ABOUT THE PROJECT
Click on a question to read the answer below.
Q: In a nutshell, what is ConstellationCenter?
A: Physically, ConstellationCenter is a performing arts center, with four halls, for the production of music of all types, opera, theater, dance, and film, and for the realization of family, civic, and corporate events. It will be a unique environment, generated without compromise to insure each part synchronizes with a unified whole: always pointing to the audience and performer experience. It will provide an unprecedented toolbox of performance capabilities for the artist to create his or her best work. It will provide the opportunity to experience work in an environment suited to the piece that is rarely experienced. It will provide over 500 arts groups the chance to thrive, rather than a struggle for mere survival.
Q: What kind of productions can one expect at ConstellationCenter?
A: ConstellationCenter will be able to accommodate a wide variety of performance events. Musical performances range from classical music (from early music to new music), classic pipe and theater organ, folk music, world music, gospel, and jazz; from Baroque opera to American musical theater to contemporary opera. Other work spans Shakespeare to experimental theater; from ballet, ballroom, to contemporary dance; from silent and classic film to digital art, and the masterpieces of many cultures such as Japanese Gagaku, Byzantine chant.
Q: Tell me more about the founder of ConstellationCenter, Glenn KnicKrehm
Q: Is there a need for ConstellationCenter given that the Boston area has a number of great performance spaces now?
A: ConstellationCenter’s research into the needs and desires of audience members and performing groups has been the largest such project ever carried out in the Boston area. The results show that, even with Boston’s great store of performance venues, both audiences and performing groups voice a strong demand for halls such as you will find at ConstellationCenter. The halls at ConstellationCenter are of a size and type not now found in the area. With over 500 arts organizations in need of performance space, we will provide new platforms for them to thrive. In addition, the research shows the need for appropriate spaces for innovative, new, and less known art forms to flourish. Audiences, too, are asking for new spaces to supplement the existing ones, and they support this demand for space with the strong desire and intention to attend.
It is a fundamental principal of ConstellationCenter that we are collaborative and helpful to arts, educational, and cultural organizations, on both local and international levels. One result of this philosophy is that we will not be directly competitive or duplicative of any exiting organization. In the history of creativity, art flourishes when there are a multitude of spaces, of varying sizes and capabilities. Boston has that potential with ConstellationCenter as one component in a strong collection of supportive institutions.
Q: Once open, how will annual operations be sustained?
A: ConstellationCenter’s business model is unprecedented, and proposes a new model for financial support in the arts across the country. Once built, Constellation Center will be financially self-sufficient. Revenue in excess of operating costs will in part be generated by the intensive use of the facility made possible by an innovative mix of capabilities. The close match of amenities and functionality provided by ConstellationCenter to those requested by both audiences and performers assures a high utilization. In addition, the superior quality of the building and its equipment will attract audiences and performers.
Q: ConstellationCenter’s annual surpluses will be put to what use?
A: In keeping with the non-profit mission of the institution, the resulting operating surpluses will be used for educational and community projects, for work that supports the arts community, for the funding of selected productions and presentations, and for continuing investment in research and development for cinematic and performing arts technologies.
Q: What kind of movies will be presented at ConstellationCenter?
A: We will show Hollywood classic films (golden age and recent classics), silent movies, and independent film. We will host film festivals and touring shows, such as of recently preserved films or historic revivals. To support this, several years ago, ConstellationCenter began a collection of film, focusing on rare prints of unusual quality and vulnerability. These prints span all of film history, from 1895 to current films. Currently housed at the Academy of Motion Pictures & Sciences in Hollywood, CA, our collection will allow our audiences to view films in a quality rarely seen. The collection is now used for researchers and special screenings.
ABOUT FUNDRAISING
Q: What is the total ConstellationCenter campaign goal?
A: Our cost estimate is $100 million. This is still an early projection, based on estimates for construction of this general kind and size, qualified by particular considerations unique to this project. It was prepared by one of Boston’s leading real estate development firms. This cost estimate will be updated at several points as the design progresses and becomes more detailed.
Q: How much money has been raised to date?
A: Currently, approximately one-third of our budget has been raised.
