Burke Taylor
Burke Taylor is a principal in Taylor-Harvey Inc. (THI), a full spectrum international cultural planning and producing consultancy with clients in both private and public sectors. THI focuses on social change and economic development through strategic planning, public policy and programs, creative partnerships, and the visioning, planning, and producing of major and mega- cultural events.
A cross-section of clients and volunteer activities include: International Olympic Committee (IOC), Calgary 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Bid, Reconciliation Canada, the University of British Columbia (UBC), Toronto 2015 Pan/Para Pan American Games, National Capital Commission of Canada (NCC), United Nations Development Program in China (UNDP), Creative City Consortium of Japan (CCCJ), Municipality of Shanghai Cultural Administration, Creative City Network of Canada (CCNC), City of Yokohama, City of Tokyo, and the Pyeongchang 2018 Organizing Committee.
Concurrent with consulting activity Burke is the co-founder and Co-Director of the University of British Columbia Centre for Cultural Planning and Development, an international centre for education and professional development of cultural policy, planning and development practitioners.
Burke is deeply committed to the process of reconciliation between and among Indigenous peoples and all Canadians. He worked closely with Chief Robert Joseph and Reconciliation Canada (RC) on the public events surrounding the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Vancouver hearings, drawing 70,000 people out in support of Survivors in the Walk for Reconciliation. Burke also assisted on development and roll-out of the RC’s education and community leaders’ reconciliation workshops. These programs were the product of an unprecedented partnership including the Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres and the Union of BC Municipalities, with the support of the Province of British Columbia.
The Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games were the culmination of Burke’s Olympic journey from creation of the Vancouver Bid through delivery of “Canada’s Games” as the VANOC Vice-President for Culture, Celebrations and Education, and as Executive Producer of the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad. The national impact of these programs was directly related to the unprecedented partnerships and collaborations comprising the key departments and agencies of the Government of Canada, the Provinces and Territories, the Four Host First Nations, the Games Host Cities, and VANOC Sponsors.
Recognizing Vancouver 2010’s unique success with public engagement and the new range of Olympic Experiences it offered, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) commissioned Burke to write the first IOC Guide on Cultural Olympiad, setting out for future Games Organizing Committees (OCOGs) the Olympic Movement’s cultural public engagement vision and the means to achieve it. Burke continues to advise individual Bid Cities, HostCos and OCOGs on public engagement strategies and activities related to the cultural pillar of the Games.
Between 2003 and 2006 Burke was also founding Executive Director of Arts Now, a division of 2010 Legacies Now, a strategic development initiative of the Province of British Columbia to ensure engagement and legacies of the Games in communities throughout the province.
Prior to his role in VANOC, Burke was founding Director of the Office of Cultural Affairs for the City of Vancouver. There he lead development of Vancouver’s comprehensive spectrum of cultural policies, programs, strategic investments, and new facilities, and the integration of cultural interests throughout the planning processes of the city. In this context Burke also became an international leader in the development of the practice of cultural planning, and coined the term “Creative City” to communicate his vision for the city.
While at the City of Vancouver, Burke founded the Creative City Network of Canada - Réseau des villes créatives du Canada, (CCNC) a national community-of-practice for Canadian municipal staff with arts and cultural development responsibilities. The CCNC rapidly developed a membership representing approximately 130 cities across Canada. Burke gave the keynote address to both the 10th Anniversary Summit of the CCNC, and the inaugural meeting of the Creative City Network of Japan (CCNJ) which was loosely modeled on the CCNC.
Before joining the City of Vancouver, Burke was the performing arts producer of the Olympic Arts Festival of the Calgary ‘88 Olympic Winter Games; Production Director for the Canada Pavilion at Expo 86 in Vancouver, and Expo 85 in Tsukuba, Japan; and an Explorations Program Officer with the Canada Council for the Arts.
Prior to this Burke was Assistant Director of the Canadian Association in Support of Native Peoples, a national NGO dedicated to supporting development of Indigenous representative organizations and voices; and to providing educational materials and resources to better inform the non-indigenous peoples of Canada.
Burke was honoured to receive the Canada 125 Medal on the occasion of the 125th Anniversary of Canadian Confederation in recognition of his contribution to Canadian cultural development. In 2016 Burke received the inaugural Cultural Leadership Award from the Creative City Network of Canada. Burke holds a degree in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.
A cross-section of clients and volunteer activities include: International Olympic Committee (IOC), Calgary 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Bid, Reconciliation Canada, the University of British Columbia (UBC), Toronto 2015 Pan/Para Pan American Games, National Capital Commission of Canada (NCC), United Nations Development Program in China (UNDP), Creative City Consortium of Japan (CCCJ), Municipality of Shanghai Cultural Administration, Creative City Network of Canada (CCNC), City of Yokohama, City of Tokyo, and the Pyeongchang 2018 Organizing Committee.
Concurrent with consulting activity Burke is the co-founder and Co-Director of the University of British Columbia Centre for Cultural Planning and Development, an international centre for education and professional development of cultural policy, planning and development practitioners.
Burke is deeply committed to the process of reconciliation between and among Indigenous peoples and all Canadians. He worked closely with Chief Robert Joseph and Reconciliation Canada (RC) on the public events surrounding the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Vancouver hearings, drawing 70,000 people out in support of Survivors in the Walk for Reconciliation. Burke also assisted on development and roll-out of the RC’s education and community leaders’ reconciliation workshops. These programs were the product of an unprecedented partnership including the Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres and the Union of BC Municipalities, with the support of the Province of British Columbia.
The Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games were the culmination of Burke’s Olympic journey from creation of the Vancouver Bid through delivery of “Canada’s Games” as the VANOC Vice-President for Culture, Celebrations and Education, and as Executive Producer of the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad. The national impact of these programs was directly related to the unprecedented partnerships and collaborations comprising the key departments and agencies of the Government of Canada, the Provinces and Territories, the Four Host First Nations, the Games Host Cities, and VANOC Sponsors.
Recognizing Vancouver 2010’s unique success with public engagement and the new range of Olympic Experiences it offered, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) commissioned Burke to write the first IOC Guide on Cultural Olympiad, setting out for future Games Organizing Committees (OCOGs) the Olympic Movement’s cultural public engagement vision and the means to achieve it. Burke continues to advise individual Bid Cities, HostCos and OCOGs on public engagement strategies and activities related to the cultural pillar of the Games.
Between 2003 and 2006 Burke was also founding Executive Director of Arts Now, a division of 2010 Legacies Now, a strategic development initiative of the Province of British Columbia to ensure engagement and legacies of the Games in communities throughout the province.
Prior to his role in VANOC, Burke was founding Director of the Office of Cultural Affairs for the City of Vancouver. There he lead development of Vancouver’s comprehensive spectrum of cultural policies, programs, strategic investments, and new facilities, and the integration of cultural interests throughout the planning processes of the city. In this context Burke also became an international leader in the development of the practice of cultural planning, and coined the term “Creative City” to communicate his vision for the city.
While at the City of Vancouver, Burke founded the Creative City Network of Canada - Réseau des villes créatives du Canada, (CCNC) a national community-of-practice for Canadian municipal staff with arts and cultural development responsibilities. The CCNC rapidly developed a membership representing approximately 130 cities across Canada. Burke gave the keynote address to both the 10th Anniversary Summit of the CCNC, and the inaugural meeting of the Creative City Network of Japan (CCNJ) which was loosely modeled on the CCNC.
Before joining the City of Vancouver, Burke was the performing arts producer of the Olympic Arts Festival of the Calgary ‘88 Olympic Winter Games; Production Director for the Canada Pavilion at Expo 86 in Vancouver, and Expo 85 in Tsukuba, Japan; and an Explorations Program Officer with the Canada Council for the Arts.
Prior to this Burke was Assistant Director of the Canadian Association in Support of Native Peoples, a national NGO dedicated to supporting development of Indigenous representative organizations and voices; and to providing educational materials and resources to better inform the non-indigenous peoples of Canada.
Burke was honoured to receive the Canada 125 Medal on the occasion of the 125th Anniversary of Canadian Confederation in recognition of his contribution to Canadian cultural development. In 2016 Burke received the inaugural Cultural Leadership Award from the Creative City Network of Canada. Burke holds a degree in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.
