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Music Venues

Parkdale Performance

September 2, 2025
by
Krista Sylvester

As Calgary’s creative spaces continue to dwindle, Parkdale United Church is coming to the rescue in an unorthodox way: an inclusive performance series called Parkdale Performance.

When Reverend Kim Holmes- Younger took over four years ago, she recognized that Parkdale United had become an underused sanctuary. Despite being capable of hosting 250 people on any given day, the church was only being utilized for a couple of hours every Sunday.

“I realized this isn’t acceptable in the economy we’re in. The space was sitting empty. Why not fill it with music, art, and community instead,” she said.

And so began a transformative evolution in Parkdale United’s history: the church leveled the stage, relocated the organ, and installed a brand new professional sound system.

What transpired since then is a beautiful lesson in the magic that can happen when traditional norms are challenged.

“The more the community comes in and sees our space, the more comfortable they are in the church,” Holmes-Younger says.

This isn’t about drawing people into Sunday services. “Ministry isn’t just in the church: it’s all over the world, in every space, in every place,” says Holmes-Young. “We wanted to give local artists an opportunity to perform in an affordable space because there are few options in the city.”

Every Wednesday night, Parkdale United Church pulses with music during Wednesday Jazz, a donation-based concert series.

“One jazz artist told me, ‘I can’t afford to perform anymore.’ And that broke my heart. We want to change that,” Holmes-Younger says. The suggested donation for concerts is $20, but nobody is turned away.

“We’re not trying to make money: we’re trying to make art happen. We just want to break even with the costs of our sanctuary use because it’s super important to us that artists get paid,” she adds.

But it’s not just about music. Parkdale’s sanctuary is also home to choirs and theatre groups, including a partnership with Artis Theatre, a Ukrainian refugee-led healing arts collective.

“They make full use of our digital technology in their contemