Bowen Island Community Hall and Arts Centre

Transcription

1 Bowen Island Community Hall and Arts Centre Proposal Business Plan Prepared by: Community Hall and Arts Centre Committee (Sub-committee of Bowen Island Arts Council) Preparation Date: November 2004

2 Table of Contents 1 Executive Summary Background Business Plan Objective Business Plan Approach The Need for a Community Hall and Arts Centre Current Community Assembly on Bowen CMP Findings Growing population of Bowen Conclusion Community Support Groups as Supporters Commercial Enterprises on Bowen Individual Supporters Conclusion Potential Users of the Community Hall and Arts Centre Bowen-based Performers and Presentations Off-island Performers and Presentations Conference Facility General Community Use Conclusion Community Hall and Arts Centre Concept Practical comparison of floor areas Proscenium Style vs. Black Box Style Community Hall and Arts Centre optimum specifications Location and Building Description Location Building Description Mt. Strahan Lodge Revised Bowen Island Civic Centre Basic Community Hall and Arts Centre Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 2 of 35

3 7 Costs Construction Costs Mount Strahan proposal Bowen Island Civic Centre Basic Community Hall and Arts Centre Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment (FF&E) Total Costs Site Costs Ongoing Operations Annual Operating Costs Salaries Revenue Expected Revenue Potential Revenue Endowment Fund Revenue Proposed Ownership Risk Assessment Financing Plan Prospective Fundraising Sources Levels of Support Professional Resources Communication Plan Appendices Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 3 of 35

4 1 Executive Summary 1.1 Background In response to one of the many recommendations detailed in the Cultural Master Plan* (CMP) dated January 20, 2003, Bowen Island Arts Council (BIAC) was designated as the leading advisory organization to Bowen Island Municipal Council (BIM) for arts and cultural development, with responsibility to direct the implementation of the island s Cultural Master Plan. One of the four themes resulting from the CMP included the recommendation for BIM to actively support and make a public priority the acquisition and expansion of arts and cultural facilities that are accessible to the community at large. This was based on public feedback that established the need for arts and cultural facilities on Bowen Island. When asked if the arts and cultural facilities were adequate on Bowen Island, two out of three respondents (63%) said No. Specific details on availability of current facilities are detailed in Section 2.1. To this end, a sub-committee of BIAC was created and named the Community Hall and Arts Centre Committee (CHAC Committee) in February Its mandate is to plan, design, locate and realize the creation of a Community Hall and Arts Centre on Bowen Island. Membership of this committee includes representatives from a broad section of the arts community: actors, producers, directors, musicians, literary artists, singers, arts entrepreneurs, theatre technicians and audience. The diverse nature of the committee members facilitates the goal to plan, design and locate a Community Hall and Arts Centre that meets most of the needs of each grouping. At the same time as CHAC Committee was established, an account specifically designated to receive donations in support of the creation of a Community Hall and Arts Centre on Bowen Island was opened. Despite minimal direct fundraising initiatives up to the current date, the Building Fund has received over $10,000 from supporters within the community. Moreover, organizations such as Bowen Island Music Association (BIMA) and Bowen Island Film Society (BIFS) have made a commitment to donate $1 to the Building Fund from every ticket sold to their events. Bowen Islanders are demonstrating their desire for a Community Hall and Arts Centre. *Note: The Cultural Master Plan (CMP) project was funded by BIM in early 2001, which subsequently led to the establishment of the Bowen Island Cultural Master Plan Steering Committee and hiring of planning consultants in Fall Presentation of the CMP took place in January Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 4 of 35

5 1.2 Business Plan Objective The objective of this plan is two-fold: i. Based on the needs of the community at large, determine the best possible location, facility type and compatible multi-purpose usage (bearing in mind that a primary use is for the performing arts) whilst keeping building and ongoing operating costs as low as possible. ii. Use the completed Business Plan as a marketing and financing tool to assist in fundraising efforts both on and off-island. 1.3 Business Plan Approach The CHAC Committee mandate is to plan, design, locate and realize the creation of a Community Hall and Arts Centre on Bowen Island. The CHAC Committee is proposing to build a facility whose primary focus would be to act as a community hall and performing arts space for Bowen Islanders and visiting performers alike. The facility will also be flexible enough to accommodate a wide range of events*:! Community/public meetings! Community dance-hall! Community exhibitions! Performance events for adult and youth audiences such as theatre, music, spoken word and dance! Festivals! Cinematic events! Conference centre! Seasonal fairs and events (Haunted house, volunteer fair, etc)! Art gallery and exhibitions (3D art, sculptures, oversize installations, etc).! Weddings and other celebrations! Bingo nights! Fundraisers * Note: In defining the requirements for an effective performing arts facility on Bowen, serious consideration has been given to the potential for additional uses of the facility for the benefit of the community. Based on detailed market research performed by the CHAC Committee in recent months, together with the results of the research completed through the CMP, the Business Plan will:! Demonstrate the need for a Community Hall and Arts Centre facility on Bowen Island including a listing of current facilities and their shortcomings! Show community support for such a facility! Define potential users of the facility! Identify potential locations for the Community Hall and Arts Centre on Bowen Island! Provide a preliminary building requirements description Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 5 of 35

6 ! Provide a preliminary description of the interior space requirements! Describe the Community Hall and Arts Centre s ownership! Detail the Community Hall and Arts Centre ongoing operation! Outline the financials: capital costs, ongoing operating costs, revenue, financing strategies! Describe the next steps: securing land, fundraising, implementing the communication plan. Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 6 of 35

7 2 The Need for a Community Hall and Arts Centre 2.1 Current Community Assembly on Bowen Over the course of many years, a variety of locations across Bowen Island have been used for community assembly and performance.! The Legion was used in the 1950 s for dances, bands, theatre and community events.! Union Steamship Company s Evergreen Hall, later the Miller residence, was used in the 1970/80 s for theatre, music and community events.! Since 1980, Bowen Island Community School (BICS) has been used for theatre, concerts, recitals, band performances and a large variety of community events.! The CNIB Lodge and Collins Hall have been used for concerts, film, community events and some theatre.! The Old General Store was used for theatre, concerts, exhibits and community events and is presently the home of the Library.! The Gallery at Artisan Square has been used for coffee houses, concerts, dance, Tai Chi, community recitals and events.! Camp BowIsle has been used for theatrical performances by TOTI and Tir-nanOg.! Gavin s Place has been used for musical and theatrical events.! Since 1999, Cates Hill Chapel has been used for concerts, theatre and community events.! A temporary tent was used to house the 2002 Arts Festival. Many of these venues are no longer available. The few that remain have significant limitations regarding access, availability, production values and technical considerations. The list below details some of the challenges faced in producing public events and performances in existing venues.! Stages must be custom built, lighting and sound consoles must be set up and subsequently removed after each performance to ensure the availability of the space in its entirety for the next user group.! All lighting, sound equipment, props, costumes and set pieces must be removed off the premises as no storage facilities are available.! Seating must also be removed after each performance.! A lack of rehearsal space in the venue or limited access for rehearsal means that the dress rehearsal is often the first opportunity to work in the space an unnerving situation for performers.! As the spaces are not designed for artistic performances, there are ongoing problems with restricted electrical supply.! Lack of proper acoustics is an ongoing problem in every performance space.! Some locations provide limitations on content and use of language, thus impacting the artistic creativity of writers and performers alike.! Blacking out windows adds to the complexity of mounting professional quality productions.! Some locations are not properly ventilated, making it difficult to run an event in the height of summer.! Large numbers of volunteers required to set up the event(s) is a challenge. Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 7 of 35

