Community Check-in: AREA

Since its inception, Akin's mandate has centered around one main goal: securing suitable work spaces for artists in order to enrich and ensure the stability of artistic practice- in the city of Toronto. Over the course of nearly 14 years, our organization has developed a partially nomadic nature, a necessary reality for us and our community, to endure the challenges of Toronto’s real estate market. Adding a pandemic to the mix, one that forced many of our studio members into difficult financial decisions, Akin has become actively interested in engaging with the broader community to continue developing novel and innovative methods of considering and maintaining creative space in the city. 

Akin collectively asked itself, “How do we help support healthy artists and organizations while reducing barriers to creative spaces in a continuous real estate dilemma?”

Thus AREA was born. AREA stands for Akin Real Estate Advisory, an initiative set up to help ensure Akin evolves in a healthy and sustainable way while continuing to support our growing community long term . Akin has convened experts in Toronto’s development and real estate industry who care to see artists thrive and who share feedback with us as we plan for the future. In recent months, Akin has been focused on stabilizing our administrative processes in order to advance our role, connecting artists and arts organizations in need of space with property developers and building owners eager to invigorate the arts and culture community through activation of space.  

Akin’s founder, Oliver Pauk comments  “It’s exciting to witness how a group of people, with a common goal of enriching Toronto’s creative scene in the long-term, can come together to build language and ideation around mixed use spaces. These spaces are the future of urban growth in Toronto. Building art and artists into the earliest stages of the development process, as a fundamental component of the city’s structure, gives us the ability to ensure the richness and well-being of communities.”

“We are looking forward to continuing to partner with Akin and to support them with their real estate strategy. The AREA committee strongly believes in the work Akin is doing to support the arts in Toronto, and we are proud to lend our expertise to expand their reach even further” said AREA Board Member, Heidi Tibben.

Monthly and on a volunteer basis, Pauk is joined by Jonathan Peretz (JLL), Katie Fong (Slate), Heidi Tibben (Carttera), Liza Stiff (TAS), Ashley Wedlock (Kingsett Capital), Ayelet Klaczkowski (Kingsett Capital), and Joshua Mitchell (University of Toronto) for a chance to strategize around Akin’s recovery and ongoing search for relevantly located, suitable spaces (both short- and long-term). AREA is also advising on the development of a system for creating creative work and exhibition opportunities with property owners, a valuable collaboration building structure for mutually-valuable relationships across Toronto. 

We are grateful for the support of the AREA team and are excited for the insights they will share that shine a light on opportunities ahead of Akin to further our work in advocating for artists and creative spaces in the city of Toronto.

For any questions or concerns, please email us at info@akincollective.com.

COVID-19 Update - March 16th 2020

Dear Friends of Akin, 

Unfortunately, due to the rapidly changing COVID-19 situation, Akin has made the decision to halt all programming for the next 3 weeks including the Akin X Collision Gallery Group Exhibition and Launch Party, the Akin Lakeshore group exhibition Driftwork at Cloverdale Common, and the Spring Art Crawl. Collision Gallery, and Remote Gallery will also be closed during this time.  Akin's spring programming is currently scheduled to resume on April 6th 2020. Our first concern is the health and safety of our community is our top priority at this time and although the risk in Canada is still relatively low, we should do whatever possible to stop it from spreading.

At this time all Akin studios will remain open to members, although we are strongly encouraging members to refrain from non-essential studio use for at least the next three weeks. We know that things are stressful at the moment, but hope that this pause from normal routines can provide an opportunity to explore new ideas, and engage with your creativity in new ways. Looking for a break? Check out the top 10 guided meditations from last year here.

We will continue to keep you informed of any other changes as this situation evolves.

Best wishes for good health,

Akin

An Update from Akin regarding COVID-19 / Coronavirus

Dear Friends of Akin,

With growing global concerns around COVID-19 (“coronavirus”) we want to provide you with an update on our response to date. The health, safety and well-being of our community is Akin’s top priority and we are following the lead of Canadian public health authorities at this important time by taking steps to protect our studio members, our employees, and our programming attendees.

We understand concerns about COVID-19 and we are taking the necessary measures to reduce risk of transmitting the virus. We’ve taken additional steps to help ensure that our studio members and our employees are protected from the risk of infection and communicable diseases and are closely monitoring the situation 

At this time, all Spring programming at Akin will continue as planned with the exception of the March 26th Akin X Collision Gallery Launch Party which is cancelled until further notice. We will continue to follow the guidance of Health Canada and local health authorities. If the situation changes, we will inform you as soon as possible.

Please reach out to info@akincollective.com should you have any questions.

Thank you,

The Akin Team

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.

Show & Tell at Akin Sunrise

Show & Tell at Akin Sunrise | January 26th, 12-2PM, 100 Sunrise Avenue

Kick off the new year and your new projects with Akin for our next Show & Tell session at our Sunrise studios (100 Sunrise Avenue). This is a time for Akin members and other Toronto artists to show completed works or works in progress and get friendly feedback and answers from their peers in a casual studio setting.

Feel free to bring art to share, bring a friend or two, bring snacks or drinks or just bring yourself! Come for the conversation or just to meet other artists and makers. This is FREE public event - everyone is welcome!

The January edition of the Show and Tell is happening at Akin Sunrise at 100 Sunrise Avenue, Unit 106.

