It was an evening of art and entertainment on Saturday evening for The Theatre Centre’s first fundraising event, Bounce, at its brand new live arts hub and incubator at the company’s new home in the historic Carnegie Library (1115 Queen St. West). Though we weren’t sure what to expect from the event (we had a feeling that the $250 ticket price tag would keep most YPs away), one guest we didn’t expect to see was Rob Ford, who stopped by before heading to Muzik where he set social media abuzz when he was swarmed by partygoers.
Hosted by filmmaker and actor Don McKellar, the event offered an exclusive sneak peek at the building’s extensive renovations and transformation before it opens to the public in March (if all goes according to plan). Funds raised will support the organization’s $6.2 million capital campaign and the building’s completion.
The Theatre Centre is a nationally recognized live arts incubator that serves as a research and development hub for the cultural sector. They promote artistic innovation by encouraging artists to collaborate across genres including theatre, music, dance, visual art and new media, challenging them to develop new ways of working.
The space was lined with food stations that included everything from charcuterie by Parts and Labour, sushi by Blowfish, and a porchetta slider and gnocchi Bolognese by Maialino Enoteca, among others. Two fully stocked bars didn’t run out of wine until the end.
The event featured pop-up entertainment like a musical performance led by world-renowned composer Juliet Palmer and an interactive dance performance by bluemouth inc. later on in the evening, which ended in a dance party that lasted all night thanks to the very danceable beats (even for those our parents’ age) offered by DJ Filthy Gorgeous.
Other highlights included a silent auction that featured artwork from seven talented artists and poems written on-site by a team of writers after each guest wrote a word on the back of a ticket that corresponded with their coat check number. Once coasts were collected when the event wound down before midnight, guests were given their handwritten note on a scroll-like piece of paper.
Now, onto our mayor (in case you aren’t already bored with his name): in good spirits, Ford was sober as promised and brought his family along for the occasion, which included his rather adorable little boy who seemed to run freely at hip-level through the crowd of partygoers. After posing for a picture with Ford (like him or not, he is one of the most recognized faces in North America at the moment), he hesitatingly declined our request for a few questions right then (it was worth a try) but did invite us to City Hall for an interview… and we will hold him to that.
Stay tuned…