8 ! BICS is particularly problematic as no access is possible for theatre set up, set construction, technical and dress rehearsals any day but Sunday for 10 months of the year.! The new Tir-na-nOg space is a privately owned and operated theatre school, and is not approved or zoned for public assembly. The Directors have indicated that this venue will not be available for general community use. 2.2 CMP Findings The CMP, completed in 2003, focuses on 4 major themes or issues with recommendations and strategies for action to BIM Council on how to resolve these issues. The first recommendation on the theme of Arts and Cultural Facilities recommends that acquiring and expanding arts and cultural facilities that are accessible to all be recognized and actively supported by municipal council as a public priority; and that every form of assistance be considered for arts and cultural facility options, including location on municipally owned land / parkland. (Set aside land for arts/cultural uses when it comes available) Through surveys and focus groups the CMP clearly identified the community s support for adequate arts facilities. Strong response was given to the questions about arts facilities:! 63% of the responses indicated that facilities for arts and culture are not adequate.! 82% agreed that Bowen Island needs a new community building that includes spaces for arts and cultural activities, as well as other uses * * Note: Statistics derived from the CMP are statistically valid and are accurate nineteen times out of twenty. 2.3 Growing population of Bowen In the past 10 years the permanent population of Bowen Island has grown from approximately 2000 to well over 3300, and swells by an additional 1000 during the summer months. Growth continues at an annual rate of approximately 1.6% on Bowen, compared to a provincial average of less than 1%. Based on our Official Community Plan (OCP) estimates, it is generally accepted that population levels will increase to approximately 7000 in the foreseeable future. As the population has grown so has attendance at arts events on Bowen. More popular events, such as theatre performances, community dances and local music performances, regularly attract audiences of more than 100 to each performance. The recent film festival attracted more than 150 attendees to watch 10 hours worth of locally made documentary films. Bowen has also gained a number of new restaurants on island that add to the social and cultural pleasure of attending arts performances on island. More and more, islanders are choosing to stay on-island for their entertainment needs. Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 8 of 35

9 Along with the growth in population and the growth in arts events has also come the reduction of venues and of availability within those venues for arts performance. The few venues available and adequate for performance are booked heavily, and are used by other groups and agencies between performances, making it difficult to run an arts event for longer than two days. 2.4 Conclusion The work of the Cultural Master Plan clearly identifies the need for an arts and cultural facility that is publicly accessible. The current facilities available (though often inadequate) are either privately owned or run by organizations with limitations on access, content and use. As Bowen s population continues to grow so does the demand for community space. Many venues previously used for performance and community gathering are no longer available or are heavily booked. The growth in population has also meant an increase in audience size and in the number and quality of performances and events. The island is home to a large number of performers and artists who hope to perform and market their art on island, but who find it increasingly difficult to find adequate venues for their work. A community hall and arts centre would provide a space designed specifically for performance and community events with staging, seating, lighting and sound equipment, located and stored on site. The building will provide a truly public venue for community assembly, as well as meeting the specific technical needs of performing arts events. Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 9 of 35

10 3 Community Support 3.1 Groups as Supporters The most recent research conducted to assess the desires and wishes of permanent residents in relation to arts and culture on Bowen formed an integral part to the resulting CMP. Appendix D of the CMP documents a recent picture of arts and cultural organizations on Bowen. See this Business Plan s Appendix A for a copy. See also Appendix B for Letters of Support. In 2002, the CMP identified a wide variety of arts and cultural groups:! 8 coordinating agencies! 16 musical groups! 7 theatre groups! 6 visual arts groups! 6 literary arts groups! 2 dance groups! 2 media arts groups! 3 heritage and history groups! 4 environmental groups! 1 service club! 2 sports groups! 6 age specific groups! 7 educational groups! 6 churches plus other unaffiliated religious groups 3.2 Commercial Enterprises on Bowen Having a fully functional performance facility in or near the commercial core of Bowen Island will have a significant positive economic impact on local businesses including:! Chamber of Commerce general membership! Bed & Breakfasts and other accommodation providers (listed on Restaurants: Blue Eyed Mary s, Tuscany, Bowen Bistro, and Doc Morgans! Coffee shops / bakeries: The Oven Door, The Snug, The Happy Italian, The Village Baker, Cocoa West Chocolatier! Pubs: Doc Morgans, Bowen Pub! Arts / crafts / artisan shops! Galleries: BIAC s Gallery, Arts Pacific Co-Operative Respondents of the CMP survey and focus groups felt strongly about the role of arts in the island s economic development strategy:! 78% of respondents said arts are a viable part of the island s economic future.! 79% saw arts as a way of attracting tourists to the island.! 83% supported the idea of helping island artists to sell off-island. Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 10 of 35

11 3.3 Individual Supporters In addition to support from the various organizations across Bowen, there is significant interest from individuals on Bowen, as evidenced by the following findings of the CMP. Some key results to note:! 385 completed surveys were received! 85% of respondents indicated arts and culture were important to them personally! 40% of survey respondents volunteer with one or more arts or cultural organizations on-island! 70% - 80% of Bowen Islanders had attended an arts event in the previous 12-month period 3.4 Conclusion A high level of support for performing arts and community events exists in the community. The CMP not only identified more than 30 performing arts groups in the community, but also a large percentage of community members who feel that arts and culture is important to them personally, who regularly attend arts events, and who believe that the arts are a viable part of the island s economy. These well supported areas of community events and arts performances require an adequate and publicly available facility in order to continue and grow. Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 11 of 35

12 4 Potential Users of the Community Hall and Arts Centre Through detailed research of all events posted in the Undercurrent for the year 2002, it is evident that a broad range of groups and individuals will make use of a facility specifically designed for performances, community gatherings and a variety of other uses. 4.1 Bowen-based Performers and Presentations Without having to look any further than our own community, there are a total of 51 active performance groups on Bowen likely to take advantage of a designated performance facility. In 2002, there were a total of 400 presentations* offered on Bowen Island involving 1,690 volunteers, support staff and presenters. Total attendance for the 2002 events amounted to approximately 13,395 this equates to each Bowen resident attending three events per year. See Appendix C for a complete breakout of 2002 Arts and Culture Overview (presenting groups, event types and facilities used). As well as the current schedule of events that take place year round, it is also expected that the following event types will be accommodated:! Special interest BIM Council meetings where high numbers of the public are expected to attend! Group meetings and rehearsal space! Community exhibition space! Art exhibitions: 3D art, sculptures, oversize installations, etc. * Note: During 2002, only three events were too large to be accommodated in a 155-seat auditorium: The Venerable Lahkdor s lecture, Jim MacDonald s Memorial, and the Endangered Species concerts. These events were adequately staged in the BICS Gymnasium, using the school s portable stage, lighting and sound system. Endangered Species would benefit from a proper performance space with better acoustics, and could likely be fully accommodated by such a space if it was configured to multi-purpose use with 185 seats. 4.2 Off-island Performers and Presentations Bowen Island is a desirable destination for off-island performers. Less than an hour s travel from Vancouver, we are seen as an easy and attractive place to come and perform for many artists. Vancouver s Fringe Festival brings performers from around the world who do a Fringe tour across Canada, ending up in Vancouver. In the past, Bowen Island has been host to a number of Fringe shows, as well as Vancouver productions of either music or theatre that find Bowen an easy trip to a beautiful destination for a few extra performances. Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 12 of 35

13 Our research of presentations and performances in 2002 found at least 12 of the 400 total presentations were by visiting off-island performers. Harder to count are the number of arts performances that have not come to Bowen due to inadequate or unavailable facilities to host them. While statistics are not kept on events that don t happen (potential events enquired about or attempted), anecdotal evidence suggests that the number of off-island performances or events would increase significantly if an adequate facility existed. Suggestions or requests are received by local theatre or music groups, BIAC and individual artists to bring touring shows, or local Vancouver productions over to Bowen for extra performances, but are often unable to be accommodated due to limited venues and limited availability of those few venues. When Theatre-on-the-Isle (TOTI) rented a small space for a studio style theatre in the fall of 2003, through word-of-mouth only, they received three requests in the first two weeks to book the 35 seat space for touring and visiting performances. TOTI was subsequently unable to rent the space for performance due to building code and zoning restrictions. Nonetheless, the desire and opportunity for off-island productions and events to come to Bowen Island remains. The CHAC Committee estimates that the number of off-island presentations coming to Bowen Island would easily double (24 per year, or an average of two per month) if a dedicated performance space were available. More touring shows could easily be drawn to Bowen Island if the facility required more bookings. 4.3 Conference Facility There is a growing desire of Lower Mainland based organizations to locate quarterly sales meetings, Annual General Meetings, University program retreats, etc outside of the office environment to rural locations where participants can experience BC s natural splendour. Building a Community Hall and Arts Centre flexible enough to accommodate such meetings will fill the facility between performances and generate income for the local community. Interest in locating such meetings to a facility on Bowen has already been expressed by a number of organizations in the following industries:! Retail Banking! Investment Management: institutional and private client firms! Hedge Fund Managers! Aboriginal service providers! Government Bodies.! Universities, Colleges and 3 rd level educational schools Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 13 of 35

