Project Background 

The GRAND Theatre Society is Western Canada’s oldest theatre, operating from the historic Lougheed Building in downtown Calgary. Since 2006, The GRAND has served as a multidisciplinary arts hub for theatre, film, music, and community programming. 

In 2024, Calgary Foundation–funded community engagement revealed significant unmet demand for affordable, professional creative space in downtown Calgary, particularly among emerging and equity-deserving artists. Since then, Allied (the Lougheed Building’s owner) has expressed strong interest in making additional underutilized space available to The GRAND at no additional lease cost. A Calgary Foundation–funded feasibility study, completing in June 2026, has assessed the operational sustainability of activating this space. 

A key finding from the feasibility study is that the operational model appears viable, but The GRAND cannot confidently design the space or determine its long-term viability without broader community engagement, particularly with emerging and equity-deserving artists and organizations The GRAND does not yet have relationships with. This exploration phase responds directly to that finding. 

Concurrently, The GRAND has applied for funding to support the pilot activation of the space on a pay-what-you-can basis starting September 2026 for 12 months. 

The Exploration Phase 

In response to the feasibility study’s findings, The GRAND is undertaking a community-informed exploration phase (June–October 2026) to determine what the Lougheed Building space needs to be to serve Calgary’s broader arts community, and whether permanent expansion is warranted. This work is funded through the Rozsa Foundation’s Future Focus program. 

The exploration will be delivered by two consultants working in parallel: 

•    Strategic Lead — institutional stakeholder engagement (City, Allied, Downtown Revitalization Committee), board and staff facilitation, business plan refresh, and synthesis of all workstreams into final deliverables.

•    Community Engagement Lead — community engagement design, interviews and focus groups with emerging and equity-deserving artists and organizations outside The GRAND’s current network, and synthesis of community perspectives.

The two roles are parallel, with each consultant leading their own workstream, and findings feeding into shared deliverables. Coordination between the two roles and with The GRAND’s staff and board will be supported by the organization. 

Deliverables (shared across both roles) 

• Community-Informed Space Activation Plan — evidence-based recommendations for infrastructure priorities, space design, and phasing

•    Interested Users Registry — organizations and artists with confirmed interest, space requirements, and pricing expectations

•    Suggested Space Usage Plans — floor-level layouts informed by documented demand

•    Outreach Strategy — tailored recommendations for reaching each target user segment

•    Partnership Opportunity Inventory — funders, collaborators, and supporters mapped to the expansion

•    Refreshed Business Plan — updated to incorporate the Lougheed pilot and community engagement findings

Scope of Work 

The Community Engagement Lead is responsible for the community-facing engagement workstream of the exploration: 

1.    Community engagement design: develop the engagement methodology, including interview and focus group formats, discussion guides, and participant recruitment strategy. A comprehensive survey instrument has already been developed during the feasibility study and will be available for revision and expansion.

2.    Interviews and focus groups: design and deliver 6–8 structured consultations with emerging and equity-deserving artists, potential new user groups, individual artists, and community organizations The GRAND does not currently serve. Gather perspectives on space needs, configuration, pricing, scheduling, and barriers to access.

3.    Interested Users Registry: build and maintain a documented list of organizations and artists with confirmed interest, including their specific space requirements, scheduling needs, and pricing expectations.

4.    Synthesis of community perspectives: co-author the community engagement sections of the final deliverables and contribute to the Outreach Strategy based on community relationships developed through the engagement process.

5.    Internal input: participate in select internal strategy sessions to ensure community perspectives are represented in organizational planning and business plan development.

Relationship to the Strategic Lead 

The CE Lead works alongside a Strategic Lead who is responsible for institutional stakeholder engagement, board and staff facilitation, business plan refresh, and synthesis of all findings into the final deliverables. The CE Lead’s community engagement findings feed directly into these workstreams. The two roles are parallel; the CE Lead is not managed by the Strategic Lead. 

Budget & Timeline 

Budget: $7,500 (fixed; including any applicable taxes)

Timeline

•    July 6: Project launch

•    July–August: Community engagement (interviews and focus groups)

•    June–September: Strategic engagement and board/staff facilitation

•    August–September: Business plan refresh and synthesis

•    October 2026: Presentation to board

Respondents are invited to propose their hourly rate and an estimated hours breakdown within the fixed budget of $7,500. The GRAND will assess proposals based on the overall quality of the expression of interest, not solely on hours offered. 

Ideal Profile 

1.    Embedded in Calgary’s independent and/or emerging arts community, with existing trusted relationships among artists and organizations — particularly equity-deserving groups

2.    Experience designing and facilitating community engagement processes (interviews, focus groups, open sessions)

3.    Ability to reach communities outside institutional channels — including racialized, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQ+, and disability communities

4.    Comfort working in culturally appropriate formats and reducing barriers to participation (flexible timing, accessible venues, etc.)

5.    Strong listening and synthesis skills — able to distill diverse community perspectives into clear, usable findings

6.    Familiarity with the affordable creative space landscape in Calgary is a strong asset

The GRAND’s Contribution 

The GRAND’s staff and board will contribute in-kind time throughout the project, including coordination, stakeholder introductions, participant recruitment, venue and logistics support, participation in consultations and strategic discussions, and review of draft deliverables. 

How to Express Interest 

Interested consultants are invited to submit a proposal consisting of:

1.    A cover letter (1–2 pages) describing your relevant experience, your connection to the work, and your approach to this role

2.    Suggest workplan of how you intend to complete this project

3.    A current resume or CV

Submission deadline: Wednesday, June 17, 2026 

Submit to: Sue-Shane Tsomondo at sueshane@thegrandyyc.ca. Please reference “Community Engagement Lead — Lougheed Exploration” in your subject line. 

Evaluation Criteria 

1.    Relevant experience and demonstrated track record in the scope areas described

2.    Understanding of and connection to Calgary’s arts sector and/or downtown context

3.    Availability to commit to the June–October 2026 timeline

4.    Alignment with The GRAND’s values of inclusion, accessibility, and equity

5.    Clarity and quality of the expression of interest

The GRAND may follow up with shortlisted candidates for a brief conversation before confirming engagement. The GRAND reserves the right to not proceed with any expression of interest received.