The Cultch celebrates Vancouver's 125th Anniversary with Home Sweet Home 

Participants of all ages enjoy Home Sweet Home, taking place at The Cultch June 6 - 11.

Home Sweet Home is coming to The Cultch! From June 6 to 11, build your own community - in miniature - with cardboard, glitter, paint, and anything else you can imagine. This spectator-led installation is different from most of our shows here at The Cultch because this time you're the one calling the shots. First "purchase" a plot of land (it's all in fun, Home Sweet Home is actually a totally free event!), then build the home of your dreams and watch as Vancouver's smallest community comes to life.

Part of Vancouver's ongoing 125th birthday celebration, Home Sweet Home is a great activity that's fun for families, friends or people just looking for a good way to spend a weekday afternoon. And for even more fun, come out for the neighborhood block party, the final celebration of Home Sweet Home, from 4 to 6 on Saturday, June 11th for a chance to meet and mingle with your neighbours. Brought to you all the way from the UK by artistic company Subject to_change, Home Sweet Home has already traveled around the world, creating unique and original communities everywhere from Europe to Japan to the United States. We here at The Cultch can't wait to see what kind of community Vancouver residents will create. Don't miss your chance to be a part of this one-of-a-kind Vancouver community!

Location: The Historic Theatre at The Cultch, 1895 Venables Street
Dates: June 6-11
Monday to Friday: 1pm-8pm
Saturday: 12pm-6pm (Block Party from 4pm-6pm)

To read more about this amazing show, click here to read our Q & A with Home Sweet Home creator Lucy Hayhoe.


11/12 season subscriptions are now on sale at The Cultch

Ronnie Burkett is back with The Cultch's 11/12 season!

Nothing compares to the anticipation that comes before a live performance you've been anxiously waiting to see. In the upcoming 11/12 season at The Cultch, there's a whole line up of incredible shows that will stir up your sense of excitement. This season we have Cultch favourites Ronnie Burkett, Catalyst Theatre, Blackbird Theatre, and much more to grace our stages! And, as a subscriber, you get first dibs on these and other hot ticket items plus the best seats in the house.

This season, our Build-Your-Own (BYO) Subscription Bundles are back by popular demand! The more shows you see, the more you save. With BYO 4, see four different shows for the price of three or with BYO 8, choose eight different shows and save even more. With 17 shows to choose from, you'll enjoy an exciting roster of live programs - your favourites in contemporary music, theatre and dance.

Also, as a subscriber, you will enjoy incredible benefits including unlimited free ticket exchanges, the best seats at the best prices, up to 20% off tickets to Ronnie Burkett's Penny Plain and Catalyst Theatre's Hunchback and much more. With subscriptions selling fast, get yours in soon to reserve your favourite seats. Go to www.thecultch.com to learn more.




Congratulations!

We are thrilled to announce that Brenda Rudko is the winner of our Early-Bird Subscriber draw - providing her with a subscription package to our 11/12 season for free simply because she subscribed before our deadline of May 27th! Congrats Brenda and thanks to all who subscribed early this season. We can't wait to see you here soon.


York Theatre becomes The Cultch's next labour of love 

An architectural rendering of the York Theatre.

For those of you who haven't heard, the 98-year old York Theatre located on Vancouver's Commercial Drive is on its way to becoming a member of The Cultch family. It's a theatre that's been dormant for years, but now with major renovation plans in the works ($14 million renovation plans to be exact) the theatre is not far off from returning to its original purpose, a cultural hub for live performance!

The Cultch has Wall Financial to thank for the restoration project. With the support of the City of Vancouver, Wall Financial will be heading up the renovation that, once completed, will return the space to its 1940's art-deco finish, reflecting a time when the theatre was thriving as a centre for exciting live performances.

With plans to open in 2013, the cherished theatre will be a venue for live theatre, dance and music to be operated by The Cultch. Boasting 350 seats, a fly tower and an orchestra pit, this historic space will act primarily as a rental venue for artists in the community, energizing the Commercial Drive with an excitement that only comes from live performance. 

Check out what The Vancouver Sun and The Province had to say about the York Theatre and it's plans for restoration.


