In June of this year, Paige Romberg and Alex Leite came together to introduce Creative Mode Arts & Play Centre to Kingsville and the surrounding communities. Armed with a love of the arts and a passion for teaching, they were inspired to create a space where children can feel free to be inspired, curious and excited while leading their own learning and creating things that are meaningful to them.
The goal of the centre is to have engaging content, flexibility in planning and to make each child feel seen, heard and appreciated.
The Kingsville Times had a virtual sit-down with Paige and Alex to discuss their business, their plans for the future and so much more!
Kingsville Times:
What was your motivation for starting your business?
Paige and Alex:
We both love the arts and have a passion for teaching. Alex completed his undergrad in 2021 at the University of Windsor in Comprehensive Music, focusing his studies in jazz bass and piano, as well as music education.
Paige completed her undergrad at the University of Windsor in the same year in Drama and Education in Community, with a minor focus in Psychology, and then spent a year studying Early Childhood Education.
We both have taught drama, music, and other arts in countless environments and contexts, from public schools, to private lessons, to community groups.
Through these experiences, we frequently came back to how overly structured the arts can be in some of these contexts, often to the point where music is no longer a hobby for children. Instead it can be a chore they dread, and where art is no longer personal or explorative, but a replicated version of an example to be graded.
KT:
What advice would you give to others who might be considering starting a business?
P&A:
Our advice to someone considering starting their own business would be to do something you love. Starting a business is a lot of work, initially and continuously, and having joy and a passion for what you are doing, and what you’re creating, makes it worth all of the work and stress. Create something you care about, and others will see it, too.
KT:
Who are your target clients?
P&A:
Our target clients are parents of children ages 1-18! We offer programs for all ages of children, as well as music lessons for all ages including adults! People who love arts, education, and fun all packed into one, and are looking for fun music lessons, or for a program for their child after-school or on weekends, are our target clients!
KT:
How would you describe your services?
P&A:
In three words: fun, flexible, educational! We believe in a child-led, process-focused approach, and this is found in all of our programs from Private Music Lessons, to our Group Arts Programs!
We offer after-school and weekend programs in a variety of subjects, from drama and music, to coding and science! We have worked hard to create our programs, curriculum, and philosophy so that we have something for everyone!
KT:
What is your business motto?
P&A:
We don’t necessarily have a motto, but some key phrases we use often:
* We have something for everyone!
* We don’t believe in sacrificing fun for outcomes!
* Making the arts fun!
KT:
What do your clients say about your business?
P&A:
We frequently are told how much fun kids have at Creative Mode! We have an amazing return-rate, as kids truly enjoy their time here and want to come back for something new! From parents’ reviews online, to children not wanting to leave when their program is finished, we can confidently say our clients appreciate us as much as we do them!
KT:
What are your plans for business growth? New services that clients can look out for?
P&A:
We are always in the works creating new programs, so keep an eye on our social media so you can stay up-to-date! As well, our Drop-In programs offer something new each week and do not require repeat registration, so there is always something fresh and fun to stop in and try!
KT:
Any final notes about Creative Mode: Arts & Play Centre?
P&A:
Yes, we have a few:
We don’t believe in sacrificing fun for outcomes — to us, this means that we will always aim to help children learn and grow, but the way and rate in which we do that will look different for each child! If using a specific resource or activity is not enjoyable to them, then we will find a different way!
We fully believe that fun and joy are at the forefront of almost all learning, and that these lead to curiosity, questioning, and wonder, which leads to more, deeper learning! It’s a cycle that we base our planning and teaching around, and in our experience is the best way for kids to learn!
We aim to help children create their own goals and map their ways to reaching them! In music lessons, though we do reference method books and other structured resources, we try not to use them rigidly or exclusively.
This is because each child, each person, learns differently, and therefore using the same book or method, front-to-back, regardless of the age, level, learning-style, or personal goals of the learner, just does not make sense. We instead use personalized materials and exercises based on the learner’s goals and interests!
Current services: Group Drama, Group Music, Art & Mixed Media, Coding, STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art Math), Private Music Lessons, Toddler Music, Birthdays
To contact Creative Mode:
Phone
(226) 340-9263
Address
313 Main Street East
Kingsville, Ont. (Unit 9)
Email
info@creative mode.ca
Website
Creative Mode Arts & Play Centre
Facebook
Creative Mode Kingsville
Instagram
creative.mode.kingsville
Hours of Operation
Mondays: 2-8
Tuesdays: 2-8
Wednesdays: 2-8
Thursdays: 2-6
Fridays & Saturdays: Closed (Reserved for birthdays and private bookings)
Sundays: 9:30am-2pm
All photos provided by Creative Mode Arts & Play Centre