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.
