EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts
The EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts is a 400,000 square foot
structure that occupies a full city block in downtown Calgary and is the
largest performing arts structure in Western Canada. Home to five resident
companies and a critically acclaimed music series, it is the epicenter of
art education programs for many southern Albertans.
The EPCOR Centre opened in 1985. The complex includes
four theatres, rehearsal halls, workshops, a café, radio station and
galleries featuring local art work. The Jack Singer Concert Hall seats
1,800 people and is home to the Carthy Organ, one of Canada's largest pipe
organs.
Companies that work from the EPCOR Centre are Alberta
Theatre Projects, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, EPCOR Centre
Programming, One Yellow Rabbit and Theatre
Calgary. Each year, several
festivals make their way through the EPCOR Centre, including the
Calgary
International Children's Festival, Honen's International Piano Festival
and Wordfest.
The EPCOR Centre also provides educational services to
teachers and students of the arts. A resource centre is available for
educators and can provide study guides, lesson plans as well as other
learning materials. Playwright's Web, a program available to grade eight
students, connects classrooms across the province in an effort to share
each other's heritage. During the course, each class is partnered with a
local playwright who teaches screenwriting as a tool for communicating
with children of different cultures. Other courses include One Day School,
SummerAct and the Theatre School.
Members of the EPCOR Centre are also involved in
promoting arts related issues. In the past they have been active members
of the Arts Education Committee in Calgary, the National Symposium on Arts
Education and the Performing Arts Centre Consortium.
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