Frank Venables Theatre recipient of Canada Cultural Spaces Grant

The Frank Venables Theatre, operated by the Oliver Community Theatre Society, is very pleased to announce it has received a grant from the Government of Canada, Department of Canadian Heritage, Canada Cultural Spaces Fund.

The grant has gone towards acquiring specialised equipment to enhance and upgrade the theatre. The funds received covered in part the purchase of a synthetic Marley dance floor, condenser microphones and twelve LED light fixtures.

The Marley dance floor provides a safe, non-slip surface suitable for all genres of dance. It also protects the stage from damage caused by tap shoes or rosin for ballet pointe shoes. Having a Marley floor makes the theatre more attractive to renters as they no longer have to provide their own, saving time and labour.

The condenser microphones have been installed over the stage. The purpose of the microphones is to captures acoustic instruments and un-amplified voices and feed them into the sound board in the control booth, where the sound from the stage can be enhanced if required for all patrons, and be sent into the existing hearing loop system for broadcast to patrons who use hearing aids. 

 The twelve light fixtures are now available to be used as “side lights” to light the stage from the wings or as extras on stage. These lights offer designers increased options and flexibility, and provide an ease of use as lights do not have to be removed from the existing lighting grid.

The Frank Venables Theatre is a modern, fully-equipped community theatre available for rent for a wide range of performing arts activities from dance and music, to theatre, children’s events and community activities. With its spacious lobby and ample stage, the theatre boasts sophisticated lighting and audio systems. We are proud to welcome groups from within the Okanagan and around the globe. The theatre opened in 2014, literally rising out of the ashes of the historic art-deco style Venables Auditorium which burned to the ground in the fall of 2011. With 400 seats and state-of-the-art theatrical equipment, Frank Venables Theatre is the premier performing arts facility of the South Okanagan.