The team at Eighth & Eight Creative Spaces is inviting the community in to find out what the centre is all about.
Eighth & Eight is the newly branded arts centre that’s now taking shape in the complex at the corner of Eighth Avenue and Eighth Street, in a portion of the old New Westminster Secondary School building. The 35,000-square-foot centre includes Massey Theatre, Plaskett Gallery and a variety of multipurpose and studio rooms created from former classrooms and other surrounding spaces.
The arts centre is being retained as a stand-alone complex, owned by the City of New Westminster and operated by the Massey Theatre Society, after the demolition of the old school.
On Saturday, Nov. 6, everyone’s invited to stop in between 1 and 5:30 p.m. to check out the space for themselves.
“Years of hard work by local and provincial governments and Massey Theatre Society have brought us to this day. Now it’s time to engage community members, artists and activators as the space is opened to the public, so the potential of this important community space can be imagined together,” said Jessica Schneider, executive director of the Massey Theatre Society, in a press release.
The society’s board of directors and leadership team will be on hand at the open house Saturday to talk about plans for the centre and answer visitors’ questions.
And, as folks of all ages wander the space, they’ll be able to enjoy a host of offerings from artists, creators and community members – children’s craft activities, film showings, musical and dance performances, writers’ group readings, sketch theatre, spoken word performances, a New West Craft sale and more. (You can find a full schedule of events online.)
COVID-19 protocols are in place. The B.C. Vaccine Passport (or regional equivalent) and matching picture ID is required to attend. Masks are mandatory in all spaces of the complex.
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