After hosting 18 parties in the past three weeks, most people would be dead on their feet. Not Rachel Beauparlant. The young entrepreneur is vivacious and energetic as she discusses her newest venture, Breakout Studios. Housed in a 6,000 square foot space at Bayview and Eglinton, Beauparlant and her partner, David Leese (of Loots Lounge), have built Breakout into every artist’s dream space.
Much like Beauparlant’s previous business, HAUS, Breakout espouses the mantra of nurturing Toronto’s up-and-coming talent. We caught up with Beauparlant to chat about her vision and what Toronto can expect from the new spot.
Tell us a little bit about the business. What exactly is Breakout Studios and what was the inspiration?
Basically, it’s an entertainment company, it’s a venue space, it’s a space for emerging talent to come and showcase their pieces and showcase their art, and it’s also a space for kids. And why I’m adding kids into the mix is because I’ve been doing a lot of research in the past six or seven months, and kids become famous on YouTube overnight: we have Idol, we have Glee, we have The X Factor — all these shows where they take the average person and build them up to be a superstar. And I really relate to that. Because when I was younger, if I wanted to be a pop star when I was a kid, where could I go? For example if you want to be a fashion designer, if you want to be a photographer, or you want to record your own music and sing the songs that you identify with on the radio, what kind of specialized institution can you go to where you can live out that dream? So I built Breakout Studios.
What can we expect in terms of nurturing kids’ creativity and expression?
In terms of the kids programming there are after school programs where we’ll do glee classes and pop star classes and fashion styling. We have a dance studio, so we’ll teach dances for kids who want to learn how to dance like Lady Gaga, for example. But on top of that it’s also an event space, so we do Bar Mitzvahs and birthday parties and any type of specialized event.
You have such a wonderful philosophy for supporting artistry. How does that translate into Breakout?
The whole philosophy is the exact same as HAUS: build confidence, be yourself, live your dream — it’s time to break out. So I called it Breakout, because I want it to be a space where people can be free and do what they’re passionate about!
Aside from the kids programs, how do you intend to carry on the work you’ve started with emerging designers and artists in the city?
What I’d really like to start doing is what I did HAUS and start to incorporate designers into this space. I’ve been in the fashion industry for two years now and every event feels the same. You’re in a small, tiny space, sipping on a glass of wine, maybe getting a photo, and it’s either a show or a showcase of pieces in a tiny little gallery space. And I was just like, I want to revolutionize this new genre of space for showcasing talent. I’d like to host events for designers where you can have a party, dance in this huge space, have drinks at a bar in a club atmosphere, but also have pop-up fashion shows, trunk shows, gallery space and fundraisers — even for the artists. I feel like we can really leverage a designer in this space.
How would you describe the vibe and energy of the space?
It’s an interactive experience, and it’s all about the experience. It’s kind of like a rebellious playground that’s very raw. There’s graffiti on the walls, there’s a beautiful cocktail lounge and then this crazy dance floor with light up soda bars. It’s really just a vibrant, colourful space. It’s very out of the box. There’s just nothing like it in the city.
Toronto is so vast entertainment wise; how will Breakout Studios be different from any other entertainment company in the city?
I feel like there’s no real entertainment company in our city that’s giving back to the artists. They do events, you clean up and the the next night you do another event. And there’s nothing that lives on from it. I want this to feel like a space where people can come to showcase their work. I always said at HAUS too, it’s not just about fashion or lifestyle, it’s about celebrating art. And art comes in many different shapes and forms.
Breakout Studios, 1541 Bayview Avenue, 647-708-2933