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June 2004

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George Brown College/Soulpepper Theatre Company Joint Venture Host

Groundbreaking Ceremony For Young Centre For The Performing Arts

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(CCNMatthews - Jun 14, 2004) - The curtain rose today on act

one of the new Young Centre for the Performing Arts, a joint venture between

George Brown College and Soulpepper Theatre Company. The new state of the art

facility, located in Toronto's historic Distillery District, will be the home

of the College's well-respected theatre school and the acclaimed theatre

company. As well, the Young Centre will be home to an array of independent

theatre, dance and music companies, making it Toronto's most holistic

Performing Arts and training institution.

When completed in 2005, the Young Centre will feature:

- Four flexible performance spaces with seating capacities ranging from 80 -

400 seats

- Six large rehearsal and teaching studios

- Three classrooms

- A costume shop

- Teaching and administrative offices

- A spacious lobby and cafe

- An outdoor artists garden / performance venue

The Young Centre was designed by Thom Payne of Kuwabara, Payne, McKenna and

Blumberg, Architects. The facility will enable the George Brown Theatre School

to provide more students with a broader and more intensive training and

teaching experience in both the one and three year acting programmes, and

provide a setting for the five annual student productions. The Theatre School's

conservatory based programme has trained actors for professional careers in

theatre, film and television since 1976.

Soulpepper Theatre Company will make the Young Centre its year-round home for

its mainstage season and its extensive Youth Outreach Programming. As well, the

Young Centre will allow Soulpepper to launch Canada's only year-round training

programme for actors, directors and playwrights that is directly linked to a

professional repertory company. The Soulpepper Academy will open in 2006.

Together, George Brown College and Soulpepper Theatre Company will raise $19

million to build the Young Centre and endow its future.

Today the campaign took a major step forward with the announcement of two major

contributions; in recognition of a $1 million gift, the centre's prime 400-seat

theatre will be named after Charles and Marilyn Baillie. David and Nancy Young

increased their contribution by $750,000 to name the 250-seat venue the Michael

Young Theatre after their late son. The Youngs had previously committed $3

million to the project named after the family. Roger Garland, Chairman of the

Soulpepper Board of Directors, announced that an additional $3.25 million has

been raised by the Soulpepper Board and family. These gifts join the lead

contribution made by George Brown College, bringing the campaign to $14

million, more than two thirds to target.

"The Ontario government is pleased to be among the first to fund this visionary

joint project that will contribute to our cultural life, the success of our

students and the inspired reuse of a heritage site," said Ontario Minister of

Culture Madeleine Meilleur. "By investing in such projects we are helping to

create vital communities, a strong economy and a quality of life that is second

to none."

Among the speakers at today's groundbreaking ceremony were John McKellar, the

Chairman of the Joint Venture Board of Directors; Albert Schultz the Artistic

Director of Soulpepper Theatre Company; Anne Sado, the President of George

Brown College; David Young Jr. of the Michael Young Family Foundation; Toronto

Councillor Pam McConnell and the Hon. Madeleine Meilleur, Ontario Minister of

Culture.

George Brown, the Toronto City College, was established in 1967 and now

operates in three downtown campuses and 10 training facilities, which together

serve 12,000 full-time and 50,000 part-time students.

Operating a wide variety of educational centres from advanced engineering

technologies to health sciences, the College is particularly known for its

partnerships with 1,800 businesses and organizations, which form an integral

part of the learning process. The George Brown Theatre School, as a part of the

Faculty of Business and Creative Arts, will celebrate its 30th anniversary in

2006.

Formed in 1998 by a collective of 12 actors under the artistic direction of

Albert Schultz, Soulpepper Theatre Company is Toronto's classical premier

repertory company dedicated to presenting history's greatest plays in vital

Canadian interpretations, training the next generation of theatre artists and

inspiring and enriching youth mentorship and access programs.

Reuters.com