The Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning

What The Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning does

The Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning (TCCL) is a not-for-profit corporation and registered charity (Charitable Registration Number: 819094806RR0001) that operates the historic J.K. Tett Centre, a city-owned heritage building on Kingston, Ontario's waterfront. Founded in 2015 after a 2010-2015 renovation of the city-owned building and entering its 11th year in 2025-2026, the organization is mandated by the City of Kingston to function as an accessible, multi-use arts centre serving Southeastern Ontario. The building houses nine tenant arts organizations (e.g., Kingston Handloom Weavers and Spinners, Theatre Kingston, Kingston Potters' Guild, Kingston Arts Council, Modern Fuel Artist-Run Centre, Kingston Latino), eight individual Creativity Studio Artists, a waterfront café (Juniper Café), and four multi-use rentable public spaces — the Malting Tower, Tett Gallery (~1,000 sq. ft.), Rehearsal Hall, and Activity Room.

The Centre's core programming comprises the Tett Artist Residency (three-month studio residency for emerging Kingston-based artists, launched 2023), Tett Tuesdays Open Studio (monthly peer-to-peer mentorship), Kids Creativity Club (drop-in for families with children 10 and under), Creative Futures (teen artists 13-19), and the recently launched Creative Connections Lab (free, accessible programming for adults facing barriers to arts participation) and Adult Arts Retreat. The technology stack is minimal: a Drupal-based website (tettcentre.org), third-party ticketing via Zeffy and Eventbrite, and donation processing through Canada Helps; no proprietary software, API, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.

The business model blends earned revenue (space rentals, workshop fees ranging from $36 to $850, Creativity Studio leases) with non-earned revenue (donations, an annual fundraising campaign targeting $20,000-30,000, and grants from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Community Foundation for Kingston & Area, and the Davies Charitable Foundation, plus City of Kingston operating support). Pricing is heavily subsidized: a 25% rental discount is offered to artists and non-profits, many programs are free, pay-what-you-can, or by-donation, and the Tett does not take commission on displayed gallery work. Day-to-day operations are run by a five-person staff under Director Brianne Franklin, with a nine-member community-based board providing governance and fundraising leadership.

Name

The Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning

Legal name

Tett Centre for Creativity & Learning

Website

https://tettcentre.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning is a Kingston, Ontario not-for-profit charity that operates a city-owned waterfront arts hub, providing affordable studio and event space, an artist residency, and community programs for artists, children, youth, and adults across Southeastern Ontario.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts Centre

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Centers & Multidisciplinary Arts Institutions (THAJADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Arts, Culture & Creative Placemaking Enterprises (BPAGALAO), Community Theatre & Storytelling Festivals (MPAGAEAI)

Keywords

• Community arts centre
• Artist residency programs
• Arts space rentals
• Creative workshops
• Arts education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Kingston

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Space Rental Revenue: The centre rents out four multi-use public spaces — Malting Tower, Tett Gallery, Rehearsal Hall, and Activity Room — to artists, community members, and organizations for exhibitions, performances, workshops, and events. Rental income is a primary revenue stream.
2. Program and Workshop Fees: Fees collected from paid workshops, classes, and programs (e.g., Quick & Cute Scrapbook Class at $36+HST, Needle Felted Landscape Workshop at $85+Tax, Felt Boots and Bag Workshop at $750+$100 materials). Revenue from program delivery.
3. Donations and Fundraising: The centre is a registered charity (819094806RR0001) that relies heavily on community donations. Annual fundraising campaigns target $20,000–$30,000. Monthly giving, one-time gifts, and corporate donations are solicited. The 'Make Space for Art' campaign supports programming, artist residencies, and accessible spaces.
4. City of Kingston Operating Support: The centre is mandated and partially funded by the City of Kingston to operate the city-owned J.K. Tett Centre as an accessible multi-use arts centre supporting regional cultural vitality.
5. Creativity Studio Artist Leases: Eight Creativity Studio Artists rent individual artist studios within the building, providing rental income and contributing to the vibrant artistic community.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning is a not-for-profit charitable arts organization that operates the historic J.K. Tett Centre building in Kingston, Ontario. It provides affordable studio space, multi-use rentable event spaces (Malting Tower, Tett Gallery, Rehearsal Hall, Activity Room), community arts programming for all ages (artist residencies, kids' clubs, teen programs, adult workshops), and houses nine tenant arts organizations plus eight Creativity Studio Artists under one roof.