14 4.4 General Community Use The proposed Community Hall and Arts Centre will be a public facility accommodating a variety of general community uses such as:! BIM meetings! Workshop/Lecture Tours! Weddings and Memorials! Exhibitions and Trade Shows! Fundraisers 4.5 Conclusion There are currently more than 1500 Bowen Islanders per year looking for a venue in which to perform or present in their home community. The users of a Community Hall and Arts Centre would include those current performers and presenters, as well as potential uses by visiting or touring events, conference and educational use, and increased community use for meetings, exhibits, weddings and fundraising events that are not well accommodated in the current venues. Our lack of either a community hall or a performance space does not arise from a lack of users. On the contrary, we believe that the lack of such a facility is seriously limiting the number and type of event that can occur on Bowen Island. Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 14 of 35

15 5 Community Hall and Arts Centre Concept The CHAC Committee has conducted detailed research on the needs and requirements of a broad range of potential users for a Community Hall and Arts Centre on Bowen Island. The CHAC Committee enlisted the expert assistance of a theatre design consultant to prepare conceptual plans based on this research. Douglas Welch Design Associates Limited is a Vancouver based firm specializing in design and technical consulting for the performing arts and related industries. Specifically, they provide comprehensive theatre consulting services for professional theatre, community theatre, churches and other public assembly facilities. Their work has involved design of performing arts facilities within municipal and educational structures, as well as private and stand-alone facilities. Recent projects include:! Capilano College Theatre, North Vancouver, BC! Maple Ridge Arts Centre, Maple Ridge, BC! Kaslo School Multi-Use Auditorium, Kaslo, BC! Firehall Arts Centre, Vancouver! The Performance Works on Granville Island, Vancouver, BC! Port Moody Council Chamber/Theatre, Port Moody, BC! Evergreen Cultural Centre, Coquitlam, BC! Renovation: Stanley Theatre, Vancouver, BC! Renovation: Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver, BC Please refer to Appendix D for Douglas Welch Design Associates Ltd. information. Douglas Welch and his design partner Robert Hamilton have provided two options as follows: Option 1 Proscenium Style * Flexible seating (can be moved to thrust or arena or other layouts). 152 seats plus 4 wheelchair spaces Ground floor footprint is 5,432 SF (square feet). * Note: This is a presentational arch or picture frame style theatre. Option 2 Black Box Style ** Flexible seating (can be moved to thrust or arena or other layouts). 153 seats plus 2 wheelchair spaces Ground floor footprint is 4,928 SF. ** Note: This is a technical term for a certain style of theatre, and does not imply that it is a black room, only that it can be blacked out from light. See over for conceptual plans. Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 15 of 35

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20 5.1 Practical comparison of floor areas Proscenium Style vs. Black Box Style When a practical SF comparison is done, it is clear that the Black Box Style of theatre is not only cheaper to build, as it is approximately 500 SF smaller, but also has more usable area. After considering the advantages and drawbacks of each option, we have concluded that the Black Box style is more versatile for the needs of a multipurpose Community Hall. 5.2 Community Hall and Arts Centre optimum specifications Having surveyed local users, researched similar facilities, and consulted with our professional advisors, the following optimum community use and performance space specifications were created SF auditorium, exclusive of lobby 155 seat performance space, or 185 seats when configured for multi-purpose hall, both accommodating wheel chairs. 90 x 84 footprint of building. Subject to change if necessary Stage area - 36 x 24, or 77 x 24 when wings are included Moveable riser units for use as additional stage House height 20 (27 with lighting grid) House dimensions when configured for performance 28 x 57 Hall dimensions when configured as multi-purpose 52 x 57 2 backstage dressing rooms with washrooms, showers and makeup tables. Folding partition between them allowing for crossovers Access from backstage to Front-of-House without going into the house Loading bay with double doors directly onto stage Maintenance room with deep sink Secure storage for miscellaneous equipment, props, set pieces, etc. Moveable or telescoping risers for audience seating, plus storage for risers Folding or stacking padded locking chairs, plus storage for seating Permanent Tech (sound and lighting) booth, with secure storage for lighting and sound equipment Projection facilities for film-screen, projection booth, and patch to house sound system All structural and electrical infrastructure included in initial construction to allow updating of theatre equipment at a future date, as funds permit Soundproof structure with good acoustics for theatre and music Lobby with kitchen/concession Box office Administration office space 2 Public washrooms off lobby Possible visual arts gallery*/rehearsal/general purpose meeting space Partially covered exterior entrance Wood frame, steel, and split-face cement block construction may be used for economy, durability, and effective acoustic properties * Note: The visual arts community has expressed a firm desire that if a Gallery is included in any facility, it be a dedicated space, not just ancillary to, or included in, a Community Hall Lobby and hallways. Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 16 of 35

21 6 Location and Building Description 6.1 Location Current options for location include: GVRD surplus lands (See Appendix E for map). Municipal land on Carter Road (otherwise known as the Library Lands which become available December 2004). Behind BICS (The Snake Field). Potential locations incorporated into development proposals at Cates Hill or Artisan Square. The design options presented in this plan are location independent, with the possible exception of the Civic Centre concept. Location may be affected by the ability to provide adequate parking area. Other location options will be reviewed if and when they become available. Our preference would be to locate the Community Hall and Arts Centre in the Snug Cove area. 6.2 Building Description The CHAC Committee has researched community halls in other communities of a similar size and nature to Bowen Island (see Appendix F) and come up with the following concepts for building design: New concept - Mt. Strahan Lodge CHAC Committee (See Appendix G for conceptual plans). Revised concept for the Bowen Island Civic Centre - Don Nicholson of the BTY Group. (See Appendix H for revised concept usage breakdown). Basic Community Hall and Arts Centre (See Appendix I for conceptual plans) Mt. Strahan Lodge This option proposes to re-create the old Union Steamship Hotel, Mt. Strahan Lodge (also known as the Terminal Hotel ), as a performing arts theatre, art gallery and community hall. This structure, which was destroyed in the late 1950 s or early 1960 s, was the jewel of the Union Steamship Resort in times past and is arguably the most distinct historic structure ever to grace our shores. The visual appeal of such a re-creation would be very attractive to locals and visitors alike, and would fit in well with the historic ambience of the island. With modern construction techniques, we believe a slightly modified replica of the original building could be realized at a reasonable cost, while allowing enough flexibility to accommodate a wide variety of community needs. The modest footprint and slab-on grade construction of this structure would allow it to be situated in a variety of locations without difficulty. The building would house a 155 to 185 seat multi-purpose performance space/community hall with lobby/art gallery, kitchen/concession, and lounge. Also Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 17 of 35

22 included are offices and a generous multi-purpose space that could be used for rehearsals, yoga and intimate gatherings. Although not a truly dedicated space, the prominent location in this option of the lobby within the building, and its ability to be used separately from the hall itself, could possibly meet the gallery needs of the visual arts. The rebirth of this wonderful building has the potential to bring together many diverse interests on Bowen Island in a single, practical, workable project. Funding sources and opportunities may be enhanced by the fact that we would be resurrecting an historic structure. Revenue from events such as weddings, which would be attracted by a photogenic venue, could be significant Revised Bowen Island Civic Centre This option details the projected costs of a Community Hall and Arts Centre (including lobby, washrooms, kitchen, offices, and gallery) that would be part of a larger Civic Centre facility. This structure may include a Municipal Hall and various Parks and Recreation areas such as craft rooms, weight room, meeting rooms, etc. This proposal was first brought forward in 1994 as a feasibility report commissioned by the Bowen Island Parks and Recreation Task Force, and was completed in January 1995 by Nicolson Tamaki Architects. A new initiative to revive and explore this concept was undertaken by Bowen Island Parks and Recreation (BIPRC) and BIAC in July of 2004, and a Municipal Taskforce has been struck with the mandate of potentially bringing a revised version of the original to Referendum in the November 2005 Municipal election. Revisions may include a recommendation that use-specific buildings such as a Community Hall and Arts Centre, Municipal Hall, and Recreation facility be modular, possibly clustered and stand-alone, and constructed in phases over a number of years according to public priorities Basic Community Hall and Arts Centre TT The Basic Community Hall and Arts Centre option addresses the concept of a Basic Barn approach to a facility. It includes the simplest theatre design provided by Douglas Welch Designs (the Black Box), and only the essential ancillary areas such as washrooms, lobby, kitchen, offices, general meeting room and storage. This pares the building down to its most rudimentary elements and smallest square footage, while remaining feasible, attractive, and practical in terms of future use and growth of community arts and culture on Bowen. Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 18 of 35

