CONTEMPORARY CALGARY RECEIVES $750,000 CONTRIBUTION FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA FOR AUDITORIUM RENOVATION.
October 14, 2022
On October 13, 2022, the Government of Canada announced a series of investments in Calgary through the Community Revitalization Fund, including a generous contribution to Contemporary Calgary to renovate and restore the former Pleiades Theatre.
This support from the Government of Canada unlocks tremendous potential for our auditorium to not only be a place for amazing contemporary art, but also help us realize new community partnerships to activate and animate this historic auditorium in our city.
The first director of the Planetarium, Sig Weiser, had a huge passion for the performing arts, particularly music. The auditorium was originally planned as a science lecture hall, but because the Celestial Dome Theatre served this function so well, Sig decided to open the lecture hall to a broader community and started booking musicians and live theatre acts into the space. This spark set flame to a torch that was carried by Calgary theatre legends Georgie Collins and later Stephen Hair, and the legacy of the Pleiades Theatre lives on today as Vertigo Theatre at the Calgary Tower Centre.
We are excited to channel Sig’s original vision in the restoration of our auditorium so that it can continue to serve and inspire our citizens and visitors with rich and diverse artistic programming right here in our city. The auditorium renovation project is expected to be complete by March 31, 2023.
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Media Contact:
Sarah Philpott
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
sarah@contemporarycalgary.com
403-770-1356