For the first time in a long time, Kingston has a third space.
One space in particular: Th1rd Space Collective is a bold, artistic group co-founded in September 2024 by creatives Monzy, ArtSci ’22, and Morgan Grace. They hosted their first Afrobeats music and dance night at Lay Low Café on Sep. 27, 2024, and have since expanded their repertoire to include creative networking events, workshops, a brand-new podcast, and more. A little bit of everything, Th1rd Space is bringing diversity and creative unity to Kingston’s nightlife and artistic community, offering opportunities to connect which feel fresh and exciting.
Grace grew up in Kingston, and Monzy ended up here after graduating from Queen’s in 2022. The pair met through a book of poetry they wrote online with fellow author Adriana Moore (Unifysoul), entitled The Woman With Threee Eyes. ‘We actually wrote it before ever meeting in person,” Monzy said in an interview with The Journal.
Grace and Monzy founded Th1rd Space through the inspiration for their Afrobeats pop-up events at Lay Low, which turn the café-by-day into a vibrant dance floor brimming with fashion, sweat, and good energy. Monzy and Grace were originally driven to host a curated DJ event in the vacant space above Northside Kingston’s former location.
“’We could call it south side, like the flip side,’” Monzy recalled Grace saying to her as they strolled Princess St. one day. “We went, ‘Oh my god, let’s do it.’” Because of Northside’s location change, the two were denied use of the upstairs space, eventually landing on Lay Low.
The name “Th1rd Space” originated from Monzy’s readings about the prohibition era, where alternative spaces like churches, saloons, and theatres became “spaces to create and find pleasure,” she said. “Why don’t we just call it what it is? We’re opening a third space. So that stuck,” Monzy explained.
The “1” in “Th1rd” also carries intention: “We vibrate, all of us, on the same vibration,” Monzy said. “We’re also created to create. We like to centre that, and centre third space in that vibration of oneness, rather than sameness,” Monzy said.
For her, the “1” is a reminder that throughout different events attended by people from all walks of life, that oneness persists.
Th1rd Space also emerged from a void, of sorts. “I think one good business model is filling voids,” Monzy said. “In traditional business, that would be targeting people’s pain points.” In Kingston, Monzy thought clear pain points were a lack of clear spaces to harness creative energy, and a lack of diverse spaces in general.
“The city as a whole really needed diverse spaces with diverse music, and places where dancing is the default,” Monzy said. “There was no reason for that not to be here.”
The collective’s events also offer a space for fashion to thrive in Kingston. As a self-described “multidisciplinary artist,” Monzy said fashion is one of her “favourite things ever.”
“I definitely am intentional about what I’m wearing. I think of how does it intertwine with language? How does it intertwine with movement? The language of the body, dressing the body,” Monzy said. Th1rd Space is unique for its dress codes, often sharing “fit inspo” posts on Instagram ahead of events. Monzy said this addresses concerns from attendees who don’t know what to wear on a night out. “We’re like, ‘Okay, here are the instructions. Here’s the blueprint,’” she said.
In the future, Monzy said Th1rd Space hopes to move further into commercial and business spaces, while still keeping focus on the people they create for. Just this weekend they’re hosting a brand-new fashion show in Kingston, along with another Afrobeats pop-up night of dance. “Of course we want to continue hosting spaces for creatives. And people need to dance, people love to dance,” Monzy said.
Ultimately, it all comes back to Th1rd Space’s mission statement: “We’re all one, creating under the same sun,” Monzy said. Through seasons of sun and snowy weather, Th1rd Space has brought this vision to life in Kingston. As they continue to grow, they’re definitely one creative group to watch.
Tags
Afrobeats, creative, Dance, Music, Nightlife, Th1rd Space, Th1rd Space Collective, third space
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