Steady progress is being made on the construction of the innovative and environmentally sustainable Humber Cultural Hub (HCH).

Anticipation for the building, which will inspire creativity and support the arts while offering world-class film, media and performance facilities along with much needed performance spaces, is growing among the Humber community.

That includes Humber’s Centre for Creative Business Innovation (CCBI), which supports industry through applied research and creativity-driven innovation. It brings together interdisciplinary teams of students, faculty, industry and community partners to solve complex, real-world problems.

The CCBI will be housed in the facility and Jennifer Gordon, director, CCBI & Humber Galleries, said having a dedicated space in the HCH will have many benefits.  

“As a team, we’re very much looking forward to it and we’re excited,” said Gordon. “We work across all of Humber’s campuses and locations so having a centralized space is incredibly important for us as it will bring this highly creative and innovative team together in one location.”

Gordon said their new home will increase the CCBI’s visibility and help the Humber community discover what it offers, which is vitally important for the work they do. Being able to bring industry and community partners to a world-class facility that’s a hub of creativity and learning will also be quite beneficial. As Gordon noted, their partners already can’t wait to check out the new facility.

“It’s pride of place and also having a space that reflects the quality of work that we produce for and with our partners and students,” said Gordon.

Kyla Ross, project manager, CCBI, said the CCBI and Humber Galleries have been offering valuable programming for several years and having a physical location will help with discoverability. Ross said it will generate interest and curiosity as students pass by and find themselves intrigued by the work that’s being done.

It will also lead to the students seeing the possibilities of interacting creatively with their peers in other disciplines through CCBI and Galleries’ programming, added Ross.

As Gordon said, they envision being a hub within a hub at the HCH.  

“Everyone will be welcome to come in and have a chat and check out what we’re doing. We like curious people and we love bringing them together on the projects we have underway. It’s going to be great for increasing awareness about the educational and creative possibilities for our students,” said Gordon.

Ross added that Humber's investment in the HCH and the CCBI is a demonstration of its commitment to healthy and inclusive communities.

Once completed, the HCH will have film studios and screening rooms for student and industry use, and a Comedy Cabaret for private and public comedy performances. The 365,000-square-foot facility will include a new 500-seat Performance Hall as well as a 140-seat Music Recital Hall and an informal interior amphitheatre designed for festivals, public events, and community gatherings.

The HCH will be a catalyst for building the next generation of artistic, cultural and creative leaders. It will provide space to meet the growing demand for skilled talent in creative industries while delivering benefits and accessibility to underserviced local communities. It will also enrich the economy and cultivate new audiences for the arts.

Find out more by visiting the HCH website.

Humber Inspired: A Vision for 2030 is a process designed to create a new vision for Humber’s future. Humber Inspired builds on the innovative and groundbreaking work already taking place at Humber and the big, bold ideas shared by the institution’s community as part of the process. Ahead of the official launch of the new vision, Humber Today will be sharing stories of the inspiring work and achievements happening at Humber every day that will enable us to achieve our new vision.