23 7 Costs The square footage cost of an adequate performing arts facility is much higher than for standard community use or residential buildings because of enhanced structural demands for lighting grids, soundproofing, ventilation, heating, electrical infrastructure, and acoustic engineering. Two theatre/public facility design experts have independently estimated that the cost of such buildings should be calculated at between $ and $200.00/SF, with the higher cost reflecting far better quality and a more attractive facility. 7.1 Construction Costs The projected construction costs of this facility reflect the advisability of building, in the inaugural phase, all necessary infrastructure and structural strength for future upgrading of mechanical and electrical systems, audio, lighting, ventilation and soundproofing. In the following proposals, GST is not included in order to provide consistency with the BTY Group (Civic Centre) estimates. BTY Group excludes GST payable amounts as GST rebates vary according to corporate, non-profit or municipal ownership of the facility. Land costs are also excluded from the following proposals. Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 19 of 35

24 7.1.1 Mount Strahan proposal Item- Mt Strahan $ Comment Community Hall Auditorium 962, SF X $175 /SF + 10% contingency Kitchen/Concession 33, SF X $170 /SF Public Washrooms 54, SF X $170 /SF Lobby/Gallery/Lounge/ 741, SF X $150 /SF Meeting Rooms/Offices Sub-total 1,791, ,456 SF x $ /SF Landscaping Cost Dependent on location Design & Engineering Fees 268, % of building cost Legal Fees 35, % of building cost Total 2,095, This estimate includes a large 866 /SF multi-purpose room (23 x 38 ), a 182 /SF meeting room, and a 480 /SF lounge, which the Civic Centre option does not include. These estimates include:! General contractor s overhead, profit, design contingency, construction contingency, and P.S.T. These estimates exclude:! Cost escalation beyond August 2004.! Planning and administrative costs, legal expenses and financing fees, building permits, development cost charges, fixtures, furniture, and equipment, site preparation costs, and G.S.T. Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 20 of 35

25 7.1.2 Bowen Island Civic Centre Item- Civic Centre $ Comment Community Hall Auditorium 1,000, SF X $200 /SF Kitchen/Concession 144, SF X $180 /SF Public Washrooms 144, SF X $240 /SF Administrative Offices 96, SF X $160 /SF Lobby/Gallery 408, SF X $170 /SF Sub-total 1,792, ,400 SF X $191 /SF Landscaping Cost Dependent on location Design & Engineering Fees 268, % of building cost Legal Fees 35, % of building cost Total 2,096, This estimate does not include a large multi-purpose room, meeting room or lounge. These figures include:! General contractor s overhead, profit, design contingency, construction contingency, and P.S.T. These figures exclude:! Cost escalation beyond August 2004.! Planning and administrative costs, legal expenses and financing fees, building permits, development cost charges, fixtures, furniture, and equipment, site preparation costs, and G.S.T. Key points: Current total estimated construction cost for the Civic facility as a whole is $5,676,000. Includes an allowance of $250,000 for site services, connections, roads and parking. The building cost includes general contractor s overhead and profit, design contingency and construction contingency. See Appendix H for Program Estimate #1 document dated June 2, Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 21 of 35

26 7.1.3 Basic Community Hall and Arts Centre Item- Basic $ Comment Community Hall Auditorium (Kitchen/Concession, Admin/Ticket Office included) 858, SF X $160 /SF + 10% contingency Additional kitchen costs 2, SF x $20.00/ SF Public Washrooms 46, SF X $150 /SF Lobby/Hallways/Landing/ 256, SF X $150 /SF Meeting Room Sub-total 1,164, ,900 SF X $ /SF Landscaping Cost Dependent on location Design & Engineering Fees 174, % of building cost Legal Fees 23, % of building cost Total 1,362, This estimate is for a bare bones structure, and does not include the cost of enhanced acoustics, ventilation or soundproofing associated with a quality performing arts auditorium. It also does not allow for certain infrastructure upgrades in the future, a dedicated Gallery space or desirable cosmetic features. This design includes an 1158 SF lobby, a 286 SF (13 x 22 ) meeting room, Administration/ ticket office, and Technical office. These figures include:! General contractor s overhead, profit, design contingency, construction contingency, and P.S.T. These figures exclude:! Cost escalation beyond August 2004.! Planning and administrative costs, legal expenses and financing fees, building permits, development cost charges, fixtures, furniture, and equipment, site preparation costs, and G.S.T. Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 22 of 35

27 7.2 Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment (FF&E) Lighting and sound equipment costs can initially be kept to a minimum by augmenting existing equipment through judicious purchases and rentals. Future donations in kind of equipment from potential individual or corporate supporters could also build up our inventory significantly over time, without incurring large cost. Item $ Comment Audio 30, Drapes & Rigging 45, Grid 60, Lighting 30, Miscellaneous 30, Retractable seating risers 85, Stacking multi purpose seats 20, Sub-total FF&E Costs 300, Total Costs \! These estimates may be reduced by up to $150,000 if FF&E is introduced on a phased basis.! These estimates do not include site costs. Mt Strahan $2,395, Total Cost Civic Centre $2,396, Total Cost Basic Community Hall and Arts Centre $1,662, Total Cost 7.4 Site Costs Item $ Comment Land Purchase 0.00 Gift of Municipal Land Site Servicing 125, Roads & Parking 75, Sub-total Site Costs 200, Note: For the purposes of comparison, Tir-na-nOg Theatre School s new 72-seat space at Cates Hill is 3400 SF, and it is estimated that to bring this wood frame and drywall building to occupancy stage will cost $450,000, or $132/SF. To complete the building to a basic finished level (including finishing such as flooring), the expected cost will rise to $150/SF totaling $510,000 exclusive of FF&E, detailed finishing, a fire sprinkler system, most site preparation costs or purchase of the land. Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 23 of 35

28 8 Ongoing Operations BIAC will oversee the operations of the Community Hall and Arts Centre through an arms length administrative and management group. The administrative and management group will hire staff, set policy for operations, and ensure the financial security of the facility. Staff will be responsible for the day-to-day operations and will develop and manage bookings in the facility. The CHAC committee has determined the expected operating costs for the facility (See section 8.1) based on similar facilities on Bowen and in the Lower Mainland, and based on our estimates for bookings. Proposals for operation are included in this business plan and are dependent upon the amount of volunteer help expected and on the final decision for ownership and location. Ongoing operating costs may be reduced in the Civic Centre option, as expenditures such as heating, maintenance, fire protection and security could be shared with a Municipal Hall or Bowen Island Parks and Recreation. 8.1 Annual Operating Costs Item $ Comment Utilities (hydro, property tax, 8, water) Office Supplies Photocopying Advertising 5, Postage & Delivery 1, Insurance 8, Professional Fees 1, (accounting) Telecom 3, Security Computer Support 1, $30/hour X 4 hours/month X 12 mths Memberships 1, Misc Fees (GST, AGM, bank charges) Sub-total Operating Costs 31, Note: Operating costs exclude any loan / mortgage payment that may be required. Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 24 of 35

29 8.2 Salaries Item $ Comment Technical Manager 10, $20/hour X 10 hours/week X 50 wks Lighting Operator 9, $20/hour X 12 hours/week X 40 wks Sound Operator 9, $20/hour X 12 hours/week X 40 wks Administrator 15, $20/hour X 15 hours/week X 50 wks Cleaning & Maintenance 3, $15/hour X 5 hours/week X 50 wks Book-keeper 5, $20/hour X 5 hours/week X 50 wks Concession 0.00 Volunteer Usher 0.00 Volunteer Front of House 0.00 Volunteer Payroll costs 3, % of total salaries: $52,950 Sub-total Salaries Costs 56, Total Costs $88, Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 25 of 35

30 9 Revenue The primary source of funds for ongoing operations will be the revenue gained from the booking of the facility by local and off-island users. Added to revenue from bookings will be an endowment fund established by BIAC for the continued operation of the Community Hall and Arts Centre. The endowment fund comprises an essential part of our financial plan (see section 12) and will ensure the coverage of ongoing costs during times of limited facility bookings. The CHAC Committee expects that the revenue from bookings will not cover the operating costs, and that a shortfall of approximately $11,800 (13% of operating costs) will need to be covered by the endowment fund. A conservative estimate expects that an endowment fund of $250,000 will provide interest revenue in excess of the shortfall, allowing a surplus of approximately $5700 to cover any additional shortfall. An ongoing donation drive to increase the endowment fund will be expected and planned, thus ensuring increased income from this revenue stream. 9.1 Expected Revenue Item $ Comment Local Daily Rate 12, days per $125 per day* (includes Technical Manager for 2 hours) Visiting Daily Rate 20, days per $200 per day (includes Technical Manager for 2 hours) Concession 10, $250 per week X 40 weeks Sub-total Expected Revenue 42, * Note: Sliding scale for local usage. Also includes reduced rates for rehearsal time. 9.2 Potential Revenue Item $ Comment Cultural Series TBD Light / Sound Operators 24, $20 an hour X 24 hours per week X 50 weeks Bar (special use license) 10, $500 per week X 20 weeks Sub-total Potential Revenue 34, Endowment Fund Revenue Item $ Comment Endowment Fund Interest 17, Total endowment fund of $250,000 X 7% interest Sub-total Endowment Fund 17, Total Revenue $94, Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 26 of 35

