2+U
THE STUDIO AT 2+U
previous arrow
next arrow

ABOUT 2+U | FAQs | RESIDENT SPOTLIGHTS | MEET OUR JURORS

Shunpike facilitates the use of a dedicated 1,100 sq. ft. workshop, rehearsal, and presentation space at 2+U in downtown Seattle (2nd Ave & University Street). The Studio was created with underserved creative communities in mind, those most affected by gentrification and displacement, and is available at no cost to selected musical and movement artists.

RESIDENCY PROGRAM

Applications for Q1 2027 (January-March) are now open!

Applications are due Sunday, November 29, by 11:59 PM.

Every quarter, we welcome new or returning artists and artist groups to use The Studio free of charge. Artists can utilize the space to generate and rehearse new work, host small events such as performances, classes, and exhibitions, or just exist in a distraction-free environment. Each artist or arts group gets the studio to themselves for a minimum of 4 hours once a week for up to three months.

Program Info & Expectations

POP-UP EVENTS

No-Cost Short-term Use

We welcome proposals from artists and arts groups for one-time events. Spaces available include The Studio and the adjacent outdoor plaza areas at the 2+U building at 1201 2nd Ave, Seattle.

The Studio, which is the only indoor space, is typically available on Saturdays from 6:00–10:00 PM. An option to request alternate days and times is provided in the application form.

We encourage local artists and arts groups to submit proposals at least six months in advance. We review applications on a rolling basis..

RESIDENT SPOTLIGHTS

ABOUT 2+U

2+U is a 38-story high skyscraper office building located in Seattle’s Central Business District occupying most of the city block bounded by First and Second Avenue with spectacular views to the south, east, and west. At 2+U, you’re steps away from local restaurants, Pioneer Square, The Waterfront, and entertainment that makes Seattle unique, paired with 2+U’s Urban Village, 2+U is the best the city has to offer. Found below the lifted office tower, the Urban Village is Seattle’s newest outdoor, open-air, pedestrian-friendly neighborhood experience with flexible indoor/outdoor retail and events that celebrate the surrounding arts and creative community.

THE STUDIO

The Studio is a dedicated space within the Urban Village for the local arts community to practice, perform, and exhibit their work.

Features:

  • 1,100 sq ft
  • Hardwood floors
  • Single restroom
  • Bluetooth-enabled sound system

MEET OUR JURORS

Shaudi Bianca Vahdat is a composer, musician, producer and theatre artist. She is also a digital and social media marketer specializing in the arts. 

Shaudi holds a M.M. in Contemporary Performance from Berklee College of Music and a B.A. in Drama Performance from the University of Washington Seattle. 

She has performed and/or composed for organizations like Washington Ensemble Theatre, The Bushwick Book Club, Book-It Repertory Theatre, Seattle Arts & Lectures, The Horse in Motion and Opera House Arts in Stonington, Maine. She has also produced and released studio albums of her original work.

Shaudi served as a Fall 2024 Artist-in-Residence at Inscape Arts, and presented her original work The Golden Door: an American immigrant song cycle in Spring 2025 at Seattle Center as part of the Artists at the Center program. She currently serves as an advisor for the City of Seattle’s ARTS at King Street Station program. shaudibiancavahdat.com | IG: @shaudibianca

Gabriel Teodros is a storied emcee, producer, and DJ from South Seattle who first made a mark with the group Abyssinian Creole, and reached an international audience with his critically acclaimed solo debut Lovework. He has been setting stages on fire ever since, all across the US, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Ethiopia and South Africa; often in combination with workshops on creative writing, music, history, science fiction and media literacy.

His latest album, From The Ashes of Our Homes, opens with a reflection on the day Teodros and his spouse fled from an actual house fire, and expands to a full-length meditation on the loss of home and safety so many of us experienced these last few years as a result of wars, the pandemic, the climate catastrophe, and more – and how do we build something new from the ashes of all of our collective homes.

Focusing again on collective work throughout 2025 and 2026, Teodros has delved into the production side of music more than ever before, and now has full-length projects set to be released with Prometheus Brown, Rell Be Free, Dakota Camacho and the long-awaited return of Abyssinian Creole – all being launched under the collective banner of People Need Water.

