Capital Campaign
A Home
for Our
Imaginations
Help us build the future Civic Theatre.
Now under construction
The next
chapter of
The Civic
For generations, The Civic Theatre has been a place where Nelson comes together — to be entertained, challenged, surprised, moved, and connected through stories on the big screen.
Now, we're building its next chapter.
After years of planning, design, fundraising and community support, construction is underway on the redevelopment of The Civic Theatre.
The renewed Civic will preserve the character and history of the theatre our community loves while transforming it into a more accessible, resilient and versatile cultural hub designed to serve Nelson and the wider region for generations to come.
We've raised nearly $5 million toward the $7.5 million redevelopment. Now we need our community's help to raise the approximately $2.5 million that remains.
.jpg)
The renewed Civic Theatre
One beloved
building.
A lot more possibility.
Three theatre spaces
Multiple films, events and programs can happen at the same time, giving audiences more choice and creating a stronger, more flexible operating model.
A more accessible Civic
Improved accessibility throughout the renewed theatre will make more of the building welcoming and usable for more people.
A modernized building
Renewed mechanical, electrical and technical systems will improve efficiency, resilience and the day-to-day experience of audiences and staff.
More than movies
The renewed Civic will create more room for festivals, education, talks, performances, artist activity, community events and shared experiences.
More
Than
Movies
The Civic has never been only a movie theatre.
It is a place to sit beside your neighbours in the dark and experience something together. A place for filmmakers and artists to share their work. A place for children to encounter stories bigger than themselves. A place for festivals, conversations, celebrations and community traditions.
NCTS itself began with a community coming together around the belief that this theatre was worth saving.
Today our work includes films and festivals, youth and educational programming, artist development, support for the regional screen-based industry, and partnerships that create opportunities for connection, dialogue and learning.
The renewed Civic gives all of that work a permanent home — and creates room for much more.
.png)
A Home for Our Imaginations
Why imagination
belongs at
The Civic.
We chose those words because imagination is at the heart of what happens here.
A great cultural space gives us somewhere to encounter stories we don't already know. To see our own experiences reflected back to us. To understand someone else's. To laugh together. To disagree. To learn. To imagine what might be possible.
Buildings make those experiences possible.
And when a community chooses to invest in a cultural building, it is also making a choice about what kind of community it wants to be.
We believe Nelson deserves a Civic Theatre built for its future.
Be part of what we build
There are many ways
to be part of
The Civic's future.
Whether you give $50, $250, $1,000, $5,000 or more, your contribution becomes part of a remarkable collective investment in The Civic Theatre.
Dedicate a seat in the renewed Civic with a personalized plaque for yourself, your family or business, in honour of someone important to you, or in memory of someone who loved this place.
DedicateConsidering a significant gift, corporate contribution, partnership or naming opportunity? We'd be delighted to talk with you about how you would like to be part of the project.
Let's TalkBuilt by community
A project built by many hands.
Community members stepped forward to save the theatre. Volunteers gave their time. Audiences bought tickets and memberships. Businesses sponsored programs. Donors made gifts. Governments and funders invested in the vision.
The redevelopment is the next expression of that same community commitment.
There will eventually be a moment when construction is finished, the lights come up, and audiences walk back through The Civic's doors.
What we build between now and then is up to all of us.
Questions?
Everything you wanted
to know about
the project.
Learn more about construction, accessibility, the three-screen design, fundraising, sustainability and what the redevelopment means for The Civic Theatre.
A Home for Our Imaginations
Help Us
Build It.
Nearly $5 million has brought us this far. Help us complete what comes next.