This article – click here or on the title above to read it – reports that School Trustees say there is no money to underwrite upgrades to the Massey Theatre and City Councillors are also not saying much yet as they have plans for quite a different theatre space downtown.
Do the School Trustees and the City Council care about our community? We sure hope they do. And we hope they will think about the community they serve and dedicate serious time and effort to find a way to keep a theatre the size of which is the envy of most other municipalities. Journalists too should spend some serious time reading the reports and discussing the details of these reports in public.
My 10-year old just said: "I love that theatre."
John
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My name is Cassius Khan, and I am an internationally recognized Indian Classical Musician who plays Tabla and is a vocalist of the rather difficult styles of Ghazals, poetry in the lunguage of Hindi and Urdu set to Indian Classical Music.
ReplyDeleteI have made New Westminster my home, because of the warmth of our mayor, the Honourable Wayne Wright, the beautiful city and the Massey Theatre.
As a musician who performs and teaches for a living, it is imperative that we keep the Arts and Culture alive in our city. The Government has already cut so much funding to World Musicians such as myself, that we need to have an Artistic, Cultural, and Musical outlet in our city.
To tear down a facility which is worth over $100 Million for the sake of a school is ridiculous, never in the history of any thriving city has a fully functioning and respectable theatre been torn down.
The Massey is a major contributor in Theatre, Dance, Music and Art. Communities are joined together thanks to the Massey Theatre. The Theatre is well known around the world as well, in my international touring work, I have come across a lot of musicians who have worked with the Massey and have always praised the dynamics, the ambience, staff and sound engineering of the Theatre.
This Theatre also brings in a lot of business, and tourism. The Massey is a Heritage Landmark, an icon that has nurtured the Arts and Music. Not only do people from all over Vancouver come to this theatre to indulge in wonderful programming, people all over the world come as well. And that too, of all world cultures.
Without this facility, the Arts here will die!
We must save our Theatre. If The Massey is torn down, it will be a symbolic teardown of our Cultural and Artistic identity as well.
It is a shame that the City of New Westminster and the public school board would even consider tearing down a facility of this sheer size and reputation.
Money talks. What is the fine print on our $20.00 bill? Look closely and read it, it says:
"Nous connatrions-nous seulement un peu nous- memes, sans les arts?"- COULD WE EVER KNOW EACH OTHER IN THE SLIGHTEST, WITHOUT THE ARTS?- ( Gabrielle Roy, 1909-1983)
in 2007, the Arts contributed $84.6 Billion to Canada's GNP. That's 1.1 million jobs or 7.2% of Canada's employment. ( The Conference Board of Canada, August 26th 2008 report)
Please save this Theatre! As a Musician and proud citizen of New Westminster, this is all we have left in our beautiful city. Please don't tear it down!