The Mae Wilson Theatre has some new swag available for fans to purchase, as the local jewel is one of the nine new venues featured in the latest merchandise release from the Sask Venues Project.
Organized by SaskMusic to help support Saskatchewan venues during COVID-19, the project has created a range of limited-edition T-shirts themed after small venues across the province and designed by local artists.
The first wave of limited edition merchandise launched earlier in July with a preorder window that sold out incredibly quickly, and now SaskMusic has released a second set of shirts featuring more venues — including the Mae Wilson Theatre.
Designed by Jared Robinson of Nebulus Entertainment from here in Moose Jaw, the custom shirt features the iconic lettering of the Mae Wilson’s marquee and the theatre’s establishment date of 1916, a nod to its cultural significance and history.
“It's great to have local talent being commissioned for that, and it’s pretty awesome to be included,” said Moose Jaw Cultural Centre executive director Derik Cronan.
One hundred per cent of sales from the custom shirts will be returned to the venues directly, as the Sask Venues Project was created to be a support campaign for venues, who were closed entirely due to the pandemic and are still struggling to reopen under the restrictions.
For a place like the Mae Wilson, any kind of support during such a tough time is welcome and much appreciated, said Cronan.
“It's great that they recognize the industry and found a way to give back to communities all across Saskatchewan, regardless of venue size,” said Cronan. “They have a huge variety of venues included in this project and we’re fortunate to be one of them.”
The Mae Wilson Theatre inspired t-shirt from the Sask Venues Project, designed by Jared Robinson of Nebulus Entertainment. (photo from Sask Venues Project website)The Cultural Centre, like many others, closed its doors to the public this spring during the initial lockdown. Cronan estimated that since then, about 60 shows on the theatre’s calendar have been either postponed or cancelled entirely.
The venue is just beginning to get back on its feet, with the building open to the public in July and a handful of shows returning to the schedule for this fall, but Cronan said that doesn’t mean the Cultural Centre is out of hot water yet.
“Even as we do get back to presenting shows, it's very difficult for us because at 30 per cent capacity and the cost for us to present these shows, we’re basically just trying our best to break even at this point,” said Cronan.
Max capacity at the Mae Wilson currently sits at 125, but because the box office is selling tickets in groups for people from the same home bubble, that means some shows are selling less than 125 seats in the end.
“We’re trying to do what we can with what we have, and thankfully there’s been a lot of interest from artists in Saskatchewan and Alberta, who are open to the idea of doing a one-off show or small tours right now,” said Cronan.
An initiative like the Sask Venue Project is an incredible show of support for small venues, said Cronan, especially as they make up an important cultural fabric within the province and there has been little provincial funding available during COVID.
“The Cultural Centre is fortunate that we have funding from the city, which has allowed us to continue on and do these shows we have coming up, using our core operating grant funding,” said Cronan. “But there are many smaller venues that don’t have that core funding, places that rely heavily on having shows bring audiences in, and it's been difficult for them to get back into it (so) it's great that SaskMusic is able to give back to those communities they way they are.”
The second wave of the Sask Venues Project T-shirts, including the Mae Wilson Theatre, are currently available for preorder until Oct. 16 and can be purchased online at saskvenuesproject.com.
