What We Do
Our Vision
A Still Creek neighbourhood where people live as part of a healthy ecosystem, and participate in a community where the arts thrive.
Our Mandate
- To develop, engage and promote the creation of art from a diversity of disciplines;
- To promote and engage in activities that educate our communities, raise environmental awareness, and enhance and restore sustainable natural environments;
- To promote community engagement and participation in environmental and artistic projects; and
- To promote and engage in activities that link arts, community and environment.
Program Areas
Art
We create art that enlivens the Renfrew-Collingwood neighbourhood and invites local residents to engage with, learn about, and value local nature. Our interdisciplinary art is co-created with the community using natural materials. By working together as a community, we build social connections and a sense of belonging while sharing our skills and cultural traditions. By creating art together, we are also creating a stronger, healthier community.
Our art-focussed activities include:
- The Colour Me Local natural dye garden, which supports both professional artists and beginners
- Creating public art
- Community eco-art workshops
- Community-engaged performances
Environment
Renfrew Ravine is a jewel of urban nature located in the heart of Renfrew-Collingwood. Through the ravine runs Still Creek, one of the few salmon-bearing streams remaining in Vancouver. For over 20 years, we have worked with the community to transform the ravine from a garbage-strewn dumping ground to a place of nature, beauty and wellbeing. Our goals are to improve its ecological health and to create opportunities for community members to connect to local urban nature.
Our nature-focussed activities include:
- Facilitating the Still Creek Streamkeepers
- Removing garbage and invasive plants and replacing them with native plants
- Events that shed light on Still Creek, ecology, environmental stewardship and cultural perspectives on nature
Community
We believe in a Renfrew-Collingwood community where everyone belongs and we all benefit from collaborating and sharing our gifts. We structure all of our activities to maximize community engagement, but for some of our programs, community-building is the central focus. These include:
- Youth Connect
- Sarah Ross House Art & Dessert
- Youth Committee
- School Programming
- Seasonal community celebrations such as the Twilight Crow Bike Ride, Foragers’ & Gardeners’ Feasts, and the May 1st Dawn Chorus
- Community conversations to vision a healthy future for the ecosystem and the people who live here
Moon Festival
The Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival is a fusion of art, nature, and community. Since 2003, the Festival has showcased the talents of the Renfrew-Collingwood neighbourhood and transformed the Renfrew Ravine into an enchanted forest filled with dazzling lanterns, live music, dance, and community performances. This month-long festival celebrates the Harvest Moon, Autumn Equinox, Still Creek, local art, and the diverse cultural traditions of the Renfrew-Collingwood neighbourhood. It is a community undertaking made possible by the work of several hundred volunteers and local artists each year. Festival highlights include:
- The Harvest Fair
- The Lost Streams Parade
- The Streamside Lantern Installation