Community Canvas to support Run For All

Community Canvas is a marquee-hire company based in Leeds that stands out for its eco-friendly and socially driven approach. As well as being experienced in a range of events, Community Canvas channels 100% of profits back into creative arts, sustainability projects and community work via its umbrella organisation, Open Source Arts. This year, Community Canvas is proud to be supporting Jane Tomlinson’s Run For All in Leeds and Sheffield with furniture for its races. 

For over a decade, Community Canvas has been working with third sector organisations, including community groups, schools, charities, and social enterprises, providing marquees for their events. Through years of experience working through word-of-mouth recommendations, the company has expanded its client base across Yorkshire, while maintaining its commitment to giving back to the community.

With its fleet of a large range of marquees, from small garden marquees to large festival  marquees as well as flooring, lighting, furniture and decoration, Community Canvas offers a professional and affordable service that also has a positive impact resting on three pillars: Community, Creativity and Sustainability. 

Community 

Beyond the events themselves, Community Canvas has a tangible impact on the social fabric of West Yorkshire. By actively engaging with the community, it fosters a sense of togetherness and creates spaces where people can gather, celebrate, be entertained, share stories, and meet new people. Every individual who hires a marquee becomes part of Open Source Arts' mission to support artists and their work within the community, themselves giving back to the community through their hire.

Creativity 

Community Canvas firmly believes that a more creative community is a stronger and better connected one. Supporting local artists is vital to the cohesion and identity of an area, yet many working in the creative sector are faced with unstable and under-paid work. This is why Community Canvas employs freelancers from the creative and cultural sector for jobs and pays them a living wage. This provides meaningful and flexible work within  the creative sector which gives back to the community through inclusive workshops, events and performances hosted by Open Source Arts. 

Sustainability 

Community Canvas believes in truly LEADing, Letting Every Action Demonstrate that we all have a responsibility to make changes in our lives – however great or small – and push for greater systems change from those in positions of power.

With this commitment to sustainability, Community Canvas has set itself on the path to Net Zero Carbon by 2030 as part of Open Source Arts’s Roadmap. The emissions of every marquee hire have been calculated  including travel to event destinations and the footprint of the Community Canvas website. 

For every large marquee hire, a tree is planted in a Yorkshire woodland in partnership with local co-operative forestry organisations to offset carbon emissions that cannot be minimised any further. Community Canvas hirers are invited to participate in the tree planting alongside the marquee team, contributing to local community development and being a part of the story.

The Net Zero Roadmap also includes a number of carbon reducing projects which include an on-site greenspace at Open Source Arts, Kirkstall Valley Grants, becoming a collection point for Terracycle, implementing a Meat Free Venue policy, and leading sustainability stewardship in the community. 

“Community Canvas was created for events that are run by the community, for the community. We’re thrilled to be working with the Jane Tomlinson Appeal to help out with their races. Working with local organisations that are making a positive difference is exactly what Community Canvas was created for.” said Philip Marken, Founder of Open Source Arts.

For marquee hire from Community Canvas visit: Marquee Hire Leeds, Affordable Marquee Hire - Community CanvasFor more information about Open Source Arts visit: Open Source Arts | Creating Opportunities for Collaboration and Learning for Everyone