The Sanderson Centre facts for kids
Sanderson Centre main entrance
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| Former names | Temple Theatre, Capitol Theatre |
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| Address | 88 Dalhousie St |
| Location | Brantford, Ontario, Canada |
| Coordinates | 43°08′24″N 80°15′53″W / 43.13994°N 80.26464°W |
| Owner | City of Brantford |
| Type | Arts centre |
| Capacity | 1125 |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1919 |
| Opened | December 22, 1919 |
| Architect | Thomas W. Lamb |
| Builder | P.H. Secord and Sons |
| General contractor | P.H. Secord and Sons |
The Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts is a special old theatre and concert hall in downtown Brantford, Ontario, Canada. It's a place where many different shows happen, from music concerts to dance performances. It can seat 1,125 people, which is a lot! This centre is a home for local groups like the Brantford Symphony Orchestra. It also hosts school events, dance competitions, and brings in professional performers for everyone to enjoy.
A Historic Stage in Brantford
The Sanderson Centre is a very important building for the arts in Brantford. It is a place where local performing arts groups can show their talents. Many school events, recitals, and amateur dance competitions also take place here. The centre also plans a full season of professional shows. These shows include music, theatre, and other fun performances for the community.
From Vaudeville to Movies
The building first opened its doors on December 22, 1919. Back then, it was called the Temple Theatre. It was a place for vaudeville shows and silent movies. Vaudeville was a popular type of entertainment with many different acts. These acts included comedians, singers, dancers, and even magicians. Silent movies were films without spoken words. Actors used their expressions and body language to tell the story. Music was often played live during the movie.
A Scottish architect named Thomas W. Lamb designed and built the theatre. It cost $350,000 to build, which was a lot of money at the time! By the late 1920s, movies with sound became very popular. They took over from vaudeville as the main form of entertainment. Live shows at the Temple Theatre slowly stopped. In 1929, a company called Famous Players bought the theatre. They wanted to use it mainly for showing movies. In 1930, they changed its name to The Capitol.
A New Beginning
In 1986, the City of Brantford bought the theatre for $425,000. Many dedicated people from the community helped raise money to save the building. They wanted to bring it back to life. Over the next few years, the theatre was carefully fixed up. Its main performance hall was restored to look like it did when it was first built. They also made improvements for both guests and performers.
The theatre was renamed the Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts. This new name honored the Sanderson family. They gave a lot of money and support to help with the project. They also helped the community in many other ways. The Sanderson Centre has even won a special award. It received the "Theatre Preservation Award" from the League of Historic American Theatres. This award celebrates places that work hard to keep old theatres alive.
See also
- List of concert halls
