Blog

Here are some of the questions we’re exploring in these blog posts: what if our arts sector functioned like an ecosystem? And what could accomplish if all artists felt supported to thrive? Email us to submit guest blog topics.

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March 18, 2024

Advisors from the Creative and Tourism Sectors hash out definition

We are thrilled to announce the addition of an Advisory Circle to our new Creative Tourism …

February 20, 2024

Who knows what where, and who needs what where?

Before we can begin to take advantage of Vancouver Island/Gulf Islands incredible potential in the Creative …

December 22, 2023

New Project: exploring partnerships between Creative + Tourism sectors

Updated: April 24, 2025 Click here for final report from this Creative Tourism exploratory project. In …

October 4, 2023

Creative capital: our human superpower

Measuring Vancouver Island’s creative assets is a key component of our proposed Creative Economic Development Strategy. …

September 29, 2023

Can you viz it?

This summer we wanted to see what we could learn by spatially representing arts funding data. …

September 19, 2023

It’s in us to tell stories with data

Arts organizations and artists across the country have a menu of options to choose from to …

September 12, 2023

Exploring synergies: Creative Economic Development + Cultural Planning

A brief exploration into some of the differences and synergies between Creative Economic Development and Cultural …

August 16, 2023

A village of innovation hubs crucial to our creative futures

The next wave of the modern Creative Economy is building as we speak. Nations around the …

July 28, 2023

Our local film industry wants you. And your stories!

Intrigued at the idea of working in film and television? The Vancouver Island North Film Commission …

July 28, 2023

Orange is the new green (and blue)

Since the pandemic, the creative sector is being celebrated and elevated as never before. By way …

May 30, 2023

My Creative Economy includes food!

The United Kingdom is doing a fantastic job explaining why the Creative Economy is the best …

April 18, 2023

BC’s Nancy Duxbury leads Europe’s $6m investment in Creative Tourism

Nancy Duxbury is a global leader in building out the potential of Cultural and Creative Industries.(CCIs). …

April 16, 2023

Telling bigger stories: art + data reclamation

The big idea behind creative economic development is that when artists thrive, we all thrive. A …

April 15, 2023

The power of place: teachings from Fogo Island

Fogo Island off the coast of Newfoundland is rewriting its own economic story, turning despair into …

March 23, 2023

Making space for innovation

I just finished 2-month deep dive into the modern Creative Economy in order to develop this …

March 22, 2023

Alberni makerspace raises bar

There’s a new creativity hub in Port Alberni that raises the bar for the kind of …

March 16, 2023

Canada’s 1st creative ec dev office?

WHAT The creative sector in the Vancouver Island/rural Islands super-region has the potential to be a …

February 20, 2023

Clusters of innovation: nice fit with KORE’s goals

UPDATE: In April 2023, Kevin presented to the BC Economic Development Summit about opportunities in the …

February 14, 2023

Jane Jacobs – 2023 speech: economies of the future

Jane has reached out from the beyond to speak about economies of the future! We are …

January 3, 2023

More central Island supports and services for artists

UPDATE: The Comox Valley Digital Creation Hub opened its doors in early March 2023. This hub …

January 1, 2023

10,000 Gifts doc about Q’shintul (+ Steering shoutout)

Updated: May 19, 2023 UPDATE: The April 2023 launch of 10,000 Gifts was a huge success, …

September 14, 2022

Shawn Decaire’s Campbell River residency (+ Steering shoutout)

UPDATE: You can learn about Shawn’s residency by watching the recording of the fantastic Art+Earth Lecture …

August 1, 2022

What the heck are NFTs and blockchains?

By now you’ve probably heard of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), but might not have a clue about …

July 29, 2022

No artist is an island – even on an island!

We live in a capitalistic, patriarchal society that perpetuates the myth of the “self-made man.” Within …

July 12, 2022

Data literacy and empowerment

For close to a decade, and accelerated during the pandemic, the arts sector has been systematically …

June 16, 2022

Island Crafted brings artisans together

Qualicum Beach web developer Shawna Allen knows the power of combining art and technology to bring …

May 16, 2022

The arts need Radical Collaboration

The arts need radical collaboration to thrive in an uncertain and chaotic world. I learned this …

May 1, 2022

Flipping the script on funding and funders

Image credit: Future of Good If you work in the not-for-profit sector and haven’t yet encountered …

April 1, 2022

Vancouver Island regional arts coordinator *update

We’re pleased to report that our Sectoral Innovation grant has been approved by the Canada Council …

February 17, 2022

Ode to the artist: from New York to Qualicum

I moved to Vancouver Island in 2019, excited to bring my art world background expertise from …

February 14, 2022

From equity to creativity and back again

I used to be a policy analyst for BC’s Ministry of Women’s Equality. Pretty dreamy job …

February 2, 2022

Dreaming of an arts ecosystem

We believe that Vancouver Island’s arts sector is an arts ecosystem – with the potential for …

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We wish to acknowledge that the Vancouver Island/Gulf Islands arts ecosystem is situated on the homelands of over 50 First Nations. Read our full acknowledgement.

www.creativecoast.ca is a continuation of the digarts.ca project, with funding provided by the Canada Council for the Arts, Digital Strategy Fund. Site design by Clever Jane.

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