Simon Fraser University’s Cultural Programs operate from the Goldcorp Centre for the Performing Arts in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. The city’s cultural equivalent to the Skirball Centre for the Arts in New York, SFU Woodward's gathers students, locals, tourists and artists under one roof to “celebrate and promote dialogue and community discourse through the arts,” says Marketing Coordinator Leanne Prain.
“We’ve hosted everything from contemporary dance to comedy to theatre to Vancouver’s first-ever Polish Film Festival,” she says of SFU Woodward’s packed events calendar. The roster of events also includes Signature Programs — performances presented with an international scope, such as 2014’s acclaimed Robert LePage mainstage — and Co-Presentations with more than 30 partners including the Vancouver International Film Festival and PuSh International Performing Arts Festival.
The cultural hub also houses artist residency programs and a range of community outreach programs that bring art to Downtown Eastside residents. “We have a lot going on,” she continues, laughing. “Thankfully, we have a beautiful space in which to do it all — that helps!”
