SPACEPILOT
{ SPACEPILOT }
Connecting artists and creative entrepreneurs with underused commercial spaces to create in.
Calgary’s artistic community is embarking on an exciting journey, thanks to the innovative SPACEPILOT initiative by cSPACE Projects. With support from Calgary Arts Development (CADA) and the Alberta Real Estate Foundation (AREF), this groundbreaking project fosters curated partnerships between commercial real estate professionals and not-for-profit organizations, with a focus on those operating in the creative economy.
Hear from our SPACEPILOTS.
In 2023, 43,000 square feet of downtown commercial space was filled by the SPACEPILOT initiative, supporting diverse arts groups in temporary leases and helping activate our vacant city core.
Towards the end of 2024, SPACEPILOT is activating close to 63,000 square feet, supporting such success stories as The Alcove Centre for the Arts, and One Big Jam. In October 2024, we celebrated our success so far.
Hear what our current SPACEPILOTS have to say.
“This pilot responds to the call…to help increase the vibrancy, livability, and viability of our city centres. The cSPACE Projects Meanwhile Lease SPACEPILOT re-imagines under-utilized real estate inventory with the inevitable pairing of artists and commercial real estate professionals. The cultural community, the real estate industry, and the public can only stand to benefit from this cross-sectoral connection.”
– Patti Morris Exceutive Director Alberta Real Estate Foundation
If you are a non-profit arts & culture organization who needs space, or a building owner/operator who would like to learn more, please take a moment to complete the survey below.
Credits
Hero photo: Sean Dennie Photography
Video production: Bia Vasconcelos
SPACEPILOT graphic: Cory Nespor
SPACEPILOT report: Sean Dennie.
Beneath the velvet veil of dusk,
two souls rise from the shadows
to breathe life into our haunted tale.
Meet Andy (annediea ), a conjurer of characters so vivid, you’ll swear they’ve stepped from the pages of a long-lost gothic novel.
And Brian, (briguyandhisguitbox) whose presence stirs like a storm upon the moors —
equal parts tragic nobility and delightful mischief.
They are but two of the cursed and charismatic minds behind
Wuthering Frights, an improvised gothic play where no tale is ever the same, but all are delightfully doomed.
Will you walk with us into the night?
#WutheringFrights #GothicComedy #ImprovisedTheatre #kinkonauts #liveimprov #yycarts #theatre #fringefests #fringefestivals
#WpgFringe #yycfringe #YEGfringe #TheKinkonauts #Comedy #Improv #cspace #cspaceprojects
#thespacepilotyyc #calgaryartsdev #downtown #gothic #gothicliterature
👻 Beneath the flicker of candlelight
and the hush of a waning moon,
Wuthering Frights spins a new story each night,
pulled straight from your suggestions.
Every performance is a fresh lament, tragedy,
and dark romance — improvised live on stage
where sorrow meets absurdity in a timeless dance.
Imagine Mary Shelley’s pen guided by whimsy and madness,
and you’ll catch a glimpse of what’s to come.
Presented by kinkonauts ,
with dark hearts and lively spirits
ready to draw you into the gloom.
Will you answer the call?
#WutheringFrights #GothicComedy #ImprovisedTheatre #kinkonauts #liveimprov #yycarts #theatre
#WpgFringe #yycfringe #YEGfringe #TheKinkonauts #Comedy #Improv #cspace #cspaceprojects
#thespacepilotyyc #calgaryartsdev #downtown #gothic #gothicliterature
🌩️ It was a night wrapped in storm and shadow,
where secrets whispered on the wind.
In the heart of this darkened stage,
Wuthering Frights awakens—
an improvised tale born from your very suggestion.
Brooding heroes, haunted mansions,
and cursed curiosities come alive
as the cast weaves a story both eerie
and full of unexpected laughter.
Every show is a new chapter in this ghostly journey,
where gloom and giggles intertwine by candlelight.
Conjured by kinkonauts .
Are you ready to step into the darkness?
#WutheringFrights #GothicComedy #ImprovisedTheatre #kinkonauts #liveimprov #yycarts #theatre
#WpgFringe #yycfringe #YEGfringe #TheKinkonauts #Comedy #Improv #cspace #cspaceprojects
#thespacepilotyyc #calgaryartsdev #downtown #gothic #gothicliterature
The chilling cast for June 27th. Join us for our final fundraiser show before our harrowing travels across Canada!
🎟️ Entry by donation!
