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 maintaining or increasing 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 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, select, and organize research, data, and cases demonstrating the value and impact of the arts
- Create digital assets to present the information in accessible ways
- Activate people’s knowledge and skills for advocacy through structured Action programs
- Circulate Make The Case insight on advocacy success supported through our work
- Monitor our outcomes and effects through personal, project, and sector change catalyst metrics
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:
- Browse our Themes
- Check our Fact Sheets
- View our Research Catalogue and Case Bank
- Read our Research Snapshots and Case Snapshots
- Check our Five Steps to Make the Case Series
- Host a Hello, Case-Makers! Session as an Action Partner
You can email us at: hello@makethecase.ca
Phase Two Investment
In 2023, this project partnership between Business / Arts and Culture Days National was awarded a Canada Council for the Arts Strategic Innovation: Cultivate Grant.
Over the past 2 years in Phase One, Make the Case has experimented with different methods to present data and information about the contribution of arts and culture to Canadian civic life and society, and to provide resources and experiences to support people moving into action to maintain and increase investment, broadly defined.
In Phase Two, Make the Case will add a website section on investment, and actively seek new Research and Action Partners to build on the current platform, expanding our Themes, and increasing the number of facilitated sessions to boost advocacy action across Canada.
Contact Aubrey Reeves at hello@makethecase.ca to support Phase 2.
People
Aubrey Reeves
CEO, Business / Arts, Partner
Shannon Bowler
Executive Director, Culture Days National, Partner
Hilary Martin
Project Lead, Make the Case
Jacob Baker-Kretzmar
Website Developer
Research + Project Assistants
Clara Tranquilla
Research and Content Assistant 2026
Brielle Daoust
Research and Content Assistant 2025/26
French Language Team
Isabelle Beauchesne
Research and Content Assistant 2025
French Language Team
Madeline Siaroff
Project Assistant 2025
Megan Pimentel
Project Assistant 2025
Sophia Katzell
Research Assistant 2024/25
Kathy Wang
Research Assistant 2024
Research + Advocacy Advisors
Belinda Ageda
Arts in Health Theme Advisor 2025
Cynthia Lickers-Sage
Senior Research Advisor 2024
Annalissa Crisostomo
Senior Research Advisor 2024