Massey Theatre site to see addition of 35,000-square-foot Eighth & Eight creative centre
A digital hub, a black-box theatre, and more offer up flexible festival spaces, at New West site
ANCILLARY SPACE IN the Massey Theatre will now be turned into a 35,000-square-foot arts and creative space. The temporary name for the upcoming venue and studios at 735 Eighth Avenue in New Westminster is Eighth & Eight.
Massey Theatre executive director Jessica Schneider, whose venue will manage the space, says the new centre will fill a major need for community arts space in the area. Aside from the Massey, the complex will include the Plaskett Gallery, a black box theatre, a dance and music rehearsal hall, and more. It will take up the majority of the former ancillary space.
“For rehearsing, technical production developmental work and artists engaged in community engaged processes, there is very little space available,” she told Stir. “Much of the performing arts infrastructure in the region is purposed to support production for public presentation. The focus on production and earned revenue from tickets sales sustains the facilities and also compels what goes on in them.
“This facility will focus on activation of artists and community members which will create space and time for creative processes and the enrichment of life through relationship between community and professional artists,” she added. “In short, everything will not result in performance and so a lot of experiment, development, dialogue and exchange will be possible.”
One of the primary aims of Eighth & Eight will be to give a platform for diverse voices. On the leadership team is multimedia artist Ronnie Dean Harris, Indigenous cultural development director.
Amid the programming ideas for the spot: a digital hub to provide infrastructure for performing artists to engage in the digital arts sector; Indigenous cultural development; a We are Multitudes Program for diverse African Heritages; Prismatica, for the LGBTQ2SIA+ spectrum; and low-income-family, global cultural intersections, and senior and youth programs.
Schneider said the new facility is made up of a variety of large and small rooms. “Each area will have be made supportive of live and digital performing arts practices,” she explained. “From sound and video production to projection design labs, performing artists can create in these labs and community members can encounter the work in person and online. There are also new areas for rehearsals, smaller and experimental presentations, social- and food-focused events, master classes, and many more opportunities.
“What is very exciting is the ability to program building wide festivals,” she added. “Imagine a festival environment in each season all under one roof. From the 1,260-seat theatre to the various studios, galleries and gathering spaces, all can host distinct presentations and activities simultaneously to add beautiful volume throughout the season.”
The school space and the historic Massey Theatre were once at risk of demolition. But the city reached an agreement with the province and the school district in 2016 that would see it assume ownership of the Massey. A new $106.5 million replacement school building was constructed on the school grounds, adjacent to the 1949-built original school building; it finally opened to classes early this year.
Related Articles
