Arts groups in Red Deer really want a dedicated arts centre in the city — "It's our big, audacious thing," said Suzanne Hermary, co-ordinator for the Red Deer Arts Council.
She will bring the idea forward at the first Creative Conversations event on Tuesday, July 9. The gathering is the first of a series that is sponsored by the Downtown Neighbourhood Alliance.
Any Red Deerian interested in expanding the local arts and culture scene, or in making downtown Red Deer thrive through having more arts and culture events is invited to take part from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the Red Deer Arts council office at 4919-49th St.
Hermary said the question of how to make downtown Red Deer more of a hub for arts and entertainment will be put out there, so participants can bring their ideas to the table. "We're hoping to get people who are interested in growing the downtown, making it stronger, fuller, better," she added.
The Red Deer Arts Council will voice the desire of local groups to get a local arts centre off the ground.
It doesn't have to be a brand new construction — something like the Welikoklad Centre could work well, said Hermary. She noted Red Deer has large auditoriums and some very small spaces, but is short of performing arts venues that can seat 300-350 people — which is the size of the theatre in the Welikoklad.
The former downtown movie theatre was converted into a live theatre by Central Alberta Theatre in 2011. After CAT ran out of money on the project, it was sold to Red Deer Polytechnic, which used the Welikoklad Centre as lecture hall for its Donald School of Business students.
Since RDP business classes were all moved back to the main campus, the building has been sitting empty.
Meanwhile, Lethbridge, which recently surpassed Red Deer's population to become Alberta's third biggest city, has a dedicated arts centre, built about a decade ago. Their CASA Community Arts Centre replaced Lethbridge's previous Bowman Arts Centre, according to information on the City of Lethbridge's website.
Hermary said the CASA has a performing arts theatre about as big as the Welikoklad Centre. It also has a dance studio, arts studios, an art gallery, and meeting and multi-purpose spaces. Their facility is managed by the non-profit Lethbridge Allied Arts Council and was built as an inter-governmental partnership.
Despite gaining this performing arts space, two Lethbridge town councillors argued in 2021 that it was time for the city to start work on an even larger new arts centre, according to an article in the local newspaper.
Hermary knows it will take many big steps to get an arts centre in downtown Red Deer as it isn't in the City of Red Deer's 10-year capital plan.
But she hopes to get the conversation started, as a small first step. "We need to work in incremental stages."
Red Deer has many artistic murals in the downtown, as well as a few small galleries and outdoor performance stages for musicians on the Ross Street Patio and Paradise Plaza on 49th Street. Hermary hopes these scattered measures will one day be broaden into a "rich cultural landscape in the downtown."
Local residents, business owners and artists are invited to share their thoughts as to how this can happen at the informal Creative Conversations meeting.
Hermary said an "after party" will then move to the Velvet Olive where participants can enjoy refreshments, network with people in the arts and culture communities, and share more conversations.