FAQ
What is the current asking price for the building?
$935,000, with a deposit of $48,000 by December 8th.
Where is this going to be?
At 639 Commercial Dr. Vancouver, Canada.
How much restoration work needs to be put in?
The place has been well-kept in working order as a cinema and isn't a run-down restoration job. It's currently a viable business, being used as a movie theatre as recently as September, so the transition is more cosmetic than structural. The stage, for example, is sound, but is buried under a decade of chairs, films, and other detritus that needs to be moved before we can offer it for rent.
What kind of performances are you planning on showing?
Three strands of programming will exist side by side: the film strand, the theatre strand, and the music strand. Each is expected to use an average of two nights per week, placing more modest demands on each audience base and splitting the theatre's operating costs between three distinct revenue streams. By gauging customer response to the three strands, theatre time and resources can be allocated in response to audience demand.
FILM STRAND:
Phase one: Royalty-free film and rentals to local filmmakers
Phase two: Exhibition of independent, vintage, foreign and second-run films from distributors
THEATRE STRAND:
Phase One: Performance and rehearsal rentals to local companies
Phase Two: Co-productions between HotW and local companies; this could include promotion by HotW's resident publicist and a discount on up-front rental costs in exchange for a share of the box office, but with the local company paying a non-refundable base cost against the box office to protect the theatre against flops.
Phase Three: Development of a resident company for full in-house production of new work, possibly incorporating multiple media.
MUSIC STRAND:
Phase One: Rentals to local bands and promoters for concerts and special events. Since it has no liquor license the theatre would be in demand as a venue for all-ages shows.
Phase Two: Ongoing contracts with promoters for touring artists.
Additional uses could include special event rentals, drag shows, seminars, sketch comedy, stand-up comedy, poetry readings, acting classes/scene showcases, weddings, and larger scale events such as niche-market film festivals, theatre festivals, or music festivals.
Are you only a venue-for-rent or will you be showing your own work?
A signature event at the Heart of the World will be "Aorta", a monthly cabaret show combining burlesque, short films, poetry, music, theatre, and vaudeville. Acts would be predominantly limited to five minutes each and admission would be by donation with a suggested $5 minimum. With over a dozen acts each month, this format would ensure a regular audience as performers bring friends and family out, as well as steadily building an audience from the local community. This monthly cabaret will help to identify the theatre with a unique blend of programming.
What's this about podcasts?
Wikipedia says: A podcast is a multimedia file distributed over the Internet using syndication feeds, for playback on mobile devices and personal computers. Though podcasters' web sites may also offer direct download or streaming of their content, a podcast is distinguished from other digital audio formats by its ability to be downloaded automatically using software capable of reading feed formats such as RSS or Atom.
We will be serving up podcasts of Heart of the World performances, in case you miss any of our fabulous presentations.
Where does my donation go?
All monies donated to the Heart of the World Project will be held in trust for the purpose of purchasing and repairing the theatre. In the event that the project does not proceed, your money will automatically be returned.
No, we only have three weeks in which to get word out, so this is the quick and dirty version with hopefully just enough information to satisfy basic questions. I will be fleshing this out with things like business plan details and a volunteer list whenever I can find time to do so. For more details, please contact me.
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