Many industries have experienced the synergy that comes from clustering or co-locating. A Saskatoon success story is Innovation Place and the biotechnology cluster that it has created. By offering a place where creative industries can come together District Arts will create new opportunities for collaboration and growth.
District Arts will provide an environment to incubate new and established artists, from both a creative perspective and the business side of art, including exporting their products to outside markets. Programming will be available to any artist working in any medium – something that will only be feasible with a critical mass of end users.

An important key outcome for District Arts will be to provide a space for the general public to create art. This will include programming for preschool, students (both primary and secondary), seniors and socioeconomic underprivileged people. By creating an arts civic centre, District Arts plans to not only make art more accessible but also provide the education system with additional educational resource. Hands-on learning as a great way to keep kids engaged in a positive way. Our goal is to maximize use of our classroom space throughout the entire day, creating programming for students and seniors during the day and for the general public in the evenings.

Projects similar to District Arts have retrofitted and renovated derelict historical buildings in older neighbourhoods. The results have been remarkable and have contributed to neighbourhood revitalization, increased property values and the preservation of historical community character.
The old decommissioned bus barns located in Caswell Hill is similar to that used in a successful conversion in Toronto – Artscape’s Wychwood Barns facility. The proven success of this facility and the positive effect that it has had upon its neighbourhood, makes the Saskatoon bus barns an extremely appealing option for District Arts.

Beyond economic factors, the cultural sector is also associated with citizen’s social engagement, including connections to volunteering, donating, helping neighbours, and better health. This new cultural amenity will not only enhance the lives of every day citizens, but also help protect an industry that adds to the vitality and attractiveness of a community. A great selection of recreational activities is a key part of any healthy city and art is an important part of that mix. Making art more accessible to the public and creating a space for art and artists to flourish is at the heart of District Arts.

Arts and culture play an important role in wealth creation, as well as creating a more desirable community in which to live. An hub would attract new workers and businesses. As Saskatoon looks to grow its local economy, different sectors require individualized incentives. While a manufacturer may require a tax abatement to help spur growth, the art and culture industry requires something quite different. One of the major challenges for the arts/culture industry is the lack of affordable space making it difficult for the arts industry to grow and flourish. By creating a long term dedicated space to serve as a cultural hub, District Arts aims to overcome this obstacle as so many other North American cities have.

One interesting benefit for a project of this size is its draw as a tourist attraction. Not only will it have a significant local and provincial draw, this space will serve as educational conference and workshop space for visiting tourists and artists, such as seen on Granville Island in Vancouver.