West Coast Cultural Lab
We believe creativity brings people together, opens new possibilities, and helps communities grow.
West Coast Cultural Lab is a Vancouver-based nonprofit arts organization connecting people through art, film, storytelling, and creative exploration.
We create opportunities for artists at different stages of their journeys to share their work, experiment with new ideas, and connect with audiences. Through exhibitions, art events, film screenings, community publications, workshops, and collaborative projects, we bring different art forms, perspectives, and generations together.
Our approach is open and interdisciplinary. We embrace traditional practices alongside emerging technologies, exploring how creativity can encourage dialogue, inspire curiosity, and make arts and culture more accessible.
We believe everyone has something to contribute, and meaningful creativity grows when people have the space to participate.
We are not still. Like waves, we carry stories forward.
Community Publication
Through Vancouver On Ink, we share local creatives, poetry, visual art, photography, and community perspectives. Our open calls welcome voices from different backgrounds, creating a space for expression and connection through print.
Arts & Creative Exchange
We bring people together through creative workshops, art gatherings, artist residencies, and collaborative experiences. From hands-on activities to artistic exchanges and shared creative development, we encourage people to experiment, explore new perspectives, and connect across disciplines, cultures, and generations.
Film & Performing Arts
Our screenings, film festivals, and creative programs provide opportunities for artists and filmmakers to share their work, engage with audiences, and spark meaningful conversations.
Art, Science & Technology
We explore the intersections of artistic expression, scientific knowledge, and emerging technologies. Through creative research, experimentation, and interdisciplinary collaboration, we discover new ways to interpret our world and engage with ideas.
Check Our Past Projects
From the West Coast to Everywhere — Creativity Without Limits
We build for community — and with community.
From ink to interface, from local to global — we are a cultural lab shaped by stories, not systems.
MISSION
To bridge art, community, and technology through meaningful, inclusive, and intergenerational projects that inspire creativity, reflection, and belonging.
Mandate
West Coast Cultural Lab is a Vancouver-based non-profit arts organization that brings together artists and communities to create meaningful cultural experiences. Our mandate is to connect generations through art, design, and storytelling, embracing both new technologies and in-person engagement. We foster inclusive, interdisciplinary projects that spark reflection, creativity, and a sense of belonging.
VALUE
Creativity with Purpose
We believe art can create reflection, connection, and change. Every project is designed to be meaningful and relevant to the community.
Inclusion and Belonging
We welcome people of all ages and backgrounds to take part in the creative process, fostering spaces where everyone feels seen and valued.
Collaboration
We bring together professional artists, community members, and partners to co-create works that blend diverse perspectives and disciplines.
Innovation with Humanity
We embrace new technologies and digital tools while keeping human stories, emotions, and relationships at the heart of every project.
Sustainability and Care
We aim to build long-term cultural impact through mindful use of resources, respect for local context, and care for people and community.
Our logo was created with intention, shaped by the same values that guide our work.
Design with intention
Story Behind
The wave forms a W, representing the West Coast, our home. Within it, Morse code spells CLS, short for Cultural Lab Society, and nods to digital culture, comment, like, share.
Morse code once connected people across oceans, just as we use creativity to reach, connect, and listen across time and identity.
Together, the wave and code form an octopus, a symbol of curiosity and adaptability. Like the octopus, we explore many forms, theatre, film, design, community print, and emerging technology, moving fluidly through ideas while staying true to purpose.
We are not still, like waves, we carry stories forward.
Meet Our Team
Yukko Chan – Executive Director & President
Yukko Chan is an interdisciplinary artist, theatre and film director, and cultural producer with over 20 years of experience developing international and community-based arts projects. She founded MyVoice in 2013, leading creative exchanges and original productions across Asia, Europe, and the South/North Americas. Her work includes La Elección, co-created with Latin American artists and toured across five Bolivian cities, alongside documentary films exploring cross-cultural collaboration.
Now based in Vancouver, she is the founder and Executive Director of West Coast Cultural Lab, where she brings together artists, communities, and creative disciplines through film festivals, community publishing, participatory arts, and interdisciplinary projects. Her practice is rooted in making space for diverse voices, encouraging creative exchange, and connecting people through meaningful artistic experiences.
Doris Hung – Secretary
Doris Hung brings a background in construction development, public procurement, and contract law, with deep experience in institutional coordination and governance. She currently works in the construction sector, specializing in legal documentation and administrative systems. Her detail-oriented approach and understanding of compliance support the operational strength of West Coast Cultural Lab Society, ensuring creative work is built on a solid and sustainable foundation.
Gonzalo Echeverri – Treasurer
Gonzalo Echeverri is a multidisciplinary creative with a background in marketing, advertising, and visual storytelling. With years of experience leading campaigns and brand development, he brings strong skills in budgeting, organizational systems, and communications — making him a reliable and forward-thinking Treasurer. Gonzalo is also an active photographer and tattoo artist, whose artistic practice explores identity, symbolism, and the body as canvas, enriching the Lab’s perspective on creative expression.
Mok Chiu Yu – General Director
Mok Chiu Yu is a cultural activist, writer, and pioneer in community-based arts across Asia and North America. He is the founder of the Asian People’s Theatre Festival Society, and has spent decades fostering community arts, intercultural exchange, and artistic activism. His work spans theatre, writing, disability advocacy, and international collaboration, often engaging themes of identity, democracy, and access. Committed to inclusive, people-led artmaking, Mok continues to inspire artists and communities through his vision, humility, and lifelong dedication to social change through culture.
Joyce Lee – General Director
Joyce Lee is an Arts Consultant and Coach making award winning theatre performances internationally for 20 years. Her most iconic work was ZARA, an epic outdoor performance in 2019, with a cast of 100 and a budget close to £1m. Joyce stepped down as Artistic Director of Mind the Gap in 2024. Joyce has expertise in braiding inclusive practice in communicating complex subjects in accessible ways. Her works have been recommended by the Guardian, the Telegrath, BBC the one show.
Peter Ho – General Director
Peter Ho is an ACE-certified personal trainer, fitness coach, and powerlifter who previously served as Head Trainer for Planet Fitness branches across British Columbia. He first became involved with West Coast Cultural Lab through volunteering at our events and contributing fitness and wellness articles to Vancouver On Ink. He now serves as a Director, bringing his experience in wellbeing, community engagement, and accessible participation to WCCL’s work.
Dr. Pak Lun Fung – Advisor
Dr. Pak Lun (Alan) Fung obtained his PhD in Atmospheric Science with the Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR) at the University of Helsinki, Finland in 2022. With a background in scientific research and international collaboration, Dr. Fung offers an interdisciplinary perspective and supports the West Coast Cultural Lab’s commitment to inclusive, knowledge-based cultural dialogue.
If you love community projects and want to be part of our work
Creative Community
If you would like to be the first to receive open calls, collaboration invitations, art event invitations and exclusive discounts, sign up to be part of our Creative Community.
Volunteer Sign-Up
Our projects are made possible with the support of volunteers.
If you’d like to contribute your time and skills, sign up through our Volunteer Form.