The Creative Incubator Initiative
cSPACE supports artists amidst the pandemic by launching the Creative Incubator Initiative
This five-week program supported 11 local artists from diverse artistic disciplines, backgrounds and career stages. Painters, dancers, musicians, and multidisciplinary performers participated in the inaugural Creative Incubator Initiative.
The program provided artists with inspiring space, connection to creative community, and entrepreneurial learnings to expand their artistic development during the pandemic.
“We are delighted to support local artists in this difficult time. In providing access to inspiring creative space and peer learning within our cSPACE Creative Hub community, our hope is to enable artists’ imaginations to take flight. We want artists to experiment and expand their creative practice despite the limitations of the pandemic.”
– Deeter Schurig, President & CEO of cSPACE
Artists gained access to our Studio Theatre and received support from theatre technicians to realize their ideas. The projects and artistic practice of these artists was captured by professional filmmakers, showcasing the story of their re-emergence out of COVID.
The artists were also provided learning in marketing and branding, knowledge sharing within their cohort, and connections to the cSPACE artistic community through performance and exhibition opportunities.
About the Creative Incubator Initiative
Selected by an independent external jury, 11 artists-in-residence were selected for the Creative Incubator Initiative at cSPACE. The Incubator provided artists impacted by the pandemic with the opportunity to return to their artistic practice in the creative facilities and Studio Theatre at cSPACE.
The cohort, selected in March 2021 by an independent jury, included:
- Mackenzie Bedford, illustrator, animator and projection specialist
- Léda Davies, circus performer
- Savanna Harvey, interdisciplinary artist
- Gladzy Kei, cosplay artist and illustrator
- Jennifer Lee, visual artist
- Jocelyn Mah, dancer
- Harvey Nichol, painter and graphic artist
- Meg Ohsada, dancer
- Ross Pambrun, aka Memphis and the Grande, musical artist
- Lana Skauge, storyteller
- James Watson, violinist
Special thanks go out to cSPACE staff and the following filmmakers and technicians for lending support to this initiative:
- Misha Maseka, filmmaker
- Ximena Ríos, filmmaker
- Ryan Wilkes, filmmaker
- Branden Boyd – theatre technician
- Tauran Wood, theatre technician
- Erin Maclean-Berko, program coordinator
- Michael Dargie (Make More Creative)
- Christina Jahn (Coach, Spirit of Inquiry)
“I feel fortunate to work with a fantastic team of filmmakers, business brand guru(s), and a host of artists. We get to journey for five weeks, redefining and fine-tuning our individual approaches to our art forms in this new world of pandemic challenges.”
– Lana Skauge, Creative Incubator Initiative Artist
