ArtsBuild is very excited to be project partners with CoBalt Connects and Fractured Atlas in bringing SpaceFinder to Hamilton, Ontario. Following the success of SpaceFinder Toronto, Hamilton is the second city in Canada to offer this proven tool to its creative community. We thought we would share local leader CoBalt Connect’s latest blog post on what inspired them to invest in SpaceFinder for Hamilton.

If you are interested in bringing SpaceFinder to your city or region, feel free to contact our Director of Programs, Lindsay MacDonald at lindsay@artsbuildontario.ca. 

Culture + Space

Cobalt Connects was originally founded as the Imperial Cotton Centre for the Arts back in 2004, and the work that informed our inception was started well before that as a project of the Hamilton Arts Council.  After dozens of interviews with artists we created an artist-specific shopping list of space needs at the time.

How high do you like your ceilings? Do you use 3 phase-powered kilns?  What makes a passable sprung floor? Do you require ventilation? Are you noisy? What neighbourhoods do you care for? What can you afford?

Out of this research we created an organization to address a physical space gap for the arts community – which led to focusing our attention on one address (270 Sherman) for the better part of 7 years.  Here, we learned a lot about making space, activating it, and the amazing people (artist and not) who would engage in this environment.

Our learning has taken us in some pretty exciting directions over the years.  We continued to develop spaces here in Hamilton (4 buildings and counting), but also act as advisors to community builders in other cities and towns throughout Ontario.

After spending 5 years getting the Studios at Hotel Hamilton on its feet we decided it was a time for change.  Cobalt would no longer be an organization interested in a single space.  We would now focus on what we call a continuum of space in Hamilton for creative people.

This means we need 300 square foot studios on James, and 4000 square foot shops on Sherman, theatres in the North, retail on Locke and Ottawa, church basements across the city, and stadiums… we won’t go there.  For our sector to thrive we need cheap and dirty, swank and polished, free and weird, secular and sacred, and all points inbetween.  Artists and creative people thrive uniquely – so we need a continuum of space that allows you to choose your moment and the space that matches it.

This is why we’ve brought SpaceFinder to Hamilton.  In partnership with the City of Hamilton,ArtsBuild Ontario, and a super cool organization called Fractured Atlas from the US – it’s finally real.  A project we’ve been watching since its beginnings in Philadelphia has now crossed the border and Hamilton is the second city to hop on with Cobalt at the helm.

SpaceFinder is building right now.  It’s a free (and always will be free) online directory where space that is open to creative use can be listed, searched, and even rented on the spot.  Presently we have about 40 published spaces that range from dance studios to store fronts, churches to historic sites.  Another 20 are being worked on in the background.  Our goal is 100 by September, 200 by December.

If you have space this is an amazing free tool to help you increase revenue, engagement, and creative output.  If you’re hunting for a next festival venue, need a place to paint that next mural commission, or have a Fringe play to rehearse – this site is for you.  It’s for all of you.

Culture + Space = Cobalt
Cobalt = SpaceFinder Hamilton

SpaceFinder Hamilton is a project of:

Many exciting building projects are on the horizon for Ontario’s arts and culture organizations. We can think of no better time than Canada Day to take a quick glance around the province and share what some of our arts organizations have in store for their creative spaces this year.

Place des Arts
Looking North to Sudbury, Regroupement des organismes culturels de Sudbury (ROCS) is now completing an independent feasibility study of Place des Arts – a future francophone cultural complex that will serve the Greater Sudbury arts community.

This fall, Phase III of the project will begin which entails a major two to three year fundraising campaign aiming to raise $30 million for the construction of the centre. ROCS’ Director of Development, Paulette Gangon, notes that “if the School of Architecture from Laurentian University, now being built, was the spark that ignited the vision of an urban lively revitalized downtown, the Place des Arts project has the potential to be the accelerator.” The construction of the centre is planned to take place over 2018-19.

Thunder Bay Art Gallery
Further north, we have the Thunder Bay Art Gallery that is looking to relocate to the waterfront. Faced with space limitations in their current 40 year old facility, building a gallery space on the shore of Lake Superior would improve the gallery’s visibility, which is currently tucked away on the campus of Confederation College.

