Prince Edward Island is the smallest province in Canada that features the most beautiful sunsets and beaches and is the proud home to the Confederation Centre Of The Arts. The design for this building was chosen from internationally-distinguished architects that included 47 submissions. The architect chosen was Dimitri Dimakopoulos and Georg Izenour the theatre designer.

The Confederation Centre Of The Arts which was formally known as the Fathers Of Confederation Centre Of The Arts, Charlottetown, PEI is a complex that was opened by a declaration from Queen Elizabeth II on the 6 October 1964. The first director for the Confederation Centre was James Mavor Moore.

Theatre Specifications And The Design

The centre holds 1,102 seats in the Homburg Theatre, the Mackenzie Theatre, 2 studio theatres, a museum and art gallery, different libraries as well as a stunning restaurant that overlooks the sculpture court along with the 18 square metres Memorial Hall.

The Homburg Theatre

This theatre features a proscenium stage that is permanent, however the auditorium is flexible. The mobile ceilings and wall panels baffle the acoustic modification permits. Other modifications include that the first 5 rows of the seats featured in the orchestra section can be moved to accommodate a thrust-stage. The sound along with lighting renovations was upgraded in 2007.

The Mackenzie Theatre

This cabaret-style theater holds 200 seats and was formerly known as the Capitol Theatre. This theatre has been around since 1974 and is still used today for the smaller productions.

Funding For Confederation Centre Of The Arts

Similar to the National Arts Centre, the CCA (Confederation Centre Of The Arts) was federally chartered. The cost of the centre amounted to $5.6 million which of this amount $2.8 million was contributed by the federal government and the provinces $0.15 per a capita. This centre belongs to Canada and Prince Edward Island is the custodian. However, in the begining no financial provisions were in place for the operation and upkeep and by the year 1975 the centre carried a deficit amounting to $600,000 and was in need of repairs of around $1 million. This deficit was lessened by an operating federal grant to the amount of $800,000 in the year 1976 and a further $900,000 in the year 1977. In the year 1978, the government gave the centre a capital grant that involved $1.25 million for three years to accommodate repairs and renovations.

The Charlottetown Festival

The Charlottetown Festival is held each year at this centre and first began in the year 1965. This particular festival is devoted to the Canadian musical theatre and features Anne of Green Gables the Musical as the mainstay production.

The Confederation Centre Of The Arts has also featured performances by the Forever Plaid, Guys and Dolls, the musical Emily a world-premiere performance and the Ballad of Stompin Tom. Other performances included Oscar Peterson, the Canadian Opera Company, the Harlem Gospel Choir, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Les Feux Follets, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Maynard Ferguson, the National Ballet, David Clayton-Thomas, the National Youth Orchestra, Blue Rodeo, the Toronto Symphony, the Barenaked Ladies, the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, Lois Marshall, the Prince Edward Island Symphony Orchestra, and Maureen Forrester.

This centre was also the sponsor for the Confederation Songwriting Competition in the year 1988 that inspired the words for the theme song used for the 125th anniversary for the Charlottetown Conference along with the 25th anniversary for the Confederation Centre Of The Arts. The song that won was known as One Canada by a man by the name of Stuart Peterson from Toronto.