Product overview

The Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning is a not-for-profit charitable arts organization operating the historic J.K. Tett Centre as an accessible multi-use arts centre. The organization offers a portfolio of programs including the Tett Artist Residency (3-month studio residency for emerging artists), Tett Tuesdays Open Studio (monthly peer-to-peer mentorship sessions), Kids Creativity Club (family drop-in artmaking), Creative Connections Lab (free inclusive arts program for adults), and Creative Futures (teen artist empowerment). The Centre provides four multi-use rentable public spaces: Malting Tower (historic waterfront venue), Rehearsal Hall, Tett Gallery (1000 sq. ft. exhibition space), and Activity Room. Additionally, the Centre hosts eight Creativity Studio Artists in individual tenant studios and nine tenant arts organizations. Programs are funded through donations, grants, and fee-for-service rentals, with a focus on accessibility and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tett Artist Residency A three-month residency program for Katarokwi/Kingston-based emerging artists across various disciplines, providing exclusive studio access and fostering creative incubation within the community arts centre.
• Tett Tuesdays Open Studio

Quantifiable outcome

• Free community programs bring people together across demographics
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Kingston LatinominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Kingston Latino (200+ core members) to present the Arte el Martes Project — a monthly Spanish-language creative get-together connecting the Latin American community through art-making and conversation.
• Modern Fuel Artist-Run CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presented 'Showcasing Your Artwork Locally' roundtable. Partnered on Twofold Artist-in-Residence 2024 (along with Union Gallery). Both organizations are central to Kingston's artist-run centre ecosystem.
• Kingston Arts CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presented 'Showcasing Your Artwork Locally' roundtable with Kingston Arts Council. Kingston Arts Council operates UNIT 115 exhibition space and maintains a close collaborative relationship with the Tett Centre.
• The Kick & Push Festival / Theatre KingstoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTett Centre is a sponsor of the Kick & Push Festival, which includes the TK Fringe. Theatre Kingston presents TK Fringe performances at the Tett Centre's Rehearsal Hall and TK Studio. Tett After Dark also supports the festival.
• Visit Kingston, Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on 'Together at Home for the Holidays Series' alongside Visit Kingston and the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts.
• Grass Creek ParkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Kingston Sheep Dog Trials, hosted by tenant Kingston Handloom Weavers and Spinners, takes place at Grass Creek Park in Kingston ON.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity: Major Canadian residency-driven arts institution; offers a much larger-scale version of Tett's artist residency model with multi-disciplinary programming and tuition/residency revenue.
• Artscape: Toronto non-profit that operates affordable creative spaces, studios, and community arts hubs; shares Tett's model of clustering multiple arts tenants and providing accessible studio space, but at significantly larger scale.
• The Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts: Kingston-based performing arts venue operated by Queen's University; partnered with Tett on holiday programming and serves a partially overlapping Kingston arts audience from a larger institutional base.

Direct peers

• The Cultch (Vancouver East Cultural Centre): Multidisciplinary community arts venue combining performance, exhibition, and rental space with diverse programming, mirroring Tett's multi-use accessible arts centre model.
• Robert McLaughlin Gallery (RMG): Ontario regional public art gallery with community programming, studio access, and education; comparable as a charitable cultural centre serving a similar mid-sized city catchment.
• The Reach Gallery Museum: Regional non-profit gallery, museum, and cultural centre offering exhibitions, programs, and community arts engagement; closely comparable as a mid-sized Canadian charitable arts hub.
• The Koffler Centre of the Arts: Non-profit charitable arts organization operating gallery, studio, and community programs in Ontario; comparable in mandate, charitable status, and emphasis on accessibility and inclusion.
• Modern Fuel Artist-Run Centre: Kingston-based artist-run centre focused on contemporary art and artist residencies; co-presents programming with Tett Centre and serves a largely overlapping Kingston arts community.

Emerging players

• Heritage Centre of New Westminster / Arts organizations like The Blue Frog Studios: Canadian small-scale community arts and performance spaces that combine studio rentals, workshops, and live programming; comparable to Tett in program mix and operational scale.

Others

• Canada Council for the Arts-funded community arts organizations (e.g., Art Gallery of Hamilton): Mid-sized Ontario public gallery combining exhibitions, education, and community programming; comparable charitable, publicly-supported structure but with a single-discipline gallery focus rather than Tett's multidisciplinary hub model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCwgGaQ8ofoZOZA6drMbaAHg
• Facebookfacebook.com/TettCentre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-tett-centre-for-creativity-and-learning
• Instagraminstagram.com/tettcentre
• TikToktiktok.com/@tettcentre
• Xx.com/TettCentre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 The Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning