Never Apart

What Never Apart does

Never Apart is a Montreal-based non-profit arts and culture organization founded in 2015, operating a 12,000 square foot center in the Mile-Ex neighborhood at 7049 Rue St-Urbain. The facility comprises multiple gallery spaces, a music production studio, a cinema, a multipurpose mezzanine opening onto a garden and saltwater pool, a 10,000-vinyl-record archive, and dedicated solar and lunar rooms. The organization is led by Executive Director Michael Venus, founder of the House of Venus multimedia collective.

Never Apart's core programming centers on rotating exhibitions, artist talks, film screenings, workshops, performances, and community gatherings, with a curatorial focus on LGBTQ2S+ communities, Black, Indigenous, and people of color. The organization operates a portfolio of sub-brands including Never Apart TV (arts and culture news program), Radio Never Apart (podcast), NVA Music, Practice (sound meditation series), Violet Hour Book Club, Legend Series, and Collective Culture editorial content. Annual signature events include Wiggle (wearable art festival), NVA Equinox, and partnerships with MUTEK, MAPP MTL, and Fierté Montreal.

The revenue model is typical of a small community non-profit: a mix of small-ticket event pricing (e.g., $15 early-bird Wiggle tickets, $25–$30 yoga classes), merchandise sales (e.g., $20 + tax LGBT Historic Colouring Book with 70% of proceeds to Rainbow Railroad), donations, and in-kind partnership contributions. Most events are free entry. The distribution footprint is primarily the Montreal physical venue, with content (podcasts, video, social media) extended globally via SoundCloud, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. There is no app, no public API, and no disclosed AI or technology platform layer; the underlying technology stack is conventional web, social, and multimedia production tooling.

Name

Never Apart

Legal name

Never Apart

Website

https://neverapart.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Never Apart is a Montreal-based non-profit arts and culture center operating a 12,000 sq ft venue with galleries, studios, and cinema, serving the LGBTQ2S+ community and broader public through exhibitions, events, and multimedia content production.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts and Culture Center

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Live Podcast Recordings (MPAGACAJ), Virtual Conferences & Summits (Webinars, Keynotes) (MPAGAOAA)

Keywords

• Arts and culture programming
• Community arts center
• Exhibition and event venue
• Queer arts programming
• Multimedia content production

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Never Apart is a non-profit arts and culture center operating a 12,000 square-foot facility in Montreal's Mile-Ex neighborhood. The organization delivers rotating art exhibitions, community events (talks, screenings, workshops, performances), annual cultural festivals (Wiggle, NVA Equinox), and produces multimedia content including Never Apart TV and Radio Never Apart podcast. Programming centers on LGBTQ2S+, Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities, with merchandise sales partly benefiting partner charities.

Product overview

Never Apart is a non-profit arts and culture center and community space located in Montreal's Mile-Ex neighborhood, spanning 12,000 square feet with galleries, a cinema, music production studio, and multipurpose spaces. The organization offers rotating art exhibitions across multiple galleries, a diverse events program including screenings, talks, workshops, and performances, media content through Never Apart TV and Radio Never Apart podcasts, and signature program series such as Practice (sound meditation), Violet Hour Book Club, and Collective Culture editorial content. The center hosts annual events including Wiggle (wearable art extravaganza), NVA Equinox, and partnerships with festivals like MAPP MTL and Art Souterrain.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Never Apart TV: Arts and culture news television program featuring queer artists and cultural commentary
• Radio Never Apart
• NVA Music
• Violet Hour Book Club
• Practice
• MAPP MTL
• Legend Series
• NVA Equinox
• Collective Culture
• NVA Open Decks