31 10 Proposed Ownership A variety of ownership options exist for the land and the building. CHAC Committee sees the operations and management of a Community Hall and Arts Centre being a BIAC responsibility, and as BIAC has the legal capacity to hold title to land and buildings, ownership of the facility and/or land by BIAC is possible. We see a more likely scenario being the ownership of property taken on by the Bowen Island Municipality, or a private developer or organization, and the building itself being owned by BIM, BIAC or a private landlord. BIAC is prepared to enter into partnerships with government agencies, corporations and individuals in order to secure the realization and operation of a Community Hall and Arts Centre. A number of proposals for land and buildings are being researched and evaluated, including a joint facility with BIPRC and BIM, a stand alone facility on GVRD surplus land or the Library Land on Carter Road with BIM, or a stand alone facility in part of a development proposal. As proposals are received or recommended, they will be assessed and proposed ownership will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 27 of 35

32 11 Risk Assessment Risk 1. Shortfall of raising sufficient capital funds to cover site, construction, project and fitting costs. 2. Insufficient or non-existent endowment fund to cover off ongoing operating costs. A quick calculation shows the need for an endowment fund of approximately $250,000 in order to generate $17,500 in revenue to sufficiently cover operating costs. 3. Escalating costs as time progresses, or estimates are out of date. Risk Mitigation This is a show-stopper. Any shortfall would be covered off by applying for grants and producing additional fundraising events. Costs will need to be updated every 6 months. 4. Deficiencies in the facility design. Hire a professional theatre design consultant. 5. Granting agencies may not all respond positively. Assume a conservative success rate of 20%. 6. Pledges are not met. Secure written confirmation from the guarantor to ensure payment in full. 7. Revenue affected if booking fee is over-priced. Based on the demographics of Bowen Island, it is expected the population will not support a price higher than we have suggested in Section 10. Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 28 of 35

33 12 Financing Plan As soon as land has been secured, fundraising for the construction of the Community Hall and Arts Centre will commence. It is assumed that the services of a professional fundraiser will be essential to the success of the financing plan. Particular focus will be on the following funding sources: 12.1 Prospective Fundraising Sources Government Grants Federal Department of Heritage Canada! Potentially 33.3% of capital costs and! Potentially 50% of fitting costs Federal Government! Legacy projects Provincial BC 21 Funds Community Grants Division! Potentially 33.3% of capital costs Olympics 2010! Capital projects - Legacy 2010 BC Gaming Grant! Capital project funds up to $100,000 and program funding Private Foundation Grants United Way Technical Assistance Program! Funding for provision of technical assistance as construction progresses. Private Foundations! Some 200 private and family foundations in Canada are potential granting agencies for this project. Various conditions apply. Community / Individual Donations Bowen Island Municipal Council Bowen Island Foundation Proceeds from fundraising events and individual donations! $10,000 already donated and sits in the BIAC Building Fund. Corporate Donations Corporate Foundations! Some 200 private and family foundations in Canada are potential granting agencies for this project. Various conditions apply. Corporate donations Donations in Kind Construction supplies and expertise Equipment Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 29 of 35

34 12.2 Levels of Support It is anticipated that a fundraising plan will include specific levels of donor support, with appropriate recognition given for each level of donation. We expect a Key Donor to contribute upwards of $500,000 and be recognized through naming of the facility. Diamond and Platinum donors in the range of $100,000 to $250,00 would be recognized through room names or other appropriate acknowledgment. Donors at these levels are expected to be corporate donors or granting agencies. All other levels of support will likely be individuals and smaller organizations or foundations from the Bowen Island community and from the Greater Vancouver area. See over for suggested donation levels and recognition. Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 30 of 35

35 Suggested donation and recognition levels Donors Key Donor ($500,000) Community Hall and Arts Centre named by or for one Donor at this level. Plus name on Donor Board Diamond Donor ($250,000) Platinum Donor ($100,000 $200,000) Auditorium named by or for Donor Plus name on Donor Board Maximum of three rooms:! Multi-purpose Room named by or for Donor - $200,000! Lobby/Gallery named by or for Donor - $200,000! Lounge named by or for Donor - $100,000 Plus name on Donor Board Gold Donor ($10,000 - $49,999) Silver Donor ($5,000 - $9,999) Bronze Donor ($1,000 - $4,999) Supporter ($250) Donations in Kind Construction supplies and expertise Equipment Specific Events Media Sponsors Production Sponsors Event Sponsors Name on Donor Board Name on Donor Board Name on Donor Board Sponsor a seat or decorative brick on the entry walkway with the donor s name. Name on Donor Board Name on Donor Board Name in Program Name in Program Name in Program Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 31 of 35

36 13 Professional Resources Theatre & Design Expertise Kim Selody, Artistic Director, Carousel Theatre for Young Audiences, St. Catherine s, ON Rob Hamilton/Douglas Welch, Douglas Welch Theatre Design, Vancouver, BC Gary Ferguson, Freelance Theatre Design, Construction and Landscape Contractor/Project Mgr. Bowen Island, BC Paul Hooson, Artistic and Technical Director, Cirque Alexander Productions Ltd. Bowen Island, BC Architectural Expertise Michael Lightbody Architect Bowen Island, BC Graphic Arts Expertise Bob Doucet Graphic Artist and Illustrator Bowen Island, BC Financial / Business Expertise Doug Hooper Entrepreneur Bowen Island, BC Paul Stratford Accountant Bowen Island, BC Legal Expertise Susan Munro Lawyer Bowen Island, BC Project Management Expertise Peter Mulholland Management Consultant Bowen Island, BC Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 32 of 35

37 BIAC s Community Hall and Arts Centre Committee Ian Davidson, Master Carpenter, Lighting Designer and Technician, Bowen Island, BC Paul Hooson, Performer, Bowen Island, BC Matt Maxwell, Entrepreneur, Musician, Singer/Songwriter, Bowen Island, BC Tina Nielsen, Librarian, Actor, Director, Producer, Bowen Island, BC Martin Clarke, Entrepreneur, Actor, Director, Writer, Storyteller Bowen Island, BC Kate Coffey, Business System Analyst, Audience Member, Bowen Island, BC Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 33 of 35

38 14 Communication Plan Timeline Ongoing Ongoing October 2004 Task Regular articles and publicity in BIAC s Lieben, Undercurrent, BIAC web page. Representation on the Civic Facility Taskforce. Present Business Plan to BIAC Board for approval. Present to Civic Facility Taskforce. Release to BIAC membership and supporters. Simultaneously, release notice of BIM s official addition of the CMP to the Official Community Plan. November 2004 Release to general public. Make hard copies available in:! BIAC / The Gallery! Library! Parks & Recreation Office! Municipal Hall! Chamber of Commerce! Heritage Society E-copies available on:! BIAC Website! Forum Website Secure mention on CBC Radio 1 North By Northwest. Run public information session, include supporting BIM Councillors. Lobby BIM to consider Library Lands and/or Surplus Lands for the Community Hall and Arts Centre. Include update as topic for ongoing articles. December 2004 Release Christmas CD - fundraiser for the Community Hall and Arts Centre. December, or when BIM makes the land decision, significant publicity around the topic. Early 2005 Once land has been allocated, commence fundraising. Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 34 of 35

39 15 Appendices Appendix A Arts and cultural organizations on Bowen Island Appendix B Letters of support Appendix C Arts and Culture Overview - Bowen Island, November 2002 Appendix D Douglas Welch Design Associates Limited biography Appendix E GVRD surplus lands map Appendix F Community halls in other communities of a similar size Appendix G Mt. Strahan Lodge Appendix H Revised concept for the Bowen Island Civic Centre Appendix I Basic Community Hall and Arts Centre Community Hall and Arts Centre Business Plan November 2004 Page 35 of 35

