Backroom Creative Space was founded in 2022 by a group of friends who share a passion for art and design. It aims to provide a physical and online platform for creative and artistic explorations, particularly for those who have just started their craft or have not yet publicly showcased.
A past exhibit, “Puro Drawing Lang,” served as an avenue for student artists to put out their works and build their portfolios.
As a prerequisite to entering most, if not all established galleries, you need an experience-based portfolio and past exhibition participation. Backroom Creative Space aims to be a welcoming space for all artists.
Despite its recent presence, Backroom Creative Space has already built a supportive and active community, especially with the youth. It has also attracted various art collectives, collectors, and academic groups, having exhibited different art forms ranging from traditional drawing to digital art, tattoo and body piercing, and mixed media.
Also founded by friends in 2022 is Starthub, an old five-story student dormitory renovated and converted into a creative hub. Currently, it has a coffee shop, creative space, CrossFit gym, units for rent, self-photography studio, recording studio, and open studio. These ventures are the passion projects of its founders.
Starthub aims to create an ecosystem of creative and hospitality spaces within the building, which provides services within reach. These ventures sometimes collaborate and overlap during events to gather like-minded people and strengthen its community.
Backroom Creative Space and Starthub is located at 395 Adela Street, San Miguel, Manila. Check out Backroom Creative Space on Instagram @backroom.creativespace and Facebook. Contact Starthub at 0917 800 7684.
Photos by Joana Dela Cruz