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Vancouver collectively mourned the loss of a Cultural icon yesterday: March 9,2012 as the Vancouver Playhouse announced it would be closing its doors forever. The reaction throughout the City, the Province and the Country was immediate. The sense of great loss, and sadness was palpable.

In the aftermath of this news, many reactions have included Anger, Disbelief, Sadness - indicative of the 5 stages of grief. But as we move through these stages on our own and collectively, as some, and then all of us eventually reach the acceptance stage. I propose that acceptance not be about allowing the loss to happen, but in this case accepting the loss of old ways and allowing this cathartic moment to motivate and encourage us all to find a different and better way to keep our Arts alive.

In every death, as we have been experiencing with this great loss, comes an equal re-birth. It is the natural balance of life. This is a crisis, and as with any crisis the golden nugget in this negativity is the propelling movement forward that it is a catalyst  that motivates us to dig in even deeper and dig out the root cause of this terrible symptom.

Because you see, the loss of The Vancouver Playhouse is only the beginning, and only a symptom of a much larger and disastrous disease. As when our body is taken over by a malignant force that threatens to bring it to its ultimate demise, the Human Spirit fights and will not give up. If there is no cure, we find one. Our Community has been hit with a terrible dis -ease - and that force is threatening to rip us to shreds and destroy all the good, healthy tissue. It is time to accept that this disease does exist, and it is time to start making some serious changes in order to arrest its further spreading.

I think this crisis went deep within the Arts Community in Vancouver - it was felt far and wide. And I for one, will see this as an opportunity, an opportunity to seize the energy, power and momentum that the crisis has awakened in our collective hearts.

Culture is extremely important for any society, and to start literally tearing down these iconic buildings and lifeblood of the Art that we do, should not be acceptable. We have all allowed this to happen. It is time to fully accept the responsibility.

'How did this happen?' is the resounding cry I've seen on Facebook, Twitter, and other mediums. It is a shock, a rude awakening. And I think GOOD! We need to feel this shock intimately, deeply and let it break our hearts. This is the only way we will realize without doubt, that we cannot live without the lifeforce that is being threatened within us.

Most obviously the things we have been doing have not been working, most obviously we need to work harder. And I for one will not give up, and as a team, if we all do not give up, that determination will only grow with the seed that has been planted by this tragedy that is our beloved Playhouse Theatre.

Lets dig in now Vancouver!! - lets fully feel this incredible loss and let it transform us into clear, motivated, and strong thoughts to our future and how we will protect our very lives.

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