from arts groups, education, heritage and government. They include: Jean Bennett, Capilano College; Donna Shugar, regional district director for Roberts Creek; Linda Williams, Coast Cultural Alliance; Dorothy Fraser, S.C. Arts Council; Ted Humes, S.C. Museum and Archives; Carol Doyle, Spirit of B.C.; LeeAnn Johnson, Town of Gibsons; Deb Flitton, District of Sechelt; and Kerry Mahlman, School District No. 46. The project is funded by ArtsNow, Western Economic Diversification and community support. Stay tuned for more details. Contact Anita Couvrette, project assistant, at 604-740-8288 or email [email protected] to get involved.
