Image courtesy of NGX 2023
On September 18, 2023, a new Creative Technology Gallery opened at Science World with the aim to take visitors on a journey through the path of a Creative Technologist in British Columbia. Three separate rooms filled with wonder and possibility – Dream, Build, and Play – feature interactive exhibits showcasing well-known movies, animation, and video games made right here in British Columbia.
BC Creates interviewed Jeanne-Marie Owens, one of Creative Technology Gallery’s creators, to gain an insight into the way it connects science, technology, art, and community.
What inspired you to create the Creative Technology Gallery?
Jeanne-Marie Owens: I feel like the idea of jobs in Creative Technology isn’t broadly understood or discussed with kids as a viable career option, despite being a growing industry with large earning potential. They may understand that there are people that make the media they enjoy – like video games, movies, interactive entertainment, Youtube videos – but often that’s limited to just the “ideas guy” or the face of a project. We wanted to give kids a way to see a wider breadth of the type of roles that contribute behind the scenes, while also making them aware of how much of that type of work exists in the Vancouver ecosystem. I spent a significant amount of time as a kid in similar types of museums and science centers and I was always drawn to stories and exhibits about people working in innovative fields.
What do you want visitors to take away from their experience at the Gallery?
Jeanne-Marie Owens: Our hope is that younger visitors will leave the exhibit not only with an enthusiasm for learning more about working in Creative Technology, but a realization that there are so many different paths to doing that. We also hope to give them a “if you can see it, you can become it” moment and highlight that the industry is composed of a diverse group of people, including folks they relate to.
Image courtesy of NGX 2023
How is the exhibit unique to our creative technology industry in B.C.?
Jeanne-Marie Owens: We focused on highlighting TV, film, and video game projects that were created or brought to the mainstream by companies based in the province. We believe that people underestimate how many global franchises were made in their own backyard!
How has the reaction been to the Gallery since it launched in September?
Jeanne-Marie Owens: Tremendously positive! Our friends at Science World have told us about how it is a bustling space from open to close on a daily basis, with kids rotating through it multiple times to try and see all the variations of content available. On a personal level, I’ve had old friends and extended family text me out of the blue with photos of them in the exhibit saying “Oh my gosh! I can’t believe your game is in Science World!!”
Anything else we should know about the Creative Technology Gallery?
Jeanne-Marie Owens: We look forward to highlighting more projects and content through the space in the years to come. We intend for the exhibit to grow with the industry and adapt to feedback from the visitors themselves.
BC Creates previously covered the Creative Technology Gallery in a profile about the experience the gallery provides. Plan your visit and learn more on the Science World website.
