A local communications company is banking on the Ottawa community to help it build a communal creative space.
MediaStyle is a one-floor communication agency located at Bank and Slater streets, but it will soon be growing to two.
When the company’s landlord approached it about expanding to the fourth floor, president Ian Capstick says he jumped at the opportunity. The former NDP strategist and political pundit says he wanted to use the space in a new and different way.
“We hope to turn it into a multi-use collaborative space,” he says. “If you can think of something creative, hopefully you can use the space to do it.”
It’s called “IdeaSpace.”
The idea behind it is simple: it’s a large open space anyone can rent. They can use it, says Capstick, in almost any way they choose. The cost of renting the space – $250 on weekdays, $400 on weekends – would ideally cover the costs of leasing the space.
Capstick says this isn’t just another community centre. For one, he says, it will be cheaper. But centres aren’t open for the kind of activities IdeaSpace would host.
“We want people to be able to take it over for a length of time. The regular day-to-day of a community centre precludes that,” he says.
How the space is used is primarily decided by the user. Vice-president Caitlin Kealey says she’s excited to see people’s different ideas.
“We will soon have a big empty space that we want people to put awesome things into it – robots and art to food and wine. We, and Ottawa, will only be limited by our imaginations.”
But while Capstick says his focus is the community, he admits that the project isn’t one hundred per cent altruistic.
“We want to be involved in a big chunk of the creative process. It will give us access to some of Ottawa’s greatest talent,” he says “I run a small business. I can’t afford to hire graphic designers and photographers, but I want to work with them. This could give me the opportunity.”