A vintage seat from the Tidemark Theatre could be yours.
All of the existing chairs inside the theatre will be replaced this summer and the Tidemark Theatre Society hopes to sell off the old ones.
Kim Emsley-Leik, managing director of the society, is asking the city, which owns the seats, to consider selling the existing chairs.
“The disposal or sale of the seats is currently city of Campbell River responsibility,” Emsley-Leik said. “In an effort to facilitate this process and to continue to partner with the city of Campbell River on this project, I would like to recommend that council consider using the new theatre manager ticketing system we have recently installed in the theatre to sell the seats.”
Emsley-Leik would like to see proceeds the Tidemark collects on the sale of the old seats reinvested into further capital projects to improve the theatre.
“One major capital project that is still not funded is the renovation of the concession,” Emsley-Leik said. “We are working on developing a budget for this capital project, as well as finding sponsors. “
But while the concession is on hold, major improvements are coming to the rest of the theatre starting July 1.
The existing seats will all be removed and replaced with brand-new ones, and the house will be re-painted and re-carpeted.
It’s all part of the Tidemark’s $600,000 T25 Campaign which also included upgrading the theatre’s lighting and online ticketing system, as well as purchasing a new projection system.
The 20th anniversary campaign secured major funding partners – $250,000 from the city and $153,000 each from both the Island Coastal Economic Trust and the Coast Sustainability Trust – as well as several thousand dollars from public donations.
The seats were partly funded through a campaign which asked the public to sponsor a theatre seat for $500. All sponsors will get their names put on a theatre seat.
As for the names engraved on the existing seats, some in memory of loved ones, Emsley-Leik said she is still working on a plan for those seats and that it’s “a work in progress.”
She said the Theatre Society is committed to helping the city dispose of any theatre seats that it is unable to sell.