Government of Canada helps five creative companies in Atlantic Canada succeed on the world stage

Parliamentary Secretary Tim Louis meets with local recipients of the Creative Export Canada funding program

HALIFAX, NS, March 4, 2025 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is committed to helping Canadian creative companies and organizations enhance their visibility and increase their export profits in global markets. This benefits Canada's creative professionals and our economy.

Tim Louis, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, announced a $161,000 investment in five creative industry companies in the Atlantic region for export-development projects. He made the announcement on behalf of the Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage. As part of the announcement, the Parliamentary Secretary visited the Thief & Bandit studios and met with representatives from Dorothée Rosen, Designer Goldsmith and Prismatic Arts Society in Halifax.

Creative Export Canada's Export-Development Stream helps Canadian companies and organizations that are entering international markets and expanding their global networks. Support for these five projects will help the companies build their export capacity and expand their international market connections. Please see the attached backgrounder for a list of project descriptions:

• Thief & Bandit Apparel and Accessories: Expanding Thief & Bandit's Presence in the U.S. ($52,000)
• Craft Alliance Atlantic Association / L'Association alliance métiers d'arts atlantique: COLLECT Art Fair 2025, London, U.K. ($50,000)
• Music Prince Edward Island Inc.: Music PEI Export Development Program 2024-25 ($26,000)
• Dorothée Rosen, Designer Goldsmith: Canadian Sustainable Jeweller exports to the U.S. ($24,000)
• Prismatic Arts Society: Prismatic Delegation at Fluvial 2024, Chile ($9,000)

Quotes

"We must support our creative professionals so they can reach their full potential and expand in international markets. Canadian creative products are in demand, which is a testament to their exceptional quality and our homegrown talent. With this support from the Creative Export Canada program, these Atlantic region recipients can enhance their international visibility, showcase Canadian creativity and contribute to Canada's economic growth."

—The Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage

"I am very proud that these five inspiring companies from Atlantic Canada are committed to building new opportunities in their creative industries with projects that will generate export revenues and help their creative work reach an international audience. This will allow them to succeed and showcase this region's creative talent in key markets abroad."

— Tim Louis, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage

"Thanks to the generous support of the Creative Export Canada program, Thief & Bandit will be able to create captivating campaigns working alongside dynamic Canadian creatives to highlight our sustainable, made-to-order model, expanding our reach with the United States. We are excited to contribute to the development of Canadian creative industries and grateful for the support of the Creative Export Canada program."

— Amie Cunningham, Owner and Creative Director, Thief & Bandit

Quick Facts

The Creative Export Canada program has an annual budget of $33 million over three years, from 2023 to 2026.

The Export Development Stream invests $4 million per year in new and early-stage exporters entering international markets and in experienced exporters expanding their global networks. Since its launch in 2023, it has invested more than $9 million in 152 projects.

The Export-Ready Stream invests $7 million per year in export-ready projects that generate export revenues and help Canadian creative industries reach more people around the world. Since its launch in 2018, it has invested more than $59 million in 143 projects from more than 120 creative industry companies and organizations.

Associated Links

Creative Export Canada

Backgrounder:

Canadian Heritage is investing $161,000 to help five Atlantic Canada companies enter international markets and expand their global networks.

Below are details of the funding support, through the latest Creative Export Canada program Export Development Stream, and the project descriptions.

