PROJECT
DATA ON THE ARTS
Arts And Culture Impact Assessment: Vancouver Island & Gulf Islands.
Putting a number on the value of Island creativity.
Everyone here knows the arts matter. Until 2021, nobody could prove it with numbers. The research firm Nordicity was commissioned to assess the full economic and social impact of the arts ecosystem across the Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands region.
The study combined a literature review, an open survey that drew more than 1,500 responses, two focus groups, and ten key informant interviews with artists, arts councils, cultural organizations, tourism and economic development representatives, and community partners.
The findings were substantial. In 2019, arts and culture generated more than $900 million in direct economic output, contributed more than $675 million to GDP, and supported nearly 22,000 full-time equivalent jobs. Roughly 35,000 artists and more than 1,100 cultural organizations work in the region. Ninety-seven percent of respondents said the local arts sector improves personal wellbeing.
Read the report
Download the executive summary: Arts and Culture Impact Assessment, Vancouver Island & Gulf Islands Super Region (PDF) – a four-page summary of the findings. The full 58-page report is available on request from info@digarts.ca.
DIG Arts Impact - Nordicity Final Report .pdf
DIG Arts Impact - Nordicity Executive Summary.pdf
Why this project matters
The arts sector is routinely undervalued in policy debate, largely because the numbers to argue otherwise do not exist. This study gave the region hard evidence, and it continues to underpin arts advocacy, funding applications, and research across Vancouver Island.
Project partners
DIGITAL INNOVATION GROUP
RELATED PROJECTS
PROJECT INFO:
DATE: October 2021
LEAD ORGANIZATIONS:
Digital Innovation Group (DIG) — confirm TOSH’s role
PREPARED BY:
Nordicity
PROJECT FOCUS:
Research; Economic & Social Impact