Connect & Learn
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
10:30 am
Registration opens and Publishers House
An exciting mix of book publishers, magazine publishers, presses, and creative industry partners from across British Columbia, the Yukon, and the Pacific Northwest.
Prefunction Lobby
10:45 am
Moving drum, dance, and song performance from a highly sought after group that represents the lək̓ʷəŋən people at significant events throughout the region.
Prefunction Lobby
11:15 am
AI for Creatives: Smart Use, Real Risks, and What’s Next
Personal and professional perspectives from community members and industry professionals on the role AI does—or doesn’t—play in our creative production and everyday lives.
Theatre
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
Photography as Meditation: A 90-minute guided workshop using photography as a tool for awareness, with renowned photographer and meditation guide Kristopher Grunert.
Room: Oak Bay 1
Beyond the Book Launch: Drawing from her work as founder and publisher of Rebel Goose Books, Susan Pi shares a practical framework for turning creative work into a movement.
Room: Saanich
Pitch Fest: One-on-one pitch sessions with seasoned magazine editors and publishers, including the talented folks from subTerrain, Watershed Sentinel, The Malahat Review, Here Magazine, and FOLKLIKE Magazine
Room: Esquimalt
Starting a Merch Revenue Stream: A beginner’s workshop for organizations, small businesses, and publishers thinking about developing merch product lines, with designer and illustrator Samantha Wood-Gaines and Austin Stanley of Print Hole.
Room: Oak Bay 2
3:30 pm
Keynote with Casey Milone: The Last Audience
For 40,000 years, humans have felt each other through the things we create—a handprint on a cave wall, a painting, a song. Now, AI is making art abundant, personalized, and nearly free. But every technology offers a trade: value for value, something gained for something exchanged.
Theatre
4:30 pm
Optional cultural excursions for Full Summit Experience Pass holders including The Poet Float, Black Routes, Black Roots at the Maritime Museum, Songhees Cultural Tour, and Print Hole.
Inspire & Aspire
Thursday, April 23, 2026
8:30 am
Registration opens and Publishers House
An exciting mix of book publishers, magazine publishers, presses, and creative industry partners from across British Columbia, the Yukon, and the Pacific Northwest.
Prefunction Lobby
9:00 am
Opening Keynote with Monique Gray Smith
Beloved and best-selling Indigenous author of Speaking Our Truth, My Heart Fills with Happiness, and new children’s release: Kohkum’s First Drum.
Theatre
10:00 am
Advocate for LGBTQ+ refugee rights and critically-acclaimed Syrian-Canadian author of The Clothesline Swing, The Foghorn Echoes, and The Salma Books children series.
Theatre
11:00 am
In Conversation with Esi Edugyan
Bestselling Canadian author of Out of the Sun, Half-Blood Blues, and Washington Black and the first Black woman to be awarded the prestigious Giller Prize—and the third writer ever to win twice.
Theatre
12:00 pm
Celebrating World Book Day—a meet-and-greet and book signing event open to the public. Authors include Danny Ramadan, Monique Gray Smith, and Esi Edugyan, among others. Opening Remarks from Prem Gill, CEO of Creative BC.
Prefunction Lobby
1:45 pm
On-stage presentations bringing together a series of dynamic showcases—from media innovation to visual storytelling to community-powered publishing.
Theatre
3:00 pm
Youth Poet Laureate Shauntelle Dick-Charleson
City of Victoria’s Youth Poet Laureate is a poet from the Hesquiaht and Songhees First Nations whose work shines a light on Indigenous resilience, intergenerational trauma, and the experiences of Indigenous women.
Theatre
6:00 pm onwards
Better Together Gala x Fashion Show
The closing celebration of the Pacific Northwest Creatives Summit—an evening that brings our community together through fashion, performance, and shared joy. Open to community members and Full Summit Experience Pass holders.
Prefunction Lobby & Theatre