CultureBrew.Art (CBA) is a digital platform that will promote and foster intersectional interculturalism throughout the performing and media arts sector. Its central tool is a searchable database of Indigenous and Racialized Artists (IARA) – actors, writers, musicians, dancers, filmmakers, directors, designers, composers, opera singers, stage managers, and other performing and media arts professionals – to which theatres, dance and opera companies, film/TV casting directors, indie directors/producers, schools and post-secondary training programs, social service agencies, ad agencies, and governmental agencies may access as subscribers. Other digital tools and educational enhancements will be added as demand dictates and funding allows; once established, the goal is to expand nationally.
The Artist Portal is now open!
We welcome creators, performers, and any other design/technical/production
professionals in the performing and media arts who self-identify as IARA.
CBA will be a powerful tool for building a more inclusive theatre culture that more authentically reflects Canada by promoting Indigenous and racialized artists; increasing hiring opportunities for IARA; and fostering intercultural connection, community, and artistic collaboration. CBA would be searchable by gender, racial/ethnic heritage (Indigenous, African, East Asian, Latin American, South Asian, West Asian (Middle Eastern), mixed ethnic heritage), languages, artistic disciplines, and other fields as determined by research data gathered through community consultations.
In 2017, the support of a leading group of arts organizations was formalized through the establishment of the CBA Working Group Advisory, whose membership includes:
- Brenda Leadlay, Executive Director, BC Alliance for Arts + Culture
- Dawn Brennan, Managing Director, Urban Ink Productions
- Jay Dodge, Past President, Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT) | Artistic Producer, Boco del Lupo
- Kenji Maeda, Executive Director, Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance (GVPTA)
- Scott Bellis, President, National Council, Canadian Actors' Equity Association (Equity)
- Valerie Sing Turner, Artistic Producer, Visceral Visions | Creative Director, CultureBrew.Art
We're working to expand CBA's Working Group Advisory to be more inclusive of organizations representing more disciplines. A key member of our team is Operations and Project Manager Anju Singh.
For those with privacy concerns, please note that CBA will not be a public database; artists and potential subscribers will need to apply for log-in access. The privacy and safety of our artistic community is a priority; please see our privacy policy here.
It's been said that farmers don't grow crops; they create the essential conditions for crops to grow. CBA will be a vital tool to break systemic divides, disrupt institutionalized structures, and create conditions under which artists of colour – and by extension, the wider Canadian arts ecology – can thrive. We are therefore grateful for support from:
