REGINA — Organizers say a new arts hub opening in downtown Regina will be a major addition to the city's arts and culture scene.
Creative City Centre, a non-profit, artist-run community arts hub, has relocated to 1819 Cornwall St. and plans to officially open Sept. 10, with more than 200 local events expected during its first year.
“There will be so many things here, from music concerts, poetry slams, film screenings, artist talks, art exhibitions, workshops and more,” explained Creative City Centre CEO and founder Marian Donnelly.
The main activity will take place on the hub’s ground floor, which will feature an art gallery on the right side as visitors enter.
“The art that we exhibit is from primarily Saskatchewan artists,” Donnelly said. “We’re partnering with Sâkêwêwak, who will curate three exhibits each year, and we will do three others. The exhibits would be up for about six weeks.”
Next to the gallery will be space dedicated to a variety of workshops, ranging from creative skills to professional development.
“We offer a wide range of workshops, from grant writing and beadwork to painting, life drawing and screen printing. We also place a strong emphasis on the business side of the arts, offering workshops that help artists build the skills they need to succeed,” Donnelly said.
Supporting emerging artists is one of Creative City Centre’s main mandates.
“We're meant to help emerging artists by giving them the first place to play, and it's not a coffee shop and it's not a bar. It's a place where they're appreciated, they're watched, and people aren't talking through their set, so everything we do is all about supporting emerging artists,” Donnelly said.
Around eight tenants will also operate out of the hub, creating more opportunities for financial collaboration among artists and organizations while supporting event planning both within the space and throughout the downtown area.
“When you get a bunch of creative people in the room together, I think it's going to result in a lot more programming downtown,” Donnelly said.
Years in the making
Creative City Centre originally opened at 1843 Hamilton St. in 2011, but the organization says the location was never intended to be its long-term home.
The plan was to eventually move into a space near the Regina Royal Canadian Legion Branch 001. However, after provincial and federal funding was cut, the organization had to relocate to a space that did not meet its accessibility needs.
“The space that we had on Hamilton Street was up two long, narrow flights of stairs. We actually had a couple of events where people were carried up the stairs because they were determined to see the concert,” Donnelly said.
Knowing the Hamilton Street location was not a permanent solution, Donnelly was contacted by Regina Downtown Business Improvement District executive director Judith Veresuk about a space that could better suit the centre’s needs.
“As soon as I walked through this building, I saw the potential. So since April of 2023, we have been working on this building: the planning phase, the engineer reports, mechanical reports, all the stuff that goes into it,” Donnelly said.
The initial cost to restore the building and transform it into an arts hub was estimated at $1 million, but that figure has since increased by $700,000 due to unexpected challenges involved with renovating a century-old heritage building.
“When you're peeling off the layers of a hundred-year-old building, you're gonna find things. Like we found windows behind one wall that we had to then build over and call in the masonry experts, but the mechanical, the plumbing, all that stuff, when you're talking about a heritage building like this, there's going to be challenges and problems that increase the cost,” Donnelly said.
Despite raising about $1 million, Creative City Centre was able to move forward with renovations after securing financing from the building’s landlord. The agreement includes a stipulated rate, with rent increasing in the third, sixth and additional years.
The organization is continuing fundraising efforts to cover the remaining $700,000.
“We are continuing to raise money; we're continuing to write grant applications and apply for funding wherever we possibly can. We're also going to continue our public donor campaign, probably for the next two years, to try to pay this off,” Donnelly said.
The opening day for the new hub will feature performances from Jack Semple and Belle Plaine.
