Granville Island, the urban development poster child, plays host to a three-day event for provincial heritage and arts organizations this week (May 5 to 7).

Heritage BC and Arts BC have joined forces for PlaceMaking: Where Arts and Heritage Collide, bringing leaders in arts, culture, and heritage from across the province together for speakers, workshops, tours, networking, and special events.

The conference looks to expand thinking around heritage and arts in the city by moving the conversation beyond the protection of residential buildings to include commercial and industrial buildings, as well as the integration of arts in these efforts and in communities. Arts and heritage naturally link in conversations around neighborhoods and natural landscapes, and in engineering structures and cultural landscapes.

PlaceMaking celebrates Heritage BC’s 35th year and promises something for everyone.

“The conference is not necessarily just for history buffs, it’s really for anyone who cares about art and culture and how it impacts the places that we value,” says Judy Oberlander, volunteer member of the PlaceMaking conference planning committee.

Heritage BC hosts an annual conference but this is the first time the event joins forces with Arts BC. The event is appropriately hosted on Granville Island, given this year’s theme of placemaking.

In the 1970s, as industrial businesses were moving away from Granville Island and the residential neighborhood area of South False Creek was being developed, two architects championed for maintaining some of the existing architecture, for not starting from scratch. The space is now a popular Vancouver destination and home to a range of arts and culture offerings. One of the architects who shaped this local destination was award-winning architect Norman Hotson. Hoston will be at the conference this week as a keynote speaker.

“Many of the presentations are case studies, an opportunity to hear lessons learned and to understand how some of these principles that worked in one community might be adapted for another,” says Oberlander.

Service-based workshops like “The Pitfalls of Grantwriting,” or “ Volunteer Management,” are countered with dialogue-driven panels and talks. And a session by Martha Rans on the BC Societies Act Changes will interest anyone who runs a society in B.C.

“The event is about a new way of looking at things. Not just about a historical analyses, but about building infrastructure and community networks that support heritage conservation around arts and culture.”

Half and full day registration available.