More cuts at SFU Woodward's Goldcorp Centre for the Arts as SFU shuts down Vancity Office of Community Engagement
The closure removes another of the building’s original founding partners after the axing of SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs last year
The Vancity Office of Community Engagement was one of the founding organizations at the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts alongside SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs, which closed last year.
SFU’S SCHOOL FOR THE Contemporary Arts has said it is “shocked and disappointed” about the university’s recent decision to shutter the Vancity Office of Community Engagement, alongside the SFU Office of Community Engagement and the SFU Surrey TD Community Engagement Centre.
Last week, amid what it said were financial cutbacks and consolidation efforts, SFU announced a decision to close VOCE at SFU Woodward’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts. This follows the closure of SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs in the same building in the Downtown Eastside, a move that sparked an outcry amid the dozens of performing arts groups it had worked and copresented with since 2010.
SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs and VOCE had joined the School for Contemporary Arts (SCA) and the Audain Gallery as founding occupants and partners of the Goldcorp Centre when the old Woodward’s Building was redeveloped into a multipurpose facility 15 years ago.
“At a time when community (or rather communities together) is perhaps increasingly sorely needed and in many ways under attack, this decision seems like a step backwards from the right path, and maybe even an abdication of responsibility,” the SCA says in an official response to the move. “Certainly, these closures seem to clash with SFU’s own laudable commitment ‘to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive community where all feel welcome, safe, accepted and appreciated.’”
SFU said in its statement last week that it would be consolidating the work into a central Community Engagement & Dialogue department. Last year, it conducted a review to “consider alignment with the academic purpose of the university, increase coordination, consolidate reporting and seek efficiencies”.
“At the same time, the university continued to experience budget challenges beyond our control, which means we must look for opportunities that ensure financial sustainability while delivering on our vision,” SFU said in the statement posted to its website. “We recognize that this decision has an impact on our team, members of the academic community and community partners.”
Run by director Am Johal, VOCE led outreach and programming work that nurtured relationships with the nearby DTES community.
“Over the years, the close and collaborative relationship between the SCA and VOCE built on that foundation, helping to populate our building with diverse and inclusive public events and activities,” SCA wrote in its statement. “To help preserve this legacy, we’re working with VOCE staff to investigate maintaining the entire content of their website, linked as a partner to ours.”
For its part, SFU says it has plans in place to mitigate impacts by continuing some community engagement support for Surrey and Vancouver campuses through the Community Engagement & Dialogue team that will “bring scholars and society together on critical debates and help enhance the capacity of SFU educators, researchers, administrators and learners to lead and participate in meaningful dialogue”.
SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement’s mandate, according to its website, was to support “creative engagement, knowledge democracy and access to arts and culture through public programming, community partnerships and community-engaged research. We deliver content that relates to our key programming themes: 1) arts, culture and community 2) social and environmental justice and 3) urban issues.”
Recent initiatives included See How We Run!, a Below the Radar podcast mini-series looking at local arts collectives and organizations, highlighting conversations about creation, spacemaking, accessibility, and self-determination; it was hosted by then-SFU VOCE staff Julia Aoki, Kathy Feng, and Samantha Walters. It also hosted events like community lectures and screenings.
On the arts end, some of VOCE’s community partners were Karen Jamieson Dance, which offered community dance workshops; Project Limelight, a free theatre and performing-arts program for eight-to-12-year-olds in East Vancouver; and Reel Causes, which hosts film screenings and discussions. 
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