Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Belfry Theatre fonds
General material designation
- Multiple media
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
Level of description
Fonds
Reference code
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
-
1976 - 1989 (Creation)
- Creator
- Belfry Theatre (Victoria, B.C.)
Physical description area
Physical description
5.15 m of textual records and other material
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Administrative history
The Belfry Theatre was established on 30 December 1975, having been registered on that date as the Springridge Cultural Centre Society. Its original aims were to promote cultural events, operate a cultural centre, and sponsor workshops relating to the performing arts. During its first three seasons it hosted touring companies, and began to produce its own shows in 1976/77. By the end of the 1977/78 season, the Belfry had achieved its longer-term goal of becoming a full-fledged professional theatre company, and on 10 December 1981 the society's name was officially changed to the Belfry Theatre Society. However, the Belfry continued to host other touring companies and has also sponsored concerts, a fund-raising fashion show and a series of classic children's films. The company has received financial support from the Canada Council and the provincial government through the British Columbia Cultural Programme, the Lottery Fund and the Intermunicipal Fund.
The Society consists of a Board of Directors; there were five directors in 1975 but by 1986 the number had expanded to eleven. The company's permanent staff consists of the Artistic Director, General Manager, Production Manager, Publicity Manager and Accounts Manager. The Belfry's first production was "Puttin' on the Ritz," which ran from 29 January to 12 March 1977. Developed and directed by Don Shipley and Pat Armstrong, this production featured choreography by Judith Marcuse and a four-person cast (Bill Hosie, Danny Costain, Sheila McCarthy and Mary Swinton). Since then the company has produced many more productions, most of them highly successful and some controversial, such as "Hosanna" and "Let My People Come." It has attracted many well-known actors and directors, including R.H. Thompson, Stuart Margolin, Frances Hyland and Nicola Cavendish.
The Theatre is housed in the Emmanuel Baptist Church on Gladstone Avenue in Victoria, which was originally leased to the Belfry by the Victoria Cool Aid Society. In 1980-1981 the company embarked on Operation Facelift, a plan funded by the Canada Community Development Project to renovate the building, including raising the stage, insulating, re-plastering, repainting, raising the balcony side seats and adding new fire doors in the dressing room.
The Belfry Theatre continues to be a dynamic part of the Victoria arts community.
Custodial history
Scope and content
The fonds consists of records documenting the administrative and operational activities of the Belfry Theatre, arranged into the following series: Financial records, 1976-1988; General files, 1976-1989; Show files, 1977-1987; Newsletters, 1981-1986; Programmes and pamphlets, 1976-1984; Graphic materials, 1981, n.d.; and Sound tape cassettes, 1981.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Arrangement
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
Access restricted to financial records. Permission must be obtained from the Belfry Theatre Board of Directors.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
Inventory available with series and file level control. Excerpted file lists are available at the series level.
Associated materials
Accruals
Further accruals are expected.
General note
Files in boxes 36, 37, 40, 41, and 42 were consolidated into one oversize box. Original file numbers have been retained.
General note
Physical description
Includes ca. 400 photographs, ca. 300 slides, and 1 audio cassette.
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number
Access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Belfry Theatre (Victoria, B.C.) (Subject)
Genre access points
- financial records
- administrative records
- slides (photographs)
- account books
- bank statements
- budgets
- insurance records
- posters
- newsletters
- pamphlets
- sound recordings
- correspondence
- reports
- grants
- grant proposals
- ephemera (general object genre)
- printed ephemera
- contracts
- advertisements
- photographs
- clippings (information artifacts)
- programs (documents)
Control area
Description record identifier
Institution identifier
Rules or conventions
Status
Revised
Level of detail
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
2013-02-05; updated 2016-02-24 and 2016-03-03 (MP)
Language of description
- English