Centre In The Square facts for kids
Exterior of Centre In The Square
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| Location | 101 Queen Street North Kitchener, Ontario N2H 6P7 |
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| Owner | City of Kitchener |
| Capacity | 2,047 |
| Opened | 1980 |
| Years active | 1980–present |
Centre In The Square is a cool place in downtown Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. It's a big building where you can watch live shows. Think of it as a special home for theatre and other performing arts.
This centre has a huge main hall called the Raffi Armenian Theatre. It can fit 2,047 people! This makes it the biggest theatre in the Waterloo Region. It's also where the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony often plays their amazing music. There's also a smaller space called the Studio Theatre. It's used for many things, like practices, parties, and smaller shows. Almost 200,000 people visit Centre In The Square every year! You can also find the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery inside this building.
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History of Centre In The Square
Centre In The Square first opened its doors in September 1980. It cost over $11 million to build back then. The building was designed by a local architecture firm. People from all over the world noticed its great design. They also praised its amazing sound quality.
The land where the Centre now stands was once home to a college. The City of Kitchener owns the Centre In The Square building. A special non-profit group runs it. This group makes sure the Centre offers great shows for everyone.
What Shows Can You See?
The Centre In The Square has a busy schedule from September to June. They offer many different types of shows. Their goal is to have something fun for everyone in the community. Here are some of the popular series they host:
- Broadway shows
- Comedy acts
- Songwriter concerts
- Electric Thursdays (special music events)
- Classic Albums Live (bands playing famous albums)
- Canadian Plays
- K-W Symphony Signature concerts
- K-W Symphony Pops concerts
Magnetic North Theatre Festival
The Magnetic North Theatre Festival is a yearly event. In June 2010, it was held in Kitchener-Waterloo. Centre In The Square was the main place for many of the festival's performances. Famous people like Rick Mercer performed there.
During this festival, the Governor General of Canada, Michaëlle Jean, visited the Centre. She hosted a public discussion called "Art Matters." It was all about how important arts are for building better communities.
The Studio Theatre Space
The Studio Theatre is the smaller performance area at the Centre. For a long time, it was mostly used for symphony practices. It also hosted private events. But things changed around March 2011. The Centre received money from the government. This money helped them make the Studio Theatre even better. Now, it's a flexible space that can hold up to 350 people.
