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ThegoalofthisprojectforBIACwasto“iden;fyandexplorethedeepemo;onalpowersurroundingthecurrentBIACbrand.”Tohelpachievethisgoal,wewantedtoanswersomespecificques;ons:§  WhatisitaboutBIACthatmakesitmeaningfulinthelivesofitsmembers,its

volunteers,andthelargerBowenIslandcommunity?§  Whatisitthatmo;vatesBIACmembersandvolunteerstogothe‘extramile’to

ensureitssuccess?§  WhatarethekeythemesandaMributesthatmightleadtoaneworreposi;oned

BIACbrandstory?

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WeconductedthreeStoryTellings™sessions.TwoonJuly12andoneontheeveningofJuly13.EachsessionlastedapproximatelythreehoursandfiTeenminutes.Wehadatotaloffortypar;cipants.Theywerepersonallyinvitedbyemailand/orrespondedtoano;ceintheweeklyBIACNewsleMer.Mostofthepar;cipantshada‘history’withBIAC.ThesessionswereconductedatDavePollard’shome.

Forthosewhowerenotpresentatthesessions,itisimportanttounderstandthepurposeandra;onaleofthetheprompt.OneofthethingsthatmakesStoryTellings™uniqueiswedonothaveanypredeterminedques;onsgoingintoaStoryTellings™session.Everythingwehear,see,andlearnistheresultofthePrompt.ThePromptprovidesallthes;mulusforalltheoutputsofourresearch.OurpromptforWordPlayandStoryTimeinall3sessionswasBIAC:Whyitma.ersnow...whyitwillma.erinthefuture.ThepromptfortheindividualReflec7onsstorieswasImagineBIACin2030.

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Mostofthestories—bothStoryTimeandReflec7ons—wereveryposi;ve.Thepar;cipantssharedagenuineaffec;onandrespectforBIAC.ThediscussionsfollowingWordPlayandStoryTimeweregenerallydeep,personal,andthough_ul.Par;cipantsseeart—andBIAC—ascri;calcomponentsofalifewell-lived.Wehadsomeveryinsigh_ulStoryTime,teamstories.Theywererichinsymbolism.Others:notsomuch.Thisisnotmuchdifferentfromwhatweexpectwithworkwedowithourotherclients.Reflec7onsstoriesrangedfromincrediblypersonal,emo;onal,andveryinsigh_ul,tomereobserva;onsofBIAC.Again,thisrangeisverymuchinlinewithourexperienceswithotherclients.WeaskedthemaboutartandBIAC;theytoldstoriesaboutthecommunity!

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Wecollected338Post-itNotes.Hereisawordcloudthatillustratesthewordsthatwerecitedmost.Interes;ngandnotsurprising.Communitywasalsothemostcitedwordintheresidents’andbusinessowners’brandingresearch.Again,thisshouldnotbeasurprise.

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Thethemescompletethestatement:BIAC:Whyitma>ersnow;whyitwillma>erinthefuture.

TheCorethemesspeaktothedeepemo;onal,mythicandarchetypalessenceofthestory.OTeninsubtleandnuancedways.

Corethemesarecri;calsourcesforiden;fyingandunderstandingthebrandstoryandelements.

CorethemesTherearesixcorethemes:•  Rebirth•  Legacy•  Expansion•  Possibili;es•  Giveandtake•  Community...whichwecanseeencompasses—oralmostencompasses—fouroftheotherfive

corethemes.We’lllookateachoneinmoredetailinamoment.TherearetwothingsIneedtopointout:Thebubblesizesrepresenttherela;vedeepemo;onalandarchetypalpowerofeachcorethemebasedonhoweachareportrayedinthestoriesandnotnecessarilythenumberof;mestheyappear.AlthoughItakethatintoaccountalso.Thelargerthebubble,themoreemo;onallypowerfulthecorethemeandthemoreittendstoevokestrongarchetypalandmythicimages.Alsonotehowthebubblesrepresen;ngeachcorethemeoverlap.Corethemesarenotdiscreteen;;es;theytendtobleedintoeachother,oTensharingsomecommoncharacteris;cs,orwhatwecall‘thema;cspace’.Forexample:‘Rebirth’,‘Legacy’,and‘Giveandtake’,andtoafairlylargedegree‘Expansion’shareanumberofsimilarcharacteris;cs.Allfourarerelatedinsomewaytotheoverridingtheme‘Community’.‘Possibili;es’isabitofanoutlier;itissomewhatrelatedto‘Expansion’butnotsomuchtotheothercorethemes.

