B.C.’s Creative Sector
#BCCreates our stories, delivering $4.44B Total GDP in 2020 to British Columbia’s economy.
Sector
Knowledge Hub
Discover industry contacts, program recipients, productions shooting and more.
News
Function Festival’s inaugural launch celebrates BIPOC excellence and all-ages access in Victoria, B.C.
Being a two-time Olympian and bronze medalist, Charity Williams is no stranger to the big stage. This time, the stage happens to be both literal and metaphorical: it refers to her role as the lead organizer for the inaugural Function Festival, taking place on August...
Jocelyn Pettit charts adventurous new musical paths with Wind Rose album release
Hailing from coastal British Columbia, Jocelyn Pettit is a musician who seeks to connect people through music. Through her work, she celebrates cultural heritage and traditions, and uplifts creativity. Utilizing her talents of fiddle playing, composing, singing, and...
Apply to Join the ArtStarts 2023/24 Artist Directory!
Are you an artist interested in working with young people in schools across B.C.? Apply to join the ArtStarts Artist Directory, offered by ArtStarts in Schools, for the 2023/24 school year! Want to know more? An online Learning Lab will be offered on August 9, 2022,...
British Columbia is a global leader in content creation and production. The province’s creators and creative companies bring a perspective that is distinctively west coast Canadian to the world of storytelling across all forms of media – from television and theatre screen, to smart phone, game console, e-reader, streaming platform, and printed page.
B.C.’s creative industries and their respective membership associations are supported and united through Creative BC services. They showcase their combined capacity, talent, and strength under the #BCCreates banner, and are well-positioned to seize growing opportunity in an expanding international marketplace that is hungrier than ever for new stories.
Meet British Columbia's Creators
#BCCreates tells the story of B.C.’s storytellers.
Exponential growth in demand for creative products across an evolving suite of delivery platforms is a significant driver of B.C.’s creative economy. Use of mobile, increased streaming, and advancing digital technologies have transformed the industries, challenged business models, and offered new possibilities for content producers. Each of the industries has unique drivers and needs, but all of them must continue to be entrepreneurial as they create, innovate, adapt, and discover new ways to monetize their products.
Economic impacts of B.C.’s creative sector are tracked each year by bringing public datasets into our story. The bespoke measurement tool that delivers these insights was designed through Creative BC research. Named the Creative Industries Economic Results Assessment (CIERA™), the new tool launched in 2021 to deliver consistent, comparable and reliable measurements for each industry and for the sector overall. Three indicators – GDP, Output and Jobs – are reported each year using a methodology based entirely on Statistics Canada public datasets.
Complimenting CIERA™ insights are real-time insights and reports generated by the industries. Together, these lenses form a more informed picture of the industries’ current state.
Research + Reports
Access all Creative BC reports and industry insights along with impact summaries for the sector.
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9 Enabling Factors
This framework shows how 9 distinctive factors foster a context in which the creative industries can thrive.
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The Industries We Serve

Upstart + Crow

Book Publishing
British Columbia is the second-largest English language book publishing region in Canada.

Shocap Entertainment

Interactive + Digital Media
Canada’s second-largest video game production hub, British Columbia is also North America’s second-largest AR/VR centre.

Folklife Magazine

Magazine Publishing
B.C. has close to 300 publications reflecting the perspective, lifestyle, spirit and aesthetic of our province.

Bardel Entertainment, Photo by Darren Hull

Motion Picture
British Columbia is Canada’s largest and North America’s third-largest film and TV hub, creating the world’s top live action and animated productions.

Public Disco, Image of Yu Su

Music + Sound Recording
B.C. is Canada’s third-largest music production centre with a signature west coast community vibe.

DreamCraft Attractions

Multi-Creative Industry
B.C.’s talented creators and creative companies are multi-skilled, and many professionals and businesses service a number of industries within this convergent sector.