One Woman’s Vision
The Kay Meek Centre in West Vancouver is the embodiment of one woman’s dream. Kay Meek lived most of her 98 years in West Vancouver. A dedicated philanthropist and arts supporter, she established a trust fund for a performing arts centre in 1988. Designed by Vancouver-based Iredale Group Architecture, the centre broke ground in 2002 on a location beside West Vancouver Secondary School. The centre’s location next to a school fitted Meek’s vision for a facility that would provide arts training and mentoring for children. Sadly, Kay Meek died in 2004 on the date of the centre’s first public performance.

Theatre Duo
The centre’s innovative architecture houses two theatres with a shared two-storey main lobby, which doubles as a gallery. Outside the lobby, a terraced patio deck provides views of the ocean and leafy gardens. Both theatres have separate dressing rooms, additional lobby spaces and fully sprung dance floors. Performances can run simultaneously in both theatres. The larger 500-seat main stage has spacious raked seating, excellent acoustics and high-tech multimedia capabilities. The latter allows the theatre to function as a cinema or recording/broadcast studio. The 200-seat studio theatre is designed with rolling bleacher seats to create a flexible space with different stage configurations. During intermission, audiences can grab a snack at the food and beverage concession.

Multidisciplinary Programming
Programming at the centre features concerts, theatre, dance, comedy, Broadway musicals, movies, fundraisers and educational lectures. Groups such as the Vancouver Recital Society, Chor Leoni Men’s Choir, the West Vancouver Youth Band, Theatre West Vancouver and the BC Boys Choir are community arts organizations affiliated with the centre. The centre can also host corporate dinners and receptions, cocktail parties and business meetings in the studio theatre or on the patio terrace.