Submitted. The Gallery 7 Theatre and Performing Arts Society is receiving $22,000 in support thanks to Community Gaming Grants announced Abbotsford West MLA Michael de Jong.
Gallery 7 Theatre is now entering its 24th season of offering the community entertaining and thought-provoking theatre that explores the spiritual, social and relational aspects of the human experience. The theatre offers the community a full season of productions, guest performances and a summer theatre camp program for children and teens. Gallery 7 Theatre also provides a life-affirming, professional venue for both recreational and professional artist to collaborate together in the production of quality theatre, while also training and developing the artistic talents of the next generation of theatre goers and artists.
This season, Gallery 7 Theatre will be producing four main-stage productions including William Golding’s Lord of the Flies in November, William Nicholson’s Shadowlands in January, 2015, the Tony Award-winning musical, Fiddler on the Roof in March and the very compelling, 110 Stories in May, 2015. The season will also feature guest performing artists, Panic Squad & Friends in October, and Christmas Presence in the Valley this December. Christmas Presence is an eclectic mix of seasonal story-telling and music and is a co-presentation with Pacific Theatre of Vancouver.
“There are some huge and exciting changes for Gallery 7 Theatre with the arrival of the new season,” explains Gallery 7 Theatre’s executive/artistic director, Ken Hildebrandt. “Our main performance venue will be the Abbotsford Arts Centre, the community’s premier performance venue, though we will also be partnering with The Reach Gallery & Museum to present 110 Stories.”
“We are very grateful for this grant”, he continues. “It is crucial to helping us provide the community quality arts programming that stirs the heart, challenges the mind and elevates the soul, while keeping theatre affordable and accessible for the entire community.”
“It is important to support the arts, especially at the local level,” said Abbotsford West MLA Michael de Jong. “It provides the opportunity to showcase local talent and nurture creativity right here in our own community.”
These grants have been awarded under the Arts and Culture category of the Community Gaming Grant Program, which allows non-profit organizations to apply for provincial gaming revenues from the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development. Gaming Grants are also awarded in the categories of Sport, Public Safety, Environment and Human and Social Services.
In the 2012/13 fiscal year, our government distributed a total of $135 million in gaming grants for eligible community programs and services.
Organizations interested in applying for Community Gaming Grants can find full application information at pssg.gov.bc.ca/gaming.