Impact of the Digital Originals Initiative

In December 2020, the Canada Council for the Arts engaged Hill and Knowlton Strategies to undertake an analysis of the impact of the Digital Originals initiative.

Research goal

The report examines the extent to which the Digital Originals initiative helped the arts sector maintain jobs, and innovate through the acquisition of skills, knowledge and technology.

Methods

Hill and Knowlton Strategies reviewed grant application forms of 1,026 successful recipients of the Digital Originals initiative.

Outcomes

Hill and Knowlton Strategies concluded that the grants had a positive impact including:

• Many collaborations and partnerships were facilitated or created through the initiative, including new or first-time collaborations.
• The number of people who benefited financially, and otherwise, extended well beyond individual grant recipients indicating a strong multiplier effect.
• Grant recipients expected to reach a wide spectrum of the general public and expected their project to be accessible permanently.
• A broad range of artistic and technical/technological skills and knowledge were acquired by project participants.

Questions? 

Please contact the Research, Measurement and Data Analytics Section at research@canadacouncil.ca.