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RebirthThisthestrongestcoretheme.‘Rebirth’insomeshapeorformisportrayedinanumberofstories;bothStoryTimeandReflec7ons.‘Rebirth’isaboutrenewalandul;matelytransforma;on,sheddingoldhabits,ideas,behaviours,etc.Transforma;onisanunderlyingtruthofrebirthandrenewal;itimpliesafundamental—non-superficial—change.Paradoxically,evenwiththistransforma;onthereisadeeperunderstandingofwherewecamefrom.Thewheelisapowerfulsymbolofrebirthandrenewal....itgoesroundandround.Readingthestoriesoverandover,I’mdrawntoalinefromT.S.Eliot’sFourQuartets:“Weshallnotceasefromexplora;on,andtheendofallourexploringistoarrivewherewestartedandknowtheplaceforthefirst;me.”PerhapsBIACiscurrentlyonthecuspofrebirth.ItwillhaveanewphysicalhomeinCoveCommons.Theini;a;onoftheCommunityCentremarksthesuccessfulendofonemajorBIACgoal.Thereisanewchairpersonandanewboard.ThewheeloflifeisturningforBIAC.

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LegacyThesecondstrongestcoretheme,‘Legacy’isverycloselyrelatedtothecoretheme‘Rebirth’.Bothsharesimilarthema;cspace;notethereappearanceofthecycleoflife.‘Legacy’speakstoanoverwhelminghumandesireformeaningandpurpose.Itisabouttakingwhatwe’velearnedfromthosewhocamebeforeus,addingthewisdomofourownexperiences,andthenpassingitontothosewhocomeaTerus.‘Legacy’allowsustobetheverymeaningfullinkbetweenthepastandthefuture.ItiswhatweleavebehindaTerourphysicaldemise;somethingthatsurvivesintothefuture.Inthissense‘Legacy’isamanifesta;onofthecycleoflife.‘Legacy’paradoxicallyoffersbothcon;nuityandtransforma;on.

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ExpansiveAlthoughgrowthisacomponentofit,‘Expansive’ismuchmorethanthat.Itisastateofmind,anamtude,aworldviewthatsays:taketherisk,experiment,seewhathappens.Par;cipantsmostlyagreedthattakingrisksisanintegralpartofmakingart.Andtoachievethat,wehavetobeopento“reachingforthenew,theuntried,theexperimental”.Wehavetoliberateandbeliberated.Wehavetobeaccep;ng,eveninthefaceofapparentfailure.‘Expansive’,however,isnotonlyaboutreachingfornewheightsitisaboutreachingoutfornewideas.Lemngourselveswonder,beamazed,beplayful.Whenreadingthestoriesfromwhichthiscorethemeemerged,onecan’thelpbutthinkthatwithinthisno;onof‘Expansive’liessomecluesastowhatarenewedandrebornBIACmightlooklike,feellike.InthewordsofaReflec7onsstory:“TheArtsCouncilwasnolongerboundtoabuilding.”Whatnewexpanses,newhorizonsarethereforBIAC’staking?

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PossibiliHesLetmebeginbyrepea;ngwhatwassaidwhenthesixcorethemeswerefirstintroduced.‘Possibili;es’isanoutlier.Itismostcloselyrelatedto‘Expansive’andnottotheotherfour.Atfirstglance,thiscorethememayappearasamuddledhodgepodgeofonlyslightlysimilarcharacteris;cs.However,furtheranalysisshowsthatthereisanunderlying–andextremelypowerful—messageinthisapparentmessymadness.Itisserendipitouslywild,chao;c,primal...andcrea;ve.Thestoriesaboundwithimagesofseeds,gardening,growingfood,etc.Therearesmellsofpris;neforest,dampearth,andsaltair.ThisistheessenceofBowenIsland,itisalivewithfecundityandpossibility.Thingsgrowhere.Bowenisasourceoflife,butthislifeisasourceofart,also.(RememberoneoftheFastFacts:“BowenIsland’spris;ne,naturalbeautymaMerstoBIAC.”)Bothartandlifearemessy.Thepoten;alforartiseverywhere...nomaMerhowwildormessyitmaybe.Thecoretheme‘Possibili;es’highlightsthefer;lerichnessintowhichBIACisbeingreborn.The‘aliveness’ofthesurroundingnatureisinspira;onforcrea;ngartandsomehowpossiblyredefiningit;orattheveryleastre-apprecia;ngit.ThisiswhyBIACwillmaMer—possiblymaMermore—inthefuture.

