Wong family lends name to new SFU theatre at Woodward’s
Dr. Milton Wong, 604.629.8785 ext. 410
Erica Branda, SFU Advancement, 778.782.3353/778.231.1274, ebranda@sfu.ca
Simon Fraser University is naming one of Vancouver’s newest and most innovative arts venues after the two influential Vancouverites who helped make it happen.
The Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre is set to open in early 2010 when SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts relocates from the Burnaby campus to the new Woodward’s development in downtown Vancouver. With a flexible seating arrangement that can accommodate myriad stage configurations and audiences of up to 450, the intimate black-box theatre will be a welcome addition to the city’s cultural scene.
A well-known Vancouver businessman and recognized leader in the community, former SFU chancellor Milton Wong and his wife Fei have donated $3 million to SFU Contemporary Arts. Milton also chairs the $30-million capital fundraising campaign now underway to which donations can be made at http://www.sfu.ca/advancement/.
Says Fei: “Milton and I are excited about the range and quality of cultural activities that this theatre will bring into Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. A major programming announcement will be made next month that will provide a preview of what’s to come.
The provincial government has committed close to $50 million to help move the arts school into Vancouver’s historic Woodward’s district. For more than three decades, SFU Contemporary Arts has been at the forefront of the Canadian cultural scene as a national training school for interdisciplinary arts, with undergraduate and graduate degree programs in art and culture studies, dance, film, music, visual arts, and theatre.
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(photos available on request)