Folks are feeling FIFA World Cup fever around Vancouver, and while some businesses are definitely seeing a big boost, some organizations in the arts community, including on Granville Island, are not.
Recently, we published a story about the Underground Comedy Club in the Gastown area, which is seeing a big drop in revenue and feels like the FIFA World Cup is to blame.
As a result of that story, we heard from the Improv Centre on Granville Island, which is also seeing a drop in visitors and feels like FIFA bears some of the blame.
The Improv Centre is located at 1502 Duranleau St. Current shows the centre has on its calendar include Exploration Blank, and Theatresports: Totally Ref’d Up.
The Improv Centre (Submitted)
“I think there are some important lessons to take if a similar event happens in the future,” Jessica Gutteridge told Daily Hive, the managing director with The Improv Centre.
Those lessons, according to Gutteridge, include a greater inclusion of local businesses and arts organizations in the planning process. She believes that would’ve created increased opportunities to showcase everything Vancouver has to offer to visitors.
“As experts in joyful entertainment featuring local performers, we could have made significant contributions to creating a fully-rounded festive experience that reflects what Vancouver has to offer and helps sustain our business,” Gutteridge said.
Gutteridge said that summer usually does bring a small reduction in audience sizes, but the attendance generally shifts to a higher proportion of tourists visiting than at other times of the year.
“So far this summer, we are unfortunately seeing smaller audiences overall,” she said.
There’s also a Granville Island watch party across the street from the improv venue, offering 94 games on a large screen with a beer garden. There are also food trucks in the area.
“It’s a very festive atmosphere that seems to be attracting large crowds. The Improv Centre was invited to host the opening and closing events, which we are delighted to do,” Gutteridge said.
However, visitors seem to largely be keeping to that area of Granville Island, not visiting spots like The Improv Centre after games.
We asked Gutteridge what she would’ve changed if she had more influence in the planning stages.
“We would have been delighted to take part in opportunities to showcase our art form, and Vancouver’s cultural offerings, both in our own venue and throughout the event locations.”
Gutteridge said that having the chance to communicate directly with the stadium, fan zone, and watch party visitors about the theatre would’ve helped the centre and given visitors a great time in Vancouver.
It’s not like the venue is avoiding the hype. Theatresports: Totally Ref’d Up is in part about getting into the spirit of the FIFA World Cup, as it’s a “special edition” of a long-running signature show. It runs on weekends through the tournament.
“We are also offering a matinee on Father’s Day, which is a fun outing for the whole family. With our incredible waterfront patio and lounge and air-conditioned venue, it’s the perfect way to cap off the day after the games. As an incentive for soccer fans, visitors wearing their team colours on game day receive a special discount at the box office,” Gutteridge said.
She added that Granville Island has done a great job of managing traffic and parking, and it doesn’t feel crowded or overwhelming. She encourages visitors not to hesitate to visit.
“With so many ways of accessing the area, there is no reason to stay away.”