They completed a Site Study and Economic Impact Assessment in 2012, followed by a Capital Fundraising Feasibility Study and business plan for the new facility in 2014. Now the Thunder Bay Art Gallery is ready to initiate the Architectural Design Phase of the project, which is anticipated to take 18 months.

Expected to open in 2019, the new gallery will be twice its current size at approximately 36,000 square feet. More space will enhance exhibition and public programming as well as expand educational and artist-in-residence programs.

McCrae House
More central in the province, Guelph’s McCrae House –birthplace of famous WWI poet John McCrae– completed their renovations this spring. “We thought this being the year of the centenary of writing of In Flanders Fields, it would be a good time to upgrade the exhibition and the visitor spaces in McCrae House to engage visitors in new ways in the story,” shares Tammy Adkin, Manager at Guelph Museums.

Two main renovations have been completed at McCrae House. The first is a floor to ceiling script of the poem which also includes an audio visual component. This project aims to give the poem greater play within the new exhibition and create a moving experience for visitors. The second change involves switching a former period room into a gallery for contemplation and reflection where the poem is explored locally and around the world. McCrae House has created many interesting programs surrounding the poem’s 100th year which you can check out here.

FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre
Over in the golden horseshoe, St. Catherine’s is in the final legs of completing their New Performing Arts Centre. Opening in November, the new facility will be a 95,000 square foot academic and cultural centre comprised of four performance venues. Brock University’s fine and performing arts students can use two performance venues as a learning space, while local arts groups can access the centre for practice and performances. This June, they reached 50% of their fundraising goal since launching a capital campaign in April.

HAVE A BUILDING PROJECT IN THE WORKS?

We’re always excited to hear about building projects happening within Ontario’s arts organizations. If you have a building project in the works, we would love to know about it! Contact Alex Glass, Marketing and Communications Coordinator, at alex@artsbuildontario.ca.

It’s been an exciting first few months for SpaceFinder Toronto since our launch in November 2014. SpaceFinder Toronto has reached over 400 listings with a variety of spaces for artists and creative types across the city – from theatre spaces to unique galleries to a pirate ship. But the best news of all is that this online venue finder is being used by our artists and is earning our spaces additional rental revenue.

To celebrate this milestone, we are sharing some of our most exciting stats about this tool to date.

SpaceFinder Toronto has generated over $15,000 in rental referrals for venues using the online space request form!
That means the 21 venues who have adopted the online booking feature – and offer this convenience to renters looking to discover space – have received collectively over $15,000 worth of rental requests…and that’s not counting all the phone calls and email requests!

Spaces are taking advantage of listing features

• 26 spaces have synced their online calendar to their space listing
• 21 spaces are using space request forms
• 4 spaces are taking online payment through the booking engine

All of these additional features were designed to get our spaces more rentals, so be sure to check them out today! ArtsBuild would be happy to discuss these features with you. Feel free to contact Lindsay MacDonald, Director or Programs at lindsay@artsbuildontario.ca.

SpaceFinder Toronto has currently over 200 spaces listed in the following arts disciplines

• 291 Theatre spaces
• 272 Music spaces
• 260 Dance spaces
• 244 Film spaces
• 206 Visual Art spaces

Other neat facts about SpaceFinder Toronto users

• SpaceFinder Toronto gets 10,000+ page views a month
• Largest referral sources are Facebook and Twitter
• Users typically spend an average of 5 minutes on SpaceFinder Toronto

WorkInCulture’s video tip series can make your rental practices even better
Watch WorkInCulture’s video series for tips and tricks on how to optimize your space for rent and what you need to consider. Learn more about rental agreements as well as legal and insurance practices with WorkInCulture’s resources.

Videos: ARE YOU READY? Rental Readiness Tip Series
Rental Agreements: Examples
Legal and Insurance: Resources

SPACEFINDER TORONTO IN THE NEWS
SpaceFinder Toronto had some great media coverage over the last few weeks! In case you missed them, here are the articles featuring Toronto’s very first online venue finder for creative types in the city.

