Calgary’s Evergreen Theatre Society to close its doors after 34 years in business

A Calgary theatre company known for its affordable, accessible and inclusive arts community says it has no choice but to close its doors.

A local theatre company considered a ‘hidden gem of Calgary’ and known for its affordable, accessible and inclusive arts community has no choice but to close its doors this summer amidst mounting financial pressures.

The Evergreen Theatre Society (ETS) announced that it will shut down on June 30 after 34 years in business.

The news comes it was unable to renew a 10-year-loan contract with the Social Enterprise Fund in the amount of $5.5 million.

“I think it’s going to be a huge loss to the ecosystem of arts and culture in Calgary,” said ETS Executive Director, Sean Fraser.

“This space has meant a great deal to building our community, especially in arts and culture sectors. It’s been an opportunity for a lot of underserviced groups and underserviced groups to access space that they could afford and while people will eventually, I think, make other arrangements, it’ll just be that much tougher.”

Rehearsal venue

The 24,000 square foot building located at 1709 8 Ave N.E. has acted as a rehearsal and performance venue for 80 active arts groups over the last decade and has welcomed around 120,000 people each year through its doors on average.

The impending closure has now left several arts groups scrambling to find affordable alternative spaces.

“Evergreen has been a space where our artists feel like home, where dancers can be themselves and where everyone feels welcome,” said Ishita Singla, founder and artistic director of Madhuban Performing Arts, a South Asian dance collective

Singla has been writing and collecting several letters advocating to government officials for funding to keep the space open. She says it’s a last ditch effort to somehow keep this vital space for generations to come.

“Losing this would actually mean that we do not have access to studio space, we’re going to be scrambling as dancers, as professional companies, to find a place where we can rehearse and actually hone in on our art. That is very detrimental to the dance community and the art community.”

Karen Pysyk, chair of Calgary’s Yalenka Ukrainian Dancers agrees that affordability is a huge issue.

“We’ve been able to welcome many newcomers to Canada who have fled the war in Ukraine, and having access to affordable rehearsal space allows us to perform at many more community events and festivals around the province,” she said.

“The loss of this space is a loss to all Calgarians.”

Meanwhile, Claire Bolton, a residency artist with Evergreen Theatre Society, says her work has aided in engaging young students and this space has been vital to growing the arts scene for the next generation.

“Evergreen has been just a wonderful spot and space to bring young emerging companies into the fold and give them a space that they can work in and play,” she said.

“It’s insanely detrimental and we all need to rally support as a community with all of us as one voice because it would be a shame to lose this.”

Additional organizations impacted by the closure include resident companies of Evergreen Theatre include Alberta Playwrights, Arch Technical, Rockit Vocal Studios, Hive and Heart, Three Left Feet, and Sky Castle.

Dozens of other organizations impacted include Croatian Heritage, Calaway Park for its show auditions and rehearsal spaces, Mint Entertainment, Calgary Folkdance Fridays, and Bollywood Signature.

ETS says that it intends to honour all bookings and will continue to accept new reservations until June 30.

Loan renewal denied

The Evergreen Theatre Society says its decision to close down its operations wasn’t without a fight.

Fraser penned what he called ‘countless’ appeals and had several discussions with the Social Enterprise Fund (SEF), a loan fund organization based in Edmonton.

Despite the strong effort, SEF director Ryan Young stated in an email to CTV News that “when loans are not repaid it affects our ability to support other impactful community initiatives that also need resources.”

“We recognize the role Evergreen holds in Calgary’s cultural community and that the completion of their 10-year loan term impacts many artists, employees, and patrons,” the statement read.

“As a responsible steward of investment capital, we must ensure that our funds are managed prudently so we can continue investing in mission-driven organizations and initiatives, maximizing our support of Alberta’s social economy.”

Young added that he does not have an update yet on the future of the Evergreen Theatre Society building but will share new developments as soon as they are available.

No debt servicing: Province

Fraser says he wasn’t shocked by SEFs decision not to renew the loan contract, but called it ‘disappointing’

“The whole concept around this loan was that if Evergreen as a society could own a piece of property or an asset, that it would allow us to sort of wean our way off of government support, create our own support,” he said.

“Unfortunately, over that time, the government sees this kind of an investment as solely debt, and they won’t support organizations that show debt on the books, so it’s really crippled us in that way.

In a statement to CTV News, Alberta’s Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women Tanya Fir says she’s aware of the impending closure but notes that the province won’t be providing any further support.

“While we are committed to supporting the arts sector in Alberta, we do not provide funding for debt servicing,” Fir said.

“Alberta’s government supported Evergreen Theatre Society over the past 10 years with nearly $650,000 in operational funding through the Alberta Foundation for the Arts and nearly $66,000 through our Community Grant programs.

“As with all grants, funding is provided based on eligibility, viability and final reporting to ensure the responsible use of taxpayer dollars.”

While grateful for the support, Fraser has still been trying to sway the province for further funding.

“When you put our $5.5 million loan up against large projects like Arts Commons or like a half billion dollar Event Centre for example, it’s kind of couch change.”

“So that’s where you have to evaluate the political will,” he said. “We certainly understand that we are not in the same category as those things. We also don’t begrudge any of those organizations, because Calgary deserves those kinds of things. They also deserve organizations like ours as well, so, it would be nice if there was a fair balance.”

NDP advocates for support

NDP MLA Lizette Tejada -- who represents the Calgary-Klein riding where Evergreen Theatre Society is located -- has publicly stated that she has offered to discuss the topic with Fir, but its unclear if such a conversation has taken place.

Joe Ceci, MLA for Calgary-Buffalo and shadow minister for arts and culture has also stated in an email obtained by CTV News that he is in full support of Evergreen Theatre Society continuing its operations.

“The potential closure of Evergreen Theatre is indeed a significant loss for our community. I understand the profound impact this will have on artists, educators, and community members who rely on their resources and support,” Ceci said.

“It is essential that we take action to preserve this institution. I am committed to advocating for measures to support Evergreen Theatre and ensure its continued contribution to our cultural and educational landscape.”