HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News Record, 2016-11-09, Page 7Wednesday, November 9, 2016 • News Record 7
Blyth Public School to be torn down; centre for arts and innovation centre to be built in place
Justine Alkema
Clinton News Record
The old Blyth Public School
building will soon be no more.
In early October, the Blyth
14/19 Board of Directors voted
to demolish it.
However in its place will be a
huge asset for the area -a centre
for arts and innovation.
The board looked into turn-
ing the school into the new cen-
tre without tearing it down, but
after doing their research, it
came back that it would be
extremely difficult to modify
the space for their new purpose.
It ended up being more eco-
nomical to tear it down and
start from scratch.
The new centre will be called
the Grant and Mildred Sparking
Centre, a name given by Grant
and Mildred's sons and donors
of the project, David and Steven
Sparking.
The centre will include four
flagship programs - fashion arts
and creative textile, digital
media, theatre arts and the
"rural voice':
Their programs will be on the
cutting edge of innovation. For
example, their fashion arts pro-
gram will include making
clothes from local materials
including fibre shed, a move-
ment involving taking wool
from local animals for fabrics.
Digital media will include
new media such as gaming,
apps and documentaries. The
theatre arts program is very
interconnected to Blyth's thea-
tre, and the "rural voice" will
include symposiums and con-
ferences similar to the recent
Rural 2 Rural conference.
There are tons of ideas up in
the air for the space. They are
talking about having digital
archives, a full commercial
kitchen, studios for artists and
more.
The building is expected to
cost between 5-7 million
dollars.
They have around $730,000
already to be put to the centre
left from previous grants which
they have used to revitalize
Blyth Community Memorial
Hall; these funds will be put to
the school's demolition and the
hiring of an architect for the
preparation of plans for the
building.
"Our whole goal is to create
cultural hub," said Blyth 14/19
Director of Operations Karen
Stewart. "The festival is a big
part of that because there's
already arts here:'
The centre, which is looking
to teach hundreds of students at
a time, will not be an accredited
institution; rather, it is to build
skills. It is a different type of
education structure.
Teachers may be longer
term, or they may bring in art-
ists and professionals to teach
intensive, shorter courses for a
number of weeks.
"We are looking for engaging
skills in creativity, said Stewart.
They are hoping that project
will be shovel -ready by next
spring.
Justine Alkema Clinton News Record
The former Blyth Public Schools is set to be torn down later this
year.
Photo courtesy of Angela Smith
Students from the grades 10 and 12
construction classes at C.H.S.S. have
helped with various projects at the new
park on Albert Street. Last week, they did
some maintenance at the park; here they
are seen raking the rock gardens.
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