Vancouver, B.C. (February 5, 2026) – Today, the BC Arts Council and Creative BC are pleased to announce the recipients of their Interactive Fund partnership. This year, the program will support 13 B.C. recipients with $620,000 to develop original interactive digital media projects that present clear connections between art and technology.

An annual program, the Interactive Fund empowers artists and creators to push boundaries with high-quality digital projects and immersive technologies. This year’s projects showcase remarkable innovation, ranging from immersive installations and place-based experiences to interactive live dance, experimental game exhibits, and VR documentaries. By fostering the development of cutting-edge digital experiences, the Interactive Fund reinforces B.C.’s position as a leader in this dynamic and creative industry. As part of an ongoing partnership with DigiBC’s Signals XR Lab, recipients may have the opportunity to showcase select projects at future editions of the Signals Festival, underscoring the innovative work of this program’s recipients.

Acknowledging that there have been systemic barriers to access and that supporting new and diverse talent is crucial to a vibrant and thriving creative sector, 77% of the funding will support projects led by individuals who self-identify in one or more of the following systemically excluded groups: Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, 2SLGBTQIA+, Women, Non-binary, or people with disabilities. In addition, 46% of the projects come from recipients located in regional areas outside greater Vancouver or the capital region. This program embodies Creative BC’s actions for equity and inclusion in program delivery and aligns with the BC Arts Council’s Extending Foundations Action Plan.

The following projects are this year’s successful recipients:

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   1. Hurricane, SQx Dance Company, Castlegar ($50,000)
      A 50-minute dance performance that fuses choreography, interactive software, and sculptural scenography to transform human motion into haunting light trails—revealing consequence as both ephemeral beauty and environmental urgency.
   2. In Secret: My Heart of Roses, a Garden of Dualities, Ximena Velazquez, Vancouver ($50,000)
      An immersive installation where visitors awaken blooming LED roses and a pulsating heart, exploring cycles of beauty, decay, and renewal in a secret garden.
   3. Stellations, Milan Koerner-Safrata, Vancouver ($50,000)
      An experimental art game for exhibition that lets you explore thought loops, mazes, and mental maps animated with tactile visuals and a reactive synthesizer soundscape.
   4. Piikaniksaahko (Piikani Land) – The Story of Home, 1479865 B.C. LTD., Westbank ($50,000)
      Five powerful Indigenous stories of displacement and return unfold through gaze-controlled interactivity in VR, inviting viewers to call their spirit home.
   5. 3FATES, Donna Lytle, Powell River ($30,450)
      Three Fates — Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos — determine the destiny of human endeavour. 3FATES is a digital-physical interface gallery installation where interaction with these oracles enables us to review our place in the great universe.
   6. Thorn (Working Title), Oshki Games LTD, Vancouver ($39,550)
      A solitary horror experience interactive art installation where participants control a silent avatar in a shifting digital world. Minimal input and ambient unease guide a metaphorical journey through fear, identity, and disconnection, reflecting the artist’s story of reclaiming Indigenous identity.
   7. An Alien Lab for Shared Frequencies, Monkey C Interactive Ltd., Victoria ($50,000)
      An immersive, screen-free location-based experience designed to ignite spontaneous connection through sound, light, and play. Built as an expansion of Artcade in downtown Victoria, it transforms a newly acquired 1,000 sq ft gallery into a vibrant alien biome—alive with interactive sculptures made from reimagined old relic machines, and salvaged materials.
   8. Inland Rainforest Experience, Slingshot Communications, Campbell River ($50,000)
      An immersive, interactive exhibit using projection maps, tactile installations, integrated spatial sound, and a 360° video dome to share the Interior’s ancient forests with B.C. citizens and decision makers.
   9. Gamified Human Agency, Pegah Tabassinejad, Vancouver ($50,000)
      A live-interactive performance blending AI, XR, and urban exploration, Gamified Human Agency transforms public space into a stage where audiences direct a performer-avatar in real time, challenging notions of freedom, surveillance, and narrative control in a digitized world.
   10. Dàsa, Wuulhu Studio Inc, Sechelt ($50,000)
       An Indigenous art puzzle platformer for gallery exhibit featuring a skateboarder named Yau, who descends to the earth from the stars above.
   11. Interactive Regeneration Hologram Exhibit, A.S.T.C. Science World Society, Vancouver ($50,000)
       The exhibit invites Science World visitors to explore environmental impacts through real-time, technology-driven visualizations over False Creek.
   12. Untitled Medicine Docuseries, Satellite Video Exchange Society d/b VIVO Media Arts Centre, Vancouver ($50,000)
       An immersive 7-part docuseries blending VR and 360° storytelling to preserve Anishinaabe medicine teachings through land-based practices.
   13. Interactive Audio Land Walk, Caravan Farm Theatre, Spallumcheen ($50,000)
       An expansion of Audio Land Walk through the incorporation of digital interactivity will enrich the experience for the growing number of regional students and community groups seeking creative, land-based learning.

