VICTORIA – New Democrat MLAs Diana Gibson and Nina Krieger say that provincial funding for local artists, arts organizations and events is helping to make Greater Victoria a more vibrant and connected community.
“Greater Victoria is lucky to have an exciting and innovative arts scene that engages, entertains, and inspires people across the region and attracts visitors to join in,” said Diana Gibson, MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head. “With this funding, they continue to attract people to engage in arts and culture locally.”
In Victoria, Oak Bay, and Saanich, over 55 local organizations received over $3 million total in funding via the B.C. Arts Council in the 2024/25 year, including:
- Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, $287,100
- Holocaust Educational Theatre Society, $25,000
- Maritime Museum of BC, $22,850
- The Other Guise Theatre Society, $250,000
- The Malahat Review, $20,000
“In our region, we have an amazing array of diverse groups promoting arts and creating world-class works,” said Nina Krieger, MLA for Victoria-Swan Lake. “This support helps them continue to create important work for a time when we undoubtedly need it.”
Across B.C., more than $37 million in grant funding was distributed to 1,303 arts organizations, events, and individual artists through the B.C. Arts Council (BCAC).
The BCAC is an agency of the provincial government that nurtures and supports arts and cultural activity in communities throughout B.C., and administers provincial funding to community arts in rural and urban centres, to individual artists, professional performing arts companies, Indigenous artists and cultural organizations, art galleries, local museums and music festivals, supporting a range of activities while engaging with artists and communities to inform policies and programs.
The BC New Democrat government has increased the BCAC budget from $24 million in 2016-17 to more than $40 million in 2025-26.
Learn More: news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2025TACS0029-000682