Cultural Intelligence Group — Creative instinct. Strategic discipline.
Cultural Intelligence Group

Creative instinct. Strategic discipline.

Creative nstinct.Strategic discipline.

Cultural Intelligence Group is a cultural opportunity development company connecting arts and entertainment with business opportunity through strategy and production.

A performer in a sculptural black gown posed on a plinth
A comedian performing on stage with a microphone
A rapper in a white beanie seated against a weathered wall
A comedian in sunglasses posing against a green backdrop
A crowded gallery opening with framed artworks on the walls

We turn creativeopportunity intobusiness value.

We design and build platforms, partnerships, experiences and entertainment franchises that help brands, arts and cultural organizations, agencies and investors grow audiences and develop new opportunities.

Why wedo this

Art and entertainment shape how people see themselves and connect with each other.

Meaningful participation begins with understanding the artists, creatives and communities who give culture its meaning, and what your organization can contribute.

Two musicians photographed together against a grey backdrop
Couture gowns on display at a brand activation
Poster for the documentary The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks

The opportunity within your business

Who wework with

  1. Brands Develop partnerships and experiences that matter to your audiences.
  2. Agencies Bring cultural understanding, creative relationships and production leadership to your clients.
  3. Arts and Entertainment Organizations Strengthen your platforms, reach new audiences and develop revenue opportunities.
  4. Investors Understand the potential of cultural assets and the conditions needed to develop their value.

Featuredwork

  1. Departure Festival + Conference01
  2. Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards02
  3. Kids Help Phone03
  4. Universal Music Canada04
01 / 04Executive Producer · Loft Entertainment

Departure Festival + Conference

Connecting public entertainment with industry participation across Canada's creative sector.

A speaker in conversation on stage at Departure Festival + Conference
30+
venues
100+
artists
4X
impact YoY
400M
media impressions
02 / 04Strategic Direction · CAFA

Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards

Growth between the 2024 and 2026 editions, including CAFA’s first expansion into Montréal.

Host at the podium in front of the Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards stage screen
117%
media reach up
~198%
ad value up
Montréal
first expansion, 2024–2026
03 / 04Project Producer · Kids Help Phone

Kids Help Phone

The music strategy behind Kids Help Phone's Feel Out Loud campaign.

Young choir and artists singing together for Feel Out Loud
50+
Canadian artists on one anthem
#1
most-added single at Canadian radio
52%
increase in total service volume
04 / 04Head of Urban Music · Universal Music Canada

Universal Music Group

Building Universal Music Canada's Urban Music division into category leadership.

An artist holding a Grammy award backstage
49%
Urban Music market share, up from 17% in two years
120
artists on the roster
50+
certified albums

What Does

Creative excellence,built with discipline.

Our work spans music, media, film, fashion, sport, technology and live entertainment, a practice shaped by a lifetime immersed in culture.

  1. 01
    Audience and Community Development

    Develop content, programming and experiences that entertain people, deepen participation and give audiences a reason to return.

  2. 02
    Partnership and Ecosystem Development

    Connect artists, creatives, brands and institutions around shared opportunities, with clear roles and value for those involved.

  3. 03
    Platform and Process Design

    Define the concept, operating model, resources and processes that give an initiative the structure to succeed.

  4. 04
    Assessment and Renewal

    Review existing platforms, programming and relationships to identify untapped potential and improve effectiveness.

  5. 05
    Growth Strategy

    Expand proven platforms and entertainment franchises through new audiences, partnerships, formats and revenue opportunities.

IN GOOD COMPANY

CULTURAL ARCH TECT.
APPROACH

A clear method for turningcultural potential into working opportunities.

As Cultural Architects, we design the platforms, partnerships and experiences that give creative ambition a practical structure, balancing artistic vision, audience needs and business objectives.

Our proprietary Cultural Intelligence Framework combines cultural understanding, research and technology-supported analysis to assess opportunities, test assumptions and shape the concept, operating model and team.

An interview subject seated in a darkened theatre
Wardrobe fitting for a firefighter on a smoky film set
An award presentation on a lit stage
Performers greeting each other on stage beside a piano
A guest at an evening event lit in red
The Snackable TV mobile app on a phone
Artists singing together in a recording studio
A performer in a red fur coat in a film scene
A batter playing a shot during a cricket match
Crew silhouetted inside a film production studio
An ensemble recording session under a single spotlight
A keynote presentation on a large stage
An interview subject seated in a darkened theatre
Wardrobe fitting for a firefighter on a smoky film set
An award presentation on a lit stage
Performers greeting each other on stage beside a piano
A guest at an evening event lit in red
The Snackable TV mobile app on a phone
Artists singing together in a recording studio
A performer in a red fur coat in a film scene
A batter playing a shot during a cricket match
Crew silhouetted inside a film production studio
An ensemble recording session under a single spotlight
A keynote presentation on a large stage
FROM INSIGHT TO EXECUTION
  1. Understand.
  2. Define.
  3. Design.
  4. Assemble.
  5. Build.
  6. Evaluate.

Combine cultural research, audience insight, stakeholder conversations and available data to understand the people, conditions and assets involved.

Identify the audience need, your organization's role and the potential business value. Establish what success looks like and which assumptions need testing.

Develop the concept and operating model. Use prototypes, budget scenarios and feasibility assessments to compare possibilities before committing resources.

Map the artists, creatives, partners and capabilities required. Bring them together with clear responsibilities, shared objectives and a meaningful role in shaping the work.

Lead development and production, using feedback and agreed milestones to refine the work while protecting its creative intent.

Measure audience response, partner value and business performance against the original objectives. Apply the learning to improve the initiative and inform future opportunities.

Kevin Barton seated in a director's chair on a lit set

FOUNDER, CULTURAL ARCHITECT

Kevin Barton

Kevin Barton is an Emmy-nominated and Peabody Award-winning producer and cultural strategist with experience across music, media, entertainment, technology, sport, brands and live cultural experiences.

Throughout his career, Kevin has identified emerging audience and cultural shifts and translated them into platforms, partnerships and measurable growth. His work includes building Universal Music Canada's Urban Music division into category leadership; developing an early mobile-first short-form content property for Bell Media; leading Cable & Wireless's Caribbean market strategy around the ICC Cricket World Cup in partnership with the Government of Jamaica; creating and executive producing Future Storytellers for Canada's Walk of Fame with NBCUniversal and Cineplex; producing the music strategy for Kids Help Phone's Feel Out Loud campaign, which brought together more than 50 premier artists; and expanding Departure Festival + Conference into a cross-sector cultural and economic platform connecting music, screen, technology and creative industries.

THE COMPANY

Cultural Intelligence Group brings that experience into a focused company built to move opportunities from cultural insight to commercial and creative execution.

THREE WAYS IN

WORKING WITHCIG WORKING WITHCIG

  1. Deciding where to focus.
    Opportunity Assessment

    We combine research, audience insight and an assessment of your assets and relationships to identify and prioritize opportunities. You receive a clear recommendation, the evidence behind it and the assumptions that need further testing.

  2. Ready to shape an initiative.
    Strategy and Development

    We translate the opportunity into a concept, partner plan and operating model. Prototypes, budget scenarios and feasibility analysis help refine the approach, supported by a delivery roadmap and defined measures of success.

  3. Ready to build or expand.
    Production and Growth

    We assemble teams, coordinate partners and lead delivery. Audience feedback and performance data help us evaluate results, improve the work and identify where further investment can create value.

  4. Start a Conversation

Contact

Let's define your nextopportunity.

Bring us your ambition to build an audience, connect with a creative community, or unlock value in what you've already built.