40 APPENDIX A

41

42 APPENDIX B

43 Sue Ritchie Editorial Services RR#1 H8 Bowen Island, B.C.V0N 1G0 Tel: (604) Fax: (604) Bowen Island Arts Council Performing Arts Centre Committee P.O. Box 211, Bowen Island, B.C. V0N 1G0 July 7, 2004 Re: Bowen Island Community Choir. The community choir has been active on Bowen for about 12 years. During that time rehearsals have been held in the community use room at the school (with a very inferior piano), from time to time at Bowen Court (even worse) and more recently at the Gallery which has a piano, but no seating. The choir meets during 9 months of the year and holds two annual concerts. Our fundraisers include two coffee houses which we have been holding in the limited space at the Gallery. Because of the size of the choir and the audiences we attract, there is no space currently available on Bowen that offers suitable sound quality and room to accommodate everyone comfortably. A dedicated arts centre would offer us a venue for our concerts, perhaps even a place to practise, a home for a good piano and, in the best of all possible worlds, comfortable seating. The board members of the choir representing about 60 choir members would like to voice our support for the creation of a dedicated space for the arts on Bowen. Yours truly, Sue Ritchie Secretary, BICC

44 James McConnan Box D Lenora Road Bowen Island B.C. V0N 1G0 Tel/Fax: j_mcconnan@shaw.ca July 13, 2004 Bowen Island Arts Council, Performing Arts Centre Committee P.O. Box 211, Bowen Island, B.C., V0N 1G0 Re: Performing Arts Centre. My name is Jim McConnan and I represent nobody in particular, however I m a member of the Black Sheep Morris Dancers and Mummers. I ve been involved with Theatre on the Isle since the production of She Stoops to Conquer in which I played the part of a drunken peasant. After that I was stagehand, actor, producer and director for many plays. I was also the president of T.O.T.I. for a number of years. During this time T.O.T.I. had to find venues suitable for theatre production; eventually we ran out of sites. In the meanwhile I like others stored the theatre properties in my house and garden. I d say thousands of dollars worth of good staging and costumes has been lost forever. Hundreds of people have volunteered their time to make so many plays a resounding success. Not forgetting that Bowen attracts an average of 75% capacity audience compared to 45% in the city. For twelve years I ve been playing with Moritz and the Fiddleheads. Although we generally play in bars (for money) we ve played Bowfest and other functions such as fundraisers. The last fundraiser we played was in the school gym. I needn t remind anyone that the acoustics in that room are atrocious, fit neither for public assembly, theatre nor music. Given that I still have the urge for performance and as there is not a theatre on Bowen my interests have gone the way of what could best be described as guerrilla, i.e. Morris and Mumming. Traditionally neither are performed on a stage and certainly not in a theatre. That being said I support without reservation the concept of a performing arts centre on Bowen. Yours truly Jim McConnan

45 RR #1 Site R-5 Bowen Island, B.C. V0N 1G0 July 23, 2004 Dear Performing Arts Centre Committee, My name is Allice Bernards. I am a local Storyteller of the oral tradition and I m writing to express my appreciation and support for the work you are doing to make possible the building of a Performing Arts space on our island. Since 2001 I have organised/facilitated over 15 public storytelling events on Bowen Island: both concerts and workshops. Many of the Storytellers featured in the concerts and all of the workshop presenters are professional storytellers who have travelled to Bowen from the mainland to share their art. In November of 2002 I co-founded a spoken word event on Bowen called Telling Tales. It is an ongoing event that takes place on the third Thursday of each month. The premise of Telling Tales is to provide an friendly space where local storytellers, short story writers and poets can present their work to interested and supportive listeners. These evenings provide a blend of spoken word and literary readings. Telling Tales draws from a pool of over 20 local artists: professional, semi-professional and emerging. Occasionally, a guest performer from town will join us. It is a venue in which each artist can rehearse a piece, present a work-in-progress or refresh a treasured gem. Each evening 6-7 artists will present to a group of 6-30 listeners (mostly local). We have had to move this venue 3 times since it s inception. We began in the Snug Coffeehouse but had to move when it became onerous for the one staff person willing to work an evening shift on top of a full day shift. The Tea Room welcomed us next but it became apparent that this charming venue would quickly become too small. And so we were lucky to relocate in Collins Hall. We appreciate this venue but we must share the space with an ongoing school of HomeLearners and so it is cluttered with the necessary

46 furniture of a thriving learning environment. It is not an ideal performance space since it can be bitterly cold in winter & stifling hot in summer with a noisy fan that must be used to relieve both conditions. A modest space in a Performing Arts Centre suitable for small presentations would be a godsend for events like Telling Tales. Admission to Telling Tales is by donation and all proceeds, since Jan. 2003, have been given to the building fund for a Performing Arts Centre. Also, I have stopped organising and presenting storytelling concerts for a larger public audience since available space is limited, largely unsuitable, and costly. I m sure that given an appropriate and affordable setting such events would thrive on Bowen. And so, I am urging you to continue your efforts to secure for our island a Performing Arts Centre where local talent can be showcased and where visiting artists can be presented in ways that will enrich our community s experience. Thank you. Yours, Allice Bernards allicebtelling@lynx.net

47 Bowen Island Municipality c/o K. Coffey August 10, 2004 To whom it may concern, I am writing specifically about the dire need of our community building our own Performing Arts Centre here on Bowen. As a professional artist and musician, for over eight years I have utilized virtually all venues available here for live performance; self producing over 8 concerts ( E.G.: The Gallery, The General Store, now The Library, Victor's, now Blue Eyed Mary's La Mangerie, now The Bistro and Cates Hill Chapel. ( One Cates Hill Chapel concert was a" Sun Series" sponsored Concert ). I have also been involved with numerous other concerts staged at the school auditorium (Magic Of Christmas, Endangered Species) and at the stage that is now "The Orchard". So I believe I speak from some authority. I must admit I became weary of making performances work in makeshift, cramped, echoey, temporary situations on Bowen. The tremendous energy and enthusiasm required just to stage the event is much more than performing the actual event itself! The last concert I gave was 2 years ago Feb. at La Mangerie when CTV did a feature on it...it sold out and all went very well from a performance point of view, but from a staging/sound point of view it was grossly lacking. People just could not hear it as the sound bounced everywhere nor could they even see me adequately. I know I am not alone in my view as many of my colleagues feel a similar frustration. It is like preparing fine gourmet cuisine and then serving it on paper plates. It works but something is lost. I have given my best efforts here, but because of these factors, I have chosen instead to focus my energy to Vancouver venues and elsewhere. I hope that our community will wake up to the vast opportunities we are missing sooner than later. I love to perform on Bowen and I love to sing live. I would relish the opportunity to do so more frequently on Bowen if we actually had a proper space. Comfortable seating, a large stage, with good stage lighting, a reliable and good sound system/sound board, a decent, tuned piano and a performers green room. With the high caliber of talented musicians, actors, authors, playwrights that we have on this beautiful island, it is most strange and peculiar that there is still not a proper venue in which to house, support and showcase them. Numerous other small communities and sister islands have made this their priority. Consequently, they reap the vast benefits from having done so. Why haven't we? It would be such a cultural and social benefit that would transform, unite and expand our arts scene and our ability to network and share the plethora of rich and diverse creativity here. Young and old a like. We desperately need an artistic core focus and a performance centre would give us just that... and more. I understand that there are many people willing to lend a hand in this vital process given the opportunity to do so. I am sure many more would also come on board as well. It is always a risk but I believe a powerful one to encourage and support our local artists. Sincerely, Christie Grace

