Left to right: Rae Fawcett, Daniel Mills, James MacDonald and Ron Fawcett. The group recently toured Kelson Hall, which is currently under construction in downtown Kamloops, to see how construction is going.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Kelson Hall
August 24, 2022 - 11:33 AM
A huge art hub in downtown Kamloops is nearing completion, with plans to open this fall.
Kelson Hall is a 20,000 square foot renovated building, located in the old Telus Annex at 330 St. Paul St., was made possible thanks to a multi-million-dollar donation from local philanthropists, Ron and Rae Fawcett, according to a media release issued today, Aug. 24.
“It is no secret that Rae and I are supporters of the arts here in Kamloops,” Ron Fawcett said in the release.
Kelson Hall will be home to the Kamloops Symphony and Western Canada Theatre offices and schools, and provide spaces for performances and rehearsals. It is designed to be a hub for a variety of community arts organizations, individuals and students.
It is located adjacent to the proposed site of the controversial Kamloops Centre for the Arts.
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An artist's rendering of Kelson Hall in Kamloops.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Kelson Hall
“Kelson Hall has been designed to support the proposed centre by including a number of amenities and much-needed spaces for Kamloops’s arts groups,” Fawcett said. “It is a completely stand-alone facility which will greatly enhance our cultural experiences.
"Of course, we would like to see the Kamloops Centre for the Arts move forward, but in the interim, Rae and I saw how Kelson Hall could fulfill our commitment to support our arts community in an important and meaningful way, so we jumped at the opportunity.”
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The new centre will have a 1,700 square foot rehearsal facility for the symphony orchestra, a 2,000 square foot, 134-seat theatre and rehearsal hall with state-of-the-art lighting and audio for the theatre, plus a 1,500 square foot studio complete with hardwood sprung flooring.
In January 2023, Western Canada Theatre’s Stage One Theatre School will move into a new 1,500 square foot studio, and another 1,700 square feet of space will make room for nine teaching classrooms for the Kamloops Symphony Music School. The building has been designed to be fully accessible.
“We have worked with the Ron and Rae over the past couple of years to create this space,” Western Canada Theatre artistic director James MacDonald said. “It is a space for the entire community and I can’t extend enough gratitude to them for going above and beyond to meet the needs of the arts community. We are beyond excited for the new opportunities ahead.”
Ron said the pair are excited to donate the gift to the City of Kamloops later this fall when the citizens of Kamloops will become 100% owners of the building. He anticipates that Kelson Hall will alleviate the need to upgrade some of the city’s current facilities, providing cost-savings to the city and taxpayers.
The official handover of Kelson Hall to the City of Kamloops is scheduled for October.
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