Granville Island Arts Presenter Takes Centre Stage With Creative Upgrades

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Oct. 17, 2014) - Department of Canadian Heritage

Funding of $165,000, provided through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund has helped complete renovations to the Carousel Theatre for Young People (CTYP) on Granville Island. An official ribbon-cutting ceremony took place today at the newly upgraded theatre space, where Nina Grewal, Member of Parliament (Fleetwood-Port Kells), announced the funding on behalf of the Honourable Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages.

The renovated space includes a new rehearsal hall and an expanded and upgraded costume shop. The new rehearsal hall will give the CTYP an enhanced ability to create and rehearse their work, providing audiences with access to professional theatre with higher production values. The expanded costume shop will let the CTYP accommodate a full build for their larger-scale productions, as well as allow other theatre companies to use these resources.

Quick Facts

• The CTYP, incorporated in 1976, has been located on Granville Island since 1981.
  
• The company provides programming for approximately 40,000 young people and their families each season. Over the past six seasons the CTYP has received 12 Jessie Awards to recognize achievement in professional theatre in Vancouver, as well as 60 nominations in the Theatre for Young Audiences category.
  
• The Canada Cultural Spaces Fund seeks to improve physical conditions for artistic creativity and arts presentation or exhibition. It is also designed to increase access for Canadians to performing arts, visual arts, media arts, museum collections, and heritage displays.

Quotes

"Our Government is committed to improving conditions that foster creativity through our Canada Cultural Spaces Fund. Through renovations to the Carousel Theatre for Young People, we are helping provide much-needed creative spaces to help foster an appreciation across generations for life-long creativity and learning."

-The Honourable Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages

"This project addresses an important need for theatre spaces not only for young people, but for other artists and theatre companies throughout Metro Vancouver. It will continue to help cement Vancouver's future as a bright, dynamic city that prioritizes engagement in arts and theatre."

-Nina Grewal, Member of Parliament (Fleetwood-Port Kells)

"The Carousel Theatre for Young People renovation creates so many exciting opportunities for theatre artists and our theatre school students. This renovation has been a dream for five years, and it is thrilling to see it come to fruition and to see the incredible impact that it will have on CTYP and our community for many years to come."

-Carole Higgins, Artistic Director, Carousel Theatre for Young People

Associated Links

Carousel Theatre for Young People

Canada Cultural Spaces Fund

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