North Van Arts Introduces North Shore Culture Compass

North Van Arts has launched its new resource, the North Shore Culture Compass. The Culture Compass is a free online map that visualizes the rich cultural landscape of the Lower Mainland’s North Shore.

An accessible navigational tool featuring key information about points of interest, the Culture Compass encourages local residents and tourists alike to connect with the arts, heritage, and stories that make this region so vibrant.

The Culture Compass is submission-based, with all listings uploaded for free. Listing information includes an image, a short description, an address and a web link to the organization, event, or cultural landmark. With the support of the North Shore community, the Culture Compass currently features more than 400 listings of regional points of cultural and historic significance. Listings are searchable by keyword and organized into 10 distinct categories:

• Creative & Cultural Industries 
  Businesses that provide the creation, production, manufacturing and/or distribution of goods and services that are cultural in nature (recording studios, costume designers, creative software design).

• Cultural & Natural Heritage
  The legacy of buildings and/or sites, physical artifacts, activities, and intangible attributes of a group or society, of historical, cultural and educational value that are inherited from past generations.

• Cultural Spaces & Facilities
  A physical space, building, or site that hosts cultural activity where people gather to experience arts or heritage-related activities.

• Cultural Organizations
  Organizations that represent arts, heritage, and ethno-cultural interests in the community. These are usually non-profits.

• Festivals & Events
  A period or program of activities, events, and/or entertainment celebrating and/or educating one or many social cultures.

• First Nations
  Places, stories, events, customs, and traditions that represent the culture of local First Nations.
  *Listings follow appropriate sharing protocol and are uploaded in close consultation with the Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations

• Intangibles & Stories
  Non-physical aspects of a particular culture, including traditions, customs, and practices, aesthetic and spiritual beliefs, lore, artistic expression, and language.

• Public Art
  Original, one-of-a-kind work that creatively reflects the culture, heritage and/or natural environment of the site or surrounding area.

• Public Institutions
  A public body that operates accessible facilities and services for the public good, including but not limited to schools and local authorities.

• Service Organizations
  A voluntary non-profit organization where members meet regularly to perform charitable work either by direct hands-on efforts or by raising money for other organizations.

Discover museums & natural landmarks, live performance & public art, annual festivals & art galleries, and so much more. To get started, visit northshoreculturecompass.ca.