Two months after the spotlight was turned on the home of "Greatest Canadian" Tommy Douglas, the Centre that bears his name is seeking some attention of its own, financially speaking.
Despite the international attention that was received at the unveiling of Lea Vivot's statue of T.C. Douglas, the Tommy Douglas Performing Arts Centre is struggling to become financially viable.
The Centre is looking at implementing a variety of new ideas to help raise funds and, most importantly, awareness of their programs. Many of these new ideas were developed at a public forum the Centre held over a month ago.
One such idea that they are trying to get underway is a committee dedicated to bringing tourists to the Centre and to Weyburn.
"We're looking to partner with someone who is enthusiastic about the Centre and someone who is enthusiastic about Weyburn," said Chair of the Centre Ron Wormsbecker.
One such person is Rodney Sidloski, owner of HELP International and Centre for Ecology Research and Training. He wants to partner with the Centre in order to direct more tourism to both facilities.
"I want to take the dryness out of science and technology," said Sidloski. "I think art and culture could spice up science."
HELP currently provides educational tours to school groups for a nominal fee several times a year and the Centre hopes to tap into this resource with Sidloski's assistance.
"We are absolutely interested in educating students in the arts," said Wormsbecker. "We want to encourage individuals inclined to the arts to pursue it. Some students need encouragement."
The Performing Arts Centre has attempted to do this with their expanded summer theatre programs over the past three or four years but it hasn't been enough, according to Cultural Director John Nolan. He said that many people still aren't taking advantage of their programs, despite the fact that his teachings rival that of a professional theatre school.
"I train actors, there is no one else that does this in town," said Nolan.
Nolan has trained in all aspects of theatre and believes that people with an interest in pursuing a career in drama are missing out on great learning experiences at the centre.
"We want people with story ideas, painters and set decorators, you can learn lighting plots - we are interested in people coming forward if they have an interest in any of these things," said Nolan.
The Centre has even begun organizing events beyond the tourist season, such as the recent Headless Hauntings on Hallowed Hill and the upcoming Santa's Workshop to be held December 17 and 18.
One matter of some urgency the Centre is in need of funding for is for the replacement of the cedar shingles that exist on the former Calvary Baptist Church. As a designated heritage building on the exterior, Tommy Douglas' old church cannot be changed from its original design; therefore the Centre has no choice but to replace the expensive cedar shingles.
One way in which the Centre is making some money is by renting out their kitchen to a commercial catering company. Ellen Johnston's Flat Land Catering has recently begun moving into the Centre's kitchen.
The board of directors is also open to renting the facility for weddings and special occasions.
The Centre is looking to promote itself through Tommy Douglas on a national and international level. Nolan will be taking his one-man play "Tommy Douglas: The Arrows of Desire" to the University of Toronto, thanks to funding from sculptor Lea Vivot, maker of Weyburn's T.C. Douglas statue.
The two are also teaming up to take the play and another statue of Tommy to his birthplace in Falkirk, Scotland. Vivot's second sculpture of Douglas will be unveiled next year on Tommy's birthday, October 20, followed by a performance of Nolan's play.
"(Vivot) is very interested in promoting Weyburn and the Centre," said Nolan.
Another way that Vivot plans on helping the Centre is through a display and sale of her sculptures in Weyburn. According to Nolan, Vivot plans to bring the show and sale to the city this spring and will be donating some of the profits to the Centre.
'Tommy's legacy deserves to have some more substance and that would require support from the (Douglas) family and others," said Nolan.
The Centre would also like to see financial support from the corporate sector and support from the community by way of joining the board of directors or sitting on a committee.
"There is a tourist component in Tommy that other cities would kill for," said Nolan. "This is the home of Tommy Douglas - the Greatest Canadian."
Nolan said that with an injection of money, the Centre could promote this significant tourist attraction properly.
