This week British Columbia is celebrating the multiple sectors that make up B.C.’s vibrant and flourishing creative industry, which develops international markets, produces highly skilled and valued jobs, and attracts some of the country’s most talented workforce.

Beginning on Saturday, April 25, 2015, the winners of this year’s BC Book Prizes and the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Literary Excellence were announced at the 31st Annual Lieutenant Governor’s BC Book Prizes Gala at the Pinnacle Vancouver Harbourfront Hotel. B.C.’s book publishing sector is home to the second largest English-language book market in Canada and hosts hundreds of publications read by more than one million clients globally.

On Tuesday, April 28, 2015, government joined creative industry stakeholders from across film, television, music, digital media, technology, and book and magazine publishing at a red carpet event, to officially declare April 27 to May 4, 2015, “Creative Industries Week”.

The cumulative contribution of B.C.’s creative economy in 2014 to the Province’s overall economic landscape across film & television, music, digital media and book and magazine publishing  was at least $4 billion in annual GDP, supporting 85,000 skilled jobs in the province.

During Creative Industries Week industry is launching BC Creates, a collaborative communications initiative designed to celebrate and create awareness of the story of British Columbia’s growing creative industries.

B.C.’s dynamic creative sector is a key contributor to our diverse, strong and growing economy and represents a remarkable opportunity for British Columbia to succeed on the global stage and to participate in a rapidly growing sophisticated, knowledge based industry.

Quote:

Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training -

“B.C. has become a hub for creation and innovation and we are truly proud of the talented workforce B.C’s creative industries generates, comprised of the digital media, book/magazine publishing, music and the film/TV sectors. We are very supportive of the BC Creates initiative that will see the creative industries working together to share the story of the talent, innovation and economic benefits that contribute to our province’s economy.”

Learn More:

BC Book Prizes finalists list: http://www.bcbookprizes.ca/winners/2015

Association of Book Publishers of BC: http://books.bc.ca/resources/member-directory/

BC Creates: www.bccreates.com

Media Contacts:

Media Relations
Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Responsible for Labour
250 387-2799