B.C.’s Creative Sector
#BCCreates our stories and our creative economy.
Sector
Knowledge Hub
Discover industry contacts, program recipients, productions shooting and more.
News
New Dawn 2023 Call for Entries
New Dawn is an international film production fund aimed to support a larger diversity of voices and perspectives. A combined effort by 10 European and Canadian public film funds, New Dawn was launched in May 2022 at the Cannes Festival. The first selection was...
Cannes Indigenous Co-Production Forum – Call for Participants
The Indigenous Screen Office is hosting an Indigenous co-production forum at the Festival de Cannes, May 16 to 27, 2023. Experienced producers may apply to participate in-person at the forum on May 18, 2023, an opportunity designed to connect and explore future...
Martini Film Studios uses 100% Renewable Natural Gas
Earlier last year, Martini Film Studios announced its entire studio moving to operating entirely on Renewable Natural Gas (RNG). The Langley-based studio is the first film studio in British Columbia to sign up for this carbon-neutral energy innovation supported by...
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.
Image: Unicorn Code
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. Learn about the 9 Enabling Factors of a thriving creative economy.
Recent Impacts
CIERA™ 2021
Total GDP in B.C. (Billions)
People when est. freelancers are counted
Direct Output in B.C. (Billions)
Total Jobs Traditional FT + Equivalent
Economic impacts of B.C.’s creative sector are tracked each year by bringing public datasets from Statistics Canada 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 tool launched 2019 numbers to deliver consistent, comparable and reliable measurements annually for each industry and for the sector overall. Three indicators – Total GDP, Direct Output and Total Jobs – are reported each year using a methodology based entirely on Statistics Canada public datasets.
Complimenting CIERA™ insights are real-time research and reports generated by the industries themselves. 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.