The house sits near xʷməm̓qʷe:m (Camosun Bog), and the CLT is committed to building reciprocity with xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, such as revenue sharing or compensation mechanisms, centering Indigenous artists and community members in the governance, staffing, and projects, and transfer of long-term control of CLT properties to Indigenous communities.
The idea is simple: a house that many organizations can count on when they need to host people. It could serve as:
- A place to billet artists visiting for festivals, exhibitions and talks
- A base for residencies, including exchanges and visits linked to UBC
- An affordable place to stay for rural and remote artists coming to the city
- A site for mutual aid between partner organizations and artists in need
The approach draws on models such as The Blue Cabin, a floating residency run by a co-op of Vancouver arts organizations, and House of Annetta in London, a foundation-owned house shared by community groups on a sliding scale.
Shared costs, shared stewardship
Like 221A’s artist studios, Camosun House would run on a cost-recovery basis. The house costs about $24,000 a year to operate. Shared among six partner organizations, it would be roughly $333 a month each, far less than hotel stays for visiting artists.
Over time, partners could also help steward and improve the house—from garden projects to a laneway house or a future redevelopment—keeping the space accountable to equity-deserving artists and communities for the long term.
Share your ideas
Anticipated operation is Fall 2027, with governance, planning, and upgrades happening in the lead up. We especially want to hear from festivals, galleries, artist-run centres, residency programs, rural and remote artist networks, and university programs that host visiting artists or scholars. No commitment is needed at this stage.
To share ideas or express interest, contact Miriam Berndt at miriam@221a.ca by Friday, Nov 13, 2026. Tell us a little about your organization, when in the year you tend to host visiting artists, and how you might use or contribute to the house.
Know an organization that would be a good fit? Please pass this along.
Cover photo: Camosun house. Photo by Kayla Isomura.