Creative Manitoba

What Creative Manitoba does

Creative Manitoba is a private non-profit arts service organization founded in 2003 and headquartered at 400-245 McDermot Avenue in Winnipeg's Exchange District on Treaty 1 Territory. It operates as a centralized community hub for Manitoba's arts and creative industries, serving individual artists, arts organizations, and Indigenous creatives across the province. Its core offering is an integrated platform combining a searchable Arts Directory with 1,000+ listings, classes and workshops, a multi-format mentorship program (Professional, Rural, and Group), a job and opportunities board, a community events calendar, and a curated resources library. Physical space rentals at the Winnipeg headquarters and a paid membership tier with promotional benefits extend the offering into transactional products.

The organization's go-to-market is community-led, relying on organic social media presence across Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Bluesky, an email newsletter, and member referrals to drive engagement. Core technology is a WordPress-based website with no proprietary AI, API, or SDK layer; the platform functions primarily as a content and listings hub. Revenue is sourced from three streams: government operational funding from the Government of Canada and Government of Manitoba (the financial backbone), recurring membership fees providing enhanced promotional visibility, and professional services revenue from boardroom and classroom space rentals. Basic directory listings, event postings, job listings, and calls for submissions are provided free of charge under a freemium pricing structure.

Creative Manitoba's customer base is segmented across individual artists, arts organizations, emerging artists, Indigenous artists and organizations, and rural Manitoba artists, with a hybrid segmentation approach. The organization holds a structurally advantaged position as Manitoba's designated arts association supported by public funding, and it maintains a referral partnership with Manitoba Legal Clinic for the Arts. With 9 employees and over two decades of operating history, it functions as a steady-state community service organization rather than a scaling enterprise.

Name

Creative Manitoba

Legal name

Creative Manitoba Inc.

Website

https://creativemanitoba.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Creative Manitoba is a Winnipeg-based non-profit arts service organization founded in 2003 that connects Manitoba's artists and arts organizations through a directory of 1,000+ listings, mentorship programs, workshops, and community events, funded primarily by federal and provincial government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts Community Services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations (BPAGAHAD)

Keywords

• Arts community services
• Artist directory platform
• Arts mentorship programs
• Creative industries support
• Nonprofit arts association

Headquarters

HQ city

Winnipeg

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Creative Manitoba offers membership options that provide additional promotional benefits including newsletter and social media promotion. Members receive enhanced visibility and access to opportunities within the arts community.
2. Government Funding: The organization receives operational funding from the Government of Canada and the Government of Manitoba, providing a substantial portion of their revenue base for serving the arts community.
3. Space Rentals: The organization operates a building at 400-245 McDermot Avenue offering boardroom/classroom rentals for the creative community.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Creative Manitoba operates a non-profit community hub that connects Manitoba's arts and creative industries through a searchable Arts Directory, classes and workshops, multi-format mentorship programs, a job/opportunities board, a community events calendar, a curated resources library, and paid space rentals. Basic access to directory listings, event postings, and resources is free; paid membership and space rentals provide enhanced promotional benefits and physical facilities for the arts community.

Product overview

Creative Manitoba operates as a non-profit arts service organization providing a community platform known as the Creative Hub. The offering is a unified platform combining an Arts Directory for discovering Manitoba artists and organizations, Classes & Workshops with associated Mentorship Programs (Professional, Rural, and Group formats), an Opportunities section for job postings and calls for submissions, a Community Events Calendar, Resources library, and Space Rentals. Membership is available as an add-on for enhanced promotional features. The platform is free for basic access but requires membership for additional promotional benefits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Arts Directory

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Manitoba Legal Clinic for the ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner providing legal resources and information for artists. Referenced in community guidelines as a resource for intellectual property and contract questions.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Alliance for Arts + Culture: Vancouver-based arts service organization providing advocacy, resources, and community-building for the cultural sector. Comparable function as a regional arts service hub serving individual artists and organizations.
• Toronto Arts Council: Municipal arts funding body serving Toronto's arts community. Similar advocacy and resource-providing function, though at a city level rather than provincial — useful urban-scale comparator.
• Ontario Arts Council: Ontario's primary arts funding agency serving individual artists and organizations. Comparable mandate and programming model, though at much larger scale, providing a useful benchmark for Creative Manitoba's potential trajectory.
• Artscape: Toronto-based non-profit that provides space, facilities, and services for the arts community. Overlaps with Creative Manitoba's space rental and community programming functions.
• Alberta Foundation for the Arts: Provincial arts funding and support organization in Alberta. Comparable mandate of serving the provincial arts community through funding, programs, and resources, with similar government-funding structure.
• Saskatchewan Arts Board: Saskatchewan's provincial arts council providing funding, programs, and services to artists and arts organizations. Direct peer in scale, mission, and provincial public-funding model.
• Manitoba Arts Council: Manitoba's primary public arts funding body. While Creative Manitoba focuses on community services and directory, the Manitoba Arts Council directly administers grants — both share the mandate of supporting Manitoba's arts ecosystem and likely overlap in funder relationships and constituents.
• Calgary Arts Development: Municipal arts development agency serving Calgary. Comparable mandate of supporting and connecting the local arts community through funding, advocacy, and programming.

Broad incumbents

• Culture Days: National Canadian initiative coordinating free arts and culture participation events. Overlaps with Creative Manitoba's community events and outreach function at a national scale.
• National Arts Centre (Canada): Canada's federal performing arts institution. Overlaps in advocacy for the arts sector and connecting artists, though operates at a much larger institutional scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CreativeManitobaACI
• Facebookfacebook.com/CreativeManitoba
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arts-and-cultural-industries-association-of-manitoba
• Instagraminstagram.com/creativemanitoba

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Creative Manitoba