New cSPACE King Edward artistic hub names 29 tenants
Left to right Michele Stanners, executive director of the Making Treaty 7 Cultural Society, Reid Henry president and CEO of CSpace Projects and Troy Emery Twigg, artistic director of the Making Treaty 7 Cultural Society at the renovated King Edward School in Calgary, Ab., on Thursday October 20, 2016. Mike Drew/Postmedia Mike Drew/Postmedia
In 1914, William Aberhart staged the Calgary Board of Education’s first theatrical play with students from King Edward School. The future premier of Alberta was then principal of the school, which had been built two years earlier. He thought drama would be a good way for the students to learn elocution and public speaking. It was the middle of February and, at the time, in the middle of nowhere. But Albertans came from far and wide to see the production.
So, it’s fitting that the century-old school in South Calgary, which was decommissioned in 2003, will soon be a gathering place for artistic endeavours.
“We’ve got arts cred from 100 years ago,” jokes Reid Henry, president and chief executive of cSPACE projects, the organization that is transforming the 113-year-old inner-city building at 1721 29th Ave. S.W. into an arts incubator.
