Putting the Creative/Cultural sector in the spotlight
The Creative / Cultural sector includes visual and performing arts, music, media, writing, heritage and more, which are collectively known as the creative industries.
PEI Cultural Human Resources Sector Council (CreativePEI) is the sector council representing the creative industries. It focuses on empowering creative professionals to have successful careers on their own terms.
Creative PEI works on behalf of 11 industries on PEI:
- Contemporary Art
- Craft & Design
- Dance
- Film
- Libraries
- Museums & Heritage
- Music & Sound Recording
- Theatre
- Videogames
- Writing & Publishing
- Photography
According to Statistics Canada for PEI, 2,000 people work in information, culture and recreation in 2020.
Mark Sandiford, Executive Director, PEI Cultural Human Resources Sector Council (CreativePEI), provided the following information about the economic state of the Creative Sector on PEI:
1. Crafts and Design- “2020 was a very rough year for craftspeople with the almost complete shutdown of tourism. Local markets filled some of that gap as did a shift to online sales. 2021 is shaping up to be better as tourism picks up. Design continues to grow with a steady stream of excellent new designers graduating from Holland College.”
2. Live Performing Arts- “This industry was really hit hard by COVID. With the uncertainty around the summer, many live performance venues have planned scaled back offerings for 2021. Festivals planned for the late summer and fall such as Cloggeroo and Rock the Boat are looking at bigger audiences once restrictions are lifted. Most people in this sector are looking at 2022 before things are anywhere near back to normal.”
3. Film, TV and Media Arts Production- “This industry has been quite busy right through the pandemic due to very strict on-set safety protocols. With the announcement of expanded provincial film production support programs, PEI is looking at a period of rapid growth over the next few years. This is partly due to the backlog of Canadian and international productions looking for a place to shoot post-COVID.”
4. Interactive Media-“This industry was relatively unaffected by COVID. Employees worked from home with no drop in productivity. Worldwide markets for videogames continue to do well.”
5. Visual Arts– “Artists have been relatively unaffected through COVID since many work from home. The PEI Arts Grants and the Canada Council for the Arts have continued to support artists through this period. Art in the Open was the only major arts festival to happen in 2020 thanks to its ability to allow for social distancing. Opportunities will only increase as things open up.”
6. Music and Sound Recording- “Touring musicians had virtually all of their gigs cancelled and with travel still restricted and the long lead time it takes to organize tours, many are looking at the fall before things open up. The bright spot has been local venues that have booked PEI musicians and attracted good audiences.”
7. Museums, Archives, Libraries, & Heritage-“Many museums and libraries are open again but visitor numbers are down.”
8. Writing and Publishing- “This industry was relatively unaffected by COVID since most writers work from home and the market and funding opportunities for writing are relatively unchanged.”
Creative/Cultural Sector Education on PEI
- Holland College
- University of Prince Edward Island
- Music www.upei.ca/arts/music
- Theatre Studies www.upei.ca/programsandcourses/theatre-studies
- Journalism www.upei.ca/programsandcourses/applied-arts-journalism
- Art History www.upei.ca/programsandcourses/fine-arts
- School of Mathematical and Computational Sciences (Video Gaming specialization) www.upei.ca/programsandcourses/mathematical–and–computational–sciences
- English www.upei.ca/programsandcourses/english
- PEI Department of Education Academy Diploma Program in Arts & Culture http://adppei.weebly.com
- Music PEI www.musicpei.com
- FilmPEI www.filmpei.com
- PEI Crafts Council www.peicraftscouncil.com
- Community Museums Association of PEI www.museumspei.ca
- PEI Writers’ Guild www.peiwritersguild.com
- Confederation Centre Arts Education https://confederationcentre.com/arts–education
- Dance Umbrella https://confederationcentre.com/arts–education/dance–umbrella
- Island Dance Academy www.islanddance.ca
- Dance Stars Academy www.dancestarsacademy.com
- College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts of Canada https://collegeofpiping.com
- Music Theatre School at the Guild www.theguildpei.com/mts–summer–camps
- Watermark Theatre http://watermarktheatre.com
Resources
- I Choose Arts – So you want to work as a Writer? Dancer? Musician? Design Video Games? Visit ichoosearts.com
- Careers in Creative Industries videos: creativepei.ca/careers–in–culture
- To view the report Cultivating Growth: A Five-Year Action Plan for Culture and Creative Industries of PEI, click here.
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CreativePEI is funded in whole or in part by the Canada-PEI labour market agreements.
 | For more information about the CreativePEI, call 902-367-3844. Visit www.creativepei.ca. |
 | To explore careers further, check the career booklet Careers in Culture. |
 | Click to watch Creative/ Cultural career videos. |
| Click to watch videos of the many arts programs Holland College offers. |
 | Click for related articles on Creative/ Cultural. |