#WutheringFrights #GothicComedy #ImprovisedTheatre #BLOXArtsCentre #yycimprov#kinkonauts#liveimprov#yycarts#TheBLOXyyc#yycbuzz#yycliving#Calgarycomedy#yyctheatre
#YYC #YYCTheatre #YYCArts #YYCEvents #CalgaryTheatre #CalgaryLocal #TheKinkonauts #BeltlineYYC #Comedy #Improv #exploreYYC #ThingsToDoYYC #cspace #cspaceprojects#thespacepilotyyc #calgaryartsdev #downtown
On the eve of June 27th, 2025, as the clock strikes eight, you are summoned to the shadowed halls of the BLOX Arts Centre, to witness the drama, horror, and absurdity that may take place across our stage. Watch as your cast stitches together mystery, deep emotions, and perhaps even a corpse or two.
We beseech you a final time to come and enjoy a night of theatre in our final fundraiser show before our harrowing travels.
🎟️ Entry by donation!
#WutheringFrights #GothicComedy #ImprovisedTheatre #BLOXArtsCentre #yycimprov#kinkonauts#liveimprov#yycarts#TheBLOXyyc#yycbuzz#yycliving#Calgarycomedy#yyctheatre
#YYC #YYCTheatre #YYCArts #YYCEvents #CalgaryTheatre #CalgaryLocal #TheKinkonauts #BeltlineYYC #Comedy #Improv #exploreYYC #ThingsToDoYYC #cspace #cspaceprojects#thespacepilotyyc #calgaryartsdev #downtown
This fateful Friday, the biggest names in the pro-wrestl— I mean, Improv Comedy game are facing off to find out who will win the belt in
💫CAGEMATCH 💫
These C Train ridin`, Rocky Mountain climbin`, scene stealin`, sons of a gun have some of the best gags and gimmicks ready for audiences hungry for the smack down of the century.
(Legal here. We do once again want to remind you that while this show is going to be great, there will not be any wrestling. Thanks.)
WHAT? There is only 1 more show left before the finale? What are you waiting for? Head to our website for tickets and prepare yourselves. OH YEAH.
Join us for Sundays Unplugged, where feature new experiments, new groups, and established improvisers continuing to push the boundaries of improv. This is the absolute cutting edge of improv creations.
April 6th: Kinkonauts Company Jam
April 13th: Sarah Jessica Parkour and Murder Mystery
April 20th: Calgary Improv School Student Showcase
April 27th: Conservatory Showcase
EXHIBITION ANNOUCEMENT! ❣️
Real to Me
Christina Yao
April 12 to June 20.
Opening reception April 11th from 6-9pm. Light refreshments and snacks will be available! The artist will be in attendance and offering to take photos of visitors as a part of her ongoing studio practice.
Stride Gallery is excited to announce Christina Yao’s (cristinadass) Main Space exhibition ‘Real to Me’, opening on April 11th through June 20th. Please join us to celebrate the launch of our first studio resident exhibition.
What do we truly share? What belongs to us, and what remains just out of reach, in our relationships—whether with people, places, or memories?
Real to Me invites the viewer to reconsider how we perceive ourselves, the relationships we build, and how our relationship with ourselves impacts our bonds with others. It also encourages reflection on the ways in which we create meaning in our lives—through the stories we tell, the identities we perform, and the connections we forge.
Christina Yao is a China-born, multi-disciplinary artist based in Calgary, Canada, working in photography, video, installation, and curation. Having lived and worked in the U.S., Colombia, and Canada, her diverse cultural experiences have significantly influenced her creative practice. She recently completed her BDes in Photography (with Distinction) at the Alberta University of the Arts. Christina is also a finalist in the 2024 LensCulture Portrait Awards and exhibited her work in the Emerging Photographers Showcase at the 2024 Exposure Alberta Photo Festival. Her work has been showcased at ASC Studio (London, UK), Contemporary Calgary, The Marion Nicoll Gallery, TRUCK Contemporary Art, cSPACE, The Bows, and Arts Commons. Additionally, she curated a group exhibition featuring three BIPOC female artists at The New Gallery.
To read the full artist statement, visit our website through the link in our bio.
Our space is sponsored through the cSPACE Meanwhile Lease SPACEPILOT. SPACEPILOT finds vacant commercial real estate and re-purposes it to benefit all Calgarians through not-for-profit arts organizations. cspace.projects thespacepilotyyc #cspace #cspaceprojects #thespacepilotyyc
cSPACE thanks the Alberta Real Estate Foundation (AREF) and Calgary Arts Development Authority (CADA) for their support.
