The ACT/UCT recently presented a cheque for $7,500 to Peacock principal Dustin Swanson, with the funds earmarked for the theatre’s stage area.
It’s the latest improvement as part of the Centennial Auditorium Renewal Campaign that has seen the heavily-used facility go through wholesale improvements over the last couple of years.
“As someone who is in the building on a regular basis, I know it’s a very important facility not only for Peacock students, but the community of Moose Jaw and surrounding communities,” said ACT/UCT Council 1027 president Mark Gilliland, who also works as an education assistant at Peacock. “You have the dance festivals that take place, there are hundreds if not thousands of dancers and parents and family members that use that facility.
“So we know it’s very worthwhile because it serves so many people and it’s such a good facility now. It’s money well spent and will be for many years in the future, and that’s why we wanted to do what we could to help out.”
The funds will help towards completing phase two of the project, which includes new stage rigging, lighting, upgrades to the curtains and various other improvements. Phase one was completed last year and involved all seating, house lighting and flooring, with the improvements quickly garnering rave reviews.
“It’s really a centrepiece for performing arts for youth, and it’s exciting to know we’re going to keep it as an open, available space for youth and they’re going to be working with contemporary equipment,” said Peacock principal Dustin Swanson.
“It’ll be a great space for audiences as well, we had our musical here and Central had their musical here before Christmas, and everyone was impressed with the comfort that the upgraded seating provided. It’s a huge change to the experience you have as a user of the facility and that’s just going to continue once phase two is finished.”
It’s hoped the latest round of work will start soon and the auditorium will be ready for when schools start staging performances in the late fall.
“We’re very close,” Swanson said. “The board has been very supportive of the work that needed to be done and the community has really rallied around to be supportive as well, with many individuals and businesses stepping up to partner with us. It’s going to be a great performance space for the next 100 years for anyone in the community or in the school.
“It’s very exciting to see it coming forward.”
And donations like this have helped it all come along that much faster.
“This is a big piece you maybe wouldn’t see as an audience member, but certainly as a user of the facility, it’s a critical part for how you put together a show,” Swanson said. “So the fundraising continues and we’re extremely grateful to the ACT/UCT for their donation to support the renovation project.”
