WIN!Spear Centre
How an Edmonton arts organization graciously supported the project.
The Francis Winspear Centre for Music is an Edmonton gem. The hall is one of the finest performance spaces in North America, and I am fortunate enough to work here.
When we started working on The Exhibition, one thing we needed to consider was space. Where would we be able to work that is open, available throughout the day, and cheap to rent (or free). Space for artists is a big concern in Edmonton. However, when an not-for-profit organization, such as the Winspear Centre, is able to give back to the community that supports them, everyone wins!
I approached the management team for the Winspear Centre, to gather their thoughts. The main concern would be “how do we benefit from this?” Without receiving compensation for space, the Winspear would need to be compensated by another means. Hence the lovely concept of donation in-kind. By allowing our group to use a small office in the administration, Winspear Centre establishes themselves as a series sponsor. This would mean that they would receive sponsor recognition by us in our print media, social media, and in the credits of the episode. This is what I mean by mutually beneficial (everyone wins). We got a space to work, and the Winspear has another format to increase awareness for the facility and its programming.
But the Winspear didn’t stop there. We needed a high quality space to record the audio for the episode. The management team kindly offered the use of the Studio for up to four hours to complete our recording. This space is amazing! The Studio (formerly the Rehearsal Hall) was built to accommodate small recitals, rehearsals, lectures and receptions. It also has acoustic curtains that drape the Hall. The Rolling Stones spent a weekend rehearsing in The Studio, and it is a testament to the acoustic design of the facility that performances in the main Performance Chamber were not disrupted by the rock n’ roll happening just behind it!
A huge thank you again to everyone at the Winspear Centre for making our team feel at home, and letting us use such a wonderful Edmonton facility.