Q: Does ConstellationCenter have an endowment?
A: Currently, our development efforts are focused on funding the research, design, construction, and early operations of ConstellationCenter. Later, we anticipate establishing an endowment program.
FACILITY ACCESS AND AUDIENCE AMENITIES
Q: Will there be parking at ConstellationCenter?
A: Two thousand modestly priced spaces will be provided across the street from ConstellationCenter. Fourteen hundred of these spaces are currently completed, with the remaining six hundred now under construction.
Q: Will ConstellationCenter be easily accessible by public transportation?
A: Yes, ConstellationCenter will be located one short block from the Kendall Square/MIT Stop on the MBTA’s Red Line. We are also close to the Lechmere Stop on the Green Line. See “
The Site” page for more information on accessibility.
Q: Are restaurants and shops part of ConstellationCenter’s plan?
A: ConstellationCenter will have an in-house café and a book/CD/DVD store. We are at the heart of the Kendall Square research park, and once we are open, five to nine restaurants are planned within two blocks of ConstellationCenter. In addition, many restaurants are available in the Kendall Square and East Cambridge areas.
Q: Will ConstellationCenter have a cloak room?
A: Yes, ConstellationCenter will provide an innovative coat and luggage checking service, based on successful European models. One of the many ConstellationCenter research projects, the “Cloakroom Project,” took several years of study. Among the options we looked at were a Victorian-era system for the possessions of French miners, a high-tech California system for large residential facilities, a mechanism for dry cleaners, and several for the display of fashion apparel. In the end, a well-studied system recommended by a European theater design society best met our needs.
Q: Will ConstellationCenter be accessible to patrons and artists with physical disabilities?
A: We are committed to providing superior, above-requirement accessibility to all groups. The accessibility experts that we have consulted so far are very impressed with our commitment and with how well our preliminary design meets the varied needs of this community.
Q: Will ConstellationCenter be a green building?
A: ConstellationCenter employs a whole-building approach to a high performance green facility and to sustainability in site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. We expect to be recognized at several green award levels, in part because this is a natural outcome of our strong attention to audience and performer needs. For example, performers want clean air while performing. Singing, for example, is an energetic activity and needs pure air. We initiated a study to determine the standards we should set for them, only to discover that few studies have focused on performance conditions. One result is that our current office space was designed with operating theater quality materials to assure very low air contamination.
A: Currently, approximately one-third of our budget has been raised.
A: Currently, approximately one-third of our budget has been raise
AMENITIES FOR PERFORMERS AND OTHER USERS
Q: How much will each hall cost to rent?
A: We are committed to supporting a broad range of uses and users for our halls. Rental prices will be comparable to other non-profit halls in the Boston/Cambridge areas. Actual rental rates will be determined closer to opening.
Q: What kind of audio, video, lighting and technical house equipment will be offered?
A: ConstellationCenter will be equipped with house lighting, projection, sound systems, and conference space amenities. We will supply high-quality but affordable systems for groups on a low or modest budget. We will supply tie points, in-place cable hookups, and control systems for groups that prefer their own equipment. Of special note, we will have newly-developed systems for the economic performance of work but with spectacular audience impact. One example is our stage machinery system that may revolutionize scenic effects of opera and drama.
Q: Will ConstellationCenter require me to use its house technical crew for my event?
A: ConstellationCenter is committed to not burdening performing groups with overhead. House systems will have a range of pre-sets and easy-to-operate controls, allowing minimum crewing. For complex shows, renters can bring in their own crew. ConstellationCenter will provide training as needed.
Q: Will ConstellationCenter provide musical instruments for performers?
A: ConstellationCenter will provide several keyboard instruments, a “Bach” pipe organ, a WurliTzer theater organ, and larger percussion instruments. All will be available as part of the rental contract.
Q: Will ConstellationCenter provide facilities for catered receptions?
A: ConstellationCenter will be designed with a mix of users and support a range of budgets and requirements. We will provide catering facilities for small do-it-yourself receptions, such as pre-concert lectures and post-concert receptions, as well as larger facilities and catering services to accommodate complex banquets and large corporate functions.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Q: How can I apply for a job at ConstellationCenter?
