BreakOut West Host Committee Works with Arts AccessAbility Network Manitoba to Expand Venue Accessibility Info in Winnipeg

Legacy Project from the 2025 Festival and Conference Adds 11 Venues to Arts AccessAbility Network Manitoba’s Online Directory

The 2025 edition of BreakOut West leaves an important legacy in Winnipeg, this year’s host city. Celebrating the 23rd annual conference and festival, the BreakOut West Host Committee worked with Arts AccessAbility Network of Manitoba (AANM) on accessibility reports for 11 of the festival venues. The reports have been added to AANM’s existing public online directory as well as the venue profiles on Manitoba Music’s site. 

Peter Tonge from Peter Tonge Consulting visited the festival venues to check out their accessibility features, coordinated by Host Committee member Chloe Chafe of Synonym Art Consultation. He looked at elements including wheelchair access, seating options, and accessible washrooms, and spoke with staff to understand how the spaces work and don't work for guests with different needs. 

Arts AccessAbility Network Manitoba is a regional not-for-profit artist-run charitable organization dedicated to the full inclusion of artists and audiences with disabilities into all facets of the arts community.

"Clear accessibility information opens the doors before someone arrives,” says Jenel Shaw, executive director of AANM. “It transforms uncertainty into welcome and barriers into bridges. Inclusion begins with knowing you belong.”

BreakOut West is an annual music event that includes an immersive music development conference and music festival hosted by the Western Canadian Music Alliance. The BreakOut West Festival will be hosted in Victoria in 2026.

Venues added to the directory include Blue Note Park, Into the Music, Park Theatre, Public Domain, Pyramid Cabaret, Royal Albert Arms, Sidestage, The Forks Canopy, The Handsome Daughter, Times Change(d) High & Lonesome Club, and WAG-Qaumajuq. 

This legacy work was done in partnership with BreakOut West’s host city partners, including the Manitoba Government, City of Winnipeg, Tourism Winnipeg, Travel Manitoba, Manitoba Film & Music, and Manitoba Music.

"Music is for everyone, and that means we must work towards arts spaces and music venues being accessible to everyone,” says Vanessa Kuzina, Manitoba Music’s executive director and co-chair of the Winnipeg Host Committee. “Our communities thrive when we work together to create spaces where all people can share in the power of live performance. Thank you to Jenel, AANM, Peter, Chloe, and BreakOut West for doing this important work to take us closer to a more accessible music sector. There’s much more work for us to do.”