*Please note, GITD does not manage Box Office or ticketing operations. You will need to contact the producing company directly.

*See Frequently Asked Questions below.

The New Emergent Studio Theatre (The NEST, for short) is an intimate and flexible performance space. It’s an affordable black box theatre, featuring customizable riser seating and the option to uncover the windows, providing lots of natural light that fills the theatre. The NEST is great for workshops, small and emerging theatre productions, festivals, and rehearsals. Housed on the third floor of Festival House, the NEST is owned by CMHC-Granville Island, and stewarded by the Granville Island Theatre District.

For technical specifications, please refer to the documents in the sidebar.

FAQ's:

When can I book a venue?
Single days can be booked up to 6 months in advance. Weekly bookings (Monday-Sunday) can be booked 1 year in advance. We typically require 8 weeks notice to book an event. Designated CMHC Cultural Partners can book 3 years in advance.

How much does it cost?
A deposit is due upon signing of the Rental Agreement, rental fees are due 4 weeks prior to the event, and Labour fees are due immediately following the event. Other charges include a small portion of your attendance going towards the Theatre Improvement Fund. For a full list of Rental and Labour Rates, visit the venue tab for each venue.

Do I have to pay for staff?
Yes. All 3 venues are IATSE 118 and all equipment must be operated by our Technicians. Front of House Managers are required any time there is public in the venue, or significant work is happening in the lobby spaces. In addition to managing the venue, FOH acts as liability for the patrons and the venue itself. A production schedule is due 8 weeks prior to the event, and based on this, we will provide a Labour Estimate.

Can I have a venue tour?
Clients who have signed a Rental Agreement are entitled to 1 venue tour for a single day rental, and 2 venue tours for multi day or weekly rentals. We can offer one 30 minute tour for inquiring clients ahead of a Rental Agreement.

Do you have a box office?
Each venue is equipped with a Box Office room, or tables. GITD does not manage Box Office operations. The client must manage all ticket sales, and provide 1 Box Office personnel to be on site, as well as 2 ushers. 

Can I run a bar/concession?
Yes, but you must acquire a Special Events Permit if you would like to serve alcohol, as well as the certified staff to serve it. This means you get to keep 100% of your profits. At Performance Works, if you would like to serve alcohol and use the patio, you must provide some sort of barrier to close off the patio. This could be fencing, rope stanchions etc.

Do you have a list of preferred caterers?
No, we do not. 

Do I need insurance?
Yes, renters are required to obtain commercial general liability and property damage insurance for the duration of the rental period with respect to The NEST premises and the facility in which the premises are located with a combined limit of not less than $2,000,000 (TWO MILLION) per occurrence and naming Granville Island Theatre District Society and CMHC Granville Island as additional insureds.

Is AV and Lighting an additional cost?
No- you only pay for the labour costs. All of our venues are equipped with Lighting, Sound and Projection capabilities. If you need to change the house hang or set up, it will need to be reset at the end of your rental.

Is there parking at the venues?
While there is plenty of parking space on Granville Island, there is no designated venue parking. Clients who have signed a Rental Agreement may reserve up to 6 spots at an additional cost. Rates are as follows: 

$35/day per spot Mon-Thurs, $45/day per spot Fri-Sun, plus an admin fee of $30. Parking requests should go to executivedirector@gitd.ca.

Additional questions?

For Production and Technical Questions:
Wolf Macleod
Event Production and Operations Coordinator
EventProductionAndOperations@gitd.ca

For FOH, Rentals & Bookings:
Jarred Meek
Event Services Manager
EventServices@gitd.ca