Archive
Important Parking Updates for Massey Theatre Guests
Since last fall, exciting renovations have been underway at Massey Theatre. As a guest of Massey Theatre, your audience experience is important to us. We understand that our ongoing parking situation can be frustrating, so we are providing as much information as possible to prepare you for your upcoming visit to the theatre.
Effective until the beginning of April, some parking spaces in the parking lot immediately to the back entrance will be removed to make room for deconstruction and demolition work. Entry to this parking lot via the driveway off the roundabout has been adjusted to single-lane exit only. To access this parking lot, please enter through the parking lot north of the School District building. (See map below). A parking attendant will be present to direct traffic on show dates. We do ask those who are able to leave the available parking spaces in this lot for those with mobility challenges.
Download A Printable Version of the Temporary Parking Map Here
A variety of spaces exist throughout the site. The site is incredibly active with a variety of users so plan accordingly. A large free parking lot is available by turning into the vacant area Northbound from 8th Street or Eastbound from 10th Avenue. A short walk down 8th Street will lead you to the Massey Theatre. Street parking also exists on streets throughout the neighbourhood. Please ensure you give yourself plenty of time to park and walk to the theatre.
Alternatively, our arts complex is well positioned for transit users with close proximity to Columbia, New Westminster and 22nd Street SkyTrain stations and bus stops directly adjacent to the theatre. Use the Translink Trip Planner for route planning.
With active construction, parking is limited onsite and requires more time to locate. We encourage you to use transit, park and walk, or rideshare.
We will continue to do our best in keeping our visitors informed of our parking situation. Thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you!
Note: Massey Theatre, Moody Park Arena and School District 40 reserve the right to have any illegally parked vehicles towed at the owner’s expense.
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Give the Gift of Live Performance This Holiday Season!
This holiday season, give the gift of live performance and spread the love for performing arts! We have three ideas for you:
1. Tickets to a Massey Theatre or Eighth & Eight performance, or two. Do you know a ballet or guitar fanatic? In February, the Massey Theatre presents two more spectacular performances, the 25th International Guitar Night and Ballet Jörgen’s Sleeping Beauty. Then, the Eighth & Eight Creative Spaces continues its Studio Series with more film clip shows with classic film scholar Michael van den Bos, and three music performances as part of the Old School Music Hall Series. You can gift tickets to any, or all, of these performances! In addition, you will also find music tributes, international artists, and a local musical production in our winter/spring 2025 calendar, brought to you by other fabulous presenters.
2. Gift now, so they can decide later. Don’t know which performance to gift? Simply purchase a TicketsNW gift certificate at any dollar amount, and the recipient can decide later. The gift certificate can be used towards any show at Massey Theatre, Eighth & Eight and Anvil Theatre that are sold through TicketsNW. Come by the box office at 735 Eighth Avenue, New Westminster and pick up a voucher, or simply go online to buy an e-gift certificate.
3. Gift the future of performing arts and live entertainment. 75 years ago, Massey Theatre was opened as the largest production theatre in the Lower Mainland. A 75-year-old theatre needs love, life, and reimagining. Long-needed upgrades are just around the corner. As a charity, the Massey Theatre Society is fundraising to lift Massey Theatre and Eighth & Eight Creative Spaces into the dynamic arts centre of a rapidly growing community. Please consider donating to Massey Theatre Society from yourself, your business or in the name of a loved one. Your generosity will help ensure there are shows that delight you, showcase artists of many talents, and provide a space where everyone can gather, witness, create and express themselves. All contributions over $20 will be issued a tax receipt.
We thank you for your ongoing support of Massey Theatre and Eighth & Eight Creative Spaces, our artists, and the performing arts industry!
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What Does Supporting Massey Theatre Mean?
As we enter the final week of the Great Canadian Giving Challenge, we want to talk about the Massey Theatre itself. The heart of our arts centre.
The Massey Theatre was built 75 years ago. The Massey Theatre Society has been its steward for over 40 years, and during that time has weathered many a storm — from impending closures to recessions to a global pandemic.
The Theatre is home to hundreds of events per year, ranging from community celebrations to large scale musicals, to dance recitals, rock concerts and everything in between. Indigenous artists as well as touring artists from across the globe practice in our spaces. It is the home for many organizations. The birthplace of the arts for young audience members and performers. A place where all are welcome to share. Together.
