The society proposing to build a performing arts centre at the Weyburn Comprehensive School are moving to make a model and obtain charitable status in order to help them educate the public and raise funds.
The performing arts centre society is awaiting word from the Southeast Regional Economic Development Authority (SEREDA) on a grant to help pay for building a model of what the centre might look like, said chairman Dave Craigen.
"Blueprints are very difficult to visualize from. A model is very important for when we start going out to talk to groups or corporations," said Craigen, adding the group will also look at having an artist's conception done up of what the building will look like when it's up and running.
The grant request to SEREDA was approved locally, but it still needs to be approved at the provincial level, he said, where requests are behind schedule right now. The society's request to obtain charitable status, to enable income tax receipts to be issued for donations, is still under consideration by the government, with no indication when the request will be dealt with.
Once the model is built, the society will look for a semi-permanent home to house it, preferably in a high-traffic area such as City Hall, said Craigen. The model will also be portable, so it can be used when speaking to city organizations or corporations, with a removable roof to enable viewers to see what is planned for the interior.
The society plans to build the centre in conjunction with a proposed amalgamation of the Southeast Regional College with the Comp high school, with approval for that yet to come from Saskatchewan Education. Some word on whether the government is supportive of the amalgamation may come in the provincial budget to be released in March.
Meanwhile, the society's work on research and planning is continuing on, said Craigen, as a fund-raiser is in the planning stages for October, in conjunction with the Weyburn Concert Series.
Two subcommittee chairpersons, Bob King and Linda Aitken, attended a seminar on fund-raising, and there is a large amount of literature to go through with possible ideas for the Weyburn group.
Craigen said he did two presentations, one to the Weyburn Central School Board, and the other to the employees at PanCanadian Petroleum in Weyburn. Membership sales are also ongoing, and a question about the proposed centre was included in a business survey conducted by SEREDA.
While the numbers are being tabulated right now, said Craigen, "it looks right now that the business community is behind us."
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