Over the summer, musicians busked on the waterfront, dancers rehearsed in borrowed studios, and models did test shoots around the city. From the Halifax Fringe Festival, The Mills Halifax Fashion Week to the Supernova Market, the city is increasingly carving out a reputation as a hub for creative talent.
Now, a new nonprofit wants to help make sure that momentum lasts.
The Creative Community Impact Association (CCIA), a federally incorporated organization, officially launched on Sept. 1. Its mission is to support artists, cultural workers, and mission-driven creatives, ensuring they have the resources to thrive in Halifax and beyond.
For founder and executive director Jacquelyn Miccolis, the goal is both simple and ambitious.
“Creativity has the power to build bridges and spark meaningful change,” she said. She hopes to build a community that is based on collaboration over competition.
Miccolis has spent years laying the groundwork for CCIA. The nonprofit is an evolution of her earlier initiatives: Sparkles n’ Sawdust, a Halifax shop that supported artists with disabilities and underrepresented creatives, and Supernova Events, which hosted workshops and a national conference on inclusion in the arts. With CCIA, she plans to scale that work nationally, while keeping Halifax at its heart.
The organization’s programs will range from creative practice-based education to paid workshops on diversity and inclusion, with revenue funneled back into free and low-cost opportunities for underserved communities. CCIA is overseen by a volunteer board and guided by bylaws emphasizing transparency, accountability, and inclusion.
Miccolis is already planning the group’s first major milestone: the Creative Impact Forum in 2026, a national gathering of artists and changemakers that will build on the Supernova Conference’s success.
For young creatives, the launch feels like an opportunity to lock in Halifax’s growing reputation.
“Halifax has been growing into a fashion and arts hub with galleries, festivals, and events like Art Battle, Halifax Fringe, the Buskers Festival, and The Mills Halifax Fashion Week,” said Debbie Wright, a NSCAD University student. “We already have the talent, we have the infrastructure, and we need groups like this to help us keep creatives here. We could be the next New York in the art landscape — we have the infrastructure with tourism, we clearly have the existing talent, and we have new talent coming through from NSCAD, King’s, and NSCC.”
Wright pointed to Halifax talent already making waves. In music, performers such as Avery Dakin and Serena Wu have been building audiences. In photography, names like Joey Chapman, Rafe, and Blair Bartlett are establishing themselves with distinctive styles. In theatre and film, actors Wiljo Martin and Sophie Barnes — who has also begun directing — are part of a growing pool of performers. “We have podcasts like Feature Friday hosted by Aaliyah Arab-Smith and Trevor Silver, and Halifax Network Podcast hosted by Chris Crowell,” said Wright adding that she believes that these are the “tell-all manuscripts for young creatives in Halifax.”
Amplification of local voices and talent is what is needed. This is where Wright and Miccolis are in agreement.
“There is so much talent in Halifax. I believe if there is acceleration, everyone has a lane to flourish in,” said Wright.
As CCIA steps onto the stage, Miccolis reiterated the organization’s overarching mission, underscoring the transformative role creativity can play.
She said, “Our goal is to create spaces where every voice is valued and empowered, driving equity and resilience through arts and community collaboration.”
This article appears in Aug 1-31, 2025.