Today, Mike Kelloway, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and Member of Parliament for Cape Breton-Canso, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, the Honourable Pat Dunn, Minister of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage, and Emmy Alcorn, Artistic Director of Mulgrave Road Theatre, announced over $2.6 million in federal funding for the construction of the new RoadHouse Creative Centre, a facility for local and regional artists in Northeastern Nova Scotia.
"The performing and visual arts sector has a long history in Canada, helping to define and preserve our cultural identity. By making use of digital and sustainable technologies, this creativity centre will support theatre artists, musicians, visual artists and many others for many years to come - creating lasting benefits for Guysborough and Northeastern Nova Scotia," said Mike Kelloway, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and Member of Parliament for Cape Breton-Canso, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities.
"For more than 45 years, Mulgrave Road Theatre has been thrilling audiences, bringing new Canadian works to life, and offering programs to inspire the next generation of writers and performers. Our government is proud to support the expanded RoadHouse Community Creative Hub, which will have a great impact on Nova Scotia's vibrant arts community," said the Honourable Pat Dunn, Minister of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage.
"We're so grateful to the government of Canada for this tremendous contribution, one that allows us to be not only cultural leaders but also environmental leaders, and moves us beyond a dream toward making our vision a reality," said Emmy Alcorn, Artistic Director of Mulgrave Road Theatre.
Based in Guysborough, Mulgrave Road Theatre (MRT) is a well-recognized cultural organization that engages its community, supports artistic and cultural collaborations, and creates new theatre works reflective of life in Atlantic Canada. Once completed, the new RoadHouse facility will house a 2,500 square foot transformable creation and performance space with automatic retractable seating for 90 to 100 audience members. An additional 5,500 square feet of space will be dedicated to housing a multi-purpose lobby and meeting space, dressing rooms, storage space, restrooms, workshop facilities, as well as a light and sound booth and interior and exterior community gathering spaces.
Adapted from the former Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation building, the RoadHouse Creativity Centre is designed to meet the requirements of the Canada Green Building Council's Zero Carbon Building Standard - Design Version 2. The new facility will incorporate passive ventilation systems, a roof-mounted solar photovoltaic energy system, passive solar design, and efficient lighting and plumbing fixtures. It will be a cultural and creative hub for Northeastern Nova Scotians to come together to practice, explore and enjoy the performing and visual arts.
