What CultureBrew.Art does

CultureBrew.Art is a Canada-wide digital platform operated by the BC-incorporated non-profit society Visceral Visions Society that connects Indigenous and racialized (BIPOC) artists with engagers and employers across the literary, media, performing, and visual arts sectors. Founded by Valerie Sing Turner and co-developed with Anju Singh between 2015 and its 2019 launch, the platform is a searchable, filter-rich database of BIPOC arts professionals whose membership is restricted under a BC Human Rights Tribunal exemption to self-identified Indigenous and racialized artists. The product surface consists of three core modules: a one-time CAD $25 lifetime Artist Membership with profile creation and community access, a tiered monthly/annual Engager Subscription (CAD $6-$35/month) for organizations and individuals seeking to search, message, and post opportunities to BIPOC artists, and a Pay-as-you-go Opportunity Posting feature (CAD $30 per posting, CAD $15 for artist members, free for BIPOC-only community events). Supplementary modules include the Jean Yoon Bursary Fund, Artist Spotlights, and the now-discontinued monthly BIPOC Chat & Chew community sessions.

The technology is a self-serve web platform with keyword search, granular filtering by racial/ethnic identity, artistic discipline, location, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and special skills, an internal direct messaging system, mandatory two-factor authentication, granular privacy controls on sensitive identity fields, and WCAG 2.0 accessibility. Data is hosted exclusively in Canada by the CanTrust Hosting Co-operative; payments are processed via Stripe; and the platform is compliant with BC's PIPA and Canada's PIPEDA.

Name

CultureBrew.Art

Legal name

Visceral Visions Society

Website

https://culturebrew.art

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CultureBrew.Art is a Canada-wide nonprofit digital platform connecting Indigenous and racialized artists with engagers and employers through a searchable database, membership, and subscription services across literary, media, performing, and visual arts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts Talent Marketplace

NAICS

Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114)

akta.pro primary industry

Casting & Talent Placement (Sessions, Bands, Touring Musicians) (MPAIAGAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Full-Service Artist Management (MPAIAGAA), Digital Strategy & Social Media Management (Artists) (MPAIAGAH)

Keywords

• Online artist database
• Talent discovery platform
• Arts professional network
• Diversity hiring platform
• Professional artist directory

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Artist Membership Fees: One-time lifetime membership fee of $25 CAD for BIPOC artists to join the platform and create a profile. Bursaries available via Jean Yoon Bursary Fund for artists who cannot afford the fee.
2. Engager Subscriptions: Tiered subscription plans for engagers (organizations/individuals seeking BIPOC artists) based on annual/departmental/project budget. Plans range from $6/month ($60/year) for budgets under $50k to $35/month ($350/year) for budgets over $500k. Registered non-profits and charities receive an additional 15% discount.
3. Opportunity Posting Fees: Non-subscribers pay $30 per posting. CBA Artist Members receive 50% discount at $15 per posting. BIPOC Community Connections events are posted free of charge if free to attend and open only to BIPOC artists.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

CultureBrew.Art operates a Canada-wide, web-based searchable database platform that connects Indigenous and racialized (BIPOC) artists across literary, media, performing, and visual arts disciplines with engagers and employers. Artists join through a one-time $25 lifetime membership, while organizations subscribe on tiered monthly/annual plans to search the database, directly message artists, and post unlimited opportunities. The platform is operated by Visceral Visions Society, a non-profit incorporated in British Columbia.

