Bricks&Mortar
ArtsBuild Ontario is dedicated to capturing the needs and plans of our arts facilities across the province and using this information to improve our facilities.
We have spent the past year collecting important facility related data and housing it in our database Bricks&Mortar. This system allows for the constant updating of your information so that it remains current.
As of June 2015, we have collected information from 302 organizations province-wide which includes the needs and plans of 640 facilities across all disciplines.
Culture Strategy
As all of you know the sector has been asked to participate in the Culture Talks that are occurring, so that the Province of Ontario can develop their first Culture Strategy in 2016.
Last week ArtsBuild meet with Assistant Deputy Minister Kevin Finnerty and Director, Culture and Strategic Policy Branch, Dawn Landry, to;
Present the findings in Bricks&Mortar, that supports and quantifies the need for investment in arts infrastructure from the province
Remind MTCS that ArtsBuild is busy collecting facilities data that can/should be used in important processes like Culture Talks to inform funders
Encourage future discussions moving forward on how this valuable data can be used collaboratively by the sector, to everyone’s benefit.
ArtsBuild was encouraged by the conversation and by the strength of the data that we continue to collect.
Next Steps: In addition to ArtsBuild participating in a town hall ArtsBuild will be submitting a brief via their online forum that summarizes our very lengthy report to better capture the hard numbers that they are looking for (as recommended).We hope to continue the conversation about infrastructure as the process continues. As you attend your local Town Hall, be sure to mention the needs of your facility!!ArtsBuild continues to collect your data on an ongoing basis. If you have not completed your Bricks&Mortar profile or wish to do so, please contact gina@artsbuildontario.ca or lindsay@artsbuildontario.ca.Click here to view infographics that highlight key pieces of data from Bricks&Mortar that were presented.Organizational HighlightsFacility HighlightsFacility NeedsFacility Plans
This past Monday, SpaceFinder Toronto had a whirlwind experience meeting creative spaces and artists in and around the city at this year’s Creative Spaces Partnership Exchange. The whole day delivered what it promised: Discovering, Exchanging and Building.
#CSPX15 had 70+ exhibitors and 700+ attendees.
Discovering
SpaceFinder discovered a multitude of artists in the city looking for new spaces to rent. We had the opportunity to tell them about SpaceFinder Toronto, show them how to use the site and demonstrate how users can select over 150 search criteria to find exactly what they were looking for…from spring floors to affordable pricing.
We had an increase of 51% in new users visiting SpaceFinder Toronto on #CSPX15!
Exchanging
We met organizations with independent studios, theatres and galleries as well as organizations that housed many creative spaces that could ALL benefit listing their rentals on SpaceFinder Toronto. Through these exchanges, we were able to both share how SpaceFinder Toronto can provide additional revenue potential through rentals and relay how this valuable tool helps venues reach new audiences.
SpaceFinder Toronto had 3 venues list their spaces and 2 venues adopt online booking features at #CSPX15!
Building
At the exhibitor workshop, ArtsBuild Board member Karen Stintz was able to share how the collaboration between TAPA, ArtsBuild Ontario, WorkInCulture and Fractured Atlas was built to bring SpaceFinder to Toronto. We were thrilled to share our experience in bringing cross sector partners together to implement this valuable tool and work together to ensure it is actively and positively impacting the city’s creative sector.
SpaceFinder currently has 427 spaces listed and has accumulated $25,000+ in rental referrals…and that’s not including phone and email inquiries!
The day was a tremendous success and ArtsBuild would like to thank Melissa Routley, Program Manager with Artscape, for all her hard work in making the day an extremely valuable experience for the 70+ exhibitors and 700+ attendees.
SPACEFINDER TORONTO WORKSHOP
We invite all SpaceFinder Toronto venues to join us for a Booking Features Workshop next week on Nov. 10! All space bookings are different and range from simple to very complex so join ArtsBuild Ontario to learn how these three features – ONLINE CALENDAR – BOOKING REQUEST FORMS – BOOKING ENGINE – can complement your space booking processes and get your space noticed.
When: November 10 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Where: TAPA Office | 401 Richmond St W, Suite 350, Toronto, M5V 3A8 Cost: FREE!
Have you been thinking about your arts facility lately? Exploring Resource Library is a great way to get the wheels turning. Resource Library is a living library, which means we’re always adding new articles, case studies and guides about arts facilities for your arts organization to access in one location. Whether you’re planning an entirely new build or making a small upgrade, Resource Library is a free and reliable place to start.
This is an incredibly valuable guide for directors and managers of arts organizations developing capital projects. The Fit for the Future Guide will help you integrate environmental sustainability into your capital project plans. It focuses mainly on larger capital projects and the redevelopment of existing buildings and infrastructure, but it’s also relevant to smaller capital projects and new builds.
A great discussion about questions often asked when tackling building projects in city-owned arts facilities — and in this case, theatres are in the spotlight. This article covers five different approaches (and their respective perks and challenges) when it comes to building operations. Take a look and see what’s working for independent nonprofits, government run facilities, user-run facilities, school and college run facilities and fee for service facility managers.
Looking to learn more about reserve funds for your building? This article is a great place to start. With the constant need for arts organizations to secure financing, facility repairs often fall through the cracks. Planning ahead for the future needs of your facility over a long period of time can prevent financial strain when surprise building repairs come up. This article will definitely get you thinking about the benefits of creating a capital reserve fund.
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.
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.
