On December 1, 2020, the Mayor and Council of Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo debated and voted on several budget items, including the 2021 Community Impact Sustaining Grants. In support of the Keyano College funding request to cover operational costs for Keyano Theatre & Arts Centre, local actor and arts champion Brittany Sutherland wrote a letter to Council, telling her story and expressing her support for the theatre in Wood Buffalo.
It moved us to tears. Brittany’s letter beautifully expresses what theatre and the arts mean to many of us, and the incredible impact it can have on a person’s journey, and we wanted to share it with you as well (with her approval, of course).
Thank you, Brittany, for your support of theatre in our region!
Brittany’s Letter
My name is Brittany Sutherland and I have been a resident of Fort McMurray for almost 20 years. I am a proud Métis woman who is a dedicated performer in the arts. I am writing this letter because I want to express how important Keyano Theatre is to myself and the community.
When I was younger, full of insecurities, anxiety, and unknown mental health issues, I would volunteer at Keyano Theatre and watch the amazing shows in awe; it gave me a place of comfort and safety to escape to. In those earlier years, I performed several times on the main stage and recital stage for high school and community performances with multiple concert bands, jazz bands, and choirs.
Performing gave me purpose and helped calm the stresses of everyday life and even inspired me to go to University for music performance. In the last four years, from watching others' performances and from being majorly inspired by amazing people in this community, I have fought through many mental health and chronic pain battles and was finally able to make my dream come true and participate myself as an actress on the main Keyano Theatre stage; acting, dancing, and singing in the productions of Spoon River Anthology, Mamma Mia!, and Flashdance The Musical. I was even part of a local singing group called Phoenix Rising and we performed in the lobby for the opening of an out of town theatre production, practiced weekly in the rehearsal rooms, and even pulled off a spectacular Christmas concert last year with many other community members involved while also raising funds for our local SPCA.
The rush of amazing feelings I get when performing at Keyano Theatre is not measurable and cannot be solely defined in words. It is a place where I can work hard and be noticed for something other than the struggles I have been through. Being involved with the theatre has helped me push my own boundaries, grow as a person, develop many new connections, and has helped me become a more valuable community member.
Keyano Theatre helps many others in our community including much of our youth. There are theatre, dance, and music programs for students and the thrill of performing on that Keyano theatre stage in front of hundreds of people get the kids to work very hard through intense rehearsals which teaches them good discipline and structure. Kids performing for their parents and peers can be some of the most uplifting and encouraging experiences for them and one that they can cherish for the rest of their lives. It helps kids to reach beyond their anxiety and fears and push themselves out of their comfort zone which is needed in everyday life to thrive and succeed.
Keyano Theatre is a place where people of all ages can practice and perform while being in a safe place, learning others' perspectives, and performing in so many ways while truly being themselves without harsh judgment and yet in a professional environment.
Many of my friends and I participate in the theatre as audience members. Having the option to go to the theatre for shows of all sorts allows all of us to have something to do locally and to go on special outings together; for some of them, Keyano Theatre is their only source of date nights together and it would be tragic to take that away from them, and for some of them Keyano Theatre presents an opportunity to take their kids out and expose them to different cultures and sources of entertainment.
If Keyano Theatre closed, Fort McMurray would not be the same for so many people including myself; the sheer thought of it makes me ill and takes away so much joy. The brilliant arts community in this town thrives from the theater and creates so many opportunities for people to bond, make friends, volunteer, explore new hobbies or employment, and see amazing entertainment on all levels. Losing the theatre would mean people losing their jobs and livelihood, this is not just about the volunteers and unpaid performers. The arts must stay alive and thrive in this community as it is an important part of life for so many people.
Of course, many businesses are struggling because of the Covid pandemic but I strongly believe that as soon as we are all able to be involved with Keyano Theater again, many opportunities will present themselves. Teachers will be able to teach their students in the rehearsal rooms, dance students and community members will be able to rehearse in the rehearsal spaces, local musicians will be able to rent rooms to have somewhere to practice, schools will be able to have their students perform plays and Christmas concerts on the stages, local arts festivals and community members will be able to perform on the stages, community members will be able to act, dance, and sing on the stages in the large and small scale theatrical productions, not to mention all the employees of Keyano Theatre that will be able to return to work. These are just a few of the examples that go on at the Keyano Theatre and if it were to be closed down due to lack of funding, it would lower the overall morale of our community and break many hearts.
Please consider taking a look at your municipal budget to find room to keep the Keyano Theater alive through this difficult time, it keeps mine and many others' souls alive and we all together must strive to protect what is important to us.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read my letter.
Sincerely,
Brittany Sutherland