Our Story

Welcome to the Aurora Cultural Centre

At the Aurora Cultural Centre, we believe that arts, culture, and heritage can play a role in changing our world and our community. This is the fabric that deepens our understanding of our shared experience, and creates a more compassionate society.

Since 2010, the Centre has welcomed the community to create and participate in diverse experiences for all ages. Located in a beautifully-restored 1886 schoolhouse, we proudly program four vibrant gallery exhibition spaces, a range of instructional classes for children, teens and adults, an eclectic live music series, special family events, summer arts camps, and offer stunning rental spaces for a unique experience. Partnerships – with our community, businesses, schools and more – are at the heart of our operations, and vital to our success.

The Centre is a registered charity, generously funded in part by the Town of Aurora. We are proud to have earned the Imagine Canada Trustmark, demonstrating excellence in non-profit operations. Our professional staff is supported by a dedicated volunteer Board of Directors and enthusiastic team of volunteers.

Wheelchair accessible, air-conditioned, and with parking surrounding the building, we look forward to welcoming you through our doors.

We invite to you #BeEngaged, #BeInspired.

Mission

As a cultural leader we bring vitality to the heart of Aurora through:

  • excellent and innovative professional visual and performing arts programs and educational opportunities;
  • opportunities for meaningful social interactions and artistic community arts programs in our welcoming and inspiring venue and beyond, and
  • inclusivity by reaching out into our diverse community, recognizing that the arts are both universal and unifying.

As a partner of the Town of Aurora, we play a leading role in the realization of their cultural objectives.

What We Do

The Aurora Cultural Centre respects that culture is a large topic. The Centre focuses on the artistic elements of culture as it is offered to be created, explored and enjoyed by the community, specifically the performing arts and visual arts. Performing Arts for The Centre includes professional theatre, music, dance and inter/multidisciplinary genres of same.

The Centre responds to the need for community dialogue by being a safe, welcoming and inclusive venue.

We welcome organizations, groups, and individuals into our venue to enjoy and participate in our ticketed and free performing and community events, educational programs, and through our community rental opportunities.

We program within the core values of excellence, collaboration and accountability.

Our volunteer Board of Directors have worked, and continue to work, tirelessly to create the strong governance foundation that guides the growth and development of the Aurora Cultural Centre. The Directors meet monthly (at least), attend various committee meetings and bring a diverse skill set to their roles. All are residents of Aurora. The Board of Directors of the Aurora Cultural Centre are ratified annually at the Annual General Meeting. Directors’ terms are two year commitments, and may be renewed three times up to a maximum of six consecutive years. Each Board member also sits on a committee and provides assistance with fundraising activities.

The Centre hosts four public meetings annually, held at 7pm on the second Wednesday of March, June, September and December. The community is invited to attend, meet the Board of Directors, ask questions, and learn more about what we do.