Firehall Arts Centre

Situated in the historic heart of the city of Vancouver, the historic Firehall Arts Centre is an intimate, atmospheric space with original brick walls. It’s surrounded by Gastown, Chinatown and the Strathcona neighbourhood, and has a flexible black-box studio theatre, a dance and rehearsal studio, an enclosed outdoor courtyard with an outdoor stage, a licensed lobby and exhibition space.

The Firehall Arts Centre first opened on February 25th, 1982 in a heritage-designated building that dates back to 1906--a facility that had operated as a real firehall until 1975. The Playhouse Theatre Centre leased the centre from the city as a venue for its acting school, sharing it with resident companies Axis Theatre, Touchstone Theatre and La Troupe de la Seizieme. When the Playhouse moved out, the Firehall Theatre Society was founded in 1983 by five professional theatre and video artists with the goal of animating and operating the venue as a performing and visual arts centre. The founding board of directors was Wayne Specht, Lin Bennett, Doug Lemcke, Sandy Kovak, and Donna Spencer.

In 1985, the Firehall created, under the artistic direction of Donna Spencer, the first internship theatre training program for individuals from diverse cultural and Indigenous heritages. It also became the first professional theatre company with the mandate to produce and present theatre works reflective of the cultural pluralism of Canada.

In 1989-1990 the Firehall and its artistic director received an Innovation Award from the Jessie Richardson Society for their work in producing and presenting theatre reflective of the cultural diversity of Canada and for their work in providing internship training opportunities for IBPOC artists. The artistic director has been recognized for this work by the City of Vancouver Cultural Harmony Award and the Mayor’s Arts Award and the Province of British Columbia through its Community Achievement Award.

Today, the Firehall Theatre Society connects communities and encourages a greater understanding of Canada’s cultural pluralism through its productions, presentations, exhibitions and artistic practice. Its mission is to enrich lives and expand minds through the arts.

Its enduring vision is to showcase provocative performing and visual arts reflective of the diversity of Canada, with values like community, inclusion, transparency, education and sustainability.

The Firehall offers annual season passes, including 4-Show and 6-Show Packs, which provide one ticket to four or six different shows. Flex Packs are also available, allowing you to mix and match your ticket usage. Pass holders enjoy great perks, including "bring-a-friend" vouchers, invitations to special events, complimentary drink ticket vouchers, and more.

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