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Frank Venables Theatre recipient of Canada Cultural Spaces Grant

The Franks Venables Theatre in Oliver has some new gear, thanks to a Cultural Spaces Grant from the federal department of Canadian Heritage.
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The Frank Venables Theatre in Oliver is getting some upgrades, thanks to a federal government grant (Submitted photo)

The Franks Venables Theatre in Oliver has some new gear, thanks to a Cultural Spaces Grant from the federal department of Canadian Heritage.

The grant has gone towards acquiring specialised equipment to enhance and upgrade the theatre, including a synthetic Marley dance floor, condenser microphones and twelve LED light fixtures.

The Marley dance floor provides a safe, non-slip surface suitable for all genres of dance. It also protects the stage from damage caused by tap shoes or rosin for ballet pointe shoes. Having a Marley floor makes the theatre more attractive to renters as they no longer have to provide their own, saving time and labour.

The condenser microphones have been installed over the stage. The purpose of the microphones is to capture acoustic instruments and un-amplified voices and feed them into the soundboard in the control booth, where the sound from the stage can be enhanced if required for all patrons, and be sent into the existing hearing loop system for broadcast to patrons who use hearing aids.

The twelve light fixtures are now available to be used as sidelights to light the stage from the wings or as extras on stage. These lights offer designers increased options and flexibility and provide an ease of use as lights do not have to be removed from the existing lighting grid.

The 400-seat, state-of-the-art Frank Venables Theatre opened in 2014, rebuilt after a fire destroyed the historic art-deco style Venables Auditorium which burned to the ground in the fall of 2011, along with a major portion of the adjoining South Okanagan Secondary School.

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