Taking up residence across Etherington House and other off-site locations from 1 January to 31 March 2024, Wee Bit Off Centre is an embryonic art centre and a gathering place for its own imagining.

This project brings together interested publics to blue-sky art institutions. Guided by research into art institutions and a utopian mood, we collectively shape and rehearse institutional practices, organizational structures and spatial arrangements towards a forward-dreaming, forever-emerging, always-disappearing art centre. We are curious where we might end up when we orient our art institutions differently, towards, say, polyvocal stewardships, alternate metrics of failure, more iterative ways of working.

Public events infolded as part of Wee Bit Off Centre include a workshop on “Rejection,” karaoke socials and a screening series, with other programming to come out of public input.

Tear Jerkers is a collaboration between Michelle Bunton and GHY Cheung. Since 2019, their projects have examined art institutional practices through the critical lens of hospitality, as well as the relationship between queer aesthetics and the formation of counter-publics.

Curated by Nasrin Himada, Associate Curator, Academic Outreach and Community Engagement

Related programs

Call for co-directors of Wee Bit Off Centre
Apply by 17 December

Everything Sounds like Crying Eventually: a karaoke party
In-Person, 11 January, 6–9 pm, at Agnes (Etherington House)

Workshop: Re rejection
In-Person, 18 January, 6–8:30 pm, at Agnes (Etherington House)

A Screening Series
Sorry I’m late I didn’t want to come
4 February, 2–3:30 pm, at The Screening Room
Co-presented with ReelOut: Kingston’s queer film + video festival.

Atrophied Objects: A Re-Purposing Sculpture Workshop
12 March, 11:30–4 pm, at Agnes (Etherington House)

This one’s coming to an end: Wee Bit Off Centre Open House
Open House
26–28 March 2024
Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 am–4:30 pm; Thursday, 10 am–9 pm

Closing Karaoke Party
28 March, 5:30–8:30 pm

Hero image: Portrait of Tear Jerkers