Arts Club Theatre Company and Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival open the BMO Theatre Centre November 26
VANCOUVER, B.C.— On November 26, the Arts Club Theatre Company and Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival will open the BMO Theatre Centre to the public with the Arts Club’s production of Peter and the Starcatcher. The Centre, a custom-built facility at 162 West 1st Avenue, houses the corporate offices for both companies, as well as a state-of-the-art theatre, the Goldcorp Stage. The BMO Theatre Centre also features two costume shops and four rehearsal and performance studios, which will help to foster the growth of the Arts Club, Bard on the Beach, and the community, with spaces available for rent six months of the year. This new facility would not be possible without the help of many supporters and sponsors, including BMO Financial Group, Goldcorp, Industrial Alliance Financial Group, the City of Vancouver, the Province of BC, and Heritage Canada.
“BMO Financial Group is thrilled to have its name associated with such stellar theatre stars as Arts Club Theatre Company and Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival,” said Mike Bonner, Senior Vice-President, BC & Yukon, BMO Bank of Montreal. “Our contribution to the BMO Theatre Centre is the most significant theatre sponsorship we’ve made in B.C. and the first naming of a building in the province. It fits well with our significant support of entertaining and culturally relevant theatre across Canada.”
“We are proud to be a naming sponsor for this contribution to the local arts community,” said Christine Marks, Director of Corporate Communications, Goldcorp. “At Goldcorp, we believe it’s important to give back and contribute to healthy, vibrant and engaged communities everywhere we have operations. It has been a privilege to work alongside the Arts Club and Bard on the Beach to make this project a reality, and we look forward to continued success in the future.”
“First as a Production Sponsor and then as the naming sponsor at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage, Industrial Alliance has been has been a strong supporter of the Arts Club Theatre Company for 15 years,” said Paul Tatay, Senior Vice President, Industrial Alliance Financial Group. “We were so pleased to be able to continue our important partnership with the Arts Club, and to invite a new relationship with Bard on the Beach, through a gift to their newest theatre in Olympic Village.”
ABOUT THE ARTS CLUB
The Arts Club Theatre Company, founded in 1964, is Canada’s largest not-for-profit urban theatre company. Led by Artistic Managing Director Bill Millerd and Executive Director Peter Cathie White, it offers professional theatre at three venues—the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage, Granville Island Stage, and Goldcorp Stage at the BMO Theatre Centre—as well as on tour throughout the province.
ABOUT BARD ON THE BEACH
Bard on the Beach is Western Canada’s largest not-for-profit professional Shakespeare festival. Established in 1990 and led by Artistic Director Christopher Gaze and Executive Director Claire Sakaki, Bard’s mission is to perform, explore and celebrate the genius of William Shakespeare. The Festival is staged every summer in Vanier Park, surrounded by Vancouver’s natural beauty. Bard also offers a variety of year-round educational programs serving children, youth, adults, and theatre professionals.
CONTACT
Amy Lynn Strilchuk, Publicist, Arts Club Theatre Company. 604.687.5315 or [email protected]. High-resolution images are available for download at artsclub.com/media. The username is journalist and the password is photos4media.
Heather Kennedy, Director of Marketing and Communications, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. 604.737.0625 or [email protected]