SPARK: Atelier 2026 Kickoff
Now that it’s February and your New Year’s resolutions are already long-forgotten, why not start the year off with your favourite creative community?
Join us for Atelier’s 2026 SPARK Kickoff event! We’re bringing together self-described (and aspiring) artists, engineers, creators, writers, designers, programmers, founders, researchers, & makers of all kinds to get inspired and build momentum for 2026.
📅 Agenda
SPARK will take you on a creative journey: from getting inspired to meeting fellow makers, to leaving with the spark you need to get started on your own projects.
(6:45 PM) Welcome & Introductory Event: Settle yourself in the space and prepare for a celebratory night ahead. We’ll introduce the community events and take some time to reflect on the year behind us through our REWIND year recap video.
(7:15 PM) Dinner & Community Gathering: Enjoy a light dinner and move around the space! Our community activities open up for everyone to contribute to.
(8:00 PM) Live Music and Demos: Take a break with some live music and enjoy demos from a number of community members. Listen to stories about what other creatives have done in the past year, and what they’re looking forward to in the months ahead!
(8:30 PM) Community Gathering: Enjoy the rest of the night—mingle with friends and fellow members of the community, and finish up on the collaborative activities!
✨ Community Activities
For this year’s kickoff event, we want to help you connect with your own ambitions and those of others. We’ll have a few activities throughout the day to help you set the tone for your 2026.
Community Vision Board: Grab some scissors, images, words, and help build a vision board that reflects what we want for our upcoming year. We’ll all add to it, and by the end, we’ll have a giant collage that represents our collective energy for 2026.
Letters From Your Future Self: Take a moment to write a letter to yourself from December 31, 2026 (i.e. the end of this year). Pretend you’re a version of you from the future—what will you have done, and what will you be excited about? It’s a fun way to get intentional about your creative journey as we look to the year ahead!
Anonymous Ambition Origami: Write down a big goal on a piece of origami paper, then fold it into a crane. We’ll leave a section of the space for all of us to hang our cranes. It’s a quiet ritual to remind you of the big dreams we all share.
📌 FAQ
Do I need to prepare anything?
Nope! Just bring yourself and your curiosity. We want you to get inspired, meet new people, and leave with some concrete next steps for your own projects.
Where is the event, and how do I get there?
SPARK is being hosted by Global Relay at their Vancouver Tech Hub Gastown event space. It’s just a few minutes walk from Waterfront station, located right across from the Gastown Steam Clock.
The Vancouver Tech Hub was created through a unique collaboration between community organizers and Global Relay, who generously offered their Gastown event space to support a six-month pilot initiative designed to reignite connection and community within Vancouver’s tech ecosystem.
Is there food?
Yep! We’ll have pizza and some light snacks.
What should I bring?
Your creative energy, a notebook, or your phone to jot down ideas, and your best self.
When should I arrive? Can I be late or leave early?
The doors will open from 6:15pm to help you check in, but we recommend arriving on time so you can experience the full event, from the opening activity to the demos and closing.
I don’t want my photo used— who do I talk to?
If you’d prefer not to be photographed, just let a host know when you check in, and we’ll make sure your wishes are respected.
Is the space accessible?
Unfortunately, the Global Relay event space is not accessible. Entrances and exits use stairs, there are no ramps, and the interior washrooms are non-accessible. We are not able to provide accommodations for physical accessibility in this event.
What is Atelier?
Atelier is a community of makers who come together to explore, create, and support each other’s projects. Whether you’re working on a personal passion project or just exploring new creative ideas, Atelier is a place to experiment, reflect, and grow.