Artscape is a not-for-profit organization that
makes space for creativity and transforms communities.
Artscape is a not-for-profit organization that
makes space for creativity and transforms communities.
More than a decade after its demise as a distillery, private developers purchased the former Gooderham & Worts Distillery in late 2001.
Previous attempts to redevelop this national heritage site had failed to attract enough commercial artists and financing to be viable. Artscape was the first call made by the new owners and within months a deal on a below-market, 20-year lease was in the works for two buildings on the site. Artscape’s involvement in the redevelopment of the Distillery District helped attract the arts community and other creative entrepreneurs to the potential of the site and virtually a year later the entire site – 440,000 square feet – had been leased.
Artscape Distillery Studios is now home to 63 work and retail studios, offices, rehearsal and performance spaces for artists and creative entrepreneurs such as Akroyd Furniture, J. Mills Gallery, Lilith, Proof Studio Gallery, Tank Jewlery and Beads, Millicent Vee, Hoi Bo, Leif Benner, Studio Fuse, DISH Gallery + Studio, and non-profit arts organizations including Prologue to the Performing Arts, Inner City Angels, Queen of Puddings Music Theatre, Expect Theatre/Spark Productions, Nightwood Theatre, The CanDance Network, DanceWorks, Dance Ontario, Dancemakers, Theatre Museum Canada , Nightswimming Theatre, DVxT Theatre, Pleiades Theatre, Canadian Dance Assembly, The Dance Current, Tapestry New Opera Works, Le Laboratoire d'Art (LE LABO), Modern Times Stage Company, Planet in Focus: International Environmental Film & Video Festival.
