School House

In 2011, Green Thumb Theatre successfully met its goal of fundraising $1.4 million for heritage restorations, fire repairs, and renovations. This charitable initiative that will benefit youth, the Arts, education, community revitalization, and Vancouver’s heritage preservation.

Green Thumb Theatre’s new artistic home provides and new rehearsal space for the Vancouver theatre community and a cultural centre in the heart of Burnaby for decades to come.

Green Thumb approached the VSB with an innovative plan to recycle the building through an environmentally-friendly retrofit and convert it into an upscale theatre production campus. Carleton Hall houses two beautiful new production halls fully equipped with modern lighting, sound and video technology, high ceilings, sprung floors, and windows that open for natural ventilation. It’s nearby annex, affectionately known as The Barn, is the new home of our administration offices. Outside, both buildings have been restored to their authentic heritage character, and the property beautified with site improvements that include landscaping, park benches, and bicycle parking. The entire facility is wheelchair accessible. Welcome to the Green Thumb Theatre Campus! With our own facility, we continue to develop edgy but intelligent new plays that help young people understand the complex world around them. At the School House, we are able to open a theatre school for youth and offer classes in Dance, Acting, Play Writing, Directing, Dramaturgy, Set and Costume Design. Students who study the performing arts develop real life skills in creative problem solving, collaboration, expressing their thoughts, evaluating the work of their peers, and speaking in front of an audience.