Q&A: Diane Kadota talks about Vancouver Independent Music Centre
VIM House is an organization hoping to see a purpose-built music centre in Vancouver.
The non-profit charitable group was established in 2011 with the goal of developing a central, accessible, sustainable and culturally diverse music centre, the VIM House .
Planned for a 2026 opening, this new, purpose-built 20,000 square foot space in the former Plaza of Nations area of northeast False Creek is presently in the planning stages.
Rather than wait around and see what comes, VIM House is moving into putting on curated concert series focusing on the kinds of music that aren’t immediately what one would expect to see in an arena, soft seat hall or nightclub. A fundraising drive through Canadahelps.org hopes to raise $10,000 by Dec. 31. At this time, the group hasn’t been designated as the operators, although they have spearheaded the concept.
Diane Kadota, veteran Vancouver arts manager and VIM House committee member, talked to Postmedia News about what the idea for this new space is, why there is a need for it and what the hopes are moving forward:
Postmedia: What made the whole idea come about for VIM House?
Kadota: In 2006, a group of individuals from across the local music scene came together to discuss a purpose-built space for music that had the right ambience, acoustic designs and atmosphere for presenting music in, because so many of the local spaces were designed primarily for spoken word. We have the Dance Centre, places such as the Arts Club, the Cultch and Firehall, which support theatre, and a number of artist-run spaces for visual arts but nothing for music.
Q: Given those examples you’ve just made, why is it that there isn’t a “music centre” specifically designed for presenting live shows, instead of musical acts constantly having to work with existing spaces that weren’t designed with live music in mind first and foremost?
A: I’ve been pondering this for many years, and there are several reasons I see. Part is the mindset that musicians should be able to make a living without subsidy, and the American music industry supporting that contention. Where visual artists can really articulate what they need, and have been well-subsidized for decades, music people haven’t been able to find the same access.
Q: Spaces such as the celebrated Bimhuis in Amsterdam must be an inspiration to your idea for the VIM House?
A: Very much so, particularly the Bimhuis location which had a slightly rougher character to it. It was very easy to come to listen, or move to the bar to talk without disturbing other people and also to stand and listen. I liken proscenium theatres to a church where you are expected to sit and listen for an hour to sermons and only get up occasionally to sing. A lot of people don’t want to stay quietly seated to listen to music and we need a space that accommodates a number of listening styles.
Q: In the meanwhile, you are getting into presenting performances at other locations, such as the recent Cinema series in theatres such as the Fox. Will these continue?
A: That came out of the four-member committee deciding to start with what we know, which is being immersed in music, and not just waiting for something to be built. The Music in the Courtyard series is certainly going to continue and we have musician Jo Hirabayashi, whose group Jo Passed was signed to Sub Pop, coming into the Fox for a trio of shows sometime in 2022. We are having a hard time confirming dates as everyone is clamouring for space as things reopen.
Q: That helps make the case that the city could use a designated space for music to be presented that falls somewhere outside of the giant arenas, big symphonic concert halls or nightclub settings where music is mostly heard today, doesn’t it?
A: Yes, it does. At the same time that we were doing our studies, the City of Vancouver has done its own studies around this as well, and what is clear is that we don’t really have existing models to draw from. You need to come up with a design that can encompass a spectrum of musical styles in a warm space that has a range of sounds, as well as such amenities as a bar, cafe, etc.