Ontario’s Museum London has secured partial funding for a CA$3.5m (US$2.7m, €2.4m, £2m) ‘arts incubator’ for the city.

The new space, which will be housed inside an expansion to the existing arts museum, will sit on the side of the museum facing the Thames River, which flows through Ontario.

“More than a gallery space”, the extension dubbed Centre at the Forks will be used as an interactive learning and creating hub for artists and the community at large.

London-based Nicholson Sheffield and Toronto-based Baird Sampson Neuert have been tapped to design the expansion, with construction and renovation expected to start by early 2017.

The museum has secured an initial CA$300,000 (US$227,000, €203,000, £175,000) in funding, with museum promising that the centre will “revitalise” its look and feel, helping to “create a vibrant new cultural and community gathering place.” The museum hopes to secure further funding from the Canadian government, as well as community foundations, businesses and private donors.

“More and more people are looking for some kind of participatory experience – hands-on, making something as opposed to just seeing,” said Museum London executive director Brian Meehan, speaking at a press conference. “We’re doubling our programme space, so we’re creating more space in the museum for those kind of activities to take place.”