The Acadia Cinema Cooperative Ltd. (ACC) is a unique nonprofit community arts cooperative established (2002) to save the landmark Acadia Cinema building, 450 Main Street, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada, and to redesign, restore, revitalize, create and operate cultural facilities located in the building with a café and art gallery on the premises.
The Acadia Cinema Cooperative and Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co-op own the Acadia Cinema building. The ACC owns the Acadia Cinema’s Al Whittle Theatre, and operates it and Studio-Z (2010). Just Us! owns and operates their Wolfville Just Us! Coffeehouse. Together with Youth Challenge International, they established Jack’s Gallery (2009) in the new theatre lobby. Home of ACC’s anchor tenant, the Fundy Film Society, the Al Whittle Theatre has been available to shareholders, patrons and presenters since November 2004.
On May 25, we gave our regards to Broadway with top local talent performing a variety of musical theatre numbers. This community-spirited talent showcasewas in support of Wolfville’s Acadia Cinema building.
Thanks to all the volunteers who brought Broadway to the Whittle. Board member Karen Malim was our musical lead holding auditions and ensuring the music was top notch entertainment, including arranging Hannah Parks as accompanist. Producer Pat Salmon made the trains run on time and devoted many hours to all the details. Kathy Day and Deb Moore from Just Us led a team producing our new fundraising chocolate bars and providing program and refreshments. Thanks too to theatre manager Mary Harwell for stick handling the technical and backstage wrangling, and to techs Tony Napoli, Ellis Clayton-Brian and Adam Steeves.
We raised funds to make some improvements in the building lobby and elsewhere.
Sponsored by The Acadia Cinema Co-op and Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co-op to celebrate International Year of the Co-operative.
The Coop is lucky to have the involvement of many members of the community – some are theatre professionals and many others are keen and capable volunteers, supporting the theatre in ways they can. There is now a technical advisory committee set up to advise the Coop board and theatre manager on how best to keep our facility state-of-the-art and responsive to our presenters. Plans are underway for an equipment inventory, and an audit of all aspects of the technical infrastructure and the structure as a whole. Let us know if you would like to help out and be a volunteer to keep our building in top shape!
The Acadia Cinema Coop is pleased to welcome Mary Harwell as the new theatre manager for the Al Whittle Theatre, effective February 6. Mary has an impressive background in stage management and runs her own small business, Tempest Restaurant, with husband, Chef Michael Howell. She is plugged into the Wolfville community and we are excited to have her part-time. Now there’s even more to celebrate in this, our 100th anniversary year as a cultural venue in Wolfville.
A new sign, which highlights local involvement in saving the Acadia Cinema building for community purposes, is now proudly displayed on the building exterior under the marquee entrance.
