Creative and Cultural Industries Strategy

What's happening now

Public comment on Creative Potential: Advancing Yukon’s Creative Economy closed on February 5, 2021. We will consider all the feedback while refining the document. Thank you to everyone who participated and shared their thoughts on the draft strategy.

Next step: final strategy – March/April 2021

We will release a final strategy in March or April 2021. It will launch to coincide with the UN International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development, 2021.

This strategy is the first of its kind for Yukon. It lays out a long-term vision to achieve the sector’s full potential. It builds on current government supports. The aim is for the creative and cultural sector to develop and increase its contributions to Yukon’s economy and society.

All actions in the strategy are based on what we heard during public engagement in 2019. We collected input from many contributors, including:

• industry participants;

• creative and cultural sector organizations;

• First Nations governments; and

• Municipalities

How we're developing the strategy

The departments of Tourism and Culture, Economic Development and Education, with guidance from the Women's Directorate, are developing the creative and cultural industries strategy.

Completed phases

Since May 2019, we have been engaging with individuals and organizations who work in the creative and cultural industries to gather input to help us develop a strategy that:
 

• is effective and relevant;

• supports, strengthens and sustains a vibrant creative and cultural industries sector in Yukon; 

• incorporates best practices from across Canada; and

• includes elements to support diversity and inclusivity.

Phase 1 – spring and summer 2019

Research report 

This information provides an overview of the creative and cultural industries in Yukon in terms of:

• their current state; and

• the demographic composition.

It also provides insights into the sector in the rest of Canada.

View the research report highlights

Sector engagement session 

We held a day-long public engagement session on May 3, 2019. It brought the sector together to examine:

• the existing supports available; and

• the priorities, challenges and opportunities.

Input from this session guided the engagement process.

Phase 2 – fall 2019 to winter 2020

Public engagement sessions 

We held 35 facilitated public engagement sessions across Yukon. Participants came from the industries, as well as First Nations and municipal governments. Discussions focused on identifying:

• what is working well for the sector;

• what opportunities should be considered; and 

• what improvements would be valuable. 

See a full schedule of the sessions

Survey

An online survey was open from October 8 to November 30, 2019.

What We Heard report

The What We Heard report provides a summary and broad analysis of the feedback we received during both phases of public engagement. This includes the online survey.

The report presents 9 key themes and associated information without any prioritization or weighting. The information in the report guided the development of the draft strategy.

We publicly shared the What We Heard report on February 20, 2020. Feedback was welcomed on the content and considered for the draft strategy.

Phase 3 – remainder of 2020

Due to COVID-19, the development of the strategy was delayed. In order to ensure the draft strategy is relevant and will meet the needs of the sector we hosted 2 focus groups in November 2020. These groups included individuals from each industry.

The group sessions helped us to establish priorities and refine the draft strategy before it was shared publicly.

The draft strategy was available for public comment from January 6 to February 5, 2021.

What are the creative and cultural industries?

The creative and cultural industries are a distinct and important part of Yukon’s culture, providing economic as well as social benefits to the territory. 

These industries are quite diverse, but essentially include all industries which generate cultural, artistic or heritage products and content for consumers and marketplaces.

We are using this definition of creative and cultural industries to inform the scope of the project:

1: the production or reproduction, promotion, distribution and commercialization of goods, services and activities of content derived from cultural, artistic or heritage origins.

2: includes, but is not limited to, sound recording, visual and applied arts, crafting, audio-visual and interactive media, film, photography, graphic design, architecture, live performance, theatre, written and published works, heritage and libraries as well as the labour force and institutions required to support them.

The creative and cultural industries in Yukon

The cultural industries are a direct contributor to Yukon’s economy and are poised for growth. According to Statistics Canada, Yukon's culture GDP was $59.7 million in 2018 and amounted to 2% of the total territorial economy. For comparison, Canada’s culture GDP totalled $56.1 billion in 2018 and accounted for 2.7% of Canada’s total economy.

Culture’s contribution of 2% in Yukon’s economy compared to 2.7% in Canada’s shows that there is significant potential for Yukon to grow this sector. A prosperous creative and cultural industries sector would not only strengthen our creative community, but also contribute to the development of other sectors such as:

• tourism;
• small business;
• manufacturing; and
• education. 

Reports and documents

Phase 2 – Public meetings and survey

• What We Heard report

• Appendix A: Handout from Phase 2 public engagement sessions

• Appendix B: Full schedule of Phase 2 public engagement sessions

• Appendix C: Survey questions

Phase 1 - Public engagement session

• Phase 1: Discussion forum questions and responses

• May 3 event summary and notes

• May 3 presentation: Highlights of Findings by Inga Petri

Resources and examples of plans, policies and strategies

Government of Yukon resources

• Yukon Arts Policy and Action Plan

• Government of Yukon arts and culture – Programs and funding

• Yukon Media Development

• Yukon Film & Sound Incentive Program Annual Report 2017-18

• Shared Vision – The Yukon Film Industry (2015)

• What We Heard report: Film Fund Review

Canada

• Creative Canada Policy Framework

• Government of Canada – Exporting for creative industries

• Canadian Culture Satellite Account

• On-Screen Protocols & Pathways – Working with First Nations, Métis and Inuit Communities, Cultures, Concepts and Stories

Nova Scotia

• Nova Scotia's Culture Action Plan: Creativity and Community

Prince Edward Island

• Cultivating Growth: A Five-Year Action Plan for Culture and Creative Industries

Saskatchewan

• Creative Saskatchewan – Useful information about investment programs and story-based reporting

Calgary

• The Cultural Plan for Calgary

• Equity, Diversity & Inclusion: A Demographic Profile of Calgary's Arts Sector

USA

• Rural Prosperity Through The Arts & Creative Sector: A Rural Action Guide for Governors and States

Who's listening

Contact the team by email at ccis.engage@yukon.ca or on their phone numbers below.

Project contacts and representatives:

• Clare Daitch – manager, Policy and Communications, Tourism and Culture: 867-667-8383
• Ewa Dembek – project manager, Tourism and Culture: 867-667-8304
• Alicia Debreceni – communications analyst, Tourism and Culture: 867-332-3670
   
• Anton Solomon – director, Labour Market Programs and Services, Education
• Jason Seaton – communications advisor, Economic Development
• Collyn Lovelace – policy analyst, Women's Directorate