Advocacy

BCMA’s advocacy, research and communications build awareness about the value and impacts of our members and the BC cultural sector among policymakers and the general public.

 

Advocacy Committee

  • Dr. Scott Marsden, Executive Director at The Haida Gwaii Museum (Committee Chair)
  • Peter Ord, Managing Director, The Robert Bateman Centre
  • Jodi Simkin, Executive Director of the Nuyumbalees Cultural Centre in Cape Mudge on Quadra Island
  • Lillian Hunt, Director/Co-Chair, Aboriginal Tourism Association of BC
  • Daniel Smith, Member of the Laich Kwil Tach Nation and Campbell River Indian Band, BCMA Council member

 

Submission to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services

BCMA was pleased to provide a summary of funding needs for BC museums as the Province develops its 2018 budget.

BC Museums Week

The Province of British Columbia proclaimed May 14-21, 2017 “BC Museums Week,” recognizing, among other things, “the importance of museums, art galleries, historic sites, cultural centres and other memory institutions as keepers of legacy, places of learning, and drivers for the economic and social well-being of our communities.”

The BCMA was joined by 55 museums and related organizations from around BC as we celebrated and highlighted the work of our members, discussed important themes for the sector, and advocated for reconciliation and innovation within the sector.

BC Museums Week was perfectly situated in the international museum calendar as it included International Museum Day (IMD), an ICOM-sanctioned celebration now in its 40th year that takes place annually on May 18.

To learn more about BC Museums Week and IMD, click here.

Invite an MP to Visit Your Museum

In 2017 the Canadian Museums Association and the BC Museums Association partnered on an initiative to encourage museums to invite their MPs to visit their museum.

In a letter to BCMA members, the CMA and BCMA provided resources, tips, and talking points for inviting MPs to visit.  To read the full letter, click here.

Roundup

The Spring 2017 special issue of Roundup was devoted to advocacy, including articles on the upcoming BC election and a call to action for BC museums.