Artscape Daniels Launchpad, a first-of-its-kind hub for creative entrepreneurship located within the Daniels Waterfront – City of the Arts complex (130 Queens Quay East), will open its doors to the city’s artists, designers, and creators on Thursday, November 1, 2018.
Artscape Daniels Launchpad is designed to support and inspire creative experimentation, learning, connection and collaboration in a one-stop hub that provides unparalleled access to an ecosystem of support and 30,000 sq. ft. of state-of-the-art facilities. Included within this facility are creative and technical studios featuring cutting-edge tools and equipment; co-working and event spaces; a fully-equipped Digital Media Lab; and specialized creative entrepreneurship programs, services and resources. By clustering these essential elements together under one roof, Artscape Daniels Launchpad is creating a new model for creative entrepreneurship, with the goal of fostering a community that will support and empower emerging and established artists, designers and creators to forge thriving, prosperous careers. Like other Artscape projects, Launchpad will operate as a not-for-profit social enterprise.
“The value of everything today is more and more about creative ideas and less and less about materials and labour and yet many artists and designers are finding it harder and harder to make a living,” said Artscape CEO Tim Jones.
The Artscape Daniels Launchpad spaces were designed by architecture and interior design studio Quadrangle. Its public areas include a gallery, meeting rooms, and Sugar Hall, a 6,200 sq. ft. space with unobstructed views of Lake Ontario, which will be used for learning programs, rehearsals, performances, conferences and events. The members only area will provide artists, designers and creators who are members access to: fully-equipped state-of-the-art Creative Production Studios for Textile + Fashion, Fine Metal + Jewellery, Woodworking, Digital Fabrication and Electronics; the Digital Media Lab (Opening in December) — a 2,800 sq. ft. production space where members and non-members can access sound and video recording facilities, Audio/video VFX Studio, editing suites, a green room, and a photography studio; and the Creative Commons co-working space. Artscape will move its administrative headquarters into the facility.
Artscape Daniels Launchpad will also serve as a home base for Artscape’s specialized creative entrepreneurship programs, services and resources. These are delivered by a community of facilitators, coaches, mentors and industry leaders providing support and pathways to empower creators across 19 different disciplines to collaborate, plug into new business opportunities and grow thriving creative businesses. Resources and services offered include: grant & loan sourcing, funding pathways and start-up capital; business planning; navigating within the start-up ecosystem and associated trade and service organizations; and industry and corporate partnerships.
“Launchpad provides the unique opportunity for creators to engage in a space that has been designed to meet their needs and provide the tools, systems and resources to be competitive in today’s marketplace locally and globally,” said Karim Rahemtulla, Managing Director, Artscape Daniels Launchpad. “We are supporting artists, designers and creators to build their entrepreneurship skills, collaborate and innovate with liked-minded creatives across our creative studios and spaces, as well as providing the opportunity to plug into a creative eco-system with support from our many partners.”
The unique concept for Artscape Daniels Launchpad is the result of more than 12 years of research and consultation with a broad range of artists, designers and creators, as well as educational institutions and trade and service organizations.
“We are thrilled to once again partner with Artscape and combine our shared passion for and commitment to supporting creativity to thrive in Toronto through the creation of Artscape Daniels Launchpad in the heart of our Daniels Waterfront-City of the Arts community,” said Don Pugh, Vice President, The Daniels Corporation. “Supporting this creative entrepreneurship hub is an opportunity to reinforce Daniels’ commitment to developing communities that are inclusive of the arts and to ensure that artists themselves play an important role in city building.”
Artscape Daniels Launchpad is made possible through an innovative partnership between Artscape and The Daniels Corporation, with outstanding support from the John and Myrna Daniels Foundation and WJ Properties. Additional support has come from the Governments of Canada, Ontario and Toronto and many other donors and sponsors. Launchpad will celebrate its official opening on November 26, 2018 with guests from the arts and cultural sector, the development industry and government dignitaries.
Visit www.artscapedanielslaunchpad.com for information on memberships, venue rentals, workshops and events.