Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts

Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts

The Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts (MCPA) is a Canadian performing arts school in Halifax, Nova Scotia that offers courses in higher education in music, dance, and theatre. It is the largest and the oldest (1887) of such organizations for education in the performing arts east of Montreal.[1]

History

Rev Robert Laing, founder of the Maritime Conservatory of the Arts
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When the school was founded by Reverend Robert Laing in 1887, it was named the Halifax Conservatory of Music.[2][3] In 1954 the Halifax Conservatory of Music (HCM) bought the assets of the Maritime Academy of Music (MAM), and the school was renamed the Maritime Conservatory of Music. In its initial years, the school awarded degrees through Dalhousie University, but became an independent institution in 1962.[4] In 1998 the school changed its name again to the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts to reflect the school's expansion into other performance mediums beyond music.[5]

MCPA acquired its campus and designated heritage site, the former Chebucto Road School, in the late 1990s from the City of Halifax. The agreement with the municipality came with the stipulation that close to half a million dollars be spent on renovations, and that obligation has been completed. (The Chebucto Road School, built in 1912, is best known for its service as a morgue following the 1917 Halifax Explosion.)

Present-day

The current mandate is to offer an accessible and comprehensive program of dance and music instruction accommodating students of all ages and levels of ability. Our students receive a quality education designed to inspire a lifelong interest in the arts, whether for their personal enjoyment or a professional career.

Notable Faculty and Students

See also

References

  1. ↑ Canadian Encyclopedia
  2. ↑ It was founded under Chapter 91 of the Acts of the Legislature of Nova Scotia. In 1921, under a Special Act of the Province of Nova Scotia, the Halifax Conservatory of Music (HCM) was incorporated.
  3. ↑ For a biography of Rev Laing see here
  4. ↑ Shirley A. Blakeley. "Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts". The Canadian Encyclopedia.
  5. ↑ This name change was legally changed when the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts was confirmed in Chapter 11 of the Acts of 2006, titled The Maritime Conservatory Reorganization Act, which received Royal Assent on July 14, 2006.

External links

Coordinates: 44°39′01″N 63°35′52″W / 44.65017°N 63.59766°W