Product overview

CultureBrew.Art is a unified digital platform serving Canada's BIPOC arts community. The core offering consists of a searchable database of Indigenous and racialized artists paired with an artist membership system ($25 lifetime) and an engager subscription service (tiered monthly/annual rates). Additional features include an opportunity posting system, promotional artist spotlights, and the Jean Yoon Bursary Fund for financial accessibility. The platform connects artists with engagers and employers across the literary, media, performing, and visual arts sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CultureBrew.Art Platform Canada-wide, web-based searchable database platform that promotes and fosters intersectional interculturalism throughout Canada's professional arts sector by connecting Indigenous and racialized artists with engagers and employers. Includes keyword search with filtering by racial/ethnic identity, discipline, location, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and special skills.
• Artist Membership One-time $25 CAD lifetime membership for BIPOC artists (First Nations, Inuit, Métis, African, East/Southeast Asian, Latin American, South Asian, SWANA, mixed ethnicity) to create a professional profile in the searchable database, connect with other BIPOC artists across Canada, and access opportunities posted by engagers. Bursaries available via the Jean Yoon Bursary Fund for those who cannot afford the fee.
• Engager Subscription Tiered monthly or annual subscription service allowing organizations and individuals to access the artist database, search using robust filters (racial/ethnic identity, discipline, location, skills), directly message artists, and post unlimited opportunities. Rates range from $6/month ($60/year) for budgets under $50k to $35/month ($350/year) for budgets over $500k; registered non-profits and charities receive an additional 15% discount.
• Opportunity Posting Feature Publicly viewable posting system for calls for artists, jobs, awards, funding notices, and professional development opportunities. Non-subscribers pay $30 per posting; CBA Artist Members receive a 50% discount at $15 per posting; BIPOC Community Connections events are posted free of charge if free to attend and open only to BIPOC artists. Subscribers receive unlimited opportunity postings included with their subscription.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60% average newsletter open rate across 2,100+ recipients
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CanTrust Hosting Co-operativecoreTechnology or Integration100% Canadian-owned hosting provider that securely stores all CultureBrew.Art data on servers located in Canada. Data is encrypted in transit and at rest. This partnership ensures data sovereignty compliance and supports CBA's privacy and security commitments to its BIPOC artist community.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing partner for handling all membership fees, subscription payments, and opportunity posting fees. Stripe securely stores payment processing information and handles automatic subscription renewals.
• BC Alliance for Arts and CultureminorOthersCommunity partner providing in-kind contributions to help build awareness and expand CBA's reach across British Columbia and nationally.
• GVPTA (Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Association)minorOthersCommunity partner providing in-kind contributions to help build awareness and expand CBA's reach.
• CAEA (Canadian Actors' Equity Association)minorOthersCommunity partner providing in-kind contributions. CBA cross-promotes Equity's HAVEN online reporting platform for harassment prevention.
• Native Earth Performing ArtsminorOthersCommunity partner providing in-kind contributions to help build awareness and expand CBA's reach.
• Full Circle First Nations PerformanceminorOthersCommunity partner providing in-kind contributions to help build awareness and expand CBA's reach.
• Touchstone TheatreminorOthersCommunity partner providing in-kind contributions to help build awareness and expand CBA's reach.
• Playwrights Theatre CentreminorOthersCommunity partner providing in-kind contributions to help build awareness and expand CBA's reach.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• StarNow: StarNow is a global self-serve talent marketplace for actors, models, and performers to create profiles and be discovered by casting professionals. Directly comparable to CBA's model of artist profiles plus engager search/messaging, though without CBA's BIPOC-equity specialization.
• Casting Workbook: Casting Workbook is a Canada-focused casting and self-tape platform widely used in Canadian film, TV, and theatre. It serves a similar purpose of connecting performers with casting opportunities, though it is generalist (not BIPOC-specific) and serves the broader Canadian market.
• WorkInCulture: WorkInCulture is a Canadian nonprofit that connects cultural-sector professionals with jobs, training, and resources across arts and culture. It is comparable to CBA as a Canadian arts-sector talent and opportunity platform, though broader in scope (not artist-identity-specific).
• Mandy (The Mandy Network): Mandy is an international talent marketplace connecting performers, creatives, and production professionals with industry opportunities. Comparable to CBA in serving performing-arts professionals via self-serve profiles and job postings, though broader and international in scope.

Broad incumbents

• Backstage: Backstage is a large established casting and performing-arts marketplace serving actors worldwide with auditions, jobs, and talent profiles. It is comparable to CBA in product function (artist discovery and opportunity postings) but operates as a broad incumbent without CBA's equity-focused scope.
• Casting Networks: Casting Networks is a large established casting and self-tape platform used by professional casting directors across film, TV, and theatre. Comparable to CBA as a talent discovery and submission platform, but operates as a broad incumbent without an equity-focused membership model.
• Playbill: Playbill operates a well-known performing-arts jobs and casting platform alongside its theatrical media business. Comparable to CBA in connecting performing-arts professionals with opportunities, though Playbill's center of gravity is US Broadway/theatre rather than Canadian equity-focused communities.

Regional players

• Talent Net (Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts): TAPA operates as a service organization for Toronto-area performing arts companies, including workforce and opportunity resources. Comparable to CBA as a Canadian performing-arts industry intermediary, though primarily regional (Toronto) and organization-focused rather than artist-profile-based.
• Americans for the Arts (ArtSearch): Americans for the Arts operates ArtSearch, a US-based job board and talent directory for the arts sector. Comparable to CBA in providing talent/opportunity matching infrastructure for the arts industry, though focused on the US market and broader than CBA's BIPOC-specific scope.

Emerging players

• Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance (IPAA): IPAA is a Canadian alliance supporting Indigenous performing arts organizations and artists nationally. Comparable to CBA's mission around Indigenous artist visibility and equity in the arts, though IPAA focuses on performing arts specifically and on organization-level advocacy rather than a casting platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/culturebrew.art
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/culturebrew-art
• Instagraminstagram.com/culturebrew.art

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 CultureBrew.Art