{{Infobox venue , name = Bella Rose Arts Centre , image = , image_caption = , nickname = , location = 283 Thomas Raddall Drive

Halifax West High School Halifax West High School is a Canadian public high school located in the Clayton Park neighbourhood in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. Encompassing grades 10 through 12, Halifax West High School offers a variety of courses in b ...

Halifax,

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, coordinates ={{coord, 44, 39, 24.59, N, 63, 39, 51.69, W, region:CA , type = Indoor theatre , broke_ground = {{start date and age, 2007, 2 , built = {{start date and age, 2007, 6 , opened = {{start date and age, 2007, 10 , expanded = , closed = , demolished = , owner = Bella Rose Arts Centre Society , former_names = TheatreHalifax , seating_type = Reserved/General , seating_capacity = 600 , website = http://bellaroseartscentre.com The Bella Rose Arts Centre is a community-based

proscenium theatre A proscenium ( grc-gre, προσκήνιον, ) is the metaphorical vertical plane of space in a theatre, usually surrounded on the top and sides by a physical proscenium arch (whether or not truly "arched") and on the bottom by the stage floor ...

performing arts centre Performing arts center/centre (see spelling differences), often abbreviated as PAC, is used to refer to: * A multi-use performance space that is intended for use by various types of the performing arts, including dance, music and theatre. :The ...

located inside of

in the Clayton Park neighbourhood of the

Halifax Regional Municipality Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348 ...

. The 600 seat, professional grade, multi-purpose theatre has the capacity to handle almost any type of event from music and dance shows, to

theatrical Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...

productions, and conferences. It currently functions primarily as a rental venue.

Foundation

The idea of the theatre was founded during the planning process of the new Halifax West High School after the old Halifax West High School became condemned due to toxic mould contamination in July 2000. Though the old Halifax West High School did not have a theatre or auditorium—having just a gymnasium with a stage in it—the communities of Clayton Park and surrounding areas fought for a theatre during the planning process of the new school. The Nova Scotia Department of Education would however not fund a theatre seeing it as an unnecessary add-on to an already expensive new High School. After many hours of planning and community consultation it was decided that if there was going to be a theatre inside of the new Halifax West High School that the money for it would have to come from sources other than the government. The Halifax West Community Theatre Association was then founded to ensure that a theatre would be included in the overall plans for the new Halifax West High School. The

Halifax Regional School Board The Halifax Regional Centre for Education (formerly Halifax Regional School Board) is the public school district responsible for 136 elementary, junior high, and high schools located in the Halifax Regional Municipality in Halifax County, Nova Scot ...

turned over the old Halifax West High School that was located on Dutch Village Road over to the

who then demolished the building sold the lot to a local developer for an undisclosed amount. Of that undisclosed amount approximately $300 000

CAD Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computers (or ) to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. This software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve co ...

was then donated to the Halifax West Community Theatre Association so that an empty shell could be included in the High School's initial construction that would one day hold the theatre after fundraising was complete.

Fundraising

Once the new Halifax West High School was completed, the Halifax West Community Theatre Association began fundraising for the new theatre calling it Theatre Halifax. The centre remained known as Theatre Halifax until February 12, 2007, when it was announced that

Mickey MacDonald Mickey MacDonald (born 1952) is an entrepreneur in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who has been involved in telecommunications, food retailing and the fitness industries. Businesses Clearwater The first time MacDonald got back to Halifax, he he ...

, a local entrepreneur and businessman pledged to donate $300 000.00 CAD towards the theatre. The theatre was then renamed the Bella Rose Arts Centre in honour of his mother, Bella MacDonald and his daughter, Bella Rose MacDonald. The Halifax West Theatre Association was also later renamed to the Bella Rose Arts Centre Society to reflect this generous donation. The theatre's fundraising efforts include; general donations from individuals, corporations and local governments, holding raffles and selling advertising space on tickets, ticket envelopes, and on the centre's website. The most notable fundraising campaign is the Name-A-Seat campaign which allows anyone to purchase an inscribed plate in one of the theatre's 600 seats. The Bella Rose Arts Centre Society is a Canadian registered charity.

Construction

The concrete shell that was put in place for the theatre was fairly limited; the original plan for the theatre only included 503 orchestra seats, no balcony, and no

catwalks A fashion show ( French ''défilé de mode'') is an event put on by a fashion designer to showcase their upcoming line of clothing and/or accessories during a fashion week. Fashion shows debut every season, particularly the Spring/Summer and Fa ...

. The Halifax West Community Theatre Association, during the final planning stages, decided to put in an additional 97-seat

balcony A balcony (from it, balcone, "scaffold") is a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade, usually above the ground floor. Types The traditional Maltese balcony is ...

and two catwalks. This required some slight modifications to the exterior of the theatre shell on the second floor of the high school to add access to these areas. After most of the fundraising efforts were completed, construction on the theatre started in February 2007 and was completed in June 2007.

Amenities

* The Bella Rose Arts Centre is a proscenium theatre with a stage that has a performance space that is 34 feet wide and 23 feet deep. The stage has a sprung, professional grade dance floor. * There are 503 seats in the orchestra and 97 seats in the balcony for a total of 600. * There are 6 accessibility spots available for wheelchair users.

Notable events and performances

* Brooks Diamond Productions - DRUM! (October 2008) * 2008 Halifax Regional Municipality Swearing In Ceremony (November 2008) * Premier Rodney MacDonald - Ceilidh for Kids (November 2010) * Ballet Jörgen Canada - Original Dance (April 2009)
Halifax Theatre for Young People
- The Gravesavers (May 2009) *

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(May 2009) *

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- Season 3 - Halifax Auditions (March 2010) * TV with TV's Jonathan Torrens - TV Mystery Shows (April 2010)
Halifax Theatre for Young People
- Merlin (April 2010) *

A Chorus Line ''A Chorus Line'' is a 1975 musical with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante. Set on the bare stage of a Broadway theater, the musical is centered on seventeen Broadway dancers ...

(May 2010) * Halifax Boys' Honour Choir with special guests

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- Mining the Memories (March 2011) *

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On Stage (May 2011) Theatres in Nova Scotia Community theatre Buildings and structures in Halifax, Nova Scotia Music venues in Halifax, Nova Scotia