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GiveandtakeInboththeStoryTimeandWordplaystoriestherearenumerousreferencesto‘sharing’,‘collabora;on’,‘teaching’,and‘learning’.‘Giveandtake’includesalloftheseno;ons...andmuch,muchmore.‘Giveandtake’asitisportrayedinthestoriesisaboutlemnggoofthetradi;onalroleofteacherorlearner.‘Giveandtake’impliesbeingopentobeingboth.AllarecommiMedtomutualresponsibilityaswellastomutualbenefit.Thisnon-hierarchicalviewofmutualbenefitandresponsibilityisanecessarycondi;onofinclusivity;everyonehassomethingtooffer,everyonehassomethingtolearn.Thisistheessenceofreciprocity.TheLa;noriginof‘reciprocity’(resiprocus)isveryenlightening:returningthesameway,alterna7ng.Theno;onof‘returningthesameway’,impliesacycleorcircle.Thiscyclicno;onmakes‘Giveandtake’similarinanumberofwayswiththecoretheme‘Rebirth’andtoaslightlylesserdegree,‘Legacy’.

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CommunityThereshouldbenosurprisehere.‘Community’isthemostcitedwordintheBIACStoryTellings™WordPlay.Itisalsothemostcitedwordinboththebusinessownersandresidents’brandingresearch.Itisacoretheme(inthevisitorssurveyitiscalled‘Connec;ons’)inallthepreviousStoryTellings™researchrelatedtoBowenIsland.Notethat‘belonging’isunderlined.Why?Wevacillatedastonamingthiscoretheme‘Belonging’or‘Community’.Wechose‘Community’becauseitisawordweuseoTentodescribeBowen.CommunityiswhatBowenisallabout.Archetypicallyasenseof‘Community’/‘Belonging’isessen;al.Weareasocialspeciesandbelongingispartofournature.And,sinceweareill-equippedtosurviveintheworldcompletelyonourown,itac;vatesverystrongemo;ons.Whatis‘Community’‘Belonging’about?Firstandforemost,itisabout‘acceptance’.Acceptanceintothefamily,theclan,thetribe,etc.Atthemostprimi;velevel,itisaboutbeinginsidethefirecirclewhereitissafe,warm,andlight.Here,wesharethebondsofkinshipandfriendship.Outsideisdangerousanddarkandweareen;relyalone.Belongingatanemo;onalleveliscrea;ngandmaintaining‘connec;ons’and‘rela;onships’withothers,throughbloodor‘recogni;on’ofaccomplishmentand‘sharedvalues’.Therearethreelevelsof‘Community’thatweseeinthestories.Thesearewhy“BIACmaMers”:•  ThemostobviousistheartscommunityonBowen.BIACisperceivedtomaMerbecauseitsupportsthelocalar;s;c

community.•  Secondly,BIACplaysamajorroleinthecommunityatlarge.Theen;reBowenIslandCommunitybenefitsfromthe

workthatBIACsupports,e.g.,CoveCommons,artsandcultureshowsandperformances,TheCommunityCentre,theCulturalMasterPlan.

•  Finally,thereisthelarger,globalartscommunity.BIACisavehicleforconnec;ngBowenIslandtothislarger,morediversecommunity.

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TheMotherarchetypeisextremelypowerful.CarlJungbelieveditwasoneofthemostpowerfularchetypesweencounter.Becauseweallhavemothers,theMotherarchetypeisveryfamiliartousall.Weseereferences—bothobviousandsubtle—totheMotherarchetypeinthestories.Inthecoretheme‘Possibili;es’weencountercharacteris;cslike‘thesource’,‘fecundity’,and‘primal’.AllofthesespeaktotheaMributesassociatedwiththearchetypalMother.IndepthpsychologytheMotherisasymboloftransforma;on.Thewombisaplacewherethemagicoflifetakesplace;itiswheretwoverydifferentbiologicalforms—spermandegg—uniteandaretransformedintoahumanbeing.TheMotheristhesourceofalllifeandabundance.Sheisbothasymbolofgenera;onandregenera;on(renewal).TherearemanyaMributesoftheMotherarchetype.ThefollowingslidedepictsafewthatareassociatedwithBIACasitisportrayedinthestories.

