For over 20 years, we've sparked movements, curated events and amplified hundreds of artists from our community—reshaping the future of Panjabi arts in Canada.
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The future of our organization looks bright! Read about our key findings and our organization’s strategic direction for the next couple of years.
Our Impact Report shares insights and results of our annual festival, plus our year around initiatives and projects.
Our Impact Report shares insights and results of our annual festival, plus our year around initiatives and projects.
Founded in 2004, our organization, Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration (VIBC) has been at the forefront of supporting emerging Panjabi artists for over two decades, playing a crucial role in nurturing talent that has gone on to achieve global recognition. In 2018, what was previously known as the City of Bhangra festival became 5X Fest.
For over 20 years, our organization has dedicated our efforts to supporting emerging Panjabi artists and their creative pursuits. It’s incredibly rare for a Panjabi arts organization to make it to 20 years and till date, we’re still the only organization of its kind in North America.
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VIBC produced its inaugural event, a 3 hour exhibition of bhangra featuring competitive dance teams from all over North America.
Introduced the “City of Bhangra Festival” free 2 day event, full of bhangra performances, singers, and dancers at Robson Square, celebrating South Asian culture.
For the Cultural Olympiad, VIBC accessed funds to develop and produce some of our most innovative programs to date, namely “rePercussion” and “TransFusion.”
VIBC co-produced the Bhangra.me exhibit with the Museum of Vancouver exploring bhangra's role in social movements and immigrant experiences.
VIBC launched its new flagship festival, 5X Fest, attracting 10,000 people to its inaugural Blockparty and featuring Indian rapper Divine before his "Gully Boy" fame
5X hosts the 2nd 5X Festival, doubling the size of its Art Party, and attracting headliners including Raja Kumari and Jaz Dhami.
During COVID-19, 5X Fest launched "Race to the Stage", an app-based festival where participants unlock stages by tracking their real-world steps
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The 5th annual and post-pandemic return of 5X Fest united 100,000 online and 7,500 in-person attendees, celebrating resilience with a 20-million-person reach.
The 5X Artist in Residence program, funded by the Canada Council of Arts, supported 6 emerging artists with monetary compensation, skill building workshops, and studio access.
Our second Artist in Residence program, which is the only fully South Asian artist in residence program in Canada. We partnered with Surrey Art Gallery for our first ever 5X Art Party partnership.
VIBC celebrates 20 years! After its launch in 2004, Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration reached the two decade mark, a rare feat for arts organizations in the South Asian community.
5X produces inclusive spaces for Panjabi artists, audiences, and allies to explore their identities, creative expressions, build connections, and experience belonging.
To unite the global Panjabi diaspora by celebrating through thoughtful exchanges and shared dialogue.
Love: We center our work in love for community and culture.
Flow: We embrace the dynamic, ever-evolving nature of energy and movement.
Oneness: We believe in the power of unity and good will.
Integrity: We stay true to our values, honouring authenticity and transparency.
Peace: We create moments that foster both inner calm and communal well being.
We are a group of South Asian Canadian storytellers, thought leaders and cultural producers who are passionate about elevating our community and creating extraordinary experiences.
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Our organization is the only one of its kind in North America, dedicated to Panjabi arts for 20 years.
Support us in our efforts to uplift Panjabi artists and their creative pursuits.
Interested in learning more? Get in touch with our team directly, and let’s chat!
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