Chemainus Theatre Festival

The Chemainus Theatre Festival is a fully professional, non-profit theatre company based in the seaside community of Chemainus on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It operates as a registered non-profit society whose stated mission is to serve Vancouver Island and its visitors by creating exceptional theatre that explores and nourishes truth, hope, redemption, love and the human spirit. The organization presents a season of live professional productions and also operates a dinner theatre experience, an art gallery and a gift shop, making it a cultural destination rather than a single-stage venue. The theatre traces its origins to the vision of co-founders Ken and Ruth Smith, who were inspired by the artistic revitalization of Chemainus — a town transformed by its famous outdoor murals after the decline of its lumber industry. The festival's corporate sponsorship program dates to 1993, which is the year the organization marks as the beginning of its sponsored operations. Over more than three decades it has grown into what its own materials describe as Vancouver Island's premier theatre destination, the largest professional live theatre north of the Malahat, and the third largest theatre in British Columbia. Historically, more than 80,000 people have attended the Chemainus Festival Theatre annually. As a non-profit society, the Chemainus Theatre Festival is not a publicly traded company and has no parent corporation. It sustains itself through ticket sales, corporate and government sponsorship, foundation support, and donor contributions. Its sponsorship program offers partners a range of benefits including logo placement, program and poster advertising, lobby and website recognition, social media exposure, and box office recognition, with sponsorship levels on each production ranging from $2,500 to $20,000 and above. The theatre also partners with local hospitality providers such as the Best Western Plus Chemainus Inn to offer theatre getaways that combine accommodation with performances. The Chemainus Theatre Festival occupies a distinctive place in Canadian regional theatre: a professional company in a small resource-town-turned-arts-community, drawing audiences from across Vancouver Island and beyond. Its combination of mainstage theatre, dining, gallery and retail, and its role as an economic and cultural anchor for the Chemainus area, define its brand as both an arts organization and a tourism destination.

The Chemainus Theatre Festival grew out of the artistic and economic revitalization of Chemainus, British Columbia, a small Vancouver Island town whose lumber mill had fallen on hard times in the mid-twentieth century. Co-founder Ken Smith recounts that he and his wife Ruth first travelled through Chemainus in the mid-1950s on their way to Thetis Island, where they helped construct and develop the Christian youth camp 'Pioneer Pacific.' At that time, Chemainus was almost a ghost town. They later became aware of the town's revitalization, driven largely by the incorporation of murals instigated by Karl Schutz, which attracted artists and others who appreciated what Smith describes as a renaissance and flowering of the human spirit in the arts. Inspired by this growth, the Smiths wanted to be part of it. They initially explored forming a community of painters in Chemainus, contracting about twenty individuals who thought it was a great idea but ultimately decided to remain where they were. The idea did not materialize, and the Smiths waited for further inspiration. That inspiration came in the summer of 1990, when they attended the little community church on Thetis Island and heard lay preacher Greg Perry speak on the theme of 'trusting God when you don't know the future.' Perry shared his own experience of having recently been appointed a theatre teacher in Alberta at the Rosebud School of the Arts, and then feeling called to accept the position of director at Camp Columbia on Thetis Island. This encounter helped set in motion the chain of events that led to the founding of the Chemainus Theatre Festival. The festival's corporate sponsorship program dates to 1993, and the organization thanks its corporate, government and media sponsors 'since 1993,' marking that year as the effective beginning of its sponsored professional operations. Over the following decades the theatre established itself as a fully professional company. Its own promotional materials state that over the last 30 seasons it has grown to be Vancouver Island's premier theatre destination, the largest professional live theatre north of the Malahat, and the third largest theatre in British Columbia. Historically, more than 80,000 people have attended the Chemainus Festival Theatre annually. The organization operates as a non-profit society, existing to serve Vancouver Island and its visitors by creating exceptional theatre that explores and nourishes truth, hope, redemption, love and the human spirit. Beyond mainstage productions, it has developed a dinner theatre offering, a gallery gift shop, and partnerships with local hospitality providers such as the Best Western Plus Chemainus Inn to create theatre getaways. Its corporate sponsorship program has become a significant pillar of its funding model, offering partners visibility across season brochures, production programs, posters, lobby screens, social media, its website, and box office telephone recognition, with sponsorship levels on each production ranging from $2,500 to $20,000 and above.

• 1993

  The Chemainus Theatre Festival's corporate sponsorship program begins; the organization thanks sponsors 'since 1993.'

• 1990

  Co-founders Ken and Ruth Smith hear lay preacher Greg Perry speak on Thetis Island, an encounter that helps inspire the founding of the theatre.

• The theatre grows into Vancouver Island's premier theatre destination, the largest professional live theatre north of the Malahat, and the third largest theatre in British Columbia.

• Historically more than 80,000 people attend the Chemainus Festival Theatre annually.

Vancouver Island's premier theatre destination; the largest professional live theatre north of the Malahat and the third largest theatre in British Columbia.

• Professional live theatre productions

• Dinner theatre

• Theatre Getaways (with Best Western Plus Chemainus Inn)

• Gallery Gift Shop

1. 1Welcome to Chemainus Theatre! - Chemainus Theatre Festivalchemainustheatrefestival.ca
2. 2History - Chemainus Theatre Festivalchemainustheatrefestival.ca
3. 3Corporate Sponsors - Chemainus Theatre Festivalchemainustheatrefestival.ca
4. 4Spotlight Your Business - Chemainus Theatre Festivalchemainustheatrefestival.ca
5. 5Chemainus Theatre Festival - Wikidatawikidata.org