The Cultch

thecultch.com

       

 
The Cultch Historic Theatre

The Cultch Historic Theatre

The TRANSFORM Cabaret Festival.

The TRANSFORM Cabaret Festival.

The York Theatre

The York Theatre

 

For over 46 years, the Cultch has been giving Vancouver theatregoers memories, presenting cutting-edge professional performances as well as creating outstanding community arts and educational initiatives for children, youth, and their families. In an average season, it presents more than 250 events created here in Vancouver and from across the globe, attracting well over 50,000 audience members.

The Cultch operate three theatres, a gallery, and various multi-use spaces in the heart of East Vancouver. The 200-seat Historic Theatre and the intimate black-box Vancity Culture Lab are housed in a renovated church, constructed in 1909 and then transformed into a theatre in the mid-’70s. In 2009, the facility unveiled a $14-million reno that qualified for a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver designation. The heart of the Cultch, the main proscenium stage is famous for its scrollwork balcony has hosted hundreds of performances from here and around the world. 

A few blocks away on Commercial Drive, the York Theatre started its life as The Alcazar Theatre in 1913. Renamed the New York Theatre and rescued from the wrecking ball in 2013, it was renovated to become The Cultch’s 355-seat third theatre space and home to its wildly popular holiday tradition, the East Van Panto.

Helmed by executive director Heather Redfern since 2007, the Cultch hosts shows across genres, including theatre, dance, music, circus, and visual arts, as well as the Transform Cabaret Festival. It has become the home away from home for many local theatre companies in Vancouver, providing performance space and support to lift up the work of smaller companies. 

It’s also made its name for diverse and inclusive programming—a mandate that earned it a 2019 Jessie Richardson Theatre Award: the Vancouver NOW Representation inclusion prize for the deliberate curation and programming of productions that show the city we live in onstage.

The arts hub also offers innovative, youth-driven arts programming and professional development opportunities to aspiring young artists and arts lovers aged 13-26, providing a gathering place for performance and mentorship.

Normally, more than 250 presentations each season are seen by well over 50,000 people at the Cultch.

 
 
 
the cultch
 

Find Company at

1895 Venables St.
Vancouver
V5L 2H6