Case Study Victoria Pride
Shining a Light
The Victoria Pride Society is dedicated to the pursuit of a fair and just world for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. Founded in 2005, the Society has celebrated an annual Pride festival each year until 2019, when Pride celebrations were held in the virtual space. In 2022, Pride returned to in-person events culminating in a 10-day Festival.
C Me’s services were secured to bring forward a compelling vision to re-engage the communities and cultivate a positive experience for participants during Pride.
The Challenge
The pandemic had hit 2SLGBTQIA+ communities hard; many experienced challenges never before seen. The Victoria Pride Society (VPS) was looking for a new path forward to engage an Executive Director to play an instrumental role in the success of the Society during a time of growth and change. The new direction would need to meet the evolving needs and expectations of the communities served.
The Solution
Centre the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities in Pride through an appreciative inquiry model and invest time to learn the outcomes that key stakeholders wanted to accomplish over a 12-month period. Listening was key in establishing the Society’s strategic direction and naming the pillars to build upon. From there, key initiatives were identified and strategic timelines mapped. C Me was central in creating a well-executed media plan, a re-brand of Pride themed elements and organizing the team in place to bring about a new model for Pride.
The Impact
The Victoria Pride Festival 2022 was wildly successful. The celebrations brought together Two-Spirit Elders, local Indigenous Knowledge Keepers and saw over 40,000+ spectators take part. New initiatives included a broader accessibility plan, new experiential and fully licensed festival venue that included two stages and featured celebrated drag performers with high energy entertainment, as well as a renewed commitment to work towards reconciliation. Attendees noted a greater sense of belonging enveloped those in attendance and many cited that Pride felt more caring and kinder than in previous iterations.
This was also part of key planning around the intention of ‘bringing people together in a caring way.’ The social impact model centred the 2ALGBTQIA+ communities in Pride with the theme of “Pride In You” highlighting a dynamic festival experience where everyone was welcomed and the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities could be seen and heard.
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