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49 My name is Mara Brenner. I have been working as a theatrical and musical stage manager and producer, and as a ballet teacher on Bowen Island for 7 years. In those years I have been involved in 5 full- length theatre productions, involving approximately 30 performances, with dozens of cast and crew members, both volunteer and paid. I have also been involved with almost as many musical performances often including up to 100 performers and volunteers. I have also produced 2 ballet recitals annually, with an average of 30 dancers each time. I have performed and taught in the following Bowen locations: The Legion, The Gallery, Gavin s place, The CNIB, The Montgomery s Home, BICS Gym, Cates Hill Chapel, Collins Hall, The Old General Store, The Community Use Room, and the Teen Centre. In the past year I imported 4 internationally renowned theatre productions to Bowen, but I didn t work on anything "local" because there is nowhere to rehearse, and no affordable and appropriate space to perform. I decided that in order to continue contributing to the Islands artistic landscape I would use my contacts abroad to bring internationally renowned acts to Bowen. The shows I brought demanded no lights, sound equipment, dressing room, blackouts, staging, walls, rehearsal space, or other things that define a theatre. They had 1 or 2 actors, no set, and were very mainstream with respect to script content. I experienced a very frustrating few weeks when the planned performance of an internationally acclaimed show had to be changed due to script censorship. How embarrassed I was to inform the performer that there was no venue for his show here! I know now that like the Legion, Cates Hill Chapel, Collins Hall and others, all the private halls on Bowen have specific mandates and guidelines about the content of the performances they accept. I fully understand and respect that these spaces have every right to be controlled how their owners see fit. Also, venues like The Gallery, whose mandate is visual arts, are often unavailable due to 3D shows and openings. I have come to accept that until there is a dedicated performance space on this Island, our artistic expression will be limited by those that control the venues. The arts community needs your help if we are ever to get a theatre. If we get a performance space on Bowen I would use it often. Probably twice a year for ballet shows, at a week s rental each time, 5 more times for off Island guests and many more times for local theatre and musical events. I am an artist and a creative person, yet so much of my time is taken up with basic venue issues that there is little time or energy left for fundraising, petitioning, rehearsing, sitting on boards or even writing letters like this one! When we do have a performance space there will be more perks then just freedom of expression and freedom of the arts gained. The 6 hours of building and taking apart a stage, the 10 or more hours of hanging and taking down lights, the time spent on sound equipment, putting out chairs, building stage walls, setting up a concession, blacking out the windows and all the time spent finding the venue will be a thing of the past. Because we are so good at what we do, many don't see these efforts. I have often overheard people saying "why do we need a theatre? Look what can be done with the Legion/BICS gym/gavin s place, etc..." This is very frustrating! Imagine what we could do for the community with a real space! Everyone that I know who is involved in the performing arts on Bowen is exhausted well before their show even opens. If you go to plays, concerts, poetry readings, choir or dance recitals, cd release parties, summer festivals or coffee houses on Bowen, think about how many more people would attend and how many more challenging and "controversial" productions we could invite to a comfortable, properly equipped and professional theatre that we could all be proud of. Thank-you, Mara Brenner

50 Bowen Island Arts Council, Community Hall and Arts Centre Committee To whom it may concern: I am a semi-professional Opera and Musical Theatre singer, and have lived on Bowen Island for the past 18 years. In that time I have regularly participated in a wide variety of musical events ranging from fund-raising coffee houses to Community Choir concerts, and self-produced, full-length solo performances. I have also attended many theatre presentations, musical and cultural events over the years, and consider the arts to be an essential ingredient in nurturing a healthy and vibrant community. Unfortunately, in recent times, we have seen the erosion of our ability to bring such presentations to the public because of a serious, I would say critical lack of adequate spaces for performance. For example, a single evening of music that would normally require 2 hours of setup and hall preparation, and 1 hour of tear-down (exclusive of the performance itself) presently takes over 8 hours to achieve, using a great deal of volunteer labour and ingenuity. Acoustic baffles must be hung for many events, sound systems cobbled together with inadequate power availability, backdrops constructed without any way to support them, and lighting systems rented and set up. The obstacles are huge and exhausting to overcome. To achieve the same result for theatre is virtually impossible, since any spaces currently available either do not allow for sets to be built at all, or if they do, participants must construct an entire backstage area and stage as well, including masking off this area and blacking out windows. Acoustics are terrible in the BICS Gym, and the space is not accessible during the week, making any attempt to have a technical rehearsal, dress rehearsal, or even a Friday evening performance impossible. Theatre requires that a space be fully available for three days before any show, and for all days of a run (usually two weekends, plus a matinee). Some spaces also censor material as a condition of rental. This is unacceptable in a progressive and far-sighted society. In short, I strongly support the initiative to bring a Community Hall and Arts Centre on Bowen to reality. We are virtually the only community of any size in the province to be without such a space, and many that are far smaller have significant facilities in which to showcase local talent, hold dances, concerts and accommodate other worthwhile events. I believe that such a facility would serve us well for many years to come, and provide many opportunities to bring our vibrant and unique community together. Yours sincerely, Jude Neale (604)

51 Bowen Island Music Association D152, Bowen Island, BC, V0N 1GO November 1, 2004 Bowen Island Municipal Council & Staff Civic Facilities Task Force, Performing Arts Centre Committee (and any other groups who are concerned re: r the subject) Dear Madams & Sirs, Re: Performing Arts Centre I was asked, many months back, to take a moment to pen a note regarding the possible design and construction of a space suitable to support the live performing arts on Bowen. Beneath the thin veneer of absolute procrastination always, lurks an organization that does get around to sponsoring events that have brought thousands (literally) of Bowen ers together to celebrate a moment of life while enjoying an artist doing their thing. The Bowen Island Music Association (BIMA) exists to support the performance of local and non-local, public, live, musical acts. BIMA has hosted coffee houses for forever, put on two large-scale festivals (Howe Sounds) in 1997 & 1998, fed five years ( ) of Endangered Species on stage, brought a few name-recognizable acts to the Rock, and even done a guitar camp weekend once. We ve helped local artists such as Brenda Reid, Contraband, Ruta Yawney, Julie Vik and many, many others, get their stage legs and hone their craft to the point of professional debuts.

52 In all, we ve staged our fair share (together with TOTI, Tir-Na-Nog, choirs, etc.) of performing arts events on Bowen. BIMA has done it everywhere Collins Hall, Cates Hill Chapel, Gavin s Ball Cage, The Festival Field, The Legion, The Pub, Docs, The Snug, Island Pacific School, Evergreen Hall, The Gallery, BICS Classrooms, BICS Gym. And every time, we build the show put up the stage, put up the lights, put up the sound gear, put up the decorations then take it all down. And what, per-chance, have we learned? A few things one, Bowen loves it, we build it, they come we ve paid our own freight (mostly) as an organization Bowen Islanders want to celebrate the musical arts on Bowen; we ve a phenomenal record of success in carrying the costs (and then some sometimes) of staging these shows. Two it s a pain in the rear - a few dedicated volunteers do it time and time again put it up, take it down, home by 2 or 3am: the reason we can t do more, is we re beat up from lugging gear and climbing ladders and taking time off work to re-create a performing arts space. Three the artists are here, they live here (or they re traveling through, like Fruit and Ruthie Foster last summer), and they re ready and willing to play for what we can afford to pay. The punch line is in the answer to the questions: Would we like to have a rich, vibrant, exciting live performing arts scene here on Bowen Island? Yes. Then, what does it take? A performing arts space. What kind of space? We need an accessible, versatile, dedicated performing arts space. What does that mean? Let s break it down: Accessible = affordable no more than $1 per ticket/per night Versatile flat floor seating & tiered seating Dedicated first dibs to the live performing arts Performing Arts a stage (with installed sound, lights, curtains), a green room, washrooms, kitchen Space seat at least 150 minimum (that accounts for Bowen s buildout too)

53 The Bowen Island Music Association stands firmly behind the plans to acquire lands and funds to create a community hall that is dedicated to supporting the live performing arts on Bowen. We helped make BIAC s Artisan Square viable, we ll help make a real community hall viable. Please help us make it happen. Sincerely yours, BIMA Doug Hooper Cc: BIMA Executive

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58 [5]

59 June 8, 2004 To whom it may concern: Four or five years ago, I was honoured to get a call from the fabulous jazz singer and pianist Carol Welsman from Toronto; she was bringing Peter Appleyard on vibes and Kieran Overs on bass from Toronto, but couldn t afford to fly one of their regular drummers out from Toronto, so the latter two recommended me. The event was one of two opening concerts for Saltspring Island s Artspring Centre. (the other opening concert was a classical one, featuring Maureen Forrester.) Apparently this facility was a long time coming, with many years of arguing, planning, zoning and building. I was deeply impressed with what I saw and experienced, with workshop areas in the back, and gallery display areas in the lobby. The seating was small and intimate, but wonderfully designed and made. The stage area was extremely well laid-out, with wonderful lighting, sound equipment, excellent acoustics and a very nice 7-foot grand piano. At the time, it made me a bit sad, as our community had just voted down the same idea here. Now the issue is out in the open again, and the decision should be obvious: this community is an unusual mixture, an urban class of people who want to be slightly removed from the urban sprall. The sensibilites of most of these people seem to include a great desire and respect for culture and the arts. That is easily reflected in what Bowen Islanders talk about, and the magnitude and frequency that cultural issues receive in Bowen media. With every week seeing an abundance of music concerts, dance and theatre performances, film screenings, speeches, etc etc, how can we not have such a facility on Bowen? I would certainly utilize it both as a venue to promote concerts, and I know I would frequent it often as a patron. This is long overdue. Sincerely, Buff Allen Buff Allen RR 1 Z-24 Bowen Island BC V0N 1G0 cell: home: fax: buff_allen@mac.com