Toronto Star: SpaceFinder site – called Airbnb for artists – comes to Toronto
Yonge Street Media: SpaceFinder Toronto launches an Airbnb for Toronto artists
Toronto Is Awesome: heART TO: Find a Home For Your Art with SpaceFinder

Every organization has unique needs when it comes to making their facility more sustainable. Anything from leaky windows to an outdated roof can end up costing your nonprofit more the longer problems like these go unresolved. Using the Energize Microloan Fund for the Arts as capital for small building projects lets you invest in the sustainability of your creative space, organization and the environment.

Our microloan program helps support projects, plans and reports that make your creative space more energy efficient. Participation in our loan program can have lasting positive effects on your organization, including reduced energy costs which can save your nonprofit money over time.

Here are a few reasons why we think the Energize Microloan Fund for the Arts is useful opportunity for our creative organizations.

Nonprofits helping nonprofits. We’ve partnered with Community Forward Fund who specialize in nonprofit lending and financing. They take applications under careful consideration based on both their eligibility and unique financial story. Read more about them here.

Low interest rates. ArtsBuild is pleased to be able to subsidize the rate of interest by 4.5%, so nonprofit organizations only borrow at 3.5% compared to the regular 8% rate.

Supports small projects. Need your attic insulated? How about a new HVAC system? As long as your project is energy efficient and contributes to the overall sustainability of your facility, it qualifies. For more project ideas, read 6 Project Ideas for Energize Microloan for the Arts.

Reduce annual utility costs. The neat thing about the Energize Microloan program is that organizations not only establish greener practices, but can also save on overall operational costs. Money saved can be put right back into your creative programming and organization.

Use it with saveONenergy incentives. These incentives are available province-wide and distributed through your local utility provider. If any apply to your nonprofit, contact us and we’d be happy to help. Check out what incentives are available here.

APPLY TODAY!
Connect with our Director of Programs, Lindsay MacDonald at 519.880.3670 ext 102 or lindsay@artsbuildontario.ca.

Other information about the Energize Microloan Fund for the Arts:

• Program Overview
• FAQ
• Application Form

To learn more, visit our web page.

Does your arts facility need better insulation? Could it use a new lighting system? Maybe even a new roof? Making energy efficient upgrades can save your arts organization money and help it become a greener space.

The Energize Microloan Fund for the Arts program is designed to support projects, plans and reports that save on energy costs and reduce energy consumption. Taking on one of these projects can save your organization money which can go right back into your creative programming.

1. Energy efficient lighting systems. Lighting is a major source of heat and big electrical energy consumer. On average, about 25% of utility bills are spent on lighting. Switching to an energy efficient lighting system can reduce the amount of energy spent on lighting up to 70%.
2. Low flow toilets. Two key advantages to installing low flow toilets are water conservation and cost savings. New designs of low flow toilets use approximately 1.6 gallons per flush compared to older models which can use from 3.5 to 7 gallons. Reducing water usage can drastically impact your annual water expenses.
3. Better insulation. Many older buildings are relatively drafty and lightly insulated, which can result in greater heat loses and higher energy bills. Space heating makes up a good portion on energy bills, so when a well insulated building requires less heating in the winter and less cool air in the summer, your organization can save a lot.
4. Roof upgrades. The heat caused by your building’s roof makes your air conditioner work twice as hard in warmer months. By replacing your roof with a cool one or retrofitting your current roof with heat reflective materials, your arts organization can save on energy costs that go towards cool air in the summer.
5. Window improvements. While they provide warmth, light and ventilation, windows can negatively impact overall energy costs. If your building has very old or inefficient windows, it might cheaper to replace them energy efficient ones, which will eventually pay for themselves. They lower heating and cooling costs and sometimes even lighting costs. But you can still make upgrades to your current windows by adding storm windows, caulking and weather stripping.
6. Replacing any system or component with an energy efficient system or component. You read that right. If you need a new fridge, replacing it with an energy efficient one is an eligible project. Need a new HVAC system? Replacing it with an energy efficient one would qualify. How about a new door? As long as it saves on energy costs and contributes to the sustainability of the facility, it works.

Interested in applying for the Energize Microloan Fund for the Arts? Contact Lindsay MacDoanld, Director of Programs at 519.880-3670 x 102 or lindsay@artsbuildontario.ca.

For more information on the Energize Microloan Fund for the Arts, visit the program page here.