BC Artscape is proud to announce the six non-profit organizations selected for the 2016 BC Artscape Cultural Space Development Mentorship and Coaching Program. CircusWest , Elektra Women’s Choir , Pacific Theatre , Realwheels Theatre and Kickstart Disability Arts and Culture (in partnership), and The Volumes Project will benefit from a free-of-charge program designed to advance their cultural space projects.
The BC Artscape Cultural Space Development Mentorship and Coaching Program is funded by the City of Vancouver and Vancity Community Foundation and delivered jointly by BC Artscape and Artscape’s Creative Placemaking Lab. The program’s participants will receive support over the course of the year that will consist of targeted consultation sessions with Genevieve Bucher, BC Artscape’s President and Pru Robey, Artscape’s Vice President and Creative Placemaking Lab Director.
Sessions will pair participant expertise with project-specific support in key areas including the vision, development, operations and programming of arts and cultural facilities, based on Artscape’s nearly 30 years of experience in the practice of creative placemaking.
Four additional organizations ( Bowen Island Arts Council , Gallery 7 Theatre , the Historic Joy Kogawa House , and the Pride in Art Society ) will also receive support through individualized sessions.
About the Participant Organizations
CircusWest
CircusWest is Vancouver’s circus performing arts society – a comprehensive circus arts centre for all ages. CircusWest is a creative space where individuals can dream big, push limits, and defy gravity – all while having fun. A not-for-profit registered charity, CircusWest is best known for its youth training and performance program, CirKids. Over the years, CircusWest has developed additional programming to meet the needs of the community, becoming a centre for recreational adult circus as well. CircusWest also does outreach to schools and communities as well as corporate circus workshops, bringing laughter and teamwork to the working world.
http://www.circuswest.com
Elektra Women’s Choir
Elektra Women’s Choir has been a leader among women’s choirs since 1987. Under the direction of Artistic Director Morna Edmundson, this 50-voice adult choir is known for its adventurous programming and has commissioned over 70 works. Elektra’s mandate is “to inspire and lead in the choral art form through excellence in performance and the creation, exploration, and celebration of women’s repertoire.” In addition to its season of live performances at Ryerson United Church, Elektra’s 13 recordings, celebrated outreach programs, and web-based educational tools encourage, train, and mentor the next generation of singers, conductors, and composers.
http://www.elektra.ca
Pacific Theatre
Pacific Theatre aspires to delight, provoke and stimulate dialogue by producing theatre that rigorously explores the spiritual aspects of human experience. In over 30 seasons, Pacific Theatre has produced more than 120 professional mainstage productions ranging from established works to original world premieres featuring some of the top theatre artists from Vancouver and across the continent.
http://www.pacifictheatre.org
Realwheels Theatre + Kickstart Disability Arts and Culture
Realwheels is a Vancouver-based theatre company that creates/produces performances that deepen audiences’ understanding of the disability experience. They provide respectful and accurate representation of disability, with a vision for full integration of people with disabilities in the performing arts.
http://www.realwheels.ca
Established in 1998 and based in Vancouver, Canada, Kickstart Disability Arts & Culture has a mission to support and promote artists who live with a disability.
https://www.facebook.com/KickstartDisabilityArts/
The Volumes Project
Established in 2014, Volumes Project is a not-for-profit venture setting out to design, construct, and administer purpose-built studio spaces for artists that will be installed in clusters on underutilized urban land, starting in our hometown of Vancouver. Their goal is to create an economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable framework for art studios – a modular design that is flexible, replicable and scalable. They aim to increase the amount of available space for emerging artists in Vancouver, animate public spaces, reinvigorate communities, and contribute to the cultural fabric of the city.
http://www.volumesproject.com
