Bridget MacIntosh is an award-winning cultural strategist and advisor who helps municipalities and arts organizations make confident decisions about cultural policy, investment, infrastructure and organizational direction. With more than 20 years of experience, including over a decade in municipal government, she combines strategic insight with a practical understanding of budgets, governance, public accountability and cultural delivery. Her work addresses the questions facing cultural leaders today: Where should we invest? How can we better support artists and cultural organizations? What spaces, partnerships and service models do communities need? And how will we know whether our investments are making a difference? For the City of Mississauga, Bridget led and developed the Community Cultural Services Impact Review, creating a cultural ecosystem model and recommendations addressing investment, governance, creative career pathways, infrastructure and performance measurement. As cultural planning lead for Burnaby’s Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan, she developed the cultural vision and strategic directions, connecting cultural facilities, public art, festivals and creative spaces with broader community priorities. Working with EVOKE Culture on Lethbridge’s Public Art Master Plan Update, she led the placemaking framework and creative engagement, alongside contributions to policy, governance, funding and implementation. Her portfolio spans cultural plans, public art plans and policies, and cultural development projects for more than 25 municipalities across Canada. These include Toronto, Barrie, Brampton, Calgary, Hamilton, North Vancouver, Peterborough, Maple Ridge, Pickering, Port Moody, Prince Edward County and Loyalist Township. Bridget also helps arts organizations turn evidence and community perspectives into clear priorities. She led SPARC’s 2026–2030 Strategic Plan, co-led the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre’s 2025–2030 Strategic Plan with Bespoke, and developed data learning resources for Mass Culture’s Data Narratives for the Arts initiative. Her work with CAPACOA’s Linked Digital Future Initiative supported performing arts organizations in strengthening their digital discoverability through linked open data. Her strategic practice is grounded in hands-on cultural leadership. A former producer of the Toronto Fringe Festival and co-founder of the Next Stage Theatre Festival, she also brings extensive experience delivering major cultural events, including Nuit Blanche Toronto. At the City of Hamilton, she managed a portfolio spanning arts, events, grants and strategic cultural initiatives. This operational experience informs her ability to develop recommendations that reflect the realities of staffing, resources, partnerships and implementation. An experienced facilitator, she brings municipal staff, boards, artists and community partners into productive conversations about difficult choices. Bridget’s perspective is enriched by national and international leadership networks. She has been recognized as an International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts (IETM) Global Connector, a Toronto Arts Council Cultural Leaders Lab Fellow, and a Next City Vanguard Civic Leader Fellow. She is the founding Co-Chair of Mass Culture’s Research Working Group and a PlacemakingX Advocate. These experiences connect her creative consulting practice to wider conversations about cultural leadership, research, public space and the future of creative work. Clients engage Bridget for rigorous research, thoughtful engagement and clear recommendations that connect ambition with available resources, responsibilities and measurable action.