A new ImprovLab and updates to an existing theatre, student space and main entrance are the focus of a nearly $20-million renovation of the University of Guelph's MacKinnon Building launched today (10/24) with an official groundbreaking ceremony.
The renovations will cover 45,000 square feet in the building that is home to the College of Arts.
"To reach this point is a real milestone for us," said president Franco Vaccarino. "This is an exciting day for the University of Guelph and for the College of Arts. It represents a renewal of the cultural and creative arts right here in the heart of the University."
Funded in part by the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the $5-million ImprovLab will be a world-class, practice-based research facility for presentation, broadcast, archiving and analysis of improvised performance, community workshops and audience reception studies.
Samantha Brennan, dean of the College of Arts, said the major project signifies the crucial role the arts play in the U of G community.
