Overview
The Arts & Community Infrastructure (ACI) Foundation is a nonprofit initiative co-founded by Dr. Jenn Neilson and Erin Lannan in 2024 to address the escalating loss of cultural spaces across British Columbia, starting with the Capital Region. ACI exists to increase the long-term security of tenure for cultural, arts, and community organizations by reclaiming and stewarding land and buildings by blending public grants with community-aligned investments (bonds) and collective supports (donations).
This summer, we reached a major milestone:
ACI is now a registered charity.
Our CRA-approved charitable purpose is:
To provide a public amenity by establishing, administering, and maintaining a multi-use facility for non-profit organizations promoting the arts and community in Victoria, British Columbia 1
Charitable status unlocks new opportunities for public support and collaboration, bringing us one step closer to our vision of becoming a public-benefit landlord—stewarding cultural spaces for the long-term benefit of many arts and community groups. We are still early in our journey, but this achievement marks a critical point along the path.
1 | While our current charitable purpose is focused on Victoria, it can be revised in the future to encompass additional regions—allowing ACIF to respond to needs and opportunities across British Columbia and beyond.
Our Long-Term Vision
Our vision is a future where artists and cultural organizations in BC can access stable, affordable spaces that reflect and support the diversity, vitality, and sustainability of our sector.
We aim to:
- Create a replicable nonprofit landlord model for BC’s arts sector.
- Mobilize community-supported financing tools (such as bonds and charitable investments) to ensure long-term cultural benefit.
- Stabilize rents and provide co-located, well-supported spaces for arts organizations.
- Steward land and buildings for long-term, community-directed cultural use through a publicly accountable nonprofit model.
Where We've Been, Where We're Headed
Since our founding in late 2024, ACI has been steadily building momentum—growing relationships, securing early support, and laying the groundwork for a new model of arts infrastructure.
This timeline captures key moments on our journey so far—and what's ahead.
Figure 1. Arts & Community Infrastructure (ACI) Foundation – Timeline & Activities (Image credit: Erin Lannan)
What's Next?
The Arts Spaces Forum Coming Soon (Winter 2026)
Key Themes:
- Equity, sustainability, and long-term planning
- Community-led governance and accountability
- Practical implementation pathways for real estate ownership
Want to Participate?
- Attend the Arts Spaces Forum (Coming soon - Winter 2026)
- Join our mailing list to receive updates as the initiative develops
- Connect with us for a deeper conversation about alignment, values, and impact, or
- Consider joining as a;
- Board Member – to help guide our transition from founders to a full operational board, or an
- Advisory Committee Member – to inform and shape our first major initiative: The Arts Spaces Study.
Today, our current board reflects lived experience as;
- Indigenous (Lək̓ʷəŋən),
- 2SLGBTQIA+, and
- Women.
We are particularly interested in diverse perspectives from equity-denied communities, including 2SLGBTQIA+, BIPOC, disabled, and underrepresented arts groups, such as the circus arts, burlesque and drag communities, and interactive and media arts
Professional experience in the following would also be particularly valuable:
- Arts & culture
- Indigenous governance and land stewardship
- Business strategy
- Real estate & finance
- Climate & sustainability
- Social justice and equity-driven work
Let’s reimagine the future of arts spaces—together.
Partnerships
We are collaborating with:
- 221A – cultural land trust research and policy alignment
- Canadian Network of Community Land Trusts – national policy support
- Other Guise Theatre, Vancouver Island Visual Arts Society (VIVAS), Victoria Arts Sustainability Coalition (VASC), Alter Arts Society, Make Space for Art – local infrastructure champions
- Victoria Event Centre, Sunset Labs, Haus of Owl (HOO) – real-world insights on displacement and resilience
- City of Victoria – grant funder and municipal alignment through the Create Victoria plan
- Capital Regional District – pilot grant funder and supporter of regional cultural planning and community arts initiatives
Contact Us
- Erin Lannan – Co-Founder, Board Director, Project Director: erin@comuniti.ca
- Dr. Jenn Neilson – Co-Founder, Board Director, Executive Director: Jenn.neilson@gmail.com