Following consultation from C-Space, the funding will be used towards capital upgrades in the 2,700 square foot space which were informed by Tenants residing in 30-units of affordable housing above the Cultural Amenity Space, as well as Ethọ́s Lab whose renewed Tenancy holds a shared-operations role.
Expected to open in early 2026, alongside Ethọ́s’ community partners Hogan’s Alley Society and UBC Geering Up, the reimagined space will include a performance area, production space, sound booth, and venue for artists to gather.
“We are excited for this next chapter with 221A,” says Ethọ́s Founder & Executive Director, Anthonia Ogundele. “Building a youth-centered space dedicated to creativity, community, and innovation has taken time and intention. Spaces like these are needed to empower the next generation and create pathways towards impact in both their career aspirations and community.”
“Collaborating with C-Space and Ethọ́s Lab to create a space for all kinds of artists really underscores why 221A is so committed to culture infrastructure,” says 221A Co-Founder Michelle. “Shared spaces like this can be the difference in whether artists can sustain their practice and still call this city home.”
In a visit to 177 E 3rd, Christine Boyle wrote of Ethos Lab: “What struck me most was the energy – the sense of purpose and belonging that fills the room. This is a place for racialized youth to gather, to be creative, and to get future-ready. It’s also a model for what community and culture-led innovation results in- a deep commitment to equity and access.”
About the Collaborators
221A is a nonprofit organization that works with artists and designers to research and develop cultural, social and ecological infrastructure. We keep artists in the city, through studio placement fellowships, residencies, affordable housing and work spaces, education programs, and research and advocacy. 221A envisions a pluralistic society in which all people have the means to access and make culture.
C-Space (Vancouver Creative Space Society) is a collective of theatre and dance companies operating out of a dedicated creation space in the Downtown Eastside. Used for production, rehearsal, and development, the space allows resident companies to develop works at scale, over dedicated periods of time, and with the physical and technological resources necessary to experiment and push limits—all within their administrative home.
Ethọ́s Lab is a non-profit innovation academy making STEAM learning (Science, Technology, Engineering, Applied Arts and Math) accessible and exciting through a range of afterschool programs and in-school activations for racialized youth. Committed to developing the next generation of diverse creators, Ethọ́s is grounded in the African philosophy of Ubuntu “I am because we are” to provide inclusive dynamic-learning spaces that build community and center the interconnected nature of innovation.
Photo Credit: Facilitators and participants at the 2024 Ethọ́s Lab Blackathon. Photo by Sideah Alladice.
Project Support
