SPACED OUT: TAPA HELPS
THEATRE COMMUNITY DEAL WITH LOSS OF SPACE
Space for all the various theatres around town is
often in varying supply—mainly because of the cost.
Margo Charlton reports on the options available to an important
arts sector.
Theatre needs space and lots of it. In the 1970's and 80’s,
Theatre Passe Muraille, Factory Theatre and Tarragon Theatre
founded their homes in drafty old buildings in sketchy neighbourhoods.
Then came the arduous task of maintaining and improving
these sometimes crumbling and creaky buildings, but the
payoff has been more security, stability and control over
their own space. The visionaries that started these theatres
understood that new work needs space that is affordable,
accessible and can allow for experimentation. In the last
40 years more companies have emerged with mandates to create
new work and more spaces have emerged to accommodate the
growth.
But the intersection of theatre and old buildings has hit
a snag. It is not only theatre that is growing in Toronto.
There is a real estate boom and theatre and property values
don’t mix well. The condo boom going on in downtown
Toronto is threatening the Queen West and King West neighbourhoods.
Next month, Artword Theatre, home of many independent producers
and small theatre companies, will close their doors just
before the wrecking crews come in to clear the site for
a condo development. This will be a major loss for producers
with small budgets. The Theatre Centre, a haven for experimental
work, is facing the possibility of having to leave when
their lease expires even though they have just undergone
renovations to create a flexible space with good technical
capabilities. Another loss for alternative theatre. Further
north, the Poor Alex has closed and despite efforts from
the Fringe Festival to create a small theatre it looks very
likely that the space will be converted into a cabaret bar.
Both of these signal further losses for the theatre community.
Across town in the Distillery District there is good news,
however: Soulpepper Company, in partnership with George
Brown College, opened the Young Centre for the Performing
Arts in January. A $14M state-of-the-art theatre and training
complex, the new space is now home for Soulpepper’s
shows, giving them the opportunity to operate year round
plus launch the Soulpepper Academy to train theatre artists.
While other producers have the opportunity to rent rehearsal
or performance space, rental times may be limited and the
space may be beyond the budget restrictions of some small
independent companies.
One way for groups to have control over their space is
to buy it or build it. Currently, the only way that the
non-profit cultural sector can purchase property is through
a mix of government grants, private sector fundraising and
mortgages. Of these three, none are by any means simple
to achieve or guaranteed to succeed. More importantly, this
funding typically takes years to assemble, which means that
organizations cannot respond quickly to opportunities that
arise. Taken from Cultural Facilities Investment
Fund information sheet, TAPA, December 5, 2005.
In order to address this situation, Toronto Alliance for
the Performing Arts (TAPA), a membership-based organization
representing 162 theatre, dance and opera companies in Toronto,
has brought together some of the people concerned about
the need for stable and affordable theatre space. Subsequently
TAPA has formed the Cultural Facilities Investment Fund
to explore ways to engage private sector investors in cultural
facilities. This is good news for small companies who do
not have the infrastructure to launch or manage long tem
capital projects. An investment fund could appeal to individual
investors who could benefit from capital cost allowance.
Small theatres, separately or in partnerships, who wish
to own their own building and feel less at the mercy of
the real estate roller coaster ride, might find some hope
in this new initiative from TAPA. For more information about
the Cultural Facilities Investment Fund contact Jacoba Knappen
at 416-536-6468 or 1-800-541-0499 or jacobak@tapa.ca
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