Accessibility Information:
There is step free access to the main entrance located at the side of the building parallel to the parking lot. The first door on the right hand side, once in the main entrance, is access to the studio. The studio entrance requires a key and there is no button to open the door, so someone may require assistance. There are narrow aisles and sharp turns to get into the gender-neutral washroom within the space. There are no grab bars in the bathroom and the toilet is not raised. There is a small lip on the floor upon entering the bathroom. Akin does have access to a wheelchair accessible gender-neutral washroom in the hall across from the Akin studio within the building. The space is not ideal for people with sensory processing issues, due to the white noise in the building.

Akin leaves King Street and finds more space for artists as part of Akin River and Akin Ossington Studio Expansions

Akin is excited to announce the expansion of two existing Akin studio locations - Akin Ossington (888 Dupont St at Dupont St and Ossington Ave) and Akin River (77 River Street near Dundas St E and River St) to support the move of over 70 artists facing eviction from Akin King as development plans for the site move forward. Our new studios will open on June 1, 2019.

By relocating Akin King artists in this way, Akin can again keep studio communities intact along with the friendships and collaborations that make them so important. Instead of facing eviction alone, artists can move with us as a unit - maintaining a practice in an affordable space as part of an active, vibrant and supportive artistic community in downtown Toronto.

The eviction from Akin King did not come as a surprise- we are thankful for the time we have had there and are proud of the community that has grown and flourished. In February 2018 Akin began leasing space from Allied Properties REIT that would otherwise have been unused during the period before demolition, enabling Akin to create social and economic value from buildings that would otherwise remain vacant. Leasing of dormant space like this with ‘meanwhile leases’ has effectively supported artists for years and allows Akin to continue offering studio rentals to artists across the city.

Akin would like to thank Allied Properties REIT for having us as tenants on King St West, as well as TAS for their continued collaboration with us on the new and existing spaces at Akin River and Akin Ossington.

This exciting expansion will increase Akin’s size to approximately 40,000 sqft of studio space serving nearly 350 artists, enabling us to address the ever-increasing scarcity of affordable workspace in our city.

Studio rentals start as low as $70/month and Akin's new studios are easily accessible by subway, streetcar, bus, bike, or car. Studio rentals are month-to-month and include 24/7 access to the studios, taxes, insurance, wifi, access to communal working areas as well as storage, kitchen, and bathroom.

Studio tours are by appointment only. For more information, pricing inquiries, to book a tour or to share ideas, please get in touch:

CONTACT:
Jen Pilles
info@akincollective.com

Please share widely!

Akin King: Akin relocates group of 100 artists to new downtown studios at King and Spadina.

Facing evictions from four studios across two locations, Akin relocates group of 100 artists to new downtown studios at King and Spadina.

After nine years at 444 Dufferin Street and six years on the first floor of 87 Wade Avenue, Akin artists will relocate their studios to our new location at 511, 525 and 527 King Street West, thanks to a unique collaboration with Allied Properties REIT who are leasing us space as the site awaits development. Thanks to our friends at Small who have facilitated this arrangement, we are able to keep our artistic community intact, and simply shift it into a new space. For more information on Allied’s site development plans, please see here.

How can Akin move to King & Spadina?
By working together. As Toronto rents become impossibly high and artists look to Hamilton and beyond, Akin continues to find new space and maintain studio affordability by negotiating short to medium-term rentals in properties that are actively in transition, as is the case with the new Akin King location.

As artists we recognize that we may only have the same space for years (or even months) rather than decades, but, by relocating in this way, Akin can keep entire artist communities intact along with the friendships and collaborations that make them so important. Instead of facing eviction alone, artists can shift with us as a unit- maintaining a practice in an affordable space as part of an active, vibrant and supportive artistic community in downtown Toronto. Property owners and developers, in this case Allied Properties REIT, are able to lease properties that would otherwise sit empty and unused during the period before demolition and development begin, enabling Akin to create social and economic value from buildings that would otherwise remain vacant. In other cities, notably in London and across the UK, ‘meanwhile’ leasing of dormant space like this has effectively supported artists for years. Similarly to this new location, at our other recently opened studios, Akin St Clair (a local meat shop that sat empty pending development) and Akin River(underused storage and office space that will become a 38 storey tower) we provide studio space for nearly 50 artists in the interim. 

As the Toronto Star ’s Murray Whyte puts it, “in a place that has embraced the popular notion of “creative city” economics espoused by Richard Florida...skyrocketing commercial rents have had an unintended irony, having all but purged such workers from the core.” Akin is offering a solution to this challenge by rethinking how unused and underused properties can become usable studio space for artists- finding useful life for buildings that have been abandoned by commerce during years of development planning, construction design and securing of permits.

Akin strives to ensure that there is always studio space for artists and creatives of all kinds and at all levels across our city while engaging, connecting and educating communities through art. As with all of our  locations, Akin’s month-to month rentals include 24/7 access to the studios, taxes, insurance, utilities, wifi, access to communal working areas as well as storage, kitchen, and bathroom. 'Akin King' is  easily accessible by subway, streetcar, bus, bike, or car.

Akin artists Rebekah Andrade and Verity Griscti help load their studio supplies into Akin's moving trucks!

The first of multiple trips, moving artists from Akin Dufferin to the new Akin King location.

The first of multiple trips, moving artists from Akin Dufferin to the new Akin King location.

Artists packing up Akin Dufferin to move to their new studio spaces.

For more information about any of our locations, book a tour or to share ideas, please get in touch:

CONTACT:
jen@akincollective.com

Please share widely!