College of Piping to Get New Performance Space
News Release
Federal funding will support a new year-round facility
October 7, 2016 – Summerside, PE – Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)
Summerside’s College of Piping and Celtic Performance Arts of Canada is getting a new performance space. Established in 1989 as a non-profit organization with a mandate to inspire excellence in Celtic performing arts, the College offers instruction in Highland bagpiping, Scottish-style snare drumming, Highland dancing, and Island step dancing to over 250 year-round students and 200 summer students, in addition to workshop participants. It is the only year-round school of its kind in North America and has become a key tourist attraction in Summerside, bringing over 18,000 people to its popular Highland Storm performances each summer.
Bobby Morrissey, Member of Parliament for Egmont, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA, and on behalf of the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, today announced federal government funding of $2.7 million to support the construction of a new year-round enclosed multi-purpose performance facility at the College.
ACOA is contributing $1,200,000 for this project through its Innovative Communities Fund and Canadian Heritage is contributing $1,500,000 through its Canada Cultural Spaces Fund.
The new performance and education facility will be a fully enclosed structure that will provide protection from the environment, uninterrupted sightlines for the audience, retractable theatre seating for improved comfort, and improved accessibility for visitors with mobility challenges. It will also be designed to accommodate the unique acoustic requirements of drum and bagpipe performances. The space will have a significant impact on the quality of the current stage offerings and the College’s educational capabilities, and will open up an array of new options for programming not currently possible.
Quotes
“The College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts is now in its 26th year of teaching young people not just how to perform, but also to take pride in the Celtic heritage that is an important part of Atlantic Canada’s cultural landscape. The Government of Canada is pleased to support this new performance facility and I look forward to many more years of great performances there, and to welcoming more and more visitors to those shows.”
- Bobby Morrissey, Member of Parliament for Egmont, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA, and the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage
“The College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts of Canada is embarking upon a new stage in its dedication to provide the highest quality of education to youth and to Celtic performing artists. This multi-use education and practice facility will enable us to fulfil our purpose with greater possibilities than ever before. None of this would be possible without the support of government, the community, our students and families, and in particular our tirelessly dedicated volunteers, and we are most grateful to all for making this new era a reality for the College of Piping.”
- James MacHattie, Principal, College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts of Canada Inc.
Associated Links
Contacts
Chris Brooks
Director of Communications
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
902-566-7569
Gilles Thériault
Communications Manager
Department of Canadian Heritage
506-851-3980
James MacHattie
Principal
The College of Piping and Performing Arts of Canada
619 Water Street East
Summerside, PE
902-436-5377
james.machattie@collegeofpiping.com
Pierre-Olivier Herbert
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage
819-997-7788
Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819-994-9101
1-866-569-6155
pch.media-media.pch@canada.ca
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