Edmonton all-ages music venue looks at closing amid financial hardships

Budget constraints are forcing the operator of an all-ages live music venue on Edmonton's Whyte Avenue to cut back on shows and consider closing the doors.

Sewing Machine Factory is a music and arts space in the basement underneath Mill Creek Cafe at Whyte Avenue and 96th Street.

Greg Doucet, who also owns the Mill Creek Cafe, runs the venue. He opened it in 2015 in an attempt to get younger people more interested in the city's live music scene.

But running the venue has become a challenge. It never fully reopened after the pandemic, Doucet said. On average, the space has been doing one show a month and will continue on that pace going into the fall.

This month it's also being used as a performance space during the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival.

Recently, Doucet listed the space for rent. He wanted to gauge interest from people who might like to take it over and then evaluate whether the potential uses fit the neighbourhood and what he wants to see happen to the venue.

"With the decrease in sales and increase in overhead, that's the magic bullet there that's making us think that we need to possibly one day close it," said Doucet.

The venue is dependent on alcohol sales for profit. Alternatives such as selling pop and chips generate very little profit, Doucet said.

Increasing admission fees could be an option, but that would mean the bands would make less money.

On top of dealing with his restaurant upstairs, and the poor profitability from the music venue, Doucet says it's become too overwhelming financially and mentally to keep Sewing Machine Factory running.

"Things are just adding up now and it's getting tougher and tougher to run that space," said Doucet.

Other venues hurting

Sewing Machine Factory isn't the only arts facility in Edmonton experiencing financial woes.

Earlier this month, Edmonton arts organization CO*LAB faced the threat of eviction after failing to make at least 24 lease payments for a city-owned property.

In a scramble, CO*LAB was able to come up with $19,000 to stall the eviction by the Aug. 18 deadline from the city. The funds came from the organization's operating costs and donations from community members through an online fundraiser, according to Lorin Klask, the society's artistic director.

Klask said artistic spaces and venues need more support, including financial support from government, to be sustainable.

"I feel like they just aren't seen as important," said Klask. "It's so easy for politicians or bureaucrats to point the finger at each other to say that they can't help."

With few all-ages venues in Edmonton, Klask said she's devastated to see the possible loss of Sewing Machine Factory. She said the space has given emerging artists and young bands a chance to play and add vibrancy to the community.

"The music scene has been hard-hit from COVID and it has not recovered in the way that theatre or visual arts can," said Klask. "Institutional support is there for that and it isn't for the music scene."

Justin Maybroda, the creator of music magazine Alt YEG, attended a number of music shows at the Sewing Machine Factory, both on his own time and for his work.

He said he likes the intimacy of smaller shows, such as the ones at Sewing Machine Factory.

"You could interact with the artists, there are local people, you're so close — within touching distance — and most of the time the other bands are there waiting for their turn," said Maybroda. 

While he's sad to hear that Sewing Machine Factory might close its doors, he said he understands how tough it is to keep small venues afloat.

"It's tough to make a dollar nowadays," Maybroda said. "Even with 50, 75 people ... it might just break the night even."