Space Project - why not theatre

space project

what if unused city space was unlocked for people who needed it?

space project, 2024-2025

Artists are among the working poor in cities across Canada. Every year more and more artists are being driven out due to the rising cost of living. Yet their contributions to urban space are vital. Artists reignite neighbourhoods, boost economic growth, and make cities a more communal and livable place.

As we continue to grow and develop cities like Toronto or Edmonton, we are starving out the very people who make these cities great. Why Not wants to find ways to change that, to value these artists by finding cheaper, more innovative, and more sustainable ways to support them.

Giving artists access to free creative space is one way to do that. Yes, it will promote the creation of more art, but more importantly, it will help to ensure that these artists continue to make art in the city, and not somewhere else.

We’re grateful to the Canada Council for the Arts for providing us with the funds to experiment with this idea nationally and share the report broadly in the hopes to impact a meaningful change.

– Ravi Jain, Founder & Co-Artistic Director of Why Not Theatre

As real estate becomes increasingly expensive, cultural spaces become harder to acquire and operate. With Space Project, we aim to reduce barriers and provide greater access to spaces for artists who need it most. By connecting artists to property managers and community leaders, we’re seeking to find a sustainable method of offering affordable space to artists.

In collaboration with independent artists and arts organizations across Canada, the 2024-2025 study measured the impact of providing free space to artists and their communities.

Learn more about the results of our findings in the final report, which also includes Belonging in Space – a three-part podcast on the theme of belonging in creative spaces told through the voices of nine artists across Tangled Art + Disability's history.

belonging in space podcast

Created in collaboration with Tangled Art + Disability

Produced by Mary Anderson

Edited by Eric Anderson

Music by Eli Howey

Episode 1: The Past

David Bobier, Eliza Chandler, Gaitrie Persaud

Transcript

Episode 2: The Present

Emily Cook, Danielle Hyde, Carmen Papalia

Transcript

Episode 3: The Future

Felicia Byron, Salima Punjani, Carlisle Robinson

Transcript

Scaffolding for Change

Artist-Led Insights from the Space Project

download the report

2024-2025 project partners

funders

our progress

read the thisgen report

thisgen

2018

In 2018 we hosted the second iteration of ThisGen, which was a gathering of artists and administrators from across Canada. Through this event, we identified three major barriers for theatre creators: access to space, access to childcare, access to new audiences.

space pilot

2019

read the space pilot summary

2400

Through our 2018 research, we established three venues for a three-month pilot. Utilizing donated office space, church space, and community space, we successfully supported independent performing arts practitioners with free space.

50+

$3.68

hours of space provided

artists supported

per hour for full operating costs

$33,000

in value of space accessed

63%

used savings to increase artists fees

100%

wanted to participate in the future

pilot

2020

Sadly, our plans for an expanded pilot were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but we were set to support 250+ artists with 10,000+ hours of space, accessing over $500,000 worth of space.

In order to assess the demand for temporary space, Why Not conducted an Arts Sector Survey. Findings included:

of artists have not pursued an artistic project because of a lack of affordable rehearsal space, a lack of available space, or both.

of artists would be willing to offer their artistic services for access to affordable rehearsal space.

of artists would consider rehearsing in any non-traditional type of space.

80%

87%

We conducted dozens of interviews and roundtables with a cross-section of key stakeholders from the real estate community, policymakers, and artists in Toronto and across Canada. This process was designed to understand the incentives for landlord participation in meanwhile use models, available policy levers for meanwhile use, and artist usability.

Click below to read the Key Takeaways from:

- Property owners consider participating in meanwhile uses for a variety of reasons, including community building and activating their empty spaces

- Model needs to make it easy for the property owner to say yes

- The time and energy required on the part of the owner is the most commonly cited barrier

- Model could help public companies meet environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals

- Policy/tax incentives are not enticing enough on their own to encourage participation

- Some spaces might require creating positive relationships with the local community.

- The need for a fully accessible inventory of spaces.

- Safety is a key issue, both physical and psychological.

- Artists should be paid if they are asked to create site activations.

- There are not many policies that exist in Canada to encourage meanwhile uses.

- Of all the policy levers discussed, tax rebates are the most practical.

- New policies face capacity constraints and competing priorities.

- It’s best to take advantage of existing programs, not advocate for new ones.

- Above all, be opportunistic; identify champions within government who support innovation.

artists

policy
makers

the real estate
community

Why Not convened arts organizations from across the country working to solve the issue of affordable arts space. Meeting on a monthly basis, we formed the National Meanwhile Space Network as an informal community of practice.

National Meanwhile Space Network collectively drafted an open letter which was sent to all party leaders and the Deputy Minister of Canadian Heritage asking that they expand some of their program criteria to better support independent artists.

The School of Cities at the University of Toronto was commissioned to undertake a market scan in order to establish a baseline of data that provides key information about vacancies in the commercial, retail and industrial space sectors across Toronto. Findings included:

- 103k ft² of vacant space – 2019 (CoStar)

- The most viable option for meanwhile-use due to impacts of e-commerce, rising rents and property taxes.

- COVID expected to have greatly increased amount of vacant space.

- Found throughout the city, including downtown core.

- High impact on the local neighbourhood.

- Average retail space is 800-3000 sqft.

- 9.7m ft² of vacant space – 2020 (Colliers Canada)

- 1.6m ft² of vacant space – 2020 (Colliers Canada)

industrial
sector

office
sector

retail
sector

read the full report on this research phase

research phase

2021

stakeholder
engagement

national meanwhile
space network

Partnering with the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI), and with the financial support of the Metcalf Foundation, we conducted an in-depth research and development process. Our goal was to create a scalable, replicable business model for Space Project, in Toronto and potentially across Canada.
Click below to learn more.

market
scan

arts sector
survey

read the space project market scan read the full arts sector survey

Based on this year long research process, we built a business model that allows us to offer significantly discounted rehearsal rental rates to artists while increasing the number of arts hubs in Toronto and beyond.

business model projections

2022

Average revenue per space per week

Click here to read the full business plan

Running costs per space per month

$3,605

Projected ROI (with 30 spaces)

7.7%

$3,883

Revenue per space per month

$896

"Access to space is becoming increasingly difficult in Toronto, as studio after studio is being shut down or becoming too expensive. What I love about Why Not Theatre's Space Project is that they're filling empty spaces in Toronto with artists that desperately need access."

- Patricia Allison