Established 1887 (1887) Dean (Music) Cheryl McCarthy Campus type Urban Province Nova Scotia Founded 1887 | Dean (Dance) Barbara Dearborn Enrollment 122 Phone +1 902-423-6995 Number of students 122 | |
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Address 6199 Chebucto Rd, Halifax, NS B3L 1K7, Canada Similar Halifax Dance, Dance Zone‑LM, Dartmouth Dance Academy, Fountain School of Performin, Andrea's Music Studio | ||
The Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts (MCPA) is a Canadian performing arts school in Halifax, Nova Scotia that offers courses in higher education in music, dance, and theatre. It is the largest and the oldest (1887) of such organizations for education in the performing arts east of Montreal.
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History
When the school was founded by Reverend Robert Laing in 1887, it was named the Halifax Conservatory of Music. In 1954 the Halifax Conservatory of Music (HCM) bought the assets of the Maritime Academy of Music (MAM), and the school was renamed the Maritime Conservatory of Music. In its initial years, the school awarded degrees through Dalhousie University, but became an independent institution in 1962. In 1998 the school changed its name again to the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts to reflect the school's expansion into other performance mediums beyond music.
MCPA acquired its campus and designated heritage site, the former Chebucto Road School, in the late 1990s from the City of Halifax. The agreement with the municipality came with the stipulation that close to half a million dollars be spent on renovations, and that obligation has been completed. (The Chebucto Road School, built in 1910, served as a morgue following the 1917 Halifax Explosion.)
Present day
The current mandate is to offer an accessible and comprehensive program of dance and music instruction accommodating students of all ages and levels of ability. Students receive a quality education designed to inspire a lifelong interest in the arts, whether for their personal enjoyment or a professional career.