60 Bowen Island Arts Council, Community Hall and Arts Centre Committee P.O. Box 211, Bowen Island, B.C., V0N 1G0 October 18, 2004 To the members of the Community Hall and Arts Centre Committee, The Board of Directors of Theatre-on-the-Isle (TOTI) is writing to show our enthusiastic support for a performing arts facility on Bowen Island. TOTI is a volunteer community theatre group that has been producing live theatre on Bowen Island since the 1950 s and is the oldest active theatre group on Bowen Island. We have run seasons with as many as 5 shows, and other years with only one production, but always with attendance near to capacity. Each production involves anywhere from 10 to 50 cast and crew, and with audiences of 200 to 1200 people we have involved thousands of Bowen Islanders and their visitors in front or behind the stage. TOTI has also sponsored productions visiting from Vancouver or on tour, and has hosted workshops and classes in acting and directing. During the past 30 years, TOTI has produced theatre in a variety of venues, from the living room of Evergreen Hall to the Old General Store (now the library) to a tent in Crippen Park s festival field. Many of the venues were cozy, intimate or unique. They have all been challenging. We have never had a venue that was dedicated to performance, designed for performance, or even available primarily for performance. All of our shows involve rehearsing in a small space (someone s basement or a meeting room) and then moving into the performance space, building the stage and set, hanging the lights, blacking out windows and finally working on the stage on the day of technical or dress rehearsal and often taking it all down the same night as the last performance. While this may seem like magic to the audience, it is an enormous amount of work for a completely volunteer cast and crew, making productions all the more difficult. Such a scenario would be completely unacceptable in any professional theatre, even though our community demands the same at half the price. For at least 20 years, TOTI has repeatedly stated the need for a facility to properly accommodate the performing arts. We support the work of the Community Hall and Arts Centre Committee (CHAC Committee), and sincerely hope that you will fulfill your mandate. We feel strongly that an arts centre, or theatre, or community

61 hall, or combination of these is desperately needed for our community. A dedicated arts centre would increase the number of productions we could tackle, the quality and type of show we could produce and would significantly decrease the workload upon our volunteer production crews. An arts centre would allow TOTI to respond positively to requests to bring shows over to Bowen Island, rather than constantly explaining that there is no available venue, or the venue available will not accept the content of the production, or that the venue is inadequate for the needs of the visiting production. An arts centre would also allow us to concentrate our efforts on quality of production, on publicity, and on planning a season, rather than expending endless effort on transporting staging, chairs, set, drapes, lighting equipment, sound equipment, costumes, and dressing rooms, and then tearing it all down and hauling it all away again to locations of dubious storage. In the past 3 years TOTI s productions have decreased in number. The very few remaining and available venues do not allow full size sets, or access until dress rehearsal. It has become difficult to locally produce theatre and impossible to produce or import certain types, styles and sizes of productions. We are limited to small casts, small stages, and sets that do not require much rehearsal time on them. We would enthusiastically welcome a performance facility on Bowen. The time for a publicly accessible, non-denominational, performance facility is now. The need for such a community facility has existed for at least 10 years, and the need will only grow. Theatre-on-the-Isle supports the Arts Council s initiative to implement the Cultural Master Plan recommendations, and we particularly endorse the work of the CHAC Committee and their mandate to realize the creation of a performing arts facility on Bowen Sincerely, Theatre-on-the-Isle Board of Directors Helen Wallwork Judi Gedye Tina Nielsen Martin Clarke Ian Davidson

62 APPENDIX C

63 Arts and Culture Overview Bowen Island Presenting Groups: David Granier Healing Arts Peter Mulholland Island Pacific School Community workshops Island Classical Concerts / Festival Committee Bowen Arts Guild Independent Fundraisers (various) Lifelong Learning Society Bowen Island Community Choir Toastmasters Martial Arts (Tai Chi, Wu Shu, Tae Kwon Do) Tir na Nog Endangered Species (BIMA) Bowen Island film-makers Pauline lebel Teen Centre Skate Park Fundraiser Alpha Group Bowen Island Alliance Island Pacific School Bursary Fund Bowen Island Arts Council / Tibetan Society Creative Anachronism Society Bowen Island Pre-school Foxglove Arts Adult Health Clinic BICS Community School Association T.O.T.I. Shasta and Brian Drum Circle Bluegrass festival Lady Rose Bookstore Jude Neale Bowen Island Canadian Legion Island Pacific Odyssey Alison Nixon Choir Kingbaby Productions Witty Productions Storytellers Island Craftsmen Young Writier s Workshops Nota Bene Choir Spider Robinson Paul and Audrey Grescoe Writers and Lecturers, spoken word (various) Bowfest Bowen Island U.B.S. Friends of the Library Dog Days of Summer Howe Sound Community Forum

64 Arts and Culture Overview cont d Bowen Island Parks and Recreations Roseway Travel Bowen Island Yacht Club Abbeyfield Society Weight Watchers Bowen Island Garden Club Bowen Island Chamber of Commerce Haunted House Harmony House Music Studios Westcoast Symphony Cape Roger Curtis Conservancy Privately sponsored concerts Ruby Slippers Artisan Squires Total: 62

65 Types of Events Bowen Island Music: Island Classical Concerts x 2 Community Choir X 2 Endangered Species Ingrid Coffee House Fundraiser Teen Centre Music Show Community Choir Coffee Houses X 4 Skate Park Fundraiser Nearly Neal Westcoast Symphony British Invasion BICS Fundraiser Bluegrass Show Jude Neale Concert Pauline lebel Concert Legion Fundraiser Private Parties/Benefits X 4 Alison Nixon Choir Katrina Thomson Fundraiser Nota Bene X 2 Kevin Mackenzie Concert Alison Crowe Concert Harry Manx Concert Mic Jackson Concert Pepe Danza Concert Pied Pumpkin Concert Ruta Yawney Concert Sing-Along Messiah Bowen Island Community Choir X 2 Harmony House student recital Theatre: Tir na Nog T.O.T.I. Fundraiser Summer Theatre Festival (T.O.T.I., Kingbaby, Witty Productions) I.P.S. Odyssey Heartwood La Vita Grande Pre-tour opening Haunted House Mad Mabel Christmas Performances Film: Documentary film series Roseway Travel series

66 Types of Events cont d Bowen Island Visual Arts: Art Workshops X 40 Ione McIntyre Annual Art Exhibit Ongoing Art Gallery showings Festivals: Bowfest Dog Days of Summer Summer Arts Festival Language Arts: Pauline lebel Storytelling Word Jam Children s Book Fair Richard Taylor author reading Summer Festival Spoken Word (various) Spider Robinson Christmas Carol Telling Tales Book signings and Presentations (various) Workshops: Healing Arts Networking Lifelong Learners Martial Arts Demonstrations Alpha Group Foxglove Arts Creative Anachronisms Yurt Workshops (music) Bowen Island U.B.S. Chamber of Commerce Georgia Basin Drama Classes Community Vision Bowen 2042 Way of Dreaming Bowen Island Sustainability Critical Thinking

67 Types of Events cont d Bowen Island General: Venerable Lahkdor Lecture Jim Macdonald Memorial Bowen Island Pre-School Christmas Craft Fair Teen Host Audition Cape Roger Curtis Conservancy Ongoing: Toastmasters La Mangerie Music Martial Arts Tai Chi, Tae Kwon Do, Wu Shu, Karate Yoga Meetings: Bowen Island Alliance AGM How Sound Community Forum Arts Festival General Meeting Chamber of Commerce Gala

68 Bowen Island Events November 2002 Event # of dates Staff Attendance Theatre Vita Grande Drama workshop Auditions Magical Snowman Music Pepe Danza Dance Community Choir Coffee House Pied Pumpkin Ruta Yawney Misc. concerts (La Mangerie) Misc. McKinnell Gallery BIAC Gallery Grescoe s Book Signing Chamber of Commerce lecture GVRD Workshop Totals

69 APPENDIX D

70

71 APPENDIX E

72 Dorman Road Dorman Bay Deep Bay Crippen Park Miller Road Road Gardner Mount IPS Grafton Road Bowen Island Trunk Road Snug Cove Scale 1:10,000 Snug Cove Village Plan Map 4 Plan Boundary Surplus lands

73 APPENDIX F

74 UNKNOWN HALL, Similar to the Basic Community Hall & Arts Centre concept.

75

76 PENDER IS., B.C.

77 DENMAN IS., B.C.

78 TOFINO, B.C.

79 APPENDIX G

80

81 Mt. Strahan Lodge, Bowen Island. 1925?

82 Mt. Strahan Lodge with monkey tree, Bowen Island