Our 8th Studio is here: Introducing Akin Bloor-Yonge!

Akin is thrilled to announce the opening of a new studio location in one of Toronto’s most bustling intersections; Akin Bloor-Yonge! This space is located at 717 Church Street, north of the Bloor St W and Yonge St intersection, making it a great addition to a lively and cultural Toronto neighbourhood.

This studio is Akin’s 8th studio in the city, marking a slow but sure recovery from the necessary closures occurring during the height of the COVID 19 pandemic. Akin Bloor-Yonge will bring with it 28 dedicated studios —12 private, 10 semi private, and 6 regular studios along with 8 Shared Memberships. 

Our Akin Bloor-Yonge Shared Memberships will be available for $71/month, which includes access to shared working areas, shared storage, kitchen, and bathroom. The 28 Dedicated Memberships available will be ranging from 37sf for $216/month to 179sf for $662/month including 12 completely private studios (four walls that go to the ceiling and a door that closes) and 10 semi private studios (three or four walls that go to the ceiling, but no door - just an entranceway) as well as some regular dedicated studios (partitions or walls). The Private and Semi Private studios range from 95sf for $440/month to 179sf for $662/month. Just like at all of our studio memberships the monthly fee includes HST, 24/7 access, insurance, WiFi, contents insurance, cleaning and maintenance service, and access to all common areas. 

Priority for studios has been given to current Akin members from other studio locations, artists who have been on the Akin waiting lists for 6 months or longer, Akin members from our former Akin studio locations which closed in 2020 or 2021, as well as those who identify as a member of one or more of the Toronto Arts Council’s Equity Priority Groups (Persons of Colour, Deaf Persons, Persons with Disabilities and Persons Living with Mental Illness, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQIAP). That being said, we will do our best to provide space at this new location to anyone who is interested in the future. 

We would like to acknowledge the support of our partners Capital Developments for making this location available for our community and a special thank you to our community for uplifting our efforts to return our spaces back to the city. 

Akin is looking forward to you joining us in building this space together and carving out more affordable working areas for our artists in similarly appealing spots. This studio currently has a limited number of private, semi-private, and regular studios available ranging from 110sf for $576/month to 179sf for $662/month, as well as Shared Memberships which are $71/month.

Please email info@akincollective.com to learn more.

Akin Lansdowne Farewell Party

Join us as we celebrate Akin’s time at 87 Wade!

Unfortunately, it is with much sadness that we have to move out of Akin Lansdowne at the end of this month. Most of the current studio members have thankfully been relocated to other Akin locations.

To celebrate our vibrant Akin Lansdowne community and a building we have loved being in for many years we will be hosting a farewell party in Studio 203 on Friday, January 31 starting at 8pm. This is a public event - everyone is welcome!

When: January 31st, 2020
Where: 87 Wade Avenue, Unit 203, Toronto
Admission: Free

Installations by current Akin members to be featured in the studio space.

Cash Bar Available!

Accessibility:
Akin Lansdowne is not currently wheelchair accessible. Akin regrets this barrier to access.

When you arrive at Akin Lansdowne's entrance at the north side of the building, there are 6 steps into the building to access the building entrance. There is a flight of stairs with 10 steps, a landing, then 10 steps with a handrail leading to the 2nd floor where studio 203 is located.

There are no grab bars in the washroom and the toilets are not raised. The washroom on the second floor is level. There is a narrow gap between the countertop and the shower.

Getting there:
By TTC:
Akin Lansdowne is walking distance from Lansdowne Subway Station and is accessible by the Bloor­/Danforth subway line (Line 2) and the 47 Lansdowne Bus.

By car:
There is no reserved onsite parking but there is street parking on Wade Ave, Paton Road, and Lansdowne Ave - please check the street signs for hours. For after hours parking there is a Green P lot located at 695 Lansdowne Ave.

"Time for Toronto to decide whether it wants to keep its artists" - Andrew Kennedy via the Toronto Star

Last week we were pleasantly surprised to read a very relevant and honest opinion piece in the Toronto Star by Akin Dupont member Andrew Kennedy. Continue reading for a brief excerpt or click the link at the bottom of this post for Kennedy’s full article.

In speaking about the modern ways of urban development and gentrification, the esteemed writer Fran Lebowitz once said “we do not like cities because they are noisy, crowded and dirty. We like them because they are interesting.”

I would wager a small sum that anyone of a certain age who’s lived in the city of Toronto for a good amount of time would agree with Lebowitz’s sentiment. And if we take her statement to be true, then this year’s Art Stats report from the Toronto Arts Foundation should provide a warning that the City of Toronto could be sliding towards a less interesting existence.

According to the report, 80 per cent of Toronto’s artists believe they cannot make a living wage and 73 per cent have thought about leaving the city. In other words, if artists in Toronto were creatures from the animal kingdom, they might be in danger of trending towards the endangered species list.

Round the Block with Akin's Oliver Pauk and Michael Vickers

Groundstory is a collective impact effort with a mandate to address the adverse effects of gentrification on the arts and other vulnerable, low-income groups in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. In episode 1 of Groundstory’s occasional podcast Round the Block, host Jessa Agilo discusses the untold effects of gentrification on the arts with Akin’s Oliver Pauk and Michael Vickers.

Groundstory will detail, and respond to, these evolving narratives with a focus on the Greater Toronto to Hamilton Area, while reaching communities across Ontario and the rest of Canada through a deep commitment to shared learning online.

Over the coming decade, Groundstory will bolster cross-sectoral responses to three systemic issues, including:

• Deepening income precarity and inequality

• Increasing lack of accessible and affordable shelter and spaces of work

• Growing socio-spatial displacement of vulnerable workers from rapidly densifying neighbourhoods.

Akin presents to The House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage →

“How can cultural hubs and organizations such as ours be supported at the federal level? By changing the rules and focusing on the possibilities of leasing incentives, questioning tax benefits, and facilitating access to unused, government-owned property.”

— Oliver Pauk and Michael Vickers

Last week, artists and Akin Co-Directors Oliver Pauk and Michael Vickers headed to Parliament Hill to speak on the importance of preserving and creating artist studios, the role of creative spaces in city building, and how the federal government can better support artists across the country through new policy changes. 

Spark Box Studio National Residency Award and Bursary - Apply by Feb 1

Imagine one full month to get a new project off the ground. One full month to think only about creating your work. One full month without distractions. This is what Spark Box Studio is offering to artists living and working in Canada: one full month at the Spark Box Studio Residency where you will be given a studio space and living space for FREE. In addition the selected artist will receive a $1,000 bursary which Spark Box Studio owners Chrissy and Kyle are offering in memory of their dear friend and artist Donald Dawson.