For more information, tap into gabrielteodros.com, and to catch his mixes, head to gabrielteodros.substack.com

Nia-Amina Minor is a movement artist, choreographer, curator, and educator originally from Los Angeles. Her work focuses on the body and what it carries using physical and archival research  to converse with memory. She approaches her practice as an imaginative space grounded in rhythm where improvisation and choreography meet. Nia-Amina has received regional and national commissions for her choreographic and film work and has a working background as a performer and dramaturg.

She has presented original work at University of Washington, The Luminary St. Louis, Seattle Art Museum, WaNaWari, Seattle Black Film Festival, Seattle International Dance Festival (SIDF), Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Minnesota Dance Theater. Nia-Amina is co-founder of Black Collectivity, a collaborative project that curates and creates movement-based experiences that celebrate memory and culture. She is currently on faculty at Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University and is the Curating Artist in Residence at Velocity Dance Theater. Nia-Amina was a company member at SDT from 2016-2021

As a performer, Nia-Amina has worked with artists such as dani tirrell, Zoe Juniper, Will Rawls, Alice Gosti, Keyes Wiley, and Amy O’Neal. From 2016-2021 she was a Company Artist at Spectrum Dance Theater under the direction of Donald Byrd. Nia-Amina has also provided dramaturgical assistance to choreographers Jade Solomon-Curtis and Donald Byrd. In her work as a curator, she has developed programming at On the Boards, Wa Na Wari, Velocity, and Base, and Friends of the Waterfront Park. From 2014-2016, she was a co-founder and curator of Los Angeles-based collective, No)one Art House. As an educator, she has taught, guest lectured, and been a visiting artist at Cornish College, University of Minnesota, CalArts, University of Washington, Western Washington University, Saddleback College, Cypress College, and UC Irvine. Nia-Amina received her MFA in Dance from UC Irvine and a BA from Stanford University.  She was Dance Magazine’s 25 Artists to Watch in 2021, and one of Seattle Magazine’s Most Influential People in 2025. Nia-Amina is currently on faculty at Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University and is the Curating Artist in Residence at Velocity Dance Theater.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The Studio at 2+U is a free artist-centered rehearsal, workshop, and presentation space in Downtown Seattle. Artists use The Studio space to rehearse, create new work, collaborate, host publicly accessible performances and classes, and have focused time to experiment.

The Studio is managed by Shunpike and helps address Seattle’s critical shortage of affordable arts and culture spaces by providing no-cost access to a dedicated studio space designed to support performing artists.

The Studio was created as part of the 2+U developers’ public benefit obligation to the City of Seattle. With permission from the City, the developer purchased and eliminated the alley that originally ran north-south through the entire block. As part of the alley-use change, the developer was legally required to provide a long-term amenity to offset the loss of public space.

In consultation with Seattle’s Cultural Space Agency, developers chose to create The Studio as one way to meet their public benefit obligations.

To apply for a residency at The Studio at 2+U, submit an application here.

Residencies are a minimum of 3 months, with a dedicated time block each week.

Yes! Artists and groups can apply to host an event here.

The Studio is available for events on Saturdays from 6 PM – 10 PM on a first-come, first-served basis. Other days are reserved for resident artists. Reservations must be made 4-6 weeks in advance.

Artists are expected to review and consent to the following requirements during their residency/events:

  • Track Activities + Complete Event Report
    • Artists agree to track activity and the number of guests hosted during events as part of the 2+U Artist Program requirements.
    • The program manager will request a brief summary and photos of your activity post-event.

The Studio:

  • Capacity: 49>
  • 1100 Sq Ft

  • (25) Chairs
  • (2) folding tables
  • (1) Bluetooth speaker system
  • (2) Portable Mirrors
  • (1) Private Restroom

If Taking Public Transportation:
The Studio is 1 stop from the Symphony Light rail station.

If Driving: 

Address: The Studio at 2+U: 1203 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98101

Parking Garage: Entrance to the paid parking garage at 2+U is on Seneca Street between 1st Ave & 2nd Ave. Please note there are very few parking spaces available during the day.

Street Parking: Street parking is available on all sides of the building. Note: Street Parking on 1st Ave & 2nd Ave ends at 3 pm M-F, and tow trucks will remove cars left unattended after 3 pm.

  • 2+U has Security 24/7 and patrols every hour. 
  • Doors lock automatically. There is a deadbolt and black curtains that you may pull for more privacy.
  • Security cameras are inside and around The Studio.