In the heart of Surrey, The Black Arts Centre looks to serve as a crucial hub of community and creativity. Founded with a mission to provide a dedicated platform for Black artists across British Columbia, the youth-owned centre has since evolved into a cultural hub, providing a space where artistic expression can flourish and diverse voices resonate.

For Hafiz Akinlusi, director and co-founder of the centre, it’s provided an essential opportunity to showcase around 40 artists since its inception in 2020, highlighting the work of Black creatives from across British Columbia.

“I want people to see it as a space where they can come to experience work and artistic practices that sometimes exist outside the mainstream,” says Hafiz Akinlusi, director and co-founder of The Black Arts Centre in Surrey.

Financial sustainability and community support

Akinlusi says that the emergence of the centre followed a resonating call for more space for Black expression, voices and artistic creation in recent years, particularly since the pandemic. He notes how despite having the largest population of Black people in Metro Vancouver, Surrey had no major Black artist-run centres prior to the Black Arts Centre’s creation. He says this centre looks to fill that gap.

“During the pandemic, and as a result of the aftermath of the BLM movement, and people focusing more on equity, diversity and inclusion, there was a question of what was missing here [in Surrey],” says Akinlusi. “The Black Arts Centre fills that void, providing a vital space for Black artists to thrive and for our community to celebrate our cultural richness.”

But it remains challenging to sustain the space one year in. Like many other arts centres and venues in Metro Vancouver, keeping a space that is affordable and consistently open is a substantial challenge. Behind the scenes, financial sustainability remains a pressing concern for the centre.

While Akinlusi says the centre is currently paying a substantially discounted rental rate for their building space, that is only a necessity to be able to keep the space open, noting that the typical rent for this space would be unsustainable.

“The issue everyone feels is space,” he says. “Rent is high, and living space rent is high. There’s also a lack of cultural spaces where you can experience art and culture and build community for free.”

While he notes that the centre has also been able to get some support from the BC Arts Council and Canada Council, he stresses the need for better municipal support within Metro Vancouver, noting the importance of maintaining heightened attention to Black lives and equity, which helped bring the centre into existence in the first place.

“There’s almost a fear for sustainability for us because we understand very acutely how the whole BLM movement was essential for our existence as a space,” Akinlusi says. “Without ongoing support and spotlight, we would not exist.”

Beyond financial sustainability, The Black Arts Centre is committed to fostering inclusivity and dismantling societal barriers as more than just a venue for art, providing a safe and welcoming environment for artists and the community.

“I have seen people question if they can come into the space if they’re not Black. This ties into how the structure of racism exists and perpetuates,” Akinlusi says. “Sometimes Blackness is viewed as so alien that people wonder if they can experience it, which doesn’t make sense. Like the big part of this is like a certain type of comfort that you don’t feel at other galleries, which I actually really do feel here…The emphasis is on community.”

Looking ahead, The Black Arts Centre envisions expanding its reach and impact within Surrey and beyond.

“We aim to continue growing as a hub for both established and emerging Black artists,” says Akinlusi.