The Centre was founded in 1933 by the University of Alberta, with a grant from the U.S.-based Carnegie Foundation. Initially only drama courses were offered. In 1935 the Centre became known as The Banff School of Fine Arts. As arts programming continued to succeed and develop, conferences were introduced in 1953 and management programs in 1954. The facility was renamed The Banff Centre for Continuing Education in 1970. The Centre was granted full autonomy as a non-degree granting educational institution under the governance of a board of directors by the Province of Alberta in 1978. The Centre is now affiliated with the University of Calgary, which became its trustee and a significant student feeder in 1966. In the mid-1990s, in response to a cut in its provincial operating grant, the Centre launched a capital campaign. Proceeds were used to develop conference and arts facilities, which opened in 1996. The Centre was designated as a National Training Institute by the federal government in 1999, and became home to the Banff International Research Station in 2003. The Centre's name was officially changed to "The Banff Centre" in 2008, and to the "Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity" in 2016. On June 11, 2020 laid off 284 staff members via Zoom. The lay off subsequently sparked an open letter from several prominent artists, curators, arts figures, alumni and current and former staff expressing concern for the institution's commitment to values supporting its visual arts programming and operations.
Programming
Programs include residencies, workshops, practicum programs, the Leighton Artists' Studios, and the multidisciplinary Banff Summer Arts Festival.
Media
In 2013, the centre applied to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to acquire two tourist information radio stations serving the area, CFPE-FM and CFPF-FM, from Friends of Banff National Park Fellowship, and to launch an additional new station, CJXB-FM. Under the Banff Centre's ownership, the existing stations would be expanded to incorporate some community radio talk and information programming, while the new CJXB would program an adult album alternativemusic format. The approval to acquire CFPE and CFPF from the Friends of Banff was granted on July 19, 2013, while the new station was approved on August 6, 2013. The centre formally launched its new community radio programming on the existing stations in June 2014. By 2015, however, CJXB had still not launched when the Banff Centre decided to discontinue all three radio stations in order to focus on a podcasting strategy. The CRTC revoked the CFPE and CFPF licenses on April 10, 2015.
Facilities
Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity facilities offer resources to support artists of all disciplines. Facilities include the writers' lounge, the Library and Archives. The Leighton Artists' Studios has nine studio cottages. The centre also operates the Walter Phillips Gallery, an art museum located within the Banff Centre. In addition to its arts programming, conferences were introduced in 1953 and management programs in 1954. Banff Centre hosts 500 conferences a year, with proceeds dedicated to supporting arts programming. In 2003, it became host to the Banff International Research Station for Mathematical Innovation and Discovery.