The Cultch gears up for this year's Summer Camp

Only 10 spots remain in The Cultch's 2011 Summer Camp - register soon to avoid disappointment!

With the school year quickly drawing to a close, many of Vancouver's youths are busy planning the summer ahead in hopes that it will be one to remember. Barbeques, camping trips, and days spent lazing around on the beach are all high on the list of things to do. But why not use some of your free time to dive into Vancouver's thriving arts scene?

The Cultch's Summer Camp is just the thing for eager high-school aged youth who want to learn, laugh, be inspired. Meet new friends; people like you with the same interest and passion for the performing arts. Running August 15 to 26, The Cultch Summer Camp is two weeks of creative collaboration with amazing mentors from Vancouver-based theatre company The Only Animal. And, on the final day of camp, students perform their multi-disciplinary work that they created themselves, open to an audience of family and friends! The Cultch Summer Camp is an exciting way to finish off the summer and meet new friends. But don't waste time; get your registration in soon as there are just 10 spots left! Register now! Or for more information visit www.thecultch.com. 

Volunteering for The Cultch - what it's really all about 

Cultch volunteers at last year's Volunteer Appreciation BBQ

Here at The Cultch we have an incredible roster of volunteers who help us keep things running smoothly. Our volunteers are people with a passion for the arts and help us with everything from ushering to lending a hand in the office.

We caught up with Betty Lou Phillips, one of our most dedicated volunteer ushers, to give you the inside scoop on what volunteering for The Cultch is really all about.

Can you describe your responsibilities as a Cultch volunteer?

As an usher at The Cultch I welcome our patrons, provide directions and programs, answer inquiries (often about the beautiful new building or the season) then take tickets and assist with seating. Sometimes I prepare the programs at the start of the evening and occasionally I help with food service or bussing for our wonderful galas.

What are some of your favourite things about volunteering for The Cultch?

There are lots of favourite things about one of my favourite places!  One of them is definitely the congenial atmosphere. The staff and volunteers are a fun, interesting group and I've made some lasting friendships over the years. With such excellent, diverse programming I've also been fortunate as an usher to enjoy many enriching evenings of imaginative dance, eclectic music and challenging theatre. It's perfect for a culture vulture like me! It also feels good to be part of an organization that has a strong sense of community, that through its careful renovation of this beautiful building values heritage and is committed to growth and development with youth programs and mentorship. 

Would you recommend volunteering to others?

I highly recommend volunteering to everyone. It is fun and rewarding with opportunities for new experiences and friendships and a very satisfying way to give back a little for having received so much. It is a pleasure.

If you're looking for a great way to get involved in the community, meet new people, stay informed about the local arts scene and, of course, see great live shows, then The Cultch, with our newly renovated and restored facility, is the place to be. For more information, please contact us at volunteer@thecultch.com.

The Cultch at the Winner's Circle

On Sunday May 29, The Cultch took over the Marquee Tents at Hastings Racecourse for the last fundraising event of our fiscal year: Meet Me at the Winner's Circle.

Eleanor Stacey, Director of Development at The Cultch, and her daughter Christina watch the races.

The day was an enormous success. Many of our donors and supporters came out for a day of racing, bidding and betting. Some even walked away with great prizes and a few more dollars in their pockets.

The Cultch's Managing Director Cindy Reid bet on a horse with 32:1 odds because she liked the jockey's name. She won.

Meet Me at the Winner's Circle was held as part of Hastings Racecourse's Community Days program, which offers non-profit organizations use of the Marquee area on a live race day and a generous donation of $5000, among other things.

Celebrity hat judge Christine Reimer, a Vancouver-based set and costume designer, had the task of selecting Best Male Hat and Best Female Hat from many possible candidates. The winners were given $100 to spend at Edie Hats and the chance to meet the winning horse and jockey of The Cultch's race, called "The Show Must Go On".

The Cultch is very grateful for the constant support of our donors and sponsors. Director of Development Eleanor Stacey would like to extend her thanks to The Flower Factory, Edie Hats, the Georgia Straight, and costume designer Christine Reimer.

Special thanks to Chris Wong and Hastings Racecourse for making our Community Day at the Track possible!