Advocacy group wants new performing arts centre in city
By Alexandra Noad - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on September 14, 2024.
As Lethbridge grows, so does its performing arts sector and a new performing arts centre has been on the city’s radar since 2000.The Genevieve Yates Memorial Centre opened in 1966 and has been Lethbridge’s primary performance venue. It can seat 480 spectators and has held a variety of performances from dance recitals to music performances to theatre productions and everything in between.
The Yates was renovated in 2019 which addressed things such as asbestos and improving the electrical and plumbing systems and bringing the building up to code of the 21st Century.
One of the biggest challenge the Yates exhibits is the lack of a fly tower and the size of a stage. Being a smaller stage it is unable to host larger musical theatre and operatic productions.
The University of Lethbridge has the stage size to host larger productions, however being an academic institution, there are very limited days that performers can book as the programs at the university have priority.
Dawn Leite, a former general manager for the Lethbridge Symphony, has been a part of the project trying to have a new arts centre constructed. Over the years she has seen the need for a new centre for the performing arts grow immensely.
“We’re just finding that between the Yates and the University Theatre and the growth of Lethbridge, that we are now at a point, and we have been for at least a decade, if not longer, where there’s limited availability in the calendar to book time for shows,” said Leite.
A new theatre would cost no less than $75 million to construct. The city has been working with the Capital Improvement Program using funding from the Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI) to fund similar projects such as the Spitz Grandstand, Transit Terminal Park n’ Ride and the expansions of the Crossings Branch Library.
The Capital Improvement Program is set to renew in 2027 and Leite hopes the plans for the new Theatre will be included in some capacity.
“We don’t know yet at the magnitude or the scale of which it would be included, but our intent is to ensure that it is included somehow in that project. Our fear is that if it falls off to the side and is not included, it could be very difficult to get it back into that capital planning process. So, any kind of movement forward for us is important,” said Leite.
To help publicize the need for a new arts centre, the Performing Arts Centre Advocacy Group (PACAG) will be hosting an information session where members of the public can watch a short demonstration about PACAG and receive answers to any questions they have, as well as connect with members in the arts community.
“We are looking to provide an update to the community and ask for the community’s support. Many of us on this committee have been with this project for a couple of decades. So we’re looking for some new volunteers who might have skillset to be able to help us with some specific tasks, but also just to bring on community support,” said Leite.
The community open house will be on Sept. 25 in the community room at Casa. While the event is free to attend, people who wish to attend are asked to RSVP by emailing lethbridgepacag@gmail.com
More information on PACAG can be found on Facebook or by visiting http://www.lethbridgeperformingartscentre.org. 2
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