British Columbia has the highest concentration of artists and the second-highest concentration of cultural workers in Canada, says a new study based on 2016 census data.
The report, by Hill Strategies Research, says artists account for 1.18 per cent of the labour force in B.C, while cultural workers account for 4.7 per cent.
British Columbia’s 28,700 artists represent 18 per cent of all artists in Canada.
There are a total of 158,100 artists in Canada, representing almost one per cent of the overall Canadian labour force.
There are 726,600 cultural workers in Canada, including heritage occupations (such as librarians, museum workers and archivists) and cultural occupations (such as designers, editors and architects), as well as nine arts occupations, ranging from musicians and writers, to visual artists and dancers. Cultural workers account for four per cent of Canada's overall labour force.
Nunavut has the second-highest concentration of artists in the country at 1.17 per cent, the report says. Some 91 per cent are Indigenous, by far the largest proportion in the country, and 71 per cent are artisans and craftspeople.
Yukon has the third-highest concentration of artists at 1.14 per cent and the highest concentration of cultural workers (5.3 per cent) in the country.
Women represent 52 per cent of Canadian artists and a majority of artists in all provinces and territories except Quebec (48 per cent) and Nunavut (26 per cent). The highest proportions of female artists are in Saskatchewan (62 per cent) and Alberta (60 per cent).
Members of racialized groups represent a higher proportion of artists in B.C. (20 per cent) and Ontario (18 per cent) than in any other province.
There are 21,100 visual artists in Canada, compared to 35,000 musicians and singers, and 27,700 authors and writers.
The report, Artists in Canada’s Provinces and Territories in 2016 (With Summary Information about Cultural Workers), also provides an analysis of artists' incomes. To see the report, click here.
Source: Hill Strategies Research