Norman Armour and Sean Bickerton are two of the latest members of Vancouver’s cultural community to join a city advisory committee on the arts.

Armour, the artistic and executive director of the PuSh Festival, and Bickerton, who heads up the Vancouver Recital Society, will join 11 other members on the Arts and Culture Policy Council.

Also joining the group will be Donna Spencer, the artistic producer of the Firehall Arts Centre, and Barb Clausen, co-founder of DanceHouse and New Works.

The advisory group includes returning members Marcus Youssef, Katherine McManus, Nigel Prince, Esther Rausenberg, Eric Szeto, and Paddy Macleod.

Other new names to the committee this year are Terry Hunter, Robert King, and Melody Ma. 

The Arts and Culture Policy Council was established in 2012. Members of the group appointed this year will serve until February 28, 2017.

The committee is mandated to provide input to city council and staff on issues of concern, advise the city on its long-term cultural plan, act as a resource for staff, and disseminate information and encourage participation from the broader arts community.

Like the city’s other citizen advisory groups, which include the Vancouver Food Policy Council, the Urban Aboriginal Peoples Advisory Committee and the newly-created Renters Advisory Committee, the group is required to submit an annual report to council on its progress.