Mission's popular Clarke Foundation Theatre continues to grow as new money trickles in.
An injection of $73,620 from the federal Canada Cultural Spaces Fund will allow the school district, which owns and operates the theatre at Heritage Park Centre, to purchase state-of-the-art equipment.
“Upgrading the Clarke Theatre facility will ensure that the school population and the community of Mission continue to have access to cultural experiences on a regional and national scale," said school district superintendent Bill Fletcher. "These experiences enrich the lives of the community and contribute to the intellectual and cultural enrichment of the students.”
Randy Kamp, MP for Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge-Mission, made the funding announcement last week.
“The Clarke Foundation Theatre is an important cultural facility for residents of the Fraser Valley,” said Kamp. “Since opening its doors in 1996, the theatre has established a proud history of presenting excellent cultural programming. Thanks to this investment, the theatre will now be able to increase the variety of its artistic offerings.”
The Clarke Theatre is the only professional theatre in Mission. Since its opening, it has hosted hundreds of shows, including a Carly Rae Jepsen concert, the Ukrainian Cultural Festival, and veteran CBC comedians Bob Robertson and Linda Cullen.
The Canada Cultural Spaces Fund is run by the Department of Canadian Heritage and seeks to improve arts spaces.