In November, 2008 the Confederation Centre of the Arts was honored by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) as this country’s “Air Canada Business of the Year.”
The Centre will continue to focus on the areas that gained us national recognition as “Business of the Year” and to that end have planned a diverse and entertaining season for the 2009 Charlottetown Festival. Our season starts early with a tour of Anne of Green Gables – The Musical™ in Toronto in May, 2009 before it returns to Charlottetown for its 45th season. Joining Anne on the Mainstage will be a stunning new production, Disco Cirque which will combine the decadence and fantasy of the discotheque with the sparkle and intrigue of contemporary circus. At the Mack, we will present Stan Rogers: A Matter of Heart, with Sketch 22 appearing late nights and Charlie Farquharson and Them Udders providing laughter and music at Studio 2. Also in Studio 2, the popular group Vishten will appear for a special one-night performance, with other French programming to include Gadelle for the first half of the season followed by En Acadie during the second half of season. Get your tickets early by visiting our box office or go on-line at www.confederationcentre.com.
A new Young Company production based on the history, culture and aspirations of Prince Edward Island will be performed in Charlottetown this summer and will then travel to Vancouver in February 2010 as part of the VANOC Olympics programming.
Also touring this year will be the Confederation Centre Youth Choir. In April they will tour to Orlando, Florida for a series of tours and performances, including Epcot Centre. This will be a wonderful experience for the 44 children involved.
We continue to renovate and upgrade our facilities for our patrons. Studio 2 is our new dance studio space, home to our expanding dance umbrella program. We are also replacing the building’s original windows and doors, addressing the leaking roof of Memorial Hall and replacing the roof on the Grafton Street Plaza. In the fall of 2009 construction will begin on a pedestrian concourse connecting the Confederation Centre to the Confederation Court Mall and the new Holman’s Grand Hotel, making it easier for our patrons to access parking and downtown businesses.
The Confederation Centre Art Gallery continues to showcase Canadian artists through contemporary and historical art exhibitions and interactive installation projects. Our focus on arts education continues with dance classes, art classes, Arts Discovery Days, Family Sundays in the Gallery, choral music for youth and adults and much more.
We are looking forward to a busy and exciting season at Confederation Centre of the Arts and we hope you can join us!
David MacKenzie, CEO
March 2009