BC Arts Council Strategy & Action Plan Engagement

​​Overview​ 

​​Dates:​ June 8 to September 18, 2026

​​Who:​ BC Arts Council 

​​What:​ Development of the BC Arts Council’s (BCAC’s) Strategy and Action Plan. 

​​Where:​ Province-wide 

​​Why:​ To ensure BCAC’s future priorities, programs, and investments reflect the current needs, realities, and opportunities of B.C.’s arts and culture sector. 

​​How:​ Online

Engagement summary  

The BC Arts Council is engaging with artists, arts organizations, service organizations, and sector partners to inform the development of its Strategy and Action Plan.

The provincial agency is responsible for supporting and investing in and supporting arts and culture activities throughout B.C. It is seeking input to ensure its priorities, programs, and funding approaches align with the changing needs, opportunities, and realities of the arts and culture sector.

The council is seeking feedback on the following priority areas:

• Reconciliation and Indigenous Leadership: Taking the lead from Indigenous peoples and self-determination in arts funding to further decolonization and reconciliation practices in BC Arts Council programs
• Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility: Improving access to BC Arts Council programs and supporting genuine forms of diversity by removing systemic barriers to arts funding
• Regional and Community Arts Engagement: Recognizing and supporting the diversity of practice shaped by place, community, and region, representing a spectrum of community-led, grassroots, and professional arts practices and experiences
• Sustainability, Resilience, and Strategic Innovation: Strengthening the long-term health of a vibrant and diverse arts sector that can develop, adapt, and innovate into the future
• Collaboration, Partnerships, and Sector Capacity: Amplifying impacts of arts funding through strategic partnerships, community convenings, and expanded networks that build capacity in the arts sector   

Specifically, participants are asked to provide feedback on:

• How much these priorities reflect current realities B.C.’s arts and culture sector
• Areas that need more clarity or attention
• Realistic actions and approaches to advance each priority
• New opportunities, challenges, and ideas that should inform the council’s future direction

Who should participate? 

BCAC welcomes perspectives from across British Columbia’s B.C.’s arts and culture sector, including: 

• Indigenous artists and Indigenous-led organizations
• Artists, cultural workers, and arts organizations across all disciplines, including community-based organizations and their staff and leaders
• Arts service organizations
• Funders and donors supporting arts and culture initiatives
• Arts and culture‑related sectors, including education, tourism, municipalities, local governments, and creative industries
• Arts and culture media, including critics and journalists
• Equity-deserving communities, including Indigenous, Black, racialized, Deaf and Hard of Hearing, 2SLGBTQ+, and Francophone communities, as well as people with disabilities and people living in rural and remote areas
• Youth, arts students, and emerging artists
• Leaders, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and individuals with lived and professional experience in arts and culture

 How to participate:

Thank you to everyone who participated in Phase 1 of the BC Arts Council engagement process. The survey and written submission periods have now closed, and no further responses are being accepted. The next phase of engagement will take place in September 2026 and will include a series of virtual engagement sessions as well as opportunities to provide feedback by email.

Registration pages for the virtual sessions will be available on August 10, 2026 on this page. Please check back for details and registration information.

How your contribution makes a difference 

Feedback gathered through this engagement will directly inform the development of the BC Arts Council’s future Strategy and Action Plan. Feedback will help ensure BCAC’s priorities, programs, and investments reflect the current needs, opportunities, and realities of British Columbia’s arts and culture sector. 

Virtual sessions

BC Arts Council Strategy and Action Plan Development engagement: Next phase is now open! 

Thank you to everyone who participated in the survey and shared written submissions during the first phase of the BC Arts Council Strategy and Action Plan development engagement process. Your perspective matters. 

We’re inviting you to take the next step 

Join one of our upcoming virtual engagement sessions and help shape the future direction of arts funding and support in British Columbia. During these sessions, we’ll share the key themes that emerged from the first phase of engagement to help guide our conversations and dig a little deeper.  

Your voice can help answer important questions 

What does equitable and accessible arts funding look like to you? What role do arts and culture play in supporting reconciliation?  What supports do artists, organizations, and communities need from BC Arts Council to thrive? What is your vision for a healthy arts and culture sector in B.C. by 2030?  

These conversations will help inform the council’s priorities and future actions to build a stronger, more resilient arts and culture sector. 

Register for one of four virtual engagement sessions 

All four sessions will cover the same content. Please register for one session only.

Accessibility 

ASL interpretation and live transcription will be available for all sessions. Please indicate any additional accommodation requests in the registration form via the links above. 

 Space is limited. Register early to reserve your spot. 

 Be Part of the Conversation 

The future of B.C.’s arts and culture sector depends on the voices, creativity, and experiences of the people who bring it to life. Whether you’re an artist, arts organization, cultural worker, or community member, your perspective matters. 

 Join the conversation and help shape what’s next for arts and culture in British Columbia. Thank you very much for helping to inform the future direction of the BC Arts Council. 

 How your contribution makes a difference

Your feedback will directly inform the development of the BC Arts Council’s future Strategy and Action Plan. Feedback will help ensure the council’s priorities, programs, and investments reflect the current needs, opportunities, and realities of British Columbia’s arts and culture sector.

Learn more

Learn more about the future vision, priorities, and past efforts of the council’s strategy:

• BC Arts Council’s Renewed Strategic Vision (PDF, 2MB)
• 2018 to 2022 New Foundations Strategic Plan (PDF, 500KB)
• 2022 to 2024 Extending Foundations Action Plan (PDF, 800KB)