Manitoba·NewAssiniboine College’s Creative CoLab blends the experience of a makerspace, where people work on artistic projects, with the flexibility of a co-working space, bringing tools, technology and community together under one roof. The goal of the lab is to help grow creative industries in western Manitoba. Assiniboine College’s Creative CoLab aims to grow creative industries in WestmanChelsea Kemp · CBC News · Posted: Nov 25, 2025 6:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 30 minutes agoListen to this articleEstimated 5 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Assiniboine College’s Creative CoLab opened in November, blending the experience of a makerspace where people work on artistic projects with the flexibility of a co-working space, bringing tools, technology and community together under one roof. (Chelsea Kemp/CBC)A new innovation hub dubbed the Creative CoLab has opened in Brandon, giving everyone from creators learning their craft to established entrepreneurs a place to build, experiment and grow, its co-ordinator says.Assiniboine College’s Creative CoLab blends the experience of a makerspace, where people work on artistic projects, with the flexibility of a co-working space, bringing tools, technology and community together under one roof, the lab’s co-ordinator Derek Ford said. Drew Miles, a digital art and design student at Assiniboine College, has been playing his guitar for 25 years. Typically, he’s strumming guitar at his church, or blasting metal riffs in the basement.Now he’s spending a lot of time in the CoLab, located at the Victoria Avenue East campus, each week playing with different technologies. He says the hands-on learning is letting him tailor his instruments to suit his needs.Assiniboine College student Drew Miles says he’s using the Creative CoLab to create custom guitar parts. (Chelsea Kemp/CBC)“The physics involved, the material science involved, the design considerations involved, they all mystified me and what this has done is allowed me to take a harder look at the guitar itself,” Miles said. “I love to solve problems, so when I think about things … I liked on this guitar, but I didn’t like it about this guitar, I now have the power to design.”Miles can jump from redesigning a guitar neck or pickup on his computer, taking it from a 2D to 3D rendering, printing off life-size laminate designs, or creating parts for his guitar all without leaving the lab.“It doesn’t have to be something that someone else designed,” he said. “I can now adjust the design of a guitar to be perfect for me.”The Creative CoLab, which opened in November, hopes to be a catalyst for Western Manitoba’s creative economy, supporting everyone from early-stage makers and students to established businesses and entrepreneurs, Ford said. The region has lacked accessible professional-grade tools and collaborative networks — barriers that often push rural creators away, he said.The CoLab co-ordinator wants to change that.Years in the makingAfter more than 20 years teaching at the college, Ford has watched talented graduates leave the region in search of opportunities. Others stayed and built careers locally, but “we recognized that it wasn’t enough to just hope for to happen,” he said.At the same time, community members would come to the college looking for help on projects. That motivated him to spend the last three years helping bring the CoLab to life to bridge those gaps by teaching skills and connecting creatives with industry.The CoLab welcomes anyone working in the wide-ranging “creative industries,” from marketing and industrial design to fine arts to emerging tech like 3D printing, he said. Creative CoLab co-ordinator Derek Ford says he wants the space to help incubate creative industries in western Manitoba. (Chelsea Kemp/CBC)They want to leave the door wide open for a wide variety of people to come in and play.Ford describes the lab as a kind of playground, a place where different creators can experiment and blend tools in unconventional ways. The space is open to students and the public. A registration and certification system will ensure people can safely use equipment — essentially creating a library of tools. Growing industryThe CoLab’s designed for five areas of creative interest — industry groups, entrepreneurs, freelancers, connections and makers. When someone applies to join the lab, they will be matched with people and skills that meet their interests.Success, Ford said, will be measured by whether creative industries grow in Westman and whether graduates can stay in the region.Jana Sproule, Assiniboine College’s Peter School of Business Media and Office Technology chair, said the CoLab took years to develop because it required bringing together people with the right expertise and the right tools.The CoLab is tied to the college’s Centre for Creative Media. Sproule said they frequently hear from businesses and non-profits looking for creative and technical work. Assiniboine College’s Chair of Media and Office Technology Jana Sproule says she wants the Creative CoLab to be a space that bring tech, community and industry together. (Chelsea Kemp/CBC)The new hub will help match those needs with students, alumni and freelancers, she said.They’re already making partnerships with other organizations like Westman Immigrant Services, Brandon’s Community Futures and Winnipeg’s North Forge, she said.Westman has a deep pool of talent that shows “these creative industries don’t always have to go to those big cities,” she said.Meanwhile, Miles said he’s already seen benefits from being a member.He’s designing guitar parts, experimenting with textiles and using new tools that once felt intimidating.“I didn’t understand them, so I didn’t want to use them,” he said of the 3D printers. “Thanks to Derek … I learned about what they’re capable of and it completely changed the way I look at 3D printing.”The CoLab has helped him revive parts of his guitar-building business, including creating pickups with more control and precision. Most importantly, it’s given him a lasting creative community when he graduates, he said.“I’ll still have access to Derek and the learning will continue, the networking will continue and the collaboration will continue,” he said. “It’s not just learning and doing. It’s like bringing people together … the results are always better than doing it alone.”ABOUT THE AUTHORChelsea Kemp is a multimedia journalist with CBC Manitoba. She is based in CBC’s bureau in Brandon, covering stories focused on rural Manitoba. Share your story ideas, tips and feedback with chelsea.kemp@cbc.ca.
Brandons Creative CoLab a playground for makers, students and entrepreneurs
