Creative BC announces first recipients of the Pilot Podcast Program

Vancouver, B.C. (September 20, 2023) – Creative BC is pleased to name 11 grant recipients of the Pilot Podcast Program (the Program). Recipients may receive up to $15,000 for the development, production, and promotion of B.C.-based podcast productions.  

With over $100K in funding, this represents the first investment of its kind by Creative BC, supporting companies at a variety of stages in the production cycle. Companies may be developing the pitch for their podcast, may have pre-existing or supplementary content intended for podcast format, or may have existing podcasts that are seeking support for increased promotional activities to improve their competitive positioning in domestic and international markets. Together, these investments into local storytellers’ content make a significant contribution to B.C.’s capacity to generate new intellectual properties for market in this globally in-demand format. 

The Program was delivered with two distinct streams. Under the development stream, eligible applicants could cover costs for activities such as research and pre-interviews, conceptualizing, drafting outlines, building characters, constructing chapters and episodes, and recording audio samples. Under the production and promotion stream, eligible applicants could cover costs for activities such as transforming archive material, supplementing pre-existing commercial property with an associated podcast, and marketing support. 

Creative BC is pleased to announce 11 recipients of the Pilot Podcast Program: 

1. Aftertouch Audio (West Kelowna), Where the Leaves Fall Purple

Where the Leaves Fall Purple is the Okanagan’s first audio drama. The story revolves around a student who runs a failing true crime podcast. He asks his best friend to stage her disappearance so he can document finding her on his show. But then she really does become a missing person…

Amount: $10,000

2. Caution Great Content Inc. (Vancouver), Hope Street Pods

Broadcast from a fictional radio station on Hope Street, this podcast is a vehicle for immersive, female forward narrative and radio plays, that are heartwarming and grip audience is a way — as the rom-com hero would say— they haven’t felt in a long time.

Amount: $10,000

3. Dan Mangan Music Inc. (Vancouver), Dying of Exposure with Dan Mangan

Artists will do almost anything for exposure, but as the joke goes, “you can die of exposure”. Each episode of this long-form, biographical podcast will feature a single celebrity interviewee with musician, Dan Mangan, diving deep into his guest’s backstory.

Amount: $10,000

4. Global Reporting Centre (Vancouver), State of Play: Homelessness in the Host City 

Hosting an international mega-event, like the Olympics and FIFA World Cup, is an opportunity for urban planners to redevelop housing and transit to create a more equitable and inclusive city. So why is the opposite so often true? This investigative podcast will examine Vancouver’s lack of safe and affordable housing, told in collaboration with people experiencing housing insecurity. The podcast will look at the policies and decisions that have led to the housing crisis and dig into how mega-events — like Expo ’86, the 2010 Winter Olympics, and the upcoming FIFA World Cup — reshape our city.

Amount: $10,000
 

5. JAR Audio (Vancouver), Handsome Molly

This is an updated take on the young adult novel, Restoring Harmony, by B.C. writer Joelle Anthony. Set on the West Coast in the dystopian near-future, picture our own world but worsened by ecological and governmental collapse and the ravages of end-stage capitalism. The main character, Molly, is a teenage girl from the Gulf Islands who lives off-grid, has impressive survival skills, and plays a mean fiddle. She embarks on a dangerous journey, alone, to bring medical help to her island community. Along the way, she encounters various financial, ethical, racial and sexual danger-zones that force her to access her inner strength.

Amount: $10,000

6. Kelly&Kelly (Vancouver), Popcorn for Dinner

This sitcom-style comedy podcast, transports listeners back to the golden age of 90s sitcoms, complete with relatable characters, intertwining storylines, and even a laugh track. Narrated by Ciara Bravo, the show follows four 20-something friends as they navigate life together in a shared apartment.

Amount: $10,000
 

7. Observer Media Group Inc. (Vancouver), Poison Policies

Poison Policies examines the obstacles politicians face in passing strong regulations to fulfil their mandate for “pollution prevention and the protection of the environment and human health.” It provides historical context about how chemicals and everyday products get approved for use in Canada.

Amount: $10,000
 

8. Pacific Opera Victoria (Victoria), What’s Up with Opera? and Inside Opera

Opera luminaries including director Peter Sellars, bass-baritone Davóne Tines and conductor/soprano Barbara Hannigan dig into what’s changing — and what needs to change — in opera, and why now is the time for evolution and disruption in the centuries-old artform.

Amount: $10,000

9. Potato Live Productions Inc. (Vancouver), Potatoverse Podcast Series

The Potatoverse Podcast Series is part of a fully integrated ecotainment media metaverse for kids 6 -10 years and their families that’s led by kids and a chicken named Potato! In a world of doom and gloom news about our planet, the mission of the Potatoverse is to counter a growing gap between kids’ eco-anxieties and their feelings of not being able to make meaningful climate impacts. How? By hearing and seeing evidence of social awareness, game-changing ideas and innovations, and people of all ages and cultures everywhere having a positive impact that are already contributing to a better future.

Amount: $10,000
 

10. The Story Department Inc. (Bowen Island), The Search: A Missing Teen, A Small Island, and a Big Mystery

On a small island just a short ferry ride from Vancouver, there lies a tragic unsolved mystery – what happened to a 17-year-old woman who disappeared without a trace on Bowen Island after a teenage house party on a warm June night in 2009. The Search aims to re-examine the police investigation and explore all the local rumours of her final resting place.

Amount: $8,000
 

11. Tah’lum Indigenous Artist Collective (Victoria), Dene Talk Season 2

Season two of this award-winning podcast will explore the intricacies of Indigenous Creativity. Specifically, the podcast will explore how Indigenous creatives express their cultural identity, thought, and artistry through forms including beadwork, writing, music, illustration, clothing design, and creating audio.

Amount: $10,000
 

View a list of the recipients by program online here.     

For more information on the Pilot Podcast Program visit Creative BC’s website: www.creativebc.com/services/funding-programs/all-creative-industries/podcast-program  

Quotes:

Honourable Lana Popham, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport
“Congratulations to the first recipients of the Pilot Podcast Program. In our rapidly evolving global creative sector, the podcast is a growing form of communication and artistic expression. Through our partnership with Creative BC, we are pleased to invest in this new source of funding for B.C. creators working in this field. I hope it will open many doors of opportunity in a highly competitive industry.”

Bob D’Eith. Parliamentary Secretary for Arts and Film
“Podcasts have become a huge part of the social media landscape. They are growing in popularity every year. I applaud Creative BC on the creation of this new grant program. It provides British Columbian artists the vital support they need to reach new global audiences.”

Prem Gill, CEO, Creative BC
“Creative BC is proud to announce the first recipients of support for podcasters. This medium connects many of the creators within our sector—from domestic filmmakers to book and magazine publishers, and we are excited to support and develop the companies, projects, and creators who tell stories in this highly competitive and sought-after format.”

Lauren Bercovitch, Head of Production, Kelly&Kelly 
“Podcasting is such an exciting space where people can really take creative risks. It’s a hugely popular medium where some of the most impressive storytelling is happening, and some of the hottest IP adaptations are discovered. We are so thrilled that Creative BC is leading the charge in funding support and giving people and companies in B.C. the chance to make best-in-class podcasts. This will undoubtedly lead to more opportunities for making great content on the global stage.”  

Tyler Gillis, Owner, Aftertouch Audio
“It’s thanks to the Podcast Pilot Program from Creative BC that we can continue to showcase local talent on an international scale and continue to grow our show. Where the Leaves Fall Purple is able to create and release a second season and keep telling stories that are important to us in this emerging medium of audio drama podcasting. This grant enables us to play, learn, discover, and elevate our production. We are beyond grateful to Creative BC.” 

Media Contacts:
Lisa Escudero
Creative BC
media@creativebc.com
604-730-2235

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About Creative BC
Creative BC is an independent society created and supported by the provincial government to sustain and help grow British Columbia’s creative industries: motion picture, interactive and digital media, music and sound recording, and magazine and book publishing. The organization delivers a wide range of programs and services with a mandate to expand B.C.’s creative economy. These activities include administration of the provincial government’s motion picture tax credit programs, delivery of program funding and export marketing support for the sector, and provincial film commission services. Combined, these activities serve to attract inward investment and market B.C. as a partner and destination of choice for domestic and international content creation. The society acts as an industry catalyst and ambassador to help B.C.’s creative sector reach its economic, social, environmental, and creative potential both at home and globally. Website: www.creativebc.com  

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