Located on the second floor of the former Park Lock Dim Sum Restaurant in Vancouver’s Historic Chinatown, Left of Main is a vital creative hub dedicated to the live arts. Situated on the unceded and ancestral territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səlil̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, Left of Main exists as a collaborative space where independent dance and performance communities thrive.

Founded by Plastic Orchid Factory in 2013 and officially opened in 2017, Left of Main has been shaped by a vision of cultural equity, accessibility, and collective resilience. The 1,500 sq. ft studio was realized through the leadership of Natalie LeFebvre Gnam, with support from numerous funding bodies including the City of Vancouver, Canada Council for the Arts, Canadian Heritage, and BC Collaborative Spaces.

Left of Main is currently home to six resident companies: Action at a Distance, CADA/West, MascallDance, Electric Company Theatre, Dreamwalker Dance, and Plastic Orchid Factory. Together, they form a creative ecosystem that supports over 4,000 visitors annually. Resident companies have dedicated access to the space for research, creation, and presentation, while hundreds of other artists engage with Left of Main through residencies, performances, rehearsals, and exhibitions—often at low or no cost.

Driven by a mission to combat the displacement of artists and cultural workers in Vancouver, Left of Main provides affordable, safe space for experimental, contemporary, and community-rooted artistic work. The studio has become known for its intimate and vibrant performances—often filled to capacity—and for its active partnerships with local initiatives such as the Chinatown Storytelling Centre, the PuSh Festival, Dancing on the Edge, Vancouver Improvised Arts Society, and Vancouver Asian Heritage Month.

Acknowledging the complexity of operating within a gentrifying neighbourhood on Indigenous land, Left of Main prioritizes truth-telling, education, and accountability. A permanent land acknowledgement is displayed above the studio threshold; each public event includes a verbal acknowledgement with concrete calls to action, and publications integrate Indigenous place-based histories as a core component.

As a cultural anchor, Left of Main champions a shared future rooted in community, accountability, and the transformative power of the arts.