The newly revived Iroquois Falls Arts Council has some ambitious plans.
President Fran Coté says a community survey identified the “Marie and Doctor Michael Boyle Community Auditorium” as an underutilized gem inside the high school. So the council’s first priority is getting more performances onto its stage.
Coté says another goal is partnerships with other communities.
“We’ve been talking quite a bit with Take Two Theatre in Timmins to bring them here to do a performance here,” she explains. “We’re kind of looking at a murder mystery dinner theatre. That seems to be very popular. They’re going to come and check out four of our venues that we have here in town.”
Ironically, the 385-seat auditorium is unsuitable for dinner theatre.
As an umbrella group for performing and visual arts, the council is also getting into partnerships with other groups in the Falls.
“We’re partnering with the Ansonville Arts Club which was newly formed and the Ansonville Gallery and Studio,” Coté notes. “The three organizations, the Iroquois Falls Arts Council, the Ansonville Arts Club and the Ansonville Gallery and Studio, we work together.”
Coté notes that artists from Timmins have already presented workshops on silk scarf dyeing and lino printing.