Participants of the brand new Shared Ground event walked away with a renewed excitement for the future of Ottawa’s unused spaces on June 25.
The event — a new long-term initiative by Arts Ottawa in collaboration with ArtsBuild Ontario, Memetic Media, and the Ottawa Art Gallery’s ACE District Initiative — brought together artists, cultural workers, nonprofit leaders, business owners, BIAs, and place-makers. Together, they reimagined the potential of underused downtown spaces for the arts.
Focusing on finding pathways to shared leadership across sectors and communities, and the necessary tools to support that leadership, there were many ideas passed around throughout the full-day event.
Shared Ground presentation. Photo: Willemijn Bunskoek.
The day began with a tour of the former Place de Ville Cinema and podium spaces at 300 Sparks St., a massive downtown site that has sat vacant since closing to the public in 1996. The group explored the two large cinema halls and surrounding spaces, using the building as a conceptual case study of filling a space like this as a creative community.
Some of these potential ideas ranged from turning 300 Sparks St. into a key creative hub that links major institutions like the NAC and OAG, to developing flexible, inclusive venues that bring different disciplines together, day and night. Most importantly, participants agreed that these spaces must be accessible and community-driven, with leadership rooted in the hands of artists and the communities they serve.
“There’s a lack of accessible space for artists in Ottawa,” says Cassandra Olsthoorn, director of co-leadership at Arts Ottawa. “At the same time, there’s so much space available, especially in the downtown core. There’s a lot of investment flowing into those areas, but the question is: who’s prepared to work with those spaces and take on leadership? And what should that leadership look like?”
300 Sparks St. Photo: Willemijn Bunskoek.
A key vision behind Shared Ground is the development of the Arts, Culture, and Entertainment District (ACE). The concept, led by the Ottawa Art Gallery, imagines a vibrant downtown arts ecosystem.
“We need residents and visitors to easily find and connect with cultural spaces as they move through the city. We don’t need to create a new organization for that. We need to find the right people to organize with,” says Alexandra Badzak, Executive Director of the Ottawa Art Gallery. “There’s already incredible leadership in Ottawa. What we need is to align and support it.”
That sense of alignment was echoed by Kwende Kefentse, founder of Memetic Media, who spoke about the post-pandemic moment as a real opportunity to rethink how the arts, culture, and real estate sectors intersect.
He says Memetic Media is partnering with Arts Ottawa and the Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS) to research and develop tools “for collective revenue generation, shared knowledge, and stronger advocacy around cultural spaces.”
“Culture is a powerful connector. By working together through a network model, we can identify [how these networks function and what their values and needs are] and engage governments more effectively around the built environment.”
Later in the day, CIMS presented a demonstration of their Digital Twin technology. These are digital replicas of real-world buildings and urban areas, including for example Parliament Hill, that can be used to map and model space potential.
ArtsBuild Ontario shared successful examples of Meanwhile Spaces in other cities in Ontario, a low-risk model for temporarily putting vacant buildings back into business in collaboration with artists and property owners.
Meanwhile Spaces Pilot Project presentation at Shared Ground event, June 25, 2025. Photo: Willemijn Bunskoek.
“These spaces can carry real value for creators and help people prepare for longer-term roles in shaping creative spaces,” say Executive Director Alex Glass and Program Manager Eva Hellreich of ArtsBuild Ontario.
Their presentation also included hands-on tools to help arts professionals build the skills needed to lead these kinds of projects.
During the event, participants worked together in hands-on sessions to come up with early ideas and plans for real-world projects.
“Our community really shows up and delivers,” says Olsthoorn. “People are generous with their time and ideas, honest about what they’re looking for in a space, and open to sharing what they can offer others. It’s important to emphasize that Arts Ottawa is not leading the development of these spaces. We’re here to create space for conversation, surface opportunities, and champion the organizations and creators shaping what’s next.”
Tour of 300 Sparks St., June 25, 2025. Photo: Willemijn Bunskoek.
All in all, it was an energizing day. There was a strong sense of shared momentum toward building sustainable spaces for the future, by and for the community. The question now is how to keep that momentum going, and what the next steps will look like.
“We’ll keep bringing people together in different ways to explore this question and give participants tools to take action,” says Olsthoorn.
At Apt613, we’re curious to see how this program unfolds, and who will be represented and take on decision-making roles in these conversations moving forward.
Stay updated on upcoming Shared Ground events by following Arts Ottawa’s website and social media.
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