Turret Arts Space

The Vision:
The Turret Arts Space will be a place where artists connect and thrive! We are renovating the Khyber Building (1588 Barrington Street) to create an accessible multipurpose arts building. The Turret Arts Space will be home to The Khyber artist-run centre and other arts and 2SLGBTQIA+ non-profit organizations.


The History:
Our project builds on a storied history of space-making by queer people and experimental artists. Our name honours the building’s LGBTQ+ history as the home of The Turret Club and Gay Alliance of Equality in the 1970s. Our activities and vision continue an inspiring history as a landmark building that fosters emergent artistic talent in downtown Halifax.


The Plan:
Accessibility is a primary focus of the development of the Turret Arts Space. Our city needs more physically accessible arts infrastructure so that we can all participate equitably. Our plan adds an elevator and additional accessible washrooms, as well as gender-neutral washrooms.

Our project addresses gaps in Halifax’s current arts and community infrastructure. The Turret Arts Space will have a multipurpose room and board room which will be open to the community to book for a wide variety of activities across disciplines. Our operating model creates sustainable lower-than-market rates for non-profit tenants by including market-rate retail tenants in the attractive street-level spaces of the building.

Once funding is secured, building renovation can begin while COVID-19 social distancing measures are still in place and be ready for occupancy when gathering restrictions are lifted.

With your help, we can build a space to gather artistic communities together!

The Money:
We have already secured $225,000 from the City of Halifax towards the renovation costs.

We applied to the Federal Government (Canadian Cultural Spaces Fund) for $1,568,377 which is contingent on securing support from the Province of Nova Scotia or the private sector.

We have applied to the Provincial Government seeking a contribution of $1,000,000 but we need to prove the community supports this space. 

Our goal over the coming months is to raise as much money as possible to prove to all levels of government this project is a wanted and needed resource. Please help us prove to them that the Turret Arts Space is important!