Photo: Castanet Staff

The Okanagan School of the Arts is kicking off the discussion on the future of the Shatford Centre as the cultural heart of the community.

The OSA has been talking about the next chapter for the historic building — which has been the home of the organization for eight years — but hasn’t reached financial sustainability.

An open house on Nov. 26 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in the auditorium is being billed as “a night of creative disruption” and invites residents to take part in a discussion that will “challenge the status quo and shape the future of the organization, including their management of the Shatford Centre.”

President of the OSA board of directors, Pat Field, says the Shatford Centre has been a pillar for the Penticton cultural community, but change is coming.

“Rather than wait for change to be forced on us, we are choosing to be creative and work with the community to create a more strategic approach to helping the sector realize its potential for building vibrant and resilient communities.”

At the open house, the public will learn about ongoing changes to the Shatford Centre and provide input on the building’s future.

“We are celebrating our past and building on previous success to create a stronger path forward,” said Field. “We need to make changes and want our decisions to reflect the community’s interests and priorities.”

The OSA currently rents the Shatford Centre from the school district for one dollar a year, but it's invested $1.7 million into the building since 2005.