Canvas Closes: The Riverside Club Announces Its Departure From The Industry
Nights like these at Canvas will be missed by many (Credit: Canvas Facebook page)
Unforgivingly, the pandemic’s clutch on the nightlife industry has claimed another victim. Canvas, an institution that’s worn many hats over the years, has announced its inevitable closure. The riverside spot in Clarke Quay has revealed (in a Facebook announcement) that it stood its ground for nine months with hopes of reopening, but it now has to throw in the towel due to overwhelming financial pressure. Its departure follows the loss of other significant establishments since the pandemic hit, including Kult Kafe and Telok Ayer Arts Club.
Canvas pushed for underground genres like techno and psy-trance (Credit: Canvas Facebook page)
First launched in July 2014, Canvas made headlines as a venue that deviated from the reputation of the address’ former tenant, Home Club. Canvas effectively carved out its own niche as more than just any ordinary club, but a multi-disciplinary habitat that housed all sorts of cultures, including art exhibitions, fashion shows, vinyl bazaars and comedy nights.
Several collectives used the versatility of the space to throw their own events (Credit: Canvas Facebook page)
As a musical playground, Canvas was a pivotal force that helped bring several communities together. Veering away from more commercial genres, the ambitious space united tranceheads with its regular Transition events, the hip-hop crowd with its .WAV(Y) sessions, and other pockets of the scene with techno, indie, reggae, and drum & bass affairs. It was a place where collectives could experiment with intriguing pop-ups, backed by a robust soundsystem and flexible domain. For lack of nailing down one core musical identity, Canvas became an inclusive entity that welcomed the challenge of many. And for that, it’ll always have the respect of the scene, no matter where it may go from here.
