The Park City Institute and Park City School District have announced a memorandum of understanding that will allow the institute to continue presenting live music, theater and other cultural events at the Eccles Center for the Performing Arts.
The announcement comes after more than a year of negotiations between the Institute — a nonprofit that introduces emerging artists, welcomes celebrated musicians and produces award-winning theater in the community — and the school district over the use of the venue, which also serves as Park City High School’s auditorium, according to a press release.
“This memorandum of understanding will extend the ability for the Park City Institute to program community events in the Eccles,” said Ari Ioannides, Park City Institute executive director. “We will continue to collaborate with the school district administrators and other community partners to assure cultural events can take place at the Eccles when not being used for our local students.”
In addition, the memorandum will provide additional revenue to the school district, which serves more than 4,500 students, through a $2 facility use fee that will be added to Park City Institute tickets, he said.
The Park City Institute first entered into a scheduling agreement in 1995, when it was known as the Park City Performing Arts Foundation, with the Park City School District to provide programming through the Eccles Center.
The agreement established an advisory board that included members from the Arts Council of Park City and Summit County, the Park City Chamber of Commerce, the School Board superintendent and a member of the Park City Education Foundation, who would work on scheduling and coordinate access to the venue with the Park City Institute’s executive director.
Throughout the past 25 years, the Park City Institute has alleged the Park City School District worked to gain more control over the venue’s programming through a combination of board policy and more restrictive agreements, the institute said in an earlier statement.
After negotiating an agreement with the school administration last May, the school board informed Ioannides that it was “inclined to let the agreement expire.”
In October a group of Park City Institute Board members, led by Interim President Jason Owen, met with Park City School District Superintendent Dr. Jill Gildea, Chief Operations Officer Michael Tanner, and School Board members Anne Peters and Erin Grady, to find a way for the institute to continue programming.
The meeting eventually led to the memorandum of understanding that would, in part, put the school district’s needs at the top of the list, Gildea said in a statement.
“This agreement will ensure district needs are prioritized, provide equitable community access, facilitate world-class cultural programming, and provide a reliable source of funds for the maintenance and operations of the Eccles Center,” she said.
After securing the memorandum of understanding, the Park City Institute’s goal is to extend its long-standing contract with the Sundance Institute to continue screenings at the Eccles Center during the annual Sundance Film Festival.
Sundance Institute Managing Director Betsy Wallace said in a statement that she is pleased the Park City School District and the Park City Institute have successfully ended their negotiations.
“Sundance Institute is excited that Park City School District and Park City Institute have finalized the agreement allowing the Institute to continue its legacy of providing high quality and diverse programming for both residents and visitors of Park City to enjoy,” Wallace said. “It also allows Sundance Institute to continue its over 20 year relationship with Park City Institute to showcase independent films during Sundance Institute’s annual Sundance Film Festival at the marvelous George S. & Dolores Dore’ Eccles Center Theater for the Performing Arts.”