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Following successful launches in Toronto and a dozen cities in the United States, SpaceFinder is now providing the opportunity for artists, arts organizations, and facility managers in British Columbia to list and search for available spaces for rehearsals, performances, classes, and more—for free.
SpaceFinder BC will increase the visibility of rental options, helping members of the creative sector find the space they need, and helping venues promote and rent their under-utilized facilities. Launching initially in Metro Vancouver, SpaceFinder BC has nearly 100 rental spaces already listed, and will grow to include facilities across the province.
Developed by Fractured Atlas, a New York based non-profit that eliminates barriers for artists through the development of new technology, SpaceFinder BC is made available through the local leadership of the Society to Bridge Arts and Community in collaboration with ArtsBuild Ontario and Fractured Atlas. It will be managed through the Alliance for Arts + Culture.
Billed as an “AirBnB for artists”, the state-of-the-art booking service enables venues to market their spaces by creating listings with photos, rental rates and equipment, and uploading a digital calendar to the website. Renters can search for creative workspaces that meet their needs based on location, price, amenities and up-to-date availability. Online booking capability eliminates added work for venue administrators by streamlining rental requests, payment, receipts and automatic reminders to renters. SpaceFinder BC is free to list and free to search.
“Before now, artists would have to make direct contact with each venue they knew about, just to find out if the space is suitable, while other good spaces would escape their notice entirely,” says Rob Gloor, board member of the Society to Bridge Arts and Community. “SpaceFinder solves the massive challenge artists face in finding the best available venues for their production and performance needs.”
"SpaceFinder is making it easier for arts organizations to promote space rentals and for artists to search for the space they need," shares Lindsay Golds, executive director of ArtsBuild Ontario, a non-profit arts service organization managing the expansion of SpaceFinder in Canada. "After launching SpaceFinder in Toronto and Hamilton in Ontario, ArtsBuild is thrilled that the province of British Columbia is leveraging this proven tool, to further support their arts community."
SpaceFinder BC will officially kick off in Metro Vancouver at a public launch event on Thursday, September 15 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at CBC Studio 700 (700 Hamilton Street) in Vancouver. The event will include greetings from Hon. Peter Fassbender, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development, funder acknowledgements, a presentation and Q&A session on “How SpaceFinder Works”, and an introduction to the Alliance for Arts + Culture’s new executive director, Brenda Leadlay.
RSVP to attend the free event at spacefinderbclaunch.eventbrite.ca.
Funding for SpaceFinder BC has been provided by the Province of British Columbia and the Vancouver Foundation with additional support from the Alliance for Arts + Culture, The Post at 750, Vancouver Creative Space Society, the Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance, and Playwrights Theatre Centre. The project would not have been possible without the support of the Government of Canada.
Learn more about SpaceFinder BC at spacefinderbc.org and on social media at @spacefinderbc.
Report courtesy Alliance for Arts + Culture.
