A Message

Message from Chairman of the Board of Governors, Adam Waterous and President and CEO, Janice Price

Banff Centre advances and inspires creativity and ignites the unique contributions our participants make across artistic disciplines, leadership in many fields, mountain culture, and the environment. The experience of the COVID-19 pandemic has afforded many organizations, including Banff Centre, time to reflect on what it means to be resilient through adversity, and what the future holds. In its 88-year history, Banff Centre has adapted many times to fulfill its purpose as circumstances and needs have changed. We will continue to forge new, creative pathways. 

The development of this plan began in late 2019, before the onset of the pandemic and was interrupted, and then informed by, the societal changes accelerated by this historic global event. Banff Centre will emerge from this period renewed and resilient, taking on exciting and emerging opportunities.

In this plan, we lay out a future for Banff Centre which is responsive to our times, relevant to our futures and impactful for those it serves.

There is no stated end date for this plan. Written at a time of exceptional global uncertainty, it provides a set of key strategic future pathways which will be flexibly pursued in the changing landscape of the next few years. We share a deep belief that Banff Centre has an unparalleled opportunity to fulfill its potential as a purpose-driven organization with an entrepreneurial spirit, engaging in partnerships with others, and listening to our communities. We have a high-achieving work culture that ignites the power of creativity in the diverse artists, leaders, and audiences who participate in Banff Centre programs. 

Banff Centre has been one of Canada’s and Alberta’s most important cultural institutions for close to nine decades and supports our region through valuable cultural, social, and economic contributions. Banff Centre is a key institution within Banff National Park and the Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site, on the side of Sacred Guardian Buffalo Guardian Mountain – a place to envision and to create. 

We are looking to the future, strengthening our relationships with each other and the world, motivated by a belief in our unique place and purpose, taking inspiration from mountain culture and the environment. The world needs inspiration and creativity more than ever, and we will continue to be a catalyst of connection, thought and exploration of the extraordinary potential of the human spirit. 

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