ArtsBuild Ontario and our partners at the Accelerator Centre and the City of Kitchener officially opened the doors of 44 Gaukel this month during Start Up Open House Waterloo Region.
ArtsBuild Ontario has moved into 44 Gaukel along with local theatre company Green Light Arts, Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre, Kitchener-based film collective Film Factory, Hive Waterloo Region and Viral 360 Digital Media. Sharing the space is Accelerator Centre’s newest hardware innovation lab, with Alert Labs, InkSmith and MyShop Makerspace being just some of the tech start-ups calling 44 Gaukel home.
During our Open House, arts and technology tenants alike opened their doors to welcome the public, showcase their work and discuss the opportunities that abound in this new working space. ArtsBuild Ontario hosted demonstrations for SpaceFinder Waterloo Region, which officially launched to renters in conjunction with the event. Next door in Gaukel’s new rehearsal space, Green Light Arts’ Matt White led rehearsals for Eurydice to an enthralled audience. The film gurus of Film Factory showed off their high-tech camera equipment and Hive Waterloo Region demonstrated their coding prowess. On the tech side, MyShop Makerspace used their in-house vinyl cutter to make custom t-shirts and InkSmith had their 3D printers buzzing so visitors could check out the process up close. It was a great chance to mingle with new neighbours and chat with the public about the space.
44 Gaukel is a first-of-its-kind pilot project designed to bring together the worlds of arts and technology, spark creativity and promote cross-sector collaboration and opportunities. Previously underutilized, this former post office is now an example of creative place-making, providing both administrative and maker-space as well as a bookable community rehearsal space. With 15 tenants, more than 50 employees and over 360 hours of rehearsal space booked for 2016, 44 Gaukel meets an immediate need for creative space and highlights the opportunities that abound for collaborative work space.
