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Diversity of BC

February 7, 2022


BC artists are featuring the vibrancy and diversity of the province’s arts and culture sector, with some groups benefiting for the first time from the latest round of BC Arts Council grants.

“BC’s rich cultural diversity gives people an opportunity to experience artistic traditions from all around the world and to promote inclusion and understanding in our communities,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture. “One of our goals in increasing BC Arts Council funding to record levels is to provide a platform for expression for artists and arts and culture organizations that were previously under-served, in order to showcase the variety of creative perspectives and voices of BC artists.”

The BC government is distributing more than $9.8 million in provincial funding through 394 grants in more than 50 communities in the latest round of funding administered by the BC Arts Council.

“The BC Arts Council’s renewed strategic vision focuses on strengthening arts and culture funding opportunities for all the people of BC,” said Susan Jackson, chair of the BC Arts Council. “Not only are we supporting more artists and organizations than ever before, we’re focused on making sure groups not previously funded have access to our grants.”

Part of the council’s new strategic plan to enhance arts and cultural development throughout the province is to increase equity, diversity and access. The result is more first-time recipients, such as the Royal Academy of Punjab Society, which offers bhangra classes for all ages, genders and backgrounds, as well as creating collaborative, inclusive events that build cultural bridges in the community.

“We’re delighted to receive provincial support for our upcoming event Folk Lok Live: Borderless,” said Hardeep Singh Sahota, director of the Royal Academy of Punjab Society. “The Folk Lok Live series is a way for us to come together and celebrate our rich culture and history by sharing our stories, dance and music. This year, we are connecting the Pakistani and Indian Punjabi community by celebrating the shared pre-partition heritage because we strongly believe that art can be a mechanism for social change.”

The BC Arts Council, an agency of the provincial government, allocates grant funding for arts and culture throughout the province. BC Arts Council grants are administered through a peer-review adjudication process. Grant recipients represent a diverse group of artists and arts organizations including Indigenous groups, scholarship students and community arts councils.

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