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.
New Year, New Skills - January 2026 Improv Classes Are Open!
Ready to jump on stage and level up your creativity, confidence, and comedy? We’ve got three ways to start (or continue) your improv journey this January:
Improv 101: Intro Part 1
Saturdays | Jan 10 – Feb 14 | 2–4pm
Improv 201: Intro Part 2
Wednesdays | Jan 7 – Feb 11 | 7:30–9:30pm
Improv 301: Character
Tuesdays | Jan 6 – Feb 10 | 7:30–9:30pm
Spots are limited—come play with us in 2026!
Register now at https://kinkonauts.com/classes
#YYC #YYCTheatre #YYCArts #YYCEvents #CalgaryTheatre #CalgaryLocal #improvclass #learnimprov #TheKinkonauts #BeltlineYYC #Comedy #Improv #TheBLOXyyc #exploreYYC #ThingsToDoYYC #SupportLocal #cspace #cspaceprojects #cityofcalgary #thespacepilotyyc #calgaryartsdev #downtown #yycbuzz #yycliving
Sometimes, just like Prime Ministers, improvisers need to let loose with a golden oldie 🕺
If you’re looking for heartwarming holiday cheer, you can’t get much better than Actually, I Love You: an Improvised holiday romance.
Fridays from November 28th to December 19th. Tickets available now!
🎭 Fall Improv Classes Start THIS WEEK — and there’s still time to join!
Ready to stretch your creativity, meet new people, and laugh your face off? The Kinkonauts’ fall improv classes kick off this week — and registration is still open!
✨ Improv 101: Intro Part 1 – SOLD OUT!
Tuesdays | Nov 4–Dec 16 (no class Nov 11)
Our most popular beginner class is fully booked — but don’t worry, Improv 101 will return in the New Year! 🎉
🎬 Improv 201: Intro Part 2
Saturdays | Nov 8–Dec 13 | 2–4pm
Build on your 101 skills with deeper work on characters, agreement, and stage confidence.
🎭 Improv 401: Scenework
Wednesdays | Nov 5–Dec 10 | 7:30–9:30pm
For advanced improvisers ready to pull it all together into unforgettable scenes.
📍 All classes at The Kinkonauts Theatre, Calgary
👥 Ages 18+
Don’t miss your chance — grab your spot before classes fill up!
#YYC #YYCTheatre #YYCArts #YYCEvents #CalgaryTheatre #CalgaryLocal #improvclass #learnimprov #TheKinkonauts #BeltlineYYC #Comedy #Improv #TheBLOXyyc #exploreYYC #ThingsToDoYYC #SupportLocal #cspace #cspaceprojects #cityofcalgary #thespacepilotyyc #calgaryartsdev #downtown #yycbuzz #yycliving
Join Andy, Jason, Kelsey and Owen for an in-depth dive into your strengths and development needs as an improviser. In this nine-hour program (Sat 10am to 1pm, Sat 2 to 5pm, Sun 10am to 1pm) we will identify your strengths and development needs and give you the feedback you need to improve. You will learn what your preferred style is and how to leverage it. Then we`ll design specific activities to improve your personal improv. You will get individual attention and the support of your peers while also supporting others in their growth.
By the flicker of lantern light and the hush of ancient halls,
The last two haunted hearts reveal themselves.
Milo (basicallyjessmariano ), with eyes full of longing and lips laced with doom,
weaves gothic romance into every improvised breath.
And Rob (rawbb33 ), whose moonlit madness transforms sorrow into satire,
and whose characters feel like echoes from another life.
They are part of the living tapestry that is Wuthering Frights —
a night of invented passion, peril, and poetic nonsense
spun from your imagination and our collective madness.
Will we see you in the shadows?
#WutheringFrights #GothicComedy #ImprovisedTheatre #kinkonauts #liveimprov #yycarts #theatre #fringefests #fringefestivals
#WpgFringe #yycfringe #YEGfringe #TheKinkonauts #Comedy #Improv #cspace #cspaceprojects
#thespacepilotyyc #calgaryartsdev #downtown #gothic #gothicliterature
From behind the velvet curtains of some long-forgotten manor,
two uncanny figures step forth, cloaked in mystery and mirth.
Kelsey (kelsoscones ) conjures laughter like a séance gone awry —
spirited, sharp, and just a touch unholy.
Mel (thanksamellion ) lingers like a portrait whose eyes follow you down the corridor —
elegant, unsettling, and utterly captivating.
Together, they haunt the heart of Wuthering Frights,
where no tale is ever the same, and every moment teeters
between heartbreak and hysteria.
Will you brave the darkness with us?
#WutheringFrights #GothicComedy #ImprovisedTheatre #kinkonauts #liveimprov #yycarts #theatre #fringefests #fringefestivals
#WpgFringe #yycfringe #YEGfringe #TheKinkonauts #Comedy #Improv #cspace #cspaceprojects
#thespacepilotyyc #calgaryartsdev #downtown #gothic #gothicliterature
In the hush between thunderclaps,
two figures emerge from the fog —
torchbearers of tragedy, wit, and delightful doom.
Meet Jessie (jessiethewhipp ),whose every word drips with velvet menace,
and whose presence suggests secrets long buried in the family crypt.
And Josh (josh.england72 ), a spirit of sharp humor and haunted grace,
who dances along the edge of horror and hilarity with uncanny ease.
Together, they summon the storm at the heart of Wuthering Frights —
an improvised gothic tale spun fresh each night,
where laughter and lamentation walk hand in hand through the graveyard gate.
Will you answer when the shadows call?
#WutheringFrights #GothicComedy #ImprovisedTheatre #kinkonauts #liveimprov #yycarts #theatre #fringefests #fringefestivals
#WpgFringe #yycfringe #YEGfringe #TheKinkonauts #Comedy #Improv #cspace #cspaceprojects
#thespacepilotyyc #calgaryartsdev #downtown #gothic #gothicliterature
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
cSPACE thanks the Alberta Real Estate Foundation (AREF) and Calgary Arts Development Authority (CADA) for their support.
