Fundraising
For almost two decades, thousands of children, families and individuals have come to rely on Christianne's Lyceum of Literature and Art as a hub of creation, learning, and possibility, as well as a place to feel at home away from home. The Lyceum embodies community-building in the truest sense and now, in our time of need, we are turning to our community for help.
In the face of a recent steep rental increase, the Lyceum – like many Vancouver businesses in similar situations – considered closing. However, if you know anything about the Lyceum, you know this isn't how the story ends.
Vancouver can't afford to lose another small community-building space. These spaces serve as vital gathering places for individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions to create meaningful community values. The Lyceum needs to transform and re-root itself in a new location...and Christianne, as we knew she would, has found just the place.
We need to raise $60,000 for moving costs and to complete necessary renovations to the new space. We know this is possible with the help of the community.
This is where the Lyceum needs your support. Setting up the Lyceum in a new location won't be possible without you.
We're asking you to please donate what you can and share our GoFundMe page with your family and friends. Each donation helps to reach our goal.
Stay tuned for updates as this exciting adventure unfolds!
Words from Christianne
Stay Up to Date
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We have officially begun cleaning and fixing up the new Lyceum space and it is already proving to be a monumental task. But, as the adage goes, many hands make light work and so we turn to you.
If you would like to be a worker bee and help us to bring magic from 3696 West 8th to 4433 West 10th, please send us an email with you availability. We will be in touch with information about what is happening and at which location!
Worker Bees
Open House
We are so excited to put down roots in our new home, 4433 West 10th Avenue — we are sad to say goodbye to the building that has been our home since 2007, but we also know that it is not the address that makes the Lyceum. It is the people.
Come and learn more about us and our new neighbourhood at our open house! Stay tuned for event details.
Progress
December 13, 2022
Painting is well underway at the new Lyceum! Marty has exercised every effort and efficiency to try and help us meet impossible deadlines.
Marty the Painter, as we fondly call him, painted the walls of the current Lyceum, so it felt fitting to ask him to bring the walls of the new space to life with the same custom paint colour.
We are working to meet a mini goal (within our larger GoFundMe goal) of $5000 to pay for this new paint job. While it may sound like a lot, this is actually an incredible deal.
We owe Marty a huge thank you and want to recommend his services to anyone else looking to spruce up their space. You can reach Marty's Painting & Decorating at 604 733 2865 or martlib@shaw.ca.
January 9, 2023
At our new location, unpacking is in full swing in preparation for our reopening! Though we still have lots of work ahead of us, it's incredible to see the progress that has occurred over the last week – progress that could not have been achieved without the help of our incredible volunteers.
January 21, 2023
Adrian from Artstall put wind in our sails as we continue our journey to set up a new home. We owe him an incredible debt of gratitude! The art on our walls makes the space feel warm, welcoming and grounded. It has also inspired Christianne to begin storying our new home, as each piece of art and each lovingly displayed trinket holds traces of experience from individuals who called the Lyceum home in their past. Eager ears gobble inspiration for creating their own traces. In this way, we reinforce connection to place and strengthen socially conscientious behaviour.
We also owe a huge thank you to Greg from Arts Umbrella and to Jason who brought him to us! Before the Lyceum made 4433 West 10th our home, the space was a bike shop. Transplanting our yarn-bombed bikes in the window feels like the perfect homage to what was here, while bridging the old Lyceum with the new. (In 2012 Leanne Train started the Lyceum Yarn bombing craze with a book talk from her new publication - Yarn Bombing.)
The fact our new neighbour is a yarn shop? The cherry on top.
Sometimes life is simply serendipitous.
We've loved making magical memories like these...
...and can't wait to make more together!
Students need scholarships year round!
If you would like to make a donation to our scholarship fund outside of our bi-annual fundraisers, please send us an email or donate through our PayPal by clicking below.