As a charitable organization, the Society presents large performances and also facilitates the use of the space by many user groups. We provide free tickets to our shows to organizations who support individuals overcoming barriers that would otherwise prevent them from going to the theatre. Recently, we offered two free tickets to every resident moving into the new affordable housing development at 861 6th street. We believe the arts should be accessible for all and we fund this program through our own revenues.
A 75-year-old theatre needs love and attention. Upgrades and reimagining. The City of New Westminster will be undertaking a large capital project to address many of these upgrades, but there is more to be done to help us lift Massey Theatre and Eighth & Eight Creative Spaces to the Arts Centre the growing community needs and deserves.
We are fundraising for a bright and dynamic future for Massey Theatre and Eighth & Eight Creative Spaces. A space where the arts and the spaces are accessible and vibrant. A space where professional artists share and create and emerging artists reach for the stars. A place where creativity shines.
If you have the means, please consider donating today as part of the Great Canadian Giving Challenge and join the global giving movement. If not, share with your friends and tell them what the Massey Theatre means to you.
The Great Canadian Giving Challenge is designed to help charities fundraise during the slow summer months when donations tend to decline and people are out enjoying the summer sun.
As it is the 10th anniversary of the challenge, from June 1st to 30th, every $1 donated to the Massey Theatre Society through CanadaHelps gives us the chance to win $10,000. Additionally, every $10 donation that you make gets you an entry to win incredible adventure-themed prizes!
During this challenge (and always) we’re fundraising for community, as community is the heart of who we are. From our Community Kitchen to our Garden/Gathering Space. From Artist Access to Artistic Collaborations. From Audience Members to Performers and Crew. These funds will help us connect more with our community as we enter our 75th year.
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Help Our Garden/Gathering Space Grow
Today, we want to take you outside to the Garden/Gathering Space.
The Garden/Gathering Space has been designed to support Indigenous cultural resurgence, storytelling frameworks and stories that guide and direct us from the land outward. A space to gather and offer opportunities for connection and sharing to strengthen our futures together as a community. Led by Ronnie Dean Harris, our Indigenous Cultural Developer, six artists and community members were engaged in the design and interpretation of the Garden/Gathering Space. Atheana Picha, Diamond Point, Raine Pierre, Hailee Stogan, Kaitlyn Cunningham and Ronnie Dean Harris — their familial and community-based connections to these lands, stories and languages have helped tremendously in conceptualizing this work.
“The garden space is representative of the flow of the river and of the notion that the Transformers wrote their stories onto the land through these transformations”, said Harris. “The frame of the structure is a nod to the ancient framework of Coast Salish plank houses. This area of New Westminster does not sit on the north/south grid of the rest of the Lower Mainland but rather follows the bend in the river. So, the front of the garden faces the river and mountains and includes many native plant species, in an effort for the land to recognize itself.” In addition to native plant species and greenery, the Garden/Gathering Space will include public art and Halkomelem language installations.
This project has been generously funded by Canadian Heritage, Heritage BC and Vancouver Foundation for a combined grant support of $808,000. But in order for the space to grow to its full potential, we are looking to community support, which will go towards enhanced public art, indigenous plant and language installations, interpretive panels and displays, and more.
If you have the means, please consider donating today and directing your funds to the Garden/Gathering Space as part of the Great Canadian Giving Challenge. Until June 30th, every $1 donated to the Massey Theatre Society through CanadaHelps gives us the chance to win $10,000. Additionally, every $10 donation that you make gets you an entry to win incredible adventure-themed prizes!
During this challenge (and always) we’re fundraising for community, as community is the heart of who we are. From our Community Kitchen to our Garden/Gathering Space. From Artist Access to Artistic Collaborations. From Audience Members to Performers and Crew. These funds will help us connect more with our community as we enter our 75th year.
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Help Us Support Artists and Provide Access to the Arts
As we enter the third week of the Great Canadian Giving Challenge, we want to shine our light on access to the arts, as the arts are the heart of who we are.
Performing artists are still in post pandemic recovery, with performing spaces and opportunities decreasing, which makes access to and activation of the arts incredibly important to us.
With programs like our Emerging and Professional Artist Residencies, artists were given funds and opportunity to create and perform in our spaces. With the financial barrier to creation lessened, these artists were able to develop pieces that can reach new audiences and expand their professional practice.
Our Artist Access Program provides affordable rentals to a wide range of artists and artistic organizations of all levels and experiences. Through access, artists can build and nurture a community, rallied around the common goals of learning, developing, and creating the arts.
Our new Studio Series, including Global Tea Series and Old School Music Hall, provide paid opportunities for professional artists to reach new audiences. Global Tea events are Pay-What-You-Can, allowing for more access to the arts for a greater population. With the amount of performance spaces decreasing, or becoming too expensive for independent artists to book, programs like Old School Music Hall give these artists a space and place to perform. And we make arts accessible by offering ticket prices below market rate.
These programs have been possible with the support of funders like the Province of British Columbia and The City of New Westminster, but to do more, we need more funds.
If you have the means, please consider donating today as part of the Great Canadian Giving Challenge and join the global giving movement. If not, share with your friends and tell them what the Massey Theatre means to you.
The Great Canadian Giving Challenge is designed to help charities fundraise during the slow summer months when donations tend to decline and people are out enjoying the summer sun.
As it is the 10th anniversary of the challenge, from June 1st to 30th, every $1 donated to the Massey Theatre Society through CanadaHelps gives us the chance to win $10,000. Additionally, every $10 donation that you make gets you an entry to win incredible adventure-themed prizes!
During this challenge (and always) we’re fundraising for community, as community is the heart of who we are. From our Community Kitchen to our Garden/Gathering Space. From Artist Access to Artistic Collaborations. From Audience Members to Performers and Crew. These funds will help us connect more with our community as we enter our 75th year.
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Help Us Provide Access to Arts and Community Connection
We’ve entered the second week of the Great Canadian Giving Challenge and we want to thank all of you who have already donated! As we mentioned in our previous post, we’re fundraising for community as it’s the heart of who we are. For programs like Community Nights, which we celebrated last Tuesday with a Showcase performance.
Community Nights provide artists, creators, activators and more with the opportunity to access space, social and networking time between community groups and share the ten spaces available at Eighth & Eight Creative Spaces at the Massey Theatre Complex for free. Artists, activators, creators and community access spaces in blocks of two-hours to reconnect and start or restart their activities in a supportive, barrier-free environment.
Programs like this are important to encourage community connection and artistic inspiration. It is essential to us that these programs remain cost and barrier free to allow for these connections to occur.
If you have the means, please consider donating today as part of the Great Canadian Giving Challenge and join the global giving movement. If not, share with your friends and tell them what the Massey Theatre means to you.
The Great Canadian Giving Challenge is designed to help charities fundraise during the slow summer months when donations tend to decline and people are out enjoying the summer sun. As it is the 10th anniversary of the challenge, from June 1st to 30th, every $1 donated to the Massey Theatre Society through CanadaHelps gives us the chance to win $10,000. Additionally, every $10 donation that you make gets you an entry to win incredible adventure-themed prizes!
During this challenge (and always) we’re fundraising for community, as community is the heart of who we are. From our Community Kitchen to our Garden/Gathering Space. From Artist Access to Artistic Collaborations. From Audience Members to Performers and Crew. These funds will help us connect more with our community as we enter our 75th year.
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Rotary Club of New Westminster makes $10,000 donation to Developing a Community Kitchen
New Westminster, BC – Massey Theatre Society is celebrating a $10,000 donation by the Rotary Club of New Westminster. This donation will be directed towards the Eighth & Eight Creative Spaces Community Kitchen in the Massey Theatre Complex.
Showing their continued commitment to community service and support, the Rotary Club of New Westminster made the decision to direct these funds to the Community Kitchen project as it will fill a need in the community.
“We’re thrilled to be able to support this fantastic initiative,” said Rotary Club of New Westminster Co-President Gabor Gasztonyi, “We challenge other local business organizations to match our donation so this kitchen can serve our community.”
The Community Kitchen will be used to enhance the day-to-day life of the facility in addition to enabling a whole new variety of social, cultural and artistic activations. There is currently no appropriate kitchen space in the facility. The facility would be used to feed artists, activate community programs, service fundraisers, meetings, cultural celebrations, awards ceremonies, as well as performances and arts programs. Eighth & Eight will look to participate in food sustainability programs, local food and beverage markets, educational and community cooking programs, streaming cooking shows and coffee talks and more . These will all be able to be programmed in the Community Kitchen once the space is complete.
“The Rotary Club has supported Massey Theatre Society several times over the years,” said Jessica Schneider, Executive Director of Massey Theatre Society, “Their support is always a reminder of how strong our community is and gives us a boost of confidence that what we do is relevant and valued.”
This $10,000 donation is one quarter of the funding needed to ensure this kitchen is completed. Massey Theatre society is currently fundraising to complete this kitchen and get started with community activation, connection and creation. For more information, please contact the Massey Theatre.
About Eighth & Eight Creative Spaces
Eighth & Eight Creative Spaces comprises over 57,000 square feet of dynamic and creative spaces in the Massey Theatre Arts Complex which includes the Massey Theatre, Plaskett Gallery, four multipurpose studios including a performance studio and dance studio and digital labs. The expanded spaces at the Massey Theatre Complex and operated by Massey Theatre Society aim to offer artists and community a facility as well as resources and support for their work, creating new and inclusive opportunities for artistic creation, presentation, development, community engagement, wellness practices, and workshopping.
About Massey Theatre Society
The Massey Theatre opened in 1949 as British Columbia’s largest theatre, at the time, with 1,260 seats. Since then, its lights have shone on thousands of performances and has become a cherished space to experience the arts. The Massey hosts large scale musicals, international music and dance performances, symphonies, choirs, ballets and more. With a commitment to the cultural life of the community, it supports programs for emerging artists and community groups as well as new creation and production residencies. The theatre is a key gathering place with over 100,000 visitors and hosting over 200 events/performances each year. The Massey Theatre Society is a catalyst for a vibrant, expressive community and a stage where any dream is possible.
Media Contact
Erin Jeffery
Director, Marketing and Communications, Massey Theatre
erin@masseytheatre.com | 604.517.5900
Cameron Peal: Emerging Artist in Residence
Cameron Peal is an emerging Indigenous playwright who participated in a residency at Eighth & Eight to develop a new play for youth in grades 10-12, called “Hold on to the Question”. The play is about a journey towards learning to celebrate the intersectional nature of contemporary indigenous life, especially for younger indigenous folks — the intersection at which modern life and its luxuries collide with the multi-layered history of indigenous peoples on turtle island, and in the country we call Canada. During this residency, Cameron shared a reading of his play with young Indigenous students and participated in a feedback session with these youth.
“My time with Massey Theatre was extremely valuable for my process, as it’s not often that a company is able to provide generous space for exploration, especially in the early stages of theatre development,” said Cameron. “Having a creative space where I could experiment with process deeply informed the work, and that is something that I am always interested in trying out, as often as possible.”
Cameron Peal (he/him/his) is a Vancouver based (Musqueam, Squamish, and TseilWaututh territories) theatre artist, from the Nisga’a Nation of Northwest BC. His current passion is in exploring the abstract: “how can I express something beyond the boundaries of what’s literal, what’s already clear?” His work looks to blur the boundaries between art forms and genres.
Recent credits: Assistant Director – White Noise (Firehall Arts Centre, Savage Society), Writer/Performer – 4 Directions Cabaret (Rumble Theatre), Ensemble – In My Day (Zee Zee Theatre), Director – enough is enough is enough (Studio 58), Producer/Creator – Where Is This Going (Butcher Shop Collective), Assistant Director – Bunk #7 (The Raven Collective), Co-Director – Cerulean Blue (Studio 58), Writer/Performer – Gather: Stories in Nature (Pacific Theatre, and Neworld Theatre), Production Coordinator – Indigenous Cities (Savage Society), Assistant to the Director – She Sells Seashells (United Players), Ensemble – Reframed (Electric Company Theatre), MC – Backyard Sessions (Savage Society), and Writer – The Transformation Project (National Arts Centre, and Pi Theatre). Actor/director/writer, Studio 58 graduate.
This program has been made possible thanks to funding by the Province of British Columbia, BC Arts Council, BC Touring Council, and the City of New Westminster.
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City of New Westminster invests 20.1 Million in Massey Theatre
New Westminster, BC – Massey Theatre Society (MTS) is pleased to announce the City of New Westminster’s 20.1 Million dollar investment in renovations and accessibility in to the Massey Theatre Arts Complex (Eighth & Eight Creative Spaces).
On June 12th, 2023, City Council voted unanimously to approve the 20.1 million dollar budget as part of their phase one investment in the theatre and ancillary spaces. “The City has further committed to the preservation of the historic Massey Theatre through this $20.1M investment in repairs, structural upgrades, and accessibility improvements,” said Mayor Patrick Johnstone, City of New Westminster. “We are fortunate to have a partner in the Massey Theatre Society dedicated to not just programming a grand theatre, but in making the space an arts hub that serves the entire community.”
These repairs, upgrades and accessibility improvements include:
- replacing roofs and the exterior wall system,
- removal of the North Wing gymnasium,
- enhanced accessibility with new elevators and accessible universal washrooms.
“A significant investment in the structure by the City of New Westminster is essential for our charitable organization to raise the funds necessary to make our own investments in the arts and our specialised infrastructure,” said Jessica Schneider, Executive Director, Massey Theatre Society. “This partnership brings tremendous renewal that will benefit the entire community locally and regionally.”
With this decision by Council, the Massey Theatre Society can focus on its key priorities of professional arts presentation, community engagement, and, access to arts for all. With numerous established programs and exciting initiatives in development, the society is raising funds towards these initiatives and programs while the City ensures the modernization, renovation and improved physical access to the building.
Current Massey Theatre Society Programs
Mainstage Presentations
Studio Theatre Presentations
Community Nights (free use)
Artist Access Program (reduced rates for artists)
Coming Home Program (2SLGBTQ+ social programs)
Artistic Creation Residencies
Gallery Programs
Massey Helps Grants
Innovative Food and Beverage Program
Programs and Initiatives In Development
Community Kitchen
Present Yourself Studio Theatre Series
Old School Music Hall Series
Immersive and Interactive Digital Exhibition
Art and Makers Shop
Art Based Camps and Registered Programs
Landscape and Public Art Installations
About Massey Theatre Society
The Massey Theatre opened in 1949 as British Columbia’s largest theatre, at the time, with 1,260 seats. Since then, its lights have shone on thousands of performances and has become a cherished space to experience the arts. The Massey hosts large scale musicals, international music and dance performances, symphonies, choirs, ballets and more. The theatre is a key gathering place with over 100,000 visitors and hosting over 200 events/performances each year.
Massey Theatre Society contributes to artistic and cultural vibrancy in many ways. From presenting professional theatre, dance, music and original interdisciplinary performances; to engaging community through artist led creative and cultural development programs. With the recent expansion, MTS supports professional practitioners with funds and facility resources, offer technical residencies on their stages and engage artists with community in innovative ways.
Media Contact:
Erin Jeffery
Director, Marketing and Communications, Massey Theatre
erin@masseytheatre.com | 604.517.5900
Call for Submissions
The Plaskett Gallery and North Wing Gallery, part of the Eighth & Eight Creative Spaces/ Massey Theatre complex in New Westminster, are now accepting submissions from visual artists in any media for exhibitions from April to December 2023, with the option of doing a one- or two-month exhibition, pending on availability.
Please submit samples of your work by post or email in photographic format, a minimum of six photographs, the framed size of each work, an artist’s statement about the proposed exhibition, a curriculum vitae and your website address if applicable.
The minimum size is 16”x20” includes the frame, i.e. twenty five 16”x20” are needed to mount an exhibition. If you like your submission returned by mail please include a self-addressed envelope and sufficient postage.
The North Wing Gallery is able to accommodate freestanding sculptures. The North Wing has 25 glass display cases measuring 44” wide by 39” high and 10” deep.
The proposed exhibition submission must not have been showcased in New Westminster in the preceding 12 months, nor (upon acceptance) be displayed in any other New Westminster galleries during the exhibiting year.
Deadline for submissions is February 28, 2023.
Please send submission via post, email or hand deliver to:
Massey Theatre/Plaskett Gallery Exhibition Committee
735 Eighth Avenue, New Westminster, BC V3M 2R2
Via email: qiuli@masseytheatre.com
For more information please contact the Massey Theatre by phone, 604-517-5900 extension 6124, or by email.
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