Wrap-up on Creative Industries Week 2024

The ninth annual Creative Industries Week is a celebration of B.C.’s dynamic creative sectors. This year, it took place the week of April 22-26, 2024, and brought industry associations, key stakeholders, and creators together with the government for a showcase event at the Legislature’s Rotunda on April 24.

B.C. is a global leader in content creation and production. Our province’s diverse storytellers, creators, and companies deliver entertaining content to pages, earbuds, screens, and consoles for the world to enjoy. They shape culture, spur innovation, and drive the economy across the Film + TV, Creative Technology, Music + Sound Recording, and Books + Magazine Publishing industries. Across all forms of media, our creators and creative companies bring a perspective that is distinctively west coast Canadian to the world of storytelling.

About B.C.’s Creative Ecosystem

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.

Did you know?

In 2022, B.C.’s Creative Industries consisted of 1.7K total businesses, generated $6.8B Total GDP and $8B Direct Output to the economy. Over 137,000 people work full-time or equivalent positions across the province’s Creative Industries.

Recap of the Week’s Events and Announcements

Throughout Creative Industries Week, the sector showcased their work at the legislature.

Monday, April 22

Creative Industries Week 2024 opened with Creative Technologies Day, featuring the exceptional work done by studios across the province in the video games, animation, visual effects (VFX), virtual/augmented/extended reality (VR/AR/XR), and virtual production services.

The creative technology sector stands as a pivotal component of British Columbia’s economy, boasting an annual global sales figure of $2.3 billion. This vibrant industry employs over 16,000 people and is spread across more than 250 companies throughout the region.

On April 22, DigiBC announced the development of a new Work Placement Pilot Program. Supported by the Province of British Columbia, this exciting new initiative will create student placements within animation, visual effects, and XR companies across BC. The program will offer new tailored resources for students and employers alike. Further details about the new program will be available in late May.

DigiBC also released its 2024 Sizzle Reel, showcasing spectacular games, animation, and film content from our member studios that millions of people play or watch every day… but don’t know was made in British Columbia!

Tuesday, April 23

Creative Industries Week celebrated BC Book Day, celebrating the province’s book and magazine publishers, authors, illustrators, bookstores, libraries, festivals, and literary prizes. These are the creators and companies that connect us to one another with local stories and a distinctively west coast Canadian perspective on the world.

On BC Book Day, the Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia, Magazine Association of BC, government, and industry converged to meet, develop, and celebrate the literary ecosystem of our province.

Wednesday, April 24

April 24 brought a joint celebration of British Columbia’s Music + Sound Recording and Motion Picture industries for a showcase event.

B.C.’s music and sound recording industry plays an integral role within B.C.’s creative sector, threading the sector together through its soundtracks, stages and synergies with film, TV, and digital media. The vast industry ecosystem is proving its value delivery to culture, identity, community, and more through its award-winning artists and labels.

Event: On April 24, the music industry at Creative Industries Week was celebrated with live performances by JAXXEE, Mikey Jose, and The Bankes Brothers at Let’s Hear It! In Victoria.

As Canada’s largest foreign production hub and North America’s fourth-largest full-service center for motion picture production, B.C. is proud of its international reputation and proven track record for providing exceptional value for the producer’s dollar. Offering a World of Looks with a diversity of locations found nowhere else in Canada, and highly competitive Provincial and Federal tax credits, B.C. is home to hundreds of film and television projects each year.

Event: The Victoria Film Festival hosted a free screening of a special episode of CBC’s “Allegiance”. DGC BC Director Nimisha Mukerji and DGC BC Locations Manager Jerome Turner were present for a post-screening Q&A.