Behind the Scene: Performing Arts Roundtable

Behind the Scene: Performing Arts Roundtable

The lobby of the Sanderson Centre was full of discussion and ideas, as members of local theatrical, choral, and instrumental groups came together Wednesday, March 2nd. The meeting was called to discuss the possibility of a new mid-sized performance venue in the City of Brantford

This meeting was one of the first steps in identifying a need for a new or restored site in our community. The role of the task force is to research the need for a 200-400 seat venue, as well as researching possible locations and various service models. A report would then be delivered to Brantford City Council.

With the arts community assembled, the task force began a break out session to discuss needs, current issues, and ideas on how to move forward. Many people in the room felt that culture is the backbone of any community and that by working together in an endeavor such as this, the local arts community could create better cultural enrichment for our city.

Having a mid-sized cultural venue would also be helpful to other segments of the community, such as: hosting business speakers/seminars, increasing local tourism, and enabling groups to share space and costs. Many people felt that it was encouraging to see the amount of connection and collaboration in the room.

The next steps for the task force will be to collect and compile all the information gathered from the meeting and analyse the results. They will also start to look at different service models and case reports, then report back to council with all the findings in June. The group is still looking to hear feedback and welcome further discussion and generation of ideas.

For more information, please contact Sara Munroe, Arts & Culture Coordinator for the City of Brantford: smunroe@brantford.ca or 519-751-9900 x5048.

Make sure to Be Seen supporting our local arts and cultural groups!

Submitted by: Jason Freeze
Photography by: Joshua Wall