Daniela O'Fee, secretary for the Kamloops Centre for the Arts Society, is pictured selling the group's first membership to mayor Ken Christian in this photo from Twitter.
Image Credit: TWITTER/Ken Christian
July 29, 2019 - 3:30 PM
KAMLOOPS - The recently established Kamloops Centre for the Arts Society formed to support the development of the proposed $70 million performing arts centre is selling two-dollar memberships.
Brenda Aynsley, vice president for the society says membership sales kicked off at the Midsummer Music Jam last Wednesday with 118 memberships sold. Mayor Ken Christian was the first person to purchase the two-dollar membership.
“People who know that the project is happening, they're very gung-ho to sign on, but it just reminded us that a lot of people aren't aware that this is an opportunity for Kamloops,” Aynsley says.
The membership sales are meant to show the community's support for the proposed performing arts centre. The Kamloops Centre for the Arts Society is responsible for gathering community support, creating a business plan, and helping with other steps to further the development of the performing arts centre.
“The first thing that has to happen is to have a business plan for the project. Once we have that, then we will be much more public in the community,” Aynsley says. “We want people to know that we've established this board and that this board will be leading the establishment, development, and construction of this facility for the arts.”
The society is volunteer-run, comprised of board members from various industries and organizations. The money raised from the sale of memberships will go towards start-up and administrative costs, according to Aynsley.
“What we want to do to build the membership base is so that we can raise awareness of the project, keep the community informed and ultimately to demonstrate the significant support that the community has for the project,” Aynsley says.
Aynsley says they will have a website up and running in about a month, so people can buy memberships online. For now, she says they will try to reach out to the sporting community, various business associations, and perhaps have a spot in the farmers’ market.
“This centre is not just for people involved in the arts, it’s for the whole community. We want to reach areas of the community that may not be aware of it, ” Aynsley says. “We’re in the very early stages but we're just excited about the opportunities ahead for Kamloops.”
Construction on the performing arts centre could begin as early as 2021 if permits and fundraising efforts go well.
If you would like to contact the Kamloops Centre for the Arts Society to purchase a membership, send an email to info@kamloopscentre.ca.
For past stories on the performing arts Centre, click here.
— This story was updated at 10:23 a.m. Tuesday, July 30, 209, to include a contact email for the Kamloops Centre for the Arts Society.
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