The mandate of the City of Richmond's Arts, Culture & Heritage Services Department is to create an environment and culture in the City that ensures that arts and culture play a strong role in place-making, community building, tourism and economic development.  To do this the City must focus on an environment that embraces a full range of opportunities from beginner/recreational to professional.  Some of the ways in which we will accomplish this goal are:

•  becoming a provider of arts services and a developer and facilitator of others with a goal of elevating the level of focus and support to the arts, similar to sport
• developing and hosting unique and signature festivals and events that will attract visitors
• increasing access to a broader range of arts opportunities by enhancing the quality of visual, literary and performing programming and instruction, showcasing the arts of our diverse community and working in p0artnership with training and educational institutions to improve and support arts education

In addition, Richmond has an exciting array of heritage resources that are unique in Metro Vancouver.  The Arts, Culture & Heritage Department is tasked with developing and managing heritage conservation plans for City owned properties and engaging private heritage building owners in the process of conservation;  managing heritage facilities and sites (Richmond Museum, Steveston Museum, Britannia Heritage Shipyard, London Heritage Farm, Minoru Chapel and Scotch Pond) and to ensure that our heritage planning provides a coordinated approach to preservation of the City's significant natural, built and cultural heritage resources.