The Alliance for Arts & Culture's Artists' Legal Outreach program and the Open Education Conference present:

remix, vancouver

a creative copyright conversation CCC

To alleviate the festival withdrawal Fringe fans experience outside of September, the Vancouver Fringe Festival announced this week that it will present five shows between February and May from beloved Fringe artists—plus special events with Fringe legend TJ Dawe.

Actsafe has issued the following safety bulletin, relevant to anyone working outside at this time of year:

When working in cold conditions, the two most common hazards are hypothermia and frostbite. With proper awareness and pre-planning, these hazards can be eliminated.

Built in 1936, the iconic art deco Hollywood Theatre has been having a rough few years. Sold to Bonnis Properties in 2011, it sat empty for about a year before being leased to the Point Grey Community Church in 2012. Now their lease is up, and Bonnis Properties has decided to turn the facility into a fitness centre. These plans involve adding a second floor, and it's unclear how much of the original facade would be kept.

The Key Events List (pdf), compiled by your Alliance for Arts and Culture, lists upcoming events in and around Metro Vancouver through the next 12 months. The list is designed to be a guide for event planners, who will find the roster helpful in avoiding scheduling conflicts.

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra's Maestro Bramwell Tovey will become the longest-serving Music Director in the orchestra’s 99-year history. 

The VSO announced last week the extension of Tovey’s contract that will see him remain at the artistic helm of the orchestra through August of 2018, marking his 18th year with the organization. Tovey will become the VSO’s Music Director Emeritus, conducting up to two weeks per season starting in 2018/2019, the orchestra’s 100^th Anniversary Season.  

The Alliance is pleased to introduce Desjardins Group as our newest Member Advantage Program (MAP) partner.

Desjardins Group's Payment Solutions Program offers Alliance members preferred rates on their merchant credit card services.

What makes Desjardins different?

The City of Vancouver released its proposed 2014 Capital and Operating Budget today, which notes that the coming year will see a continued focus on the planning for significant new arts venues and spaces, including the new Vancouver Art Gallery, 162 West 1st Avenue, and the evolution of the Arts Factory. 

Cultural Services plans for 2014 include:

Vancouver Police are asking for the public’s help in finding $100,000 worth of Aboriginal art, recently stolen from the Coastal Peoples Fine Arts Gallery in Gastown.

Nine pieces of artwork were stolen from the gallery's storage locker, including one-of-a-kind Aboriginal masks, wooden panels and sculptures between the evening of October 30 and the early morning hours of October 31. 

The Province’s Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services released its report on Budget 2014 consultations last week. It included encouraging references to arts and culture in comparison with the previous year's report, which made no reference to the sector.

Each fall, the Committee holds province-wide public consultations on the upcoming provincial budget through public hearings, written submissions, and an online survey.  

Last week, the Alliance's executive director Rob Gloor and Surrey Children's Festival artistic director Marnie Perrin met with MP Nina Grewal (Fleetwood--Port Kells) to discuss #Arts308 and the importance of arts funding. Have you scheduled a meeting with your MP yet?