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TherearemanyaMributesofthearchetypalMother.Inourstoriesanddiscussionsanumberofofthesecharacteris;cswereiden;fied—notinonlyconjunc;onwiththeMother—butindirectreferencetoBIAC.BelowarefiveaMributesoftheMotherthatappearedinthestoriesordiscussionsandhowtheseaMributesareassociatedwithBIAC.TheSource:ForthirtyyearsBIAChasbeenasourceofinspira;on,encouragement,supportforBowen’sar;stsandthecommunityingeneral.Nurturer:Throughit’sprogrammingBIACfeedsthear;s;candculturalneedsoftheen;reislandBestowerandkeeperofvalues:Strongvaluesdonotjustemergetheyhavetobeiden;fied,ar;culated,nurtured,andmostimportantlylived.BIAChasbeenthesourceandinspira;onforthevalueofart,ar;sts,andcultureonBowensinceitsincep;on.KeeperoftheHearth:ThehearthistherealmoftheMother.Itisagatheringplace,aplaceofwarmthandacceptance.itiswherepeoplecometogether;itswarmthandlightholdsthemtogether.Wearesafewhenwegatheraroundthehearth.Weareacceptedasfriendsandfamily.ThehearthiswherewestartandreturnaTerexplora;on.Similarly,BIACisportrayedasaplaceofsafety,comfort,andacceptanceinthestoriesanddiscussions.Protector:Theotherfaceofmotherasnurtureristheprotector.ForthirtyyearsBIAChasworkeddiligentlytosupport,preserve,andprotectthear;s;cheritageonBowen

**************************************AcauHonarynote:Everyarchetypehasitsshadow,thenega;veanddestruc;vemanifesta;onsofitsaMributes.Thisistheoriginofthe‘evilstepmother’whosmothersgrowthbybeingtoomuchofthenurturer,toorigidwithvalues,toodemandingaroundthehearth.Orshejustdoesn’tcareandthereisalackofnurturing,novalues,andthehearthisstonecold.BIACmustwalkthefinelinebetweenthemother’sposi;veaMributesandtheshadow.

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BrandA.ributesBrandAMributesarethecharacteris;csthatmakeupourbrandpersonality.Thesearethecharacteris;csthatdefine—inverygeneralterms—whattheBIACorganiza;onstandsfor.Thesecanhelpguideourdecisionsregarding:whichac;vi;eswewillandwillnotbeinvolvedin,poten;alpartners,futuredirec;on,etc.

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BrandAMributesarethecharacteris;csthatmakeupourbrandpersonality.BIAC’sbrandaMributesare:•  Community-builders•  Inclusive•  Suppor;ve•  Advocates•  Values-driven•  EnablersThesearetheindisputablecharacteris;csthatdefinewhattheBIACorganiza;onstandsfor.Thesecanhelpdriveyourdecisionsinwhichac;vi;esyouwillandwillnotbeinvolved.

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Thevoiceofabrandisthetoneinwhichwespeaktoandconnectwithstakeholders.BIAC’svoiceis:•  Passionate•  Respec_ul•  Joyous•  Welcoming•  Warm•  Op;mis;c•  Crea;ve

Awaytothinkaboutusingyourbrandvoiceistoask,“Ifyourlogodidn’tappearwithyourcontent,couldyouraudienceiden;fythecontentascomingfromBIAC?”Usingyourvoiceeffec;velyisaboutbeingconsistentandposi;oningyourselfasaneasilyiden;fiedandauthorita;vesourcefortheBowenartsandculturalcommunity.Asimpleexample:passionate–DOusestrongverbs,bechampions,becheerleaders;DON’Tbelukewarm,wishy-washyorusepassivevoice.

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Astrongbrandpromiseisonethatconnectsyourpurpose,yourposi;oning,yourstrategy,andyourmember/customerexperience.Itar;culateswhatpeopleshouldexpectfromyou.BIAC’sBrandPromise--We’reallarHstshere—shouldbeevidentinIneveryinterac;onthatBIAC’smembersandstakeholdershavewithyou,theyshouldfeelacceptedandacknowledgedfortheworktheydo,evenifitdoesn’tfallintothemore‘tradi;onal’categoriesof‘art’.

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Abrand’sessenceisit’sheartandsoul;it’showwemakepeoplefeel.BIAC’sbrandessenceis“Endlesspossibili;es.”BIACprovidestheopportuni;es,thespace,theevents,thecommunity….tomakepeoplebelievethatthereareendlesspossibili;es.

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Ataglineisashort(severalwordsonly),memorable,andinspiringstatementthatembodiesmanyofthebrandelements(above).Thetagline’spurposeittocaptureandholdpeople’sini;alimagina;onandconnectatanemo;onallevel.

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BypullingallofourlearningstogetherwiththepreviouselementsoftheBIACbrand,wehavetheonedefiningBIACstory.

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