Soul Space Arts Collective explores spirituality through visual and therapeutic arts within a socially engaged and inclusive framework. We are located on the traditional lands of the Lekwungen peoples (Victoria BC) and approach our work with a deep respect for place, relationship, and responsibility. Active in the North Park Neigbourhood surrounding the 900 Block of Pandora, we believe that creativity is inherent in everyone, whether or not one identifies as an artist, and we gently invite artistic ways of seeing into meaningful dialogue with spiritual life and community practice.
With the support of Saint John the Divine Anglican Church, Soul Space Arts Collective is nurturing an evolving arts presence that weaves together creativity, contemplation, and a commitment to social justice. The church offers space for for rotating display of local art within the sanctuary, and a “Little Cabinet Gallery” for small works. In collaboration with dedicated volunteers, we are also developing welcoming gallery-quality exhibition space that reflects the care and intention at the heart of this work.
Our programming includes Soul Space workshop retreats, a Youth Art Studio, and facilitated learning experiences designed to foster deeper connection to self, community, and the natural world. Through art, beauty, and lived experience, participants are invited into processes of reflection, expression, and shared discovery. Rooted in both visual and therapeutic arts practices, our work unfolds within a historically significant heritage space that is itself part of the creative and spiritual encounter.
Saint John the Divine is a progressive, 2SLGBTQIA+ affirming community committed to social justice and the ongoing work of Truth and Reconciliation. While grounded in this context, Soul Space Arts Collective embraces a spiritually expansive approach, welcoming people of diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and ways of knowing.
The collective is co-founded by Cornelia van Voorst, a contemporary visual artist, Artist Advocate, and theopoetic practitioner, and Ruth MacIntosh, a Family and Formation Minister with a professional background in youth and mental health. Both are certified Therapeutic Arts Practitioners through the Canadian International Institute for Art Therapy (CiiAT), and together they bring a thoughtful and compassionate integration of creativity, care, and community engagement.
We warmly welcome opportunities to connect, collaborate, and grow this work alongside others who share a commitment to art, social justice, and spiritual exploration.