How we’re celebrating Sydney WorldPride this year

Diversity and inclusion are an essential part of our mission to empower the world to design, and our core value as a company to “be a force for good”. As a platform used by millions of people globally, we take seriously our responsibility to champion diversity, inclusion, and representation across everything we do. History has shown that creativity and visual communication are powerful ways to express Pride, spread a message, and demonstrate support in order to power positive change.

With Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and WorldPride approaching, we've been reflecting on how design and creativity have been integral to Sydney Mardi Gras since the very beginning. Eclectic posters, statement placards, and creative performances have often evoked the values, experiences, and demands of the Australian LGBTQIA+ community. Today, Sydney Mardi Gras is one of the world’s iconic and celebrated spaces for self-expression, and connection. Quite simply, creativity is core to the Pride movement.

Partnering with Pride

Canva shares in this passion, which is why we’re excited to be entering our second year as the official Design Partner of Sydney WorldPride. In 2023, WorldPride will be held in conjunction with the 2023 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, making it one of the largest events to come to Australia since the Sydney 2000 Olympics. It’s a magical opportunity for the LGBTIQA+ community and allies to come together to celebrate pride and commemorate the activism that has enshrined rights and elevated understanding.

For the second year, we’re proud to also continue our partnership with Out for Australia⁠(opens in a new tab or window) (OFA), a nonprofit organization that provides mentors, thought leadership, and networking opportunities to help aspiring LGBTQIA+ professionals thrive.

Design with Pride

We’ll be kicking off our Sydney WorldPride celebrations this Sunday, February 19 at one of its colorful signature events, Fair Day. Head towards the Canva stall and be welcomed by hosts Jack Huang representing the Ballroom community via House of Silky, a collective body of Sydney-based QTBIPOC artists, and the proudly Indigenous JoJoZaho representing the Drag community.

At our pop-up Canva Drag & Drop Print Shop, you can create, customize and print designs for your WorldPride celebrations – including your very own personalized tote bag using elements from queer Sydney-based artists Amy Blue⁠(opens in a new tab or window) and Michael Sun⁠(opens in a new tab or window), who have created incredible WorldPride artwork exclusively for Canva. We’ll also be giving out limited edition poster prints and temporary tattoos to take away in your freshly created tote.

Out For Australia volunteers will also be present at our Fair Day stall to chat with attendees about their community mission, and invite them to express what they're “out for” on an affirmations chalkboard.

While we’re celebrating and amplifying the diversity of our community at Fair Day, we’re thrilled to be showcasing the diversity of our own team in the visual spectacle that is the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade. 80 dazzling Canvanauts will march alongside hundreds of glittering floats in a kaleidoscopic extravaganza of color, art, and movement to celebrate Pride and self-expression. Stay tuned for something very special we have planned!

Supporting creativity and expression

At Canva, we believe in the transformative power of visual communication for everyone. This year, for both Sydney WorldPride⁠(opens in a new tab or window) and Sydney Mardi Gras⁠(opens in a new tab or window), we’re introducing an extensive range of content and more than 1,000 free templates and elements to help you design and celebrate Pride your way.

Whether you’re looking to create a Tik Tok video, a custom Zoom background, a poster, or a WorldPride itinerary planner, there’s a template for everyone to share their Pride. We’re immensely proud to see our templates utilized in so many creative ways to celebrate a cause close to our hearts.

Everyone should feel empowered to design content that represents them, which is why we created the Canva Represents Fund⁠(opens in a new tab or window) to discover, support, and champion talented artists from underrepresented communities around the world. We also updated our visual content algorithm for all relationship-based search keywords to ensure more diversity across genders and sexualities, giving presence to all types of relationships.

Committed to diversity and inclusion

Having a diverse and dynamic representation of backgrounds throughout our global team is critical for maintaining the richness of our culture at Canva. It’s also an important part of our goal to foster an environment where everyone can do the best work of their lives by bringing their authentic selves to work. We respect and value everyone for who they are and are committed to championing opportunities for those in the LGBTQIA+ community, both at Canva and beyond. Our three-year partnership with Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and Sydney WorldPride is another important step in our journey of celebrating and supporting diversity across the globe.

Being yourself takes courage, creativity, and authenticity. Express yourself at canva.com/pride⁠(opens in a new tab or window)