Products and services

• Art Exhibitions Rotating art exhibitions featuring diverse artists exploring themes of identity, culture, gender expression, and social issues across multiple gallery spaces at the Never Apart facility.
• Events Programming Programming including artist talks, screenings, workshops, performances, and community gatherings across categories such as LGBT Film Series, Legend Series, NVA Music, Practice Sound Meditation, Violet Hour Book Club, and Pride events.
• NVA Music Music programming featuring DJ workshops, open decks nights, music talks, and collaborative events with artists and venues across the electronic and queer music scenes.
• Never Apart TV Arts and culture news program providing a voice to queer artists, producing documentary-style content and interviews with artists.
• Radio Never Apart Podcast featuring interviews with artists, musicians, and cultural figures within the LGBTQ2S+ community.
• Practice (Sound Meditation) Sound meditation series exploring the capability of sound to induce transcendental states, featuring noise artists and sound healers.
• Violet Hour Book Club LGBT book club featuring discussions of LGBTQ+ literature, hosting authors and fostering community dialogue.
• Collective Culture Editorial series featuring interviews, articles, and creative conversations focused on Black culture and community perspectives.
• Wiggle Wearable Art Festival Annual wearable art and performance extravaganza celebrating drag culture and avant-garde fashion.
• NVA Equinox Annual pride season party and artist talk series featuring international queer artists and performers.
• Yearbook Publication Annual publication documenting the organization's events, exhibitions, and programming from each year of operation.
• Kashmirian Yoga Classes Yoga classes offered at Never Apart, priced at $25 via INTERAC transfer and $30 at the door.
• LGBT Historic Colouring Book (Colour by Icons) Colouring book merchandise sold for $20 + tax, with 70% of proceeds benefiting Rainbow Railroad charity.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MAPP MTL (International Mapping Festival)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Ongoing partnership hosting MAPP MTL micro-mapping works and installations. MAPP MTL is a creative forum for artists, technologists and public exploring video projection/mapping art.
• MUTEKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership for Sonic Circuits programming featuring sound meditation and noise artists. MUTEK is Montreal's renowned electronic music and digital creativity festival.
• Goethe-Institut MontrealminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Cultural institution partnership for NVA Equinox 2019 programming including Queer as German Folk exhibition finissage.
• Lez Spread The Word (LSTW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 November 2016Collaborative partnership for lesbian community magazine launch and ongoing content collaboration. LSTW is a bilingual print magazine published annually exploring Canadian lesbian communities. Never Apart hosted the inaugural magazine launch event with beer tasting partnership with Brasserie Harricana.
• Brasserie HarricanaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 November 2016Craft brewery partnership for event programming. Brewed special beer #12 LSTW for magazine launch event.
• House of VenuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-media artist collective co-presenting events including Wiggle wearable art festival and Supa 8 film series. Michael Venus leads both organizations.
• Art SouterrainminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSatellite venue partnership for Art Souterrain contemporary art festival's annual programming.
• POP MontréalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual international music festival partnership for Legend Series events featuring artist talks and performances.
• Think Outside The BoxcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCuratorial partnership for exhibitions including Non-Binary show exploring non-binary gender expressions.
• MassimadiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for queer African and Caribbean arts programming and festival events.
• Fierté MontrealcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Pride festival partnership for Pride programming and community events.
• Suoni per il PopolominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic organization partnership for concerts and sound events featuring international artists.
• Rainbow RailroadminorOthersCharitable beneficiary receiving 70% of proceeds from Colour by Icons colouring book sales. Organization helps LGBTQ people escape persecution.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Suoni per il Popolo: Montreal-based independent music organization presenting experimental and avant-garde concerts. Already a strategic partner; comparable as a Montreal nonprofit producing niche music programming and community-focused cultural events.
• Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art: New York-based arts institution focused on LGBTQ+ art and culture. Highly comparable as a mission-driven arts organization dedicated to queer art visibility, exhibitions, and community programming, though operating at a larger scale in a different geography.
• Eastern Bloc: Montreal artist-run center dedicated to new media arts, electronic music, and digital creation. Comparable as a Montreal nonprofit arts organization combining gallery, performance, and digital arts programming with a focus on emerging and experimental practices.
• Darling Foundry: Montreal visual arts center housed in a historic building presenting contemporary exhibitions and cultural programming. Directly comparable as a Montreal-based arts organization operating from a physical venue with rotating exhibitions and community-focused programming.
• The House of Venus: Multi-media artist collective co-founded by Never Apart's Executive Director Michael Venus; co-presents Never Apart's flagship Wiggle wearable art festival. Directly comparable as a queer-focused multimedia artist collective operating in the same creative and organizational orbit.

Broad incumbents

• Blue Metropolis Foundation: Montreal-based literary and arts organization producing the Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival. Comparable as a Montreal arts nonprofit producing annual cultural programming, festivals, and editorial content.
• MUTEK: Montreal-based international festival and organization for electronic music and digital creativity. Already a strategic partner of Never Apart for Sonic Circuits programming; comparable in scope of multimedia/electronic arts programming for niche audiences.
• PHI Centre: Montreal-based multidisciplinary arts and culture venue presenting contemporary art, music, film, and immersive experiences. Comparable as a Montreal arts venue combining exhibitions, performance, cinema, and community programming, though with significantly larger scope and resources.
• POP Montréal: Montreal-based international music festival with year-round cultural programming. Already a strategic partner via the Legend Series; comparable in producing annual music and cultural events in Montreal targeting engaged cultural audiences.
• Fierté Montréal: Montreal Pride organization producing annual Pride festival and LGBTQ2S+ community programming. Already a strategic partner; comparable in mission focus on LGBTQ2S+ visibility, community gathering, and cultural programming in Montreal.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/neverapartmtl
• Facebookfacebook.com/neverapartmtl
• Instagraminstagram.com/neverapartmtl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Never Apart