View a list of the recipients by program online here. To learn more about the Interactive Fund, visit Creative BC’s website: www.creativebc.com/interactive-fund

Quotes:

Honourable Anne Kang, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport
“We are proud to support artists and creators who are exploring where art and technology meet, using cutting-edge, interactive tools to tell B.C. stories in new and powerful ways. This program creates space for diverse voices to experiment, innovate, and imagine what’s possible, while strengthening B.C.’s leadership in the global interactive digital media industry.”

Prem Gill, CEO, Creative BC
“Creative BC is proud to once again collaborate with the BC Arts Council to support creators who are redefining how stories are told. From immersive worlds to interactive narratives, the 13 projects funded in this round highlight B.C.’s talent, spark innovation, and elevate our province’s reputation as a global hub for creativity and technology.”

Marnie Hamagami, Chair, BC Arts Council
“Across British Columbia, artists continue to expand how we experience story, place, and connection. This year’s Interactive Fund recipients reflect the imagination and ingenuity that define our province’s creative communities. Their projects not only merge technology with artistic vision—they invite us to see the world with fresh perspective and deeper curiosity. The BC Arts Council is proud to partner with Creative BC in supporting work that opens doors for new voices, strengthens regional creativity, and ensures that innovation in the arts is accessible to all. These creators remind us that when we invest in artistic exploration, we invest in a more vibrant and inclusive future for everyone in B.C.”

Loc Dao, Executive Director, DigiBC
“Creative BC’s Interactive Fund has been essential in strengthening B.C.’s interactive digital media ecosystem, providing critical early and growth-stage support to studios that are shaping the future of creative technology and immersive storytelling. Through DigiBC’s Signals and Creative Tech Labs, this investment is amplified—connecting funded studios with talent development, market access, and global visibility—ensuring a sustainable, competitive pipeline that drives long-term sector growth.”

Vicki Stroich, Caravan Farm Theatre, Funding Recipient, Interactive Fund
“Thanks to Creative BC and BC Arts Council funding, we’re welcoming two artists — Syilx and Secwepemc storyteller Kalli Van Stone (Kelowna) and Nancy Tam ??? (Vancouver) — to create new interactive audio land walks inspired by paths and natural features on the 80 acres of field and forests we steward. These works will combine audio and digital touchpoints to create meaningful, interactive place-based experiences for local students and community members here at Caravan Farm Theatre.”

Media Contact:
Creative BC
Lisa Escudero
media@creativebc.com
+1 604-730-2235

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About Creative BC
Creative BC is an independent non-profit society created and supported by the Province 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 society 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

About BC Arts Council
The BC Arts Council (BCAC) was created in 1995 as an agency of the Province of British Columbia under the Arts Council Act. The BCAC nurtures and supports arts and cultural activity in communities across British Columbia. From community arts in rural and urban centres, to individual artists, professional performing arts companies, Indigenous artists and cultural organizations, art galleries, local museums and music festivals – BCAC supports a range of activities while engaging with artists and communities to inform policies and programs. Website:www.BCArtsCouncil.ca