Funding details

Location	Recipient	Project Description	Funding Support
Halifax	Thief & Bandit Apparel and Accessories Inc.	Project Title: Expanding Thief & Bandit's Presence in the US   Thief & Bandit Apparel and Accessories Inc. is receiving funding for export planning, international market readiness, and market development activities to further develop its market presence in the target market of the United States. With this project, the recipient will refine its export processes and lay the groundwork for future international expansion. The company will develop and execute a digital marketing strategy, including media management and advertising, tailored to the target market. It will create marketing materials for its social media, website and ad campaigns to showcase its collections. It will upgrade its Shopify site to optimize transactions with international clients. It will also develop an export strategy to prepare for long-term expansion. Thief & Bandit Apparel and Accessories Inc. will establish and nurture relationships with key stakeholders in the United States, including distributors, retailers and industry influencers.	$52,000   ($32,000,  2024-25)   ($20,000, 2025-26)
Halifax	Craft Alliance Atlantic Association / L'Association alliance métiers d'arts atlantique	Project Title: COLLECT Art Fair 2025, London, UK   Craft Alliance Atlantic Association / L'Association alliance métiers d'arts atlantique is receiving funding to support the promotion of as many as 20 Atlantic Canadian fine craft artists at the Collect Art Fair 2025, an international fair dedicated to contemporary craft and design, held annually in London, England. Collect is a direct-to-consumer event, attended by key art collectors, museums and galleries looking to purchase and represent contemporary craft and design. Craft Alliance will launch an exhibition of pan-Atlantic contemporary craft artists at the fair, to introduce new work from Canada. Artists will have opportunities to interact with audiences to promote their work and to develop a market for Canadian contemporary craft. To prepare craft artists to introduce their work abroad, the organization will run an ongoing mentoring program that partners mid-career craft artists with emerging craft artists, will hold workshops on export readiness and market entry, and will provide opportunities for on-site training sessions while at the fair. The target markets for this project are the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands and France with opportunities for secondary markets for media specific crafts, like Italy and Portugal for ceramics.	$50,000 (2024-25)
Halifax	Dorothée Rosen, Designer Goldsmith	Project Title: Canadian Sustainable Jeweller exports to the USA   Dorothée Rosen, Designer Goldsmith, is receiving funding to increase sales of her company's sustainably made Canadian products in the target market of the United States. The project will enable the recipient to expand its business-to-consumer promotion of its artistic jewelry pieces into international markets by creating marketing materials and optimizing its website for international sales. Additionally, the project will present an opportunity to cultivate international business networks and partnerships, paving the way for future growth and collaboration.	$24,000   ($21,000,  2024-25)   ($3,000,  2025-26)
Halifax	Prismatic Arts Society	Project Title: Prismatic Delegation at Fluvial 2024, Chile   The Prismatic Arts Society received funding in 2024-25 to lead and promote a delegation of Indigenous artists and artists of colour at the Fluvial Festival, an international event/conference dedicated to showcasing artists and facilitating connections in the global music arts industry. Fluvial was held in Valdivia, Chile in November 2024. The Prismatic Arts Society led a Canadian delegation of performing arts professionals that represent organizations championing the voices marginalized and racialized artists. The delegation included Mohawk musician Logan Staats, who was featured at Fluvial as a showcasing artist. By attending this conference, delegates had an opportunity to build new business networks between Canadian and Latin American music industry stakeholders, creating collaborative relationships and promotional opportunities for artists. The target market for this project is Latin America, in countries such as Chile, Mexico, Guatemala, Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela.	$9,000 (2024-25)
Prince Edward Island	Music Prince Edward Island Inc.	Project Title: Music PEI Export Development Program 2024/25   Music PEI is receiving funding in 2024-25 to promote its artists internationally, by holding two events that host international delegates, and by attending a minimum of four international music festivals. The domestic events, Canadian Song Conference and Showcase PEI, brought together influential industry experts from around the world, who have the capacity to offer important opportunities to the artists, such as representation at the international level, paid performances and publishing and licensing deals. The curated set of international festivals, including the Reeperbahn Festival (Germany), Americana UK (London), Showcase Scotland, and English Folk Expo, will provide Canadian musicians with opportunities to build business relationships while exposing their creative work to international audiences. The target markets for this project include Ireland, United Kingdom, Europe, the United States and Australia.	$26,000 (2024-25)
Total funding			$161,000

Associated Links

Creative Export Canada

SOURCE Canadian Heritage

Contacts: For more information (media only), please contact: Charles Thibault-Béland, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage, [email protected]; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, [email protected]