About
In 2012, the Arts Factory Society won a Request for Proposal (RFP) to redevelop and manage the long-term lease of 281 Industrial Avenue, a City of Vancouver-owned building built in 1928. Our initial lease expired in 2024 and has since been renewed through 2035.
Following major renovations, the building was transformed into the 24,000-square-foot Arts Factory. The facility features 8,000 square feet of artist studios, a 7,000-square-foot scene shop, and 3,000 square feet of colocated office space. Amenities also include an event space available for rent, bookable boardrooms and public “hot desks” available for rent.
Mandated to provide affordable and accessible studio and production space, the Arts Factory supports nearly 100 artists and creative sector workers. The facility primarily serves tenants requiring industrial fabrication capabilities such as set building, painting, textile work, woodworking, and metalwork.
Today, the Arts Factory continues to thrive as a creative hub, offering affordable space to Vancouver’s arts community. It remains committed to fostering collaboration and innovation among a diverse group of artists and cultural professionals.
As a not-for-profit organization, the Arts Factory Society offers discounted rental rates to other not-for-profits and individual artists, reinforcing its dedication to support the local arts sector. In addition to its resident artists, the facility is home to creative and light-industrial businesses such as the Great Northern Way Scene Shop, In Real Life (IRL) Creative, and Vancouver Upholstery – contributing to a vibrant, multidisciplinary environment. The Society’s ongoing efforts reflect a strong commitment to inclusivity and support for both the arts and small business communities.
Sustainability in Practice
The Arts Factory Society is collaborating with the Great Northern Way Scene Shop on the development of a carbon-capture document aimed at helping arts organizations budget for both financial and carbon (CO₂) costs.
Key partners in this sustainability initiative include the UBC Faculty of Forestry and the SAGE Project – a Museum of Vancouver-led program focused on integrating greener practices into the arts sector. Together, these partners are working to create tools that support informed decision-making around material selection, building processes, and installation logistics for theatre, gallery, and museum productions.
The ultimate goal is to evolve this carbon-capture document into a user-friendly digital application that can be utilized not only by arts organizations, but by a wide range of industries and individuals seeking to reduce their environmental impact.
For more information about the Sustainability in Practice: Carbon-Capture Project, please contact Marietta Kozak.
Arts Factory Staff
Kate Barry
Manager
E: studio@artsfactorysociety.ca
778-819-6805 ex 105
Please contact Kate Barry for all inquiries, or for information regarding the Arts Factory’s rentals.
Board of Directors
Elia Kirby, President
Marietta Kozak, Treasurer
Jonathan Ryder, Member-at-Large
Skai Fowler, Member-at-Large
Arts Factory’s Co-Founders: Elia Kirby & Marietta Kozak
Elia Kirby
Elia is the Co-Founder, Developer and President of the Arts Factory Society. Elia has served as a technical director and production manager for theatre, public art, and live events. He founded the Great Northern Way Scene Shop, and has been involved in 500+ art projects, theatre and film sets, performance events, museum & gallery exhibits, and retail projects on three continents. Elia has taught theatre production, arts administration, and human geography at Capilano University, University of British Columbia, and Simon Fraser University. He has worked with, to mention just a few collaborations, the Vancouver Opera, Ballet BC, Vancouver Art Gallery, TED Talks, Seattle’s Wings Over Washington, and the international tours of Dress Me Up In Your Love (Theatre Replacement) and Winners and Losers (Theatre Replacement and Neworld Theatre).
eliakirby@gnwshop.ca
Marietta Kozak
Marietta Kozak is the Co-Founder/Developer and Treasurer of the Arts Factory Society. She is also the CFO of the Great Northern Way Scene Shop, a local scenic-fabrication studio, and has been producing theatre in Vancouver since 1980. Her resume as a producer with Touchstone Theatre includes The Number 14 and Whale Riding Weather, and since 2005 she has been the General Manager of Mortal Coil Performance Society. In that capacity she has produced site specific works like Salmon Row and The Fairie Play, as well as the Stanley Park Ghost Train and the live element of Bright Nights. Since 2010, Mortal Coil has been collaborating with Tsatsu Stalqayu (Coastal Wolfpack) to create works including Siiye’yu and Our Creation Story, pieces based in Coast Salish storytelling and practice. Marietta has also worked as a consultant for local performance companies since the 1980s.
marietta@artsfactorysociety.ca
Great Northern Way Scene Shop (GNW)
The GNW Scene Shop and the Arts Factory are sister organizations. Both organizations were founded to address the need for artist production resources and studio space in Vancouver, Canada.
Media
In 2014, the Arts Factory’s offically opened its doors and was featured in these articles:
Supporters
We acknowledge the support of the City of Vancouver, the Province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada.
