Students' Union launches fundraising campaign to support Myer Horowitz Theatre renovations

News Staff - Fri Aug 19, 2016

Since opening in 1967, the Myer Horowitz Theatre in the Students’ Union Building on the University of Alberta campus has played a vital role in the community. The 720-seat theatre is the only theatre of its size in the region and provides services to a variety of community organizations, non-profits and student groups. Now approaching its 50th anniversary, the theatre has hosted thousands of events, including concerts, speakers, ceremonies, comedians, plays, dance competitions and more.

The University of Alberta Students’ Union is pleased to announce it will be undertaking major renovations of the Horowitz Theatre in order to ensure the facility continues to operate for the next 50 years. The UASU has awarded the contract for the renovations to DIALOG, with Stephen Boyd serving as the Principal-in-Charge and Design Architecture Lead. DIALOG has worked with many local theatres, including the Francis Winspear Centre for Music, the ATB Financial Arts Barns and the Citadel Theatre. The company was also the firm behind the recent renovation of the Students’ Union Building, completed in 2015. “Stephen and the DIALOG team’s work on our atrium and plaza transformed our student space,” said Marc Dumouchel, the General Manager of the Students’ Union. “We think they’ll do a great job re-invigorating the Horowitz Theatre, which has been an iconic Edmonton venue for almost 50 years.”

The ability to continue building on the recent renovations in the Students’ Union Building with the same architect, as well as current economic conditions and the need to be proactive about improving one of the University community’s main cultural assets make now the perfect time to launch the revitalization of the Horowitz Theatre. The project is anticipated to cost approximately $11 million, and will be completed in 2018. The Students’ Union is launching the Friends of Myer Horowitz to support the theatre’s revitalization, with a goal of fundraising $7 million over the life of the project. “Campus needs a modern theatre, and just patching it up isn't enough,” said Dumouchel. “The arts are a key element to developing well-rounded graduates, and the theatre is a key link between campus and the broader community.”

The Students’ Union would also like to thank the Government of Alberta for their generous support of this project. The government’s award of a $40,000 Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP) Grant will be instrumental in the design development phase of the revitalization.

The Students' Union will also be hosting a fundraising kick off on August 19 at 2:00 pm at the Horowitz Theatre. Minister Lori Sigurdson, University of Alberta Board Chair Michael Phair, Students' Union President Fahim Rahman and Vice President (Operations and Finance) Robyn Paches will be speaking.

Quick facts about Horowitz Theatre:

• Capacity of 720
• An average of approximately 100,000 people attend events at Horowitz Theatre annually
• The theatre had 202 event days in 2015
• In the 2015, the theatre hosted
• 108 non-profit events
• 54 Edmonton community events
• 57 student group events

For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Alix Kemp
External Communications & Media Advisor
alix.kemp@su.ualberta.ca
780-492-4241

---