We are beyond thrilled that More Awesome Now's Kickstarter to raise funds for FIELD in Ackery's Alley has met it's fundraising goal of $35,000. Public art in a Granville St alley will become a reality!

People from all over the world have supported our campaign. Folks from across Canada, the USA, Australia, the UK, Chile, Germany, Mexico and South Africa support the campaign which will enable the More Awesome Now team to create an interactive sound + light installation in the alley behind the Orpheum Theatre. 

Our stretch goal is to grow our community to 500 people.  What this means, is every dollar backed above our goal will help with extra things like programming the alley (allowing people to truly make the space their own), but what is really meaningful to us is the size of the community, and how many people are connected to this vision.

Our Kickstarter campaign has already built a sizeable community around this project, (of more than two hundred and fifty three people!) and we know there are more people out there who believe in what we are doing. 

 By making a pledge (of any value, even $1!), you become part of this global community. Pledging means you will be kept updated on the progress of Ackery’s Alley and FIELD. Belonging to this community means you are addressing the issue of urban isolation, a common plight in all major cities across the globe.

Better yet, pledge $100 and your reward will be a set of limited edition Ackery's Alley and Alley Oop posters. (See image.)

Campaign to raise funds for interactive sound & light art installation in Ackery’s Alley

More Awesome Now, the collective who brought Vancouver its first reimagined alleyway, Alley-Oop, is asking for the public’s help to fund an interactive art installation in the city’s next activated laneway – Ackery’s Alley.  The collective is launching a Kickstarter campaign to raise the $35K needed to secure FIELD, an interactive public art installation by renowned international artist, Alex Beim.

Once transformed, Ackery’s Alley (located off Granville Street in the alley behind the Orpheum Theatre) will be a space for public art and performance, with FIELD at its centre. The installation’s field of sensors and lights will detect the presence of a person, changing colours and emitting sounds in reaction to movement. FIELD will work like a large musical and light instrument that creates a unique composition every time someone moves through it.

“I can see people coming together and experimenting with FIELD -  dancing and creating something that is completely unexpected,” says Alex Beim, artist and director of Tangible Interaction. “I think Vancouver needs more spaces that create conversation and connection. This installation will bring people together in that way, and it would be amazing to get the funding to make this happen.”

More Awesome Now will use the funds raised through Kickstarter for the procurement and installation of FIELD.  The collective has already raised funds to transform the alleyway with artful signage, psychedelic paint, a metallic gold feature element, projection walls and a glowing orb beacon.

“Human connection is at the core of rich urban experiences.  By creating interactive public spaces, we can foster connection and social exchange,” says Charles Gauthier, member of More Awesome Now, and President and CEO of the Downtown Vancouver BIA. “We hope this project inspires the people of Vancouver and also those outside our city who want to try something similar in their own communities.” 

More Awesome Now is a collective of thinkers and doers who reshape underutilized urban land spaces into engaging, accessible public spaces.  The group includes the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association (DVBIA), HCMA Architecture + Design, in partnership with Vancouver Civic Theatres and the City of Vancouver’s VIVA Vancouver program.

More Awesome Now hopes that the concept of reimagined alleyways takes on a life of its own, so that one day Vancouver and other cities around the world have a connected system of colourful alleys that are places of human connection.

The Kickstarter page will be live for thirty days, ending on the 12th of July.  Ackery’s Alley and FIELD will be completed and ready for the public to enjoy by the end of summer.

Downtown Vancouver BIA pilot project reimagines city laneways as animated pedestrian zones

This week, the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association (DVBIA) will be unveiling its first More Awesome Now reimagined laneway. Work is underway to transform the laneway that runs behind West Hastings street between Seymour and Granville, from utilitarian service corridor into a bright, playful public space to be shared by people and vehicles.

More Awesome Now is an experiment in reshaping city laneways into engaging, accessible public spaces that contribute to the vibrancy of the city. The project is a partnership between the DVBIA, the City of Vancouver’s VIVA Vancouver program, and HCMA Architecture + Design.

“Laneways serve an important business function, but for a big part of the day they are underused and full of potential,” says Charles Gauthier, President & CEO, DVBIA. “So we asked, if we make our lanes more appealing, could they become public spaces? More Awesome Now is an experiment in turning laneways into places of discovery - friendly, accessible, and lively parts of the urban streetscape.”

In juxtaposition to its location in the heart of the business district, the reimagined Hastings West laneway is themed “Play”. The lane has been painted in bold pinks and yellows and soon will be outfitted with basketball hoops and furniture. In the coming weeks, decorative lighting and a geolocation orb will be installed. The public is invited to use the laneway for play, exercise, or socializing.

“Boldly re-imaging downtown laneways can bring vibrancy to underutilized spaces in the city year-round,” says City of Vancouver Director of Public Space and Street Use, Margaret Wittgens. “The City is thrilled to be working with community partners to enhance Vancouver’s walkability, liveability and sense of creativity one laneway at a time.”

The laneway will be shared by people and vehicles, which will continue to access the lane for service purposes. There’s no formal schedule of events planned for the space, instead, property owners, tenants, and visitors will share responsibility for enjoying, cleaning, and monitoring it. 

Vancouver’s downtown street grid includes more than 200 blocks that are bisected by a lane. Reimagined, these laneways have the potential to increase the public pedestrian area by up to 30%. The Hastings West laneway is the first of what could become a network of interconnected downtown laneways, each with its own sense of place and evolving identity. There are plans to bring the concept to the Granville Street entertainment and Alberni Street fashion districts in the near future.

Last year the DVBIA conducted Re-Imagine Downtown Vancouver 2040, a collaborative visioning process. The desire for more public spaces of every scale, including rooftop patios, animated laneways, and large public squares, was a major theme that emerged from the process.

 “More Awesome Now will optimize existing urban space and inspire new opportunities for social connections, resulting in happier and healthier citizens, community, and city,” says Darryl Condon, Managing Partner at HCMA Architecture + Design.

 The More Awesome Now Hastings West laneway has its official launch with an event on the evening of Thursday, September 15, 2016 from 5pm-8pm. The public is invited to attend. The launch is part of the Placemaking Week’s #POPCrawl or Power of Placemaking self-guided tour of downtown public spaces. View the map:  https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1lXd573wBf-xME7XC1AT0dNeXtv0

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