Cultural Plan
Kelowna Creates, Cultural Plan:
You helped shape the conversation. Now we invite you to help shape the future!
Over the past year, many of you from Kelowna's creative industries, arts and culture organizations, tourism sector, business community, heritage organizations, and non-profit sector shared your perspectives on what matters most about arts, culture, heritage, creativity, and community events in our city.
Your insights, along with feedback from the Community working group, City staff, and indigenous partners have helped shape the draft Kelowna Creates Cultural Plan.
We are pleased to invite you to review the draft plan at the Review, Reflect & Respond session and share your insights through exploring and offering feedback on the information boards.
Event Details
- Date: Tuesday July 21, 2026
- Location: Kelowna Community Theatre Lobby
- Time: Please join the session that works best for you and stay for as long—or as little—as your schedule allows.
- Session 1: 12:00–1:30 p.m.
- Session 2: 5:00–7:00 p.m.
Why Attend?
- Explore the proposed Vision, Values, and Drivers.
- Learn about the Strategic Priorities, Objectives, and Key Actions that will drive cultural development and investment.
- Reflect on the proposed direction and priorities.
- Provide feedback before the plan is finalized on August 31,2026
- Snacks and refreshments!
- No need to RSVP
Can't attend the in-person session?
Kelowna Creates.. Cultural Plan Draft Summary
Share your feedback through a survey
Culture plays a key role in our local economy, community wellbeing, and tourism. The upcoming Kelowna Creates Cultural Plan will help us grow and support the creative sector in ways that are inclusive, responsive, and inspiring.
Stay connected
- Follow the City on social media
- Sign up for the Arts and Culture e-newsletter
- Read the Draft Kelowna Creates, Cultural Plan Summary document
- Read the Cultural Plan Context Report (below)
The City of Kelowna Cultural Plan Update Context Report (Context Report) serves as a snapshot of local community dynamics, growth patterns, trends in the cultural sector and cultural development, as well as a summary and analysis of early engagement findings. By presenting engagement findings alongside sector and community context, the Context Report is a reference document for the public, Council, and staff to help inform future decision-making related to the forthcoming Cultural Plan.
Kelowna's 2025 Creative Sector Economic Impact Assessment report builds on the foundations laid by previous assessments in 2010 and 2019, harnessing fresh data from 2024 for a dynamic, evidence-based snapshot of Kelowna’s creative community’s current scale and value.
Key highlights from the report include:
- Kelowna’s creative sector contributed over $579 million in total economic input
- An increase of 49% in number of establishments between 2018 and 2024
- Labour income generated over 263 million
- More than 3,500 full time employees work in the creative sector
- There are 746 creative sector establishments in 2024, up from 626 in 2018
- Gross domestic product increased by 58% between 2018 and 2024
The Cultural Plan is an opportunity to increase the visual presence of syilx creativity in our community. Therefore, as part of the process of engagement for the Cultural Plan, we initiated a conversation with Carrie Terbasket of Stands Above Consulting, who supported us to begin this journey of open dialogue and discussion with the syilx arts and culture community.
The purpose was to receive guidance toward establishing meaningful and deliberate syilx/Okanagan inclusion within the 2020-2025 Cultural Plan through applicable background information and recommendations for consideration. The scope of work was limited to recommendations specific to the advancement of arts, culture and heritage by the creative sector of Kelowna (inclusive of the City of Kelowna as an entity).
It’s acknowledged that this work is only a starting point to the commitment and long-term organic process by the arts and culture sector toward reconciliation. The report is only intended as input and the recommendations are considered along with all feedback received from the community. The importance of partnership with our First Nations is a worthwhile and a long-term commitment to relationship building.
The Cultural Facilities Master Plan (CFMP) builds on prior efforts to strengthen commitment to cultural facility development.
Learn more about the CFMP on our Cultural District page, or view the full Cultural Facilities Master Plan online.
Cultural Plan Progress & Final Report Card
Get inspired by the by the artists, performers, community leaders and citizens that have helped to shape our 2020-2025 Cultural Plan.
