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THE CLOSURE to community groups of the school district's REM Lee Theatre has Terrace Concert Society president Karen Birkedal calling it an act of musical . cleansing. A need to cut the school district deficit is behind the move.

Theatre closure called blow to arts

By ALEX HAMILTON PROMOTERS OF arts and culture in the northwest say communily events are in jeopardy now that the school district has curtailed access to the REM Lee theatre to save money,

The theatre, which is owned and operated by the schoo! district, isn’t accepting any community bookings because the district can’t afford any costs unrelated to school use.

**The bookings are on hold,”’ said secre- tary treasurer Barry Piersdorff,

Piersdorff said the district will save $40,000 a year by limiting the theatre’s use to school performances,

He explained the district receives money from the education ministry to operate the theatre for educational purposes.

Bul the money doesn’t cover the costs of hiring the theatre’s manager, Tom Walker.

Even though the district receives money for rent and a portion of ticket sales from community concerts and performances, Piersdorff said that money only offsets one third of the costs of the theatre’s operation.

Because of this, Karen Birkedal, president of the Terrace Concert Society, has been denied bookings for next season’s concert series.

She’s worried her 323 season members will go without performing aris next fall and winter.

“There'll be nothing,” Birkedal | said... “What are.we going to do — hang out at the arena?””

She said this action by the school board puts every single community concert series and concert organization from Houston to the Queen Charlotte Islands in jeopardy.

“Pye pot other commusities who are depending on Terrace being part of the tour,”’? Birkedai said, ‘‘The tour will col- lapse without Terrace.’’

She explained if Terrace pulls out of the concert series, then every other com- munity’s casts go up by hundreds of dol- lars.

Heather Lundstrom, president of the Kitimat Concert Association, fears she won't be able to secure performance con- tracts to finalize tours without Terrace in the link.

Performing artists with Canada Council grants also risk losing their money if the northwest tour is canceled.

“If the pool or the library closed there’d be all hell to pay,’? Birkedal said. She doesn’t see why the only arts and culture centre in Terrace should be treated any dif- ferently.

Acting superintendent Sharon Beedle said if the community wishes to use the theatre, it must pay all the cost of operation, includ- ing the costs of the theatre’s manager.

“The district cannot incur any costs for community use when were eliminating edu- cation programs for kids,”’ Beedle said.

.. The theatre is the latest casualty to suffer ‘cutbacks as.school board: trustees-attempt to

wipe out the district’s $730,000 budget deficit by the end of the year.

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