About Make The Case

The purpose of this project is:

  • To demonstrate the ways that arts and culture permeate all aspects of Canadian civic life and society, and
  • To assist individuals and organizations to make the case for increased support of arts and culture to decision-makers and investors.

This project is supported by the Canada Council for the Arts Strategic Innovation Fund.

By the Numbers 2024
  • 3 Research, Case + Action Assistants
  • 3 Subject Matter Experts / Senior Research + Advocacy Advisors
  • 3 Core Team
  • 4 Partner Staff
  • 70 Partner Studies, Reports + Articles combined
  • +600 Research Collection Items
  • 190 Case Bank Items
  • 11 Fact Sheets, Research Snapshots + Case Snapshots combined
  • 128 Organizations represented
Our Activity Structure

Starting with data and dialogue generated through the combined Business / Arts and Culture Days networks, the project has established a method and systems to…

  • Collect, curate, and organize research studies and data on the value and impact of the arts
  • Create digital assets to filter and present the information in accessible ways
  • Activate people’s knowledge and skills for advocacy as individuals and through their organizations
  • Circulate Make The Case insight and experiences through networks within and beyond the partnership, to engage the sector to move from awareness and analysis into action
  • Monitor our outcomes through personal, organizational, and sector level metrics to catalyse change
Our Engagement Structure

We engage:

  • People with an active interest in making the case for the value of arts and culture in Canadian civic life, in order to increase investment in the sector
  • Across remote, rural, suburban, and urban municipalities

We invite you to:

Notice of new themes, research, cases, actions, and events will circulate through Partner mailing lists and existing networks.

Please let us know about the newsletters you already read so that we can circulate our activity through those channels.

You can always email us at: hello @ makethecase.ca

Future Investment

As part of this strategic initiative, we have built a monitoring program including startup phase metrics as a systems change catalyst.

People

Aubrey Reeves
CEO, Business / Arts, Partner

Shannon Bowler
Executive Director, Culture Days National, Partner

Hilary Martin
Project Lead, Make the Case

Laura O’Brien
Communications Coordinator, Business / Arts

Jacob Baker-Kretzmar
Website Developer

Fernanda Sierra Suárez
Community Engagement and Programs Manager, Culture Days National

Research + Project Assistants

Megan Pimentel
Project Assistant 2025

Brielle Daoust
Research and Content Assistant 2025
French Language Team

Isabelle Beauchesne
Research and Content Assistant 2025
French Language Team

Sophia Katzell
Research Assistant 2024 / 2025

Kathy Wang
Research Assistant 2024

Senior Research + Advocacy Advisors

Belinda Ageda
Arts in Health Theme Advisor 2025

Cynthia Lickers-Sage
Senior Research Advisor 2024

Annalissa Crisostomo
Senior Research Advisor 2024