The Arts Incubator Land Lab in Northwestern Ontario is a funky outdoor space where we connect art with nature.
Summer arts program heads from Winnipeg streets to the land
The Arts Incubator Land Lab, established in 2022 in Northwestern Ontario, has become an important site within our network of hubs, providing a unique environment where cultural practice intersects with land-based learning. Situated on nearly 20 acres of forested trails, the Land Lab offers a setting designed for both creative production and community engagement. Over the past two years, it has served as a venue for small-scale workshops, traditional knowledge exchanges, and oral history storytelling sessions, reinforcing its role as a regional gathering place that connects artistic practice with the natural environment.
We love coming out here.
One of the Land Lab’s distinctive strengths lies in its integration of cultural and ecological programming. Carved spaces within the forest have been intentionally developed to support intergenerational dialogue, particularly in relation to traditional knowledge and oral history. These activities provide participants with opportunities to reflect, share, and learn in ways that directly draw on the surrounding environment. The site’s natural assets—trails, gathering areas, and opportunities for outdoor exploration—make it a valuable location for both restorative retreat and knowledge-building, ensuring that programming is grounded in lived experience and connection to place.
Building on support received in 2024 from Agriculture Canada and the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the Land Lab is now positioned to expand its scope of activity. This year, we will focus on strengthening regional artistic capacity by supporting local artists in the development of digital infrastructure, enabling them to extend the reach of their work and participate more fully in contemporary creative economies. Concurrently, the Land Lab will advance applied programming through engagement with food production projects and ecological documentation. Planned activities include supporting food initiatives already underway, while also documenting regional plants and wildlife as part of our long-term commitment to cultural and ecological knowledge preservation.
Through these initiatives, the Arts Incubator Land Lab continues to evolve as a collaborative, multidisciplinary space that integrates the arts, land-based knowledge, and sustainable practice. Its development represents a significant opportunity for regional collaboration, capacity-building, and the advancement of creative innovation in Northwestern Ontario.
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