A theatre company's dream of starting a new arts venue downtown is still alive after a week of nervous anticipation.
On Jan. 23, Victoria city council approved a $100,000 grant without conditions to support The Other Guise Theatre in its quest to create a new non-profit arts/theatre venue in downtown Victoria at 716 Johnson St.
"It's great news," said Other Guise artistic and executive director Matthew Payne. "The grant has been immediately matched by an anonymous donor. It buys us another little bit of time to continue negotiating with the investor we're buying out."
Eight council members voted at the committee of the whole meeting, with five in favour. The motion introduced by Coun. Matt Dell, a longtime vocal advocate for the project, proposed a donation of $125,000, contingent upon an additional donor matching that amount. However, council ended up approving the grant for $100,000 without conditions.
It takes Other Guise one step closer to turning the building, formerly a grocery store, into a downtown arts hub with three separate venues.
Just one week earlier, the theatre company faced disappointment after council denied a $250,000 grant request, defeated in a tie vote in a meeting where Mayor Marianne Alto and Coun. Chris Coleman were not present.
The project was deemed too high risk since the theatre company owed $1.8 million on a forgivable mortgage loan given in 2022 by Kate Kempton, which she was forced to recall when she fell ill.
Other Guise has been fundraising for the arts centre since it purchased the building in 2023 for $2.4 million. It is currently paying back three mortgages: two with Kempton, who had originally planned to be part of the project, and one with the vendor. Payne said they now have just over $1 million to pay back and that he will need to talk with the investor about the timeline, which was previously until June 2025.
Dell expressed his pleasure over the grant money approval, adding that the venue, should it come to fruition, will provide "badly needed space to many smaller arts organizations."
"This was a 1.5-year journey to get here," said Dell on Facebook. "I wish we were providing much more support, but am also simply happy we found consensus to support the project. There is still lots of work to do, including to raise community donations."
The grant is part of the $540,000 available through the Major Community Events and Initiatives Program to help fund large-scale events and initiatives with a long-term legacy in the city.
The Major Community Events and Initiatives program is funding a variety of projects including bringing back Symphony Splash, expanding the DVBA Lights of Wonder, supporting the Victoria Conservatory of Music with a new fence and plaza, and now helping to fund the new theatre at 716 Johnson St.
