Rendering of the new Kelson Hall arts building to open this fall on St. Paul St. (Image Credit: Station One Architects)

By Chad Klassen

NEW ARTS BUILDING

‘Everybody has a space crunch’: WCT says Fawcett’s new performance space second best thing to arts centre

Aug 24, 2022 | 12:07 PM

KAMLOOPS — A performing arts centre in Kamloops is a distant dream at this point, but it isn’t stopping philanthropists Ron and Rae Fawcett from renovating a building downtown to provide more performance space for local arts groups.

The Fawcetts purchased the Telus annex building in anticipation of a performing arts centre – but with delays to a centre being built the family has been working on Kelson Hall, a 20,000 square foot facility for Western Canada Theatre and the Kamloops Symphony.

While not the arts centre they are looking for, WCT Artistic Director James MacDonald says having the extra space for performing is much needed.

“Everybody has a space crunch,” noted MacDonald. “The Sagebrush is an old facility. It’s getting older. It’s packed. The Pavilion is a very old facility, built as a cattle auction house, so to be able to move into a purpose-built building for a lot of our activities is just a phenomenal thing for both us and the symphony, and really all the arts organizations in Kamloops.”

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Front entrance of the new Kelson Hall to open in the fall downtown (Image Credit: Station One Architects)

The facility to be ready to open in the fall. WCT’s Stage One Theatre School will move into a new 1,500 square foot studio in January, while another 1,700 square feet of space will make room for nine teaching classrooms for the Kamloops Symphony Music School.

“So our Stage One Theatre School, 45 years old, we have never had a space. It’s never actually had a theatre school space,” MacDonald said. “So to have an actual committed space, that allows us to serve [more kids]. We’re full to the brim in our classes all the time. That said, you can register now if you’d like for the fall, but the different types of classes we’ll be able to offer, as well as really getting classes for children of all ages, that’s a phenomenal opportunity.”

MacDonald adds there will be spaces for non-arts activities such as special lecutre series.