West Vancouver's Kay Meek Centre

The Kay Meek Arts Centre is a small but beautiful performance theatre located right next to West Vancouver Secondary School in West Vancouver.

Lots of shows and concerts happen at the centre.

Kay Meek Centre and Theatre

Most cities have a main municipal theatre where community events like concerts and theatre performances take place. In West Vancouver, that facility is the Kay Meek Centre.

Named the Grosvenor Theatre, it includes a stage, curtain and dressing rooms. It has a proscenium stage (which is a traditional setup with a high-arching ceiling). Concerts, plays, dance performances and award ceremonies take place in the theatre. The facility can seat up to about 500 people.

Grosvenor Theatre is quite modern. It’s smaller than some of the city’s other performance venues, but far from the smallest. The theatre is wheelchair accessible and has seats that are fairly spacious and comfortable.

About Kay Meek and the Centre

Kay Meek was a teacher living in Vancouver. Her first husband was an executive with ties to both the Lansdowne Race Track and Harrison Hot Springs Resort Hotel. She loved the arts and her community and wanted to give back to them. Over the years she supported many local attractions and facilities including the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Harmony Arts Festival and the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Kay Meek’s most prominent donation was to the theatre that would eventually be named after her. In 1998, the philanthropist donated $1 million towards the creation of an arts centre in West Vancouver. It was built at West Vancouver Secondary School and completed in 2004.

Today the theatre is often used by West Van High. Students regularly perform on stage with their bands and drama classes. The school puts on plays as well. Award ceremonies take place at the centre, including end-of-the-year celebrations honouring notable students and events from West Vancouver Secondary. Speakers regularly give speeches at the theatre as well, often with classes in attendance.

Of course, Kay Meek Centre is open to the public and the facilities host lots of events unrelated to the school. One such event occurs during the Lunar New Year when artists and dancers take the stage to give memorable performances. The Vancouver Welsh Men’s Choir also has a concert there some years, as does the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and Early Music Vancouver.

Other Information

For more information about the venue and its history, check out the Kay Meek Art Centre’s Official Website. More details about Kay Meek herself can also be found on the website memorybc.ca.

To learn more about the surrounding region, see our article about the District of West Vancouver.

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