Moco Arts Vision and Path Forward
The missions of The Colonial Theatre and MoCo Arts are congruent with, and an essential part of, the Monadnock Region’s commitment to community well being. We acknowledge that these missions can be enhanced and more effectively realized and sustained through a collaboration involving shared facilities and support operations. Exploratory discussions, facilitated by Arts Alive, have led to a shared vision that is briefly outlined below.Arts Alive, MoCo, and the Colonial Theatre envision a multi-arts campus, anchored by the Colonial Theatre. We envision this to be an inviting central venue for the community to experience and participate in the breadth of Keene’s arts and cultural activities, including education, attracting and welcoming both local residents and outside visitors alike. The new multi-arts center will be inclusive, serving the needs of the local community by providing space, as appropriate, for other participating organizations. MoCo and The Colonial, with the assistance of Arts Alive, and input from other arts and cultural organizations, are working together to design the most effective governance and operational structure for the Center.
The campus may have the following basic elements:
• The Colonial Theatre, with expanded stage depth and wings, a functional orchestra pit, a grid and new rigging system, improved lighting systems to include new FOH positions, enhanced accessibility to include an elevator, expanded lobby/audience services space and HD video & sound capability
• An adjacent flexible, reconfigurable 200 – 300 seat visual presentation and performance space with stage space large enough for dance and appropriate educational theatre as well as a wide variety of local and professional of performing arts needs
• Expanded dressing rooms and green room space accessible to both theatres
• Flexible instructional studio and rehearsal space suitable for large group and individual instruction for our schools of dance, wellness, theatre, visual arts and arts camps, with student changing and locker rooms and a space that enables parent viewing of classes.
• Space for independent student study of visual arts, costuming and technical theatre education.
• Office space for all staff of the organizations
• Storage, costume shop and scene shop space accessible to both theatres
• Two public spaces: one for intermissions, gala events and visual art displays and one for school reception, student and family waiting area, student study area.
• A configuration that supports student drop off and pick up of large numbers of students at one time. In order to more accurately define the needs that this campus can serve in a sustainable manner, Arts Alive will engage the services of a consulting firm whose job will be to:
• Interview Colonial, MOCO and other leading arts organization staff to assess needs and existing conditions (note: Arts Alive! can assist in this with data collected from a survey it has conducted)
• Gather data on market demand for arts and arts education.
• Develop a proposal on special elements, projected operating pro forma, preliminary space programming and footprint as well as scheduling guidelines that address identified, programmatic and financially defensible needs
• Assist in process of translating these concepts into an architectural plan