Bella Rose Arts Centre
Encyclopedia
The Bella Rose Arts Centre is a community-based proscenium theatre performing arts centre located inside of Halifax West High School
Halifax West High School
Halifax West High School is a Canadian public high school located in the Clayton Park neighbourhood in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia...

 in the Clayton Park
Clayton Park, Nova Scotia
Clayton Park is a Canadian suburban development in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality inside the city of Halifax.-Original development:...

 neighbourhood of Halifax, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...

, Canada. The 600 seat, professional grade, multi-purpose theatre has the capacity to handle almost any type of event from music and dance shows, to theatrical productions and currently functions primarily as a rental theatre.

Foundation

The idea of the theatre was founded during the planning process of the new Halifax West High School after the old Halifax West High School became condemned due to a toxic mould contamination.
See article Halifax West High School.

Though the old Halifax West High School did not have a theatre or auditorium—having just a gymnasium with a stage in it—the communities of Clayton Park and surrounding areas fought for a theatre during the planning process of the new school. The Nova Scotia Department of Education
Nova Scotia Department of Education
The Nova Scotia Department of Education is a department of the Government of Nova Scotia responsible for overseeing education institutions in the province...

 would however not fund a theatre seeing it as an unnecessary add-on to an already expensive new High School.

After many hours of planning and community consultation it was decided that if there was going to be a theatre inside of the new Halifax West High School that the money for it would have to come from sources other than the government. The Halifax West Community Theatre Association was then founded to ensure that a theatre would be included in the overall plans for the new Halifax West High School.

The Halifax Regional School Board
Halifax Regional School Board
The Halifax Regional School Board is the public school board responsible for 137 elementary, junior high, and high schools located within the Halifax Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia, Canada. The current Superintendent of the HRSB is Carole Olsen, who has held the position since 2002...

 turned over the old Halifax West High School that was located on Dutch Village Road over to the Halifax Regional Municipality who then demolished the building sold the lot to a local developer for approximately $300 000.00 CAD
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...

. That $300 000.00 CAD was then donated to the Halifax West Community Theatre Association so they could pay the Nova Scotia Department of Education to include and install a concrete shell in the High School that would one day hold the theatre after fundraising was complete.

Fundraising

Once the new Halifax West High School was completed, the Halifax West Community Theatre Association began fundraising for the new theatre calling it Theatre Halifax. The centre remained known as Theatre Halifax until Mickey MacDonald
Mickey MacDonald
Mickey MacDonald is an entrepreneur in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who has been involved in telecommunications, food retailing and the fitness industry.-Clearwater:...

, a local entrepreneur and businessman pledged to donate $300 000.00 CAD towards the theatre. The theatre was then renamed the Bella Rose Arts Centre in honour of his mother, Bella MacDonald and his daughter, Bella Rose MacDonald. The Halifax West Theatre Association was also later renamed to the Bella Rose Arts Centre Society to reflect this generous donation.

The theatre's fundraising efforts include; general donations from individuals, corporations and local governments, holding raffles and selling advertising space on tickets, ticket envelopes, and on the centre's website.

The most notable fundraising campaign is the Name-A-Seat campaign which allows anyone to purchase an inscribed plate in one of the theatre's 600 seats.

The Bella Rose Arts Centre Society is a Canadian registered charity
Canadian Charity Law
Charitable organizations in Canada are regulated under the Canadian Income Tax Act through the Charities Directorate of the Canada Revenue Agency....

.

Construction

The concrete shell that was put in place for the theatre was fairly limited; the original plan for the theatre only included 503 orchestra seats, no balcony, and no catwalks. The Halifax West Community Theatre Association, during the final planning stages, decided to put in an additional 97 seat balcony
Balcony
Balcony , a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade.-Types:The traditional Maltese balcony is a wooden closed balcony projecting from a...

 and two catwalks. This required some slight modifications to the exterior of the theatre shell on the second floor of the high school to add access to these areas.

After most of the fundraising efforts were completed, construction on the theatre started in February 2007 and was completed in June 2007.

Amenities

  • The Bella Rose Arts Centre is a proscenium theatre with a stage that has a performance space that is 34 feet wide and 23 feet deep. The stage has a sprung, professional grade dance floor.
  • There are 503 seats in the orchestra and 97 seats in the balcony for a total of 600.
  • There are 6 accessibility spots available for wheelchair users.

Notable Events and Performances

  • Brooks Diamond Productions - DRUM! (October 2008)
  • 2008 Halifax Regional Municipality Swearing In Ceremony
    Halifax Regional Municipality municipal election, 2008
    Halifax Regional Municipality municipal election, 2008The Halifax Regional Municipality is governed by a mayor and a twenty-three person council, who are elected by geographic district; municipal elections occur every four years...

     (November 2008)
  • Premier Rodney MacDonald
    Rodney MacDonald
    Rodney Joseph MacDonald is a Canadian politician, educator and musician who served as the 26th Premier of Nova Scotia from 2006 to 2009 and as MLA for the riding of Inverness in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1999 to 2009....

     - Ceilidh for Kids (November 2010)
  • Ballet Jörgen Canada
    Ballet Jörgen Canada
    Ballet Jörgen Canada is Canada’s fifth largest ballet company and the nation’s only major ballet company with a repertoire consisting exclusively of original works. It was founded in 1987 by Bengt Jörgen and Susan Bodie and is based in Toronto, Ontario. The company also has hubs in Ottawa,...

     - Original Dance (April 2009)
  • Halifax Theatre for Young People - The Gravesavers (May 2009)
  • Halifax West High School
    Halifax West High School
    Halifax West High School is a Canadian public high school located in the Clayton Park neighbourhood in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia...

     - How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
    How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
    How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, and Willie Gilbert, based on Shepherd Mead's 1952 book of the same name....

     (May 2009)
  • So You Think You Can Dance Canada
    So You Think You Can Dance Canada
    So You Think You Can Dance Canada was a dance competition and reality show that aired on CTV.Based on the original American TV show So You Think You Can Dance, the Canadian series showcased the best in Canadian dancing talent. Each season, the show held auditions in major cities across the...

     - Season 3 - Halifax Auditions (March 2010)
  • TV with TV's Jonathan Torrens
    TV with TV's Jonathan Torrens
    TV with TV's Jonathan Torrens is a Canadian comedic newsmagazine-styled television program that debuted on the TVtropolis network on October 9, 2009. The show features Jonathan Torrens of Trailer Park Boys and Street Cents fame "break down the complicated scope of television by dissecting the...

     - TV Mystery Shows (April 2010)
  • Halifax Theatre for Young People - Merlin (April 2010)
  • Halifax West High School
    Halifax West High School
    Halifax West High School is a Canadian public high school located in the Clayton Park neighbourhood in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia...

     - A Chorus Line
    A Chorus Line
    A Chorus Line is a 1975 musical about Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line. The book was authored by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante, lyrics were written by Edward Kleban, and music was composed by Marvin Hamlisch....

     (May 2010)
  • Halifax Boys' Honour Choir with special guests Men of the Deeps - Mining the Memories (March 2011)
  • Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
    Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
    Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is a 2008 musical tragicomedy miniseries in three acts, produced exclusively for Internet distribution. Filmed and set in Los Angeles, the show tells the story of Dr...

    On Stage (May 2011)
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