Supporting the Next Generation of BIPOC Writers: Catalyst Agents and the Upstart & Crow Residency
At Catalyst Agents, cultural storytelling is not just a marketing tactic. It’s part of how we operate.
As a multicultural marketing agency based in Canada, we work with brands that want to connect with diverse audiences in meaningful ways. But authentic storytelling doesn’t begin with a campaign brief. It begins with the storytellers themselves.
That belief is why we spearheaded and sponsored the Upstart & Crow BIPOC Writers’ Residency, a program designed to support writers whose voices are often underrepresented in the literary and publishing ecosystem.
What Is the Upstart & Crow BIPOC Writers’ Residency?
The Upstart & Crow BIPOC Writers’ Residency, developed in partnership with Catalyst Agents, was created to support writers who identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Colour and who are developing a significant fiction or nonfiction project.
The residency provides meaningful support for creative work, including:
A $4,000 honorarium
One month of dedicated studio access at Upstart & Crow’s literary space on Granville Island in Vancouver
Opportunities for community engagement through workshops and literary events
Programs like this are designed to remove some of the structural barriers that can make it difficult for emerging writers to find time, space, and financial support to complete their work.
Celebrating the 2025 Residency Recipient
The inaugural residency attracted applications from writers across Canada exploring themes of identity, culture, migration, and belonging.
The jury, composed of respected writers Billy-Ray Belcourt, Chelene Knight, and Eddy Boudel Tan, selected Cynthia Liu as the 2025 resident.
Liu is a diasporic Chinese writer whose work spans fiction, nonfiction, and screenwriting. Her writing has appeared in publications including The Washington Post and The Progressive, and she has received multiple fellowships and creative writing grants.
To celebrate the residency and highlight Liu’s creative work, Catalyst Agents also featured an interview with her on our social media channels, giving audiences a glimpse into her writing process and the project she developed during the residency.
Why a Multicultural Marketing Agency Supports Writers
For us, supporting a writers’ residency is not a departure from our work. It’s a natural extension of it.
Marketing, at its core, is storytelling. But if the people telling those stories do not reflect the diversity of our communities, the narratives that shape culture will remain incomplete.
Catalyst Agents was founded on the idea that brands should move beyond tone-deaf marketing and toward culturally resonant storytelling. Supporting BIPOC writers helps strengthen the broader cultural ecosystem that informs the stories brands tell.
When more voices are able to create and share their perspectives, audiences benefit from richer and more authentic narratives.
Building Community Through Cultural Partnerships
The residency was developed alongside Upstart & Crow, a Vancouver literary studio dedicated to supporting writers, readers, and creative dialogue.
Together, we wanted to create a program that would:
Provide meaningful financial support to writers
Offer a dedicated creative space
Encourage literary experimentation and new voices
Foster deeper community engagement around storytelling
The response from writers across Canada demonstrated how important initiatives like this are.
Many applicants shared that access to both funding and a dedicated writing space would make a significant difference in their ability to complete a project.
Why Cultural Investment Matters for Brands
Brands that want to connect with multicultural audiences cannot rely on surface-level representation.
Authenticity comes from investing in the communities whose stories shape culture.
At Catalyst Agents, we believe the role of a multicultural marketing agency in Canada goes beyond campaigns and media placements. It also includes supporting the cultural ecosystems that produce the stories, artists, and perspectives that shape our society.
Because when diverse voices are empowered to create, the stories we tell as a culture become more nuanced, empathetic, and human.
And that’s something worth investing in.
Why did Catalyst Agents sponsor a writers’ residency?
Catalyst Agents believes that authentic multicultural marketing begins with authentic storytelling. Supporting BIPOC writers helps strengthen the cultural voices that shape the narratives brands and communities share.
What is the goal of the Upstart & Crow BIPOC Writers’ Residency?
The residency aims to provide financial support, creative space, and opportunities for BIPOC writers to develop new fiction or nonfiction projects.
Who was the first recipient of the residency?
The inaugural 2025 residency recipient was Cynthia Liu, a diasporic Chinese writer whose work explores culture, identity, and storytelling across multiple forms.
Why is cultural storytelling important in marketing?
Cultural storytelling helps brands communicate authentically with diverse audiences. Supporting writers and creators ensures that the stories shaping culture reflect the communities they represent.