by Eleanor Stacey
Well, the time is upon us.
After this week the City will close The Civic Theatre to begin the rehabilitation of the roof of the Civic Centre. Within Nelson Civic Theatre Society, it has taken a lot of heavy lifting to get this far — we have struck a great deal of our tech equipment from our auditorium, held our garage sale, and are now in the process of navigating our changing relationships with staff members, volunteers, members and patrons.
When I say “changing relationships” I mean that in some cases we know we are parting ways, and in others we are digging deeper and perhaps even starting something new. The Civic Theatre will be changing this year in many different ways, and we know that it will have ripples throughout everything we do and how we interact with audiences and our community overall.
More than a decade ago, 4,000 people signed a petition to save The Civic Theatre from other proposed permanent uses. Then 2,500 people bought memberships in that first year to bootstrap the rehabilitation of the theatre. At that time, the previous tenant had ripped out all the original seats and left the space unusable, so more than a hundred volunteers rolled up their sleeves to tirelessly clean bathrooms, install seats, run the projector, make popcorn, and raise more money. They fundraised for air-conditioning and digital projection, reinvigorating this legendary cultural venue.
Ten years later, I think about the grit and vision that this group of volunteers had in order to raise The Civic from the proverbial ashes, and the effort they put into it. They did it because they knew that the alternative was that it would be gone forever. It’s eye-opening to nearly lose something that you take for granted. And it’s amazing how something old can suddenly feel so valuable again when you see and feel its vulnerability.
As we enter into this next chapter of The Civic’s development, it again feels like this shift comes with many unknowns. As anyone who has ever lived in an old house or worked in an old building will know, when you start to open things up, you learn new things.
We are also facing a significant cut in our cashflow for the next five-to-six months due to the loss of box office, concession, and rental income, and we still have a capital fundraising goal above and beyond what we’ve already raised that will need attention in the coming year. (There will be more to follow on this in the months to come.) None of these things are surprising, but as we all know, things continue to cost more. The pandemic and economy since has affected consumer choices too. As a result, we enter this closure in a much leaner financial position than we would like.
So, I have a few requests today. If you are not a member of NCTS (and especially if you happen to be one of 1,300 lapsed members since 2019), today is a great day to start or renew your membership. In addition to our regular discount at the box office, members also receive free access to 16,000-plus titles at Reo’s Video, and discount pricing on private rentals at The Shoebox Theatre. Members will also hear first about tours and opportunities pertaining to our renewed facility.
It’s not really the membership benefits that I want to focus on today though — NCTS membership is the heart and lifeblood of The Civic Theatre. A robust membership helps us advocate for the things we need. When we approach funders, there is a correlation between a robust membership and evidence of community support. If you value having a cinema in Nelson, becoming a member is one of the very best ways you can show it.
Membership income is also a meaningful financial contribution toward NCTS today. If all our lapsed members renewed their membership, we would be in a much better financial position as we enter this complex phase of our story.
So please start or renew your membership with NCTS. It’s easy at www.civictheatre.ca/membership. If you have it within your means to donate to our operating fund, we could use your support this year. That is easy too, at www.civictheatre.ca/donate.
As James Joyce said, “There’s no friends like the old friends.” NCTS’ membership is a community of film lovers, storytellers, friends, and families who know the value of enjoying movies together in a cinema built by and for our community. After nearly 90 years of films, and more than a decade under NCTS, we have all been touched by the magic of The Civic Theatre. We look forward to what is to come in this next chapter.
Eleanor Stacey is executive director of the Nelson Civic Theatre Society. Large Popcorn, Extra Butter runs monthly.