Arts Umbrella is opening its brand-new arts education facility this April on Granville Island in Vancouver.
The 50,000 net-square-foot space more than triples the organization’s current space, providing children and youth with expanded programming and studio spaces and, for the first time ever, welcoming the public to on-site performances and exhibitions presented by young people in art and design; dance; and theatre, music and film.
The initial building design was completed in 1995 by award-winning architecture firm Patkau Architects, with the current repurposing led by Henriquez Partners Architects and consultants BTY Group (project management).
Arts Umbrella’s new home will serve as a model for arts education across North America, significantly increasing the non-profit’s capacity to work with school boards, community centres, and neighbourhood houses to provide transformative experiences for vulnerable young people in our community.
The organization currently reaches more than 24,000 young people across Metro Vancouver annually and, within the next 3-5 years, the new core facility will reach approximately 15,000 children and youth each year through tuition-based programs and performances, as well as community programs, distance learning, bursaries, and scholarships.
The building will house six spacious dance studios; four theatre, music and film studios with specialized technical and audio equipment; 10 art and design studios, including state-of-the-art media labs and a photography darkroom; a 132-seat theatre; a public exhibition space; and a dedicated workshop area for woodworking, stagecraft building and general fabrication that will enhance capacity to train future industry professionals.
“As Canada’s leading non-profit arts education organization for young people, we are inspired to significantly build on the legacy that Arts Umbrella has built over the last four decades,” says Paul Larocque, president and CEO of Arts Umbrella. “Over the past few years, our staff’s hard work, innovations, and programming requirements have steadily pushed against the boundaries of our current space. Now, we have room to support and inspire more young people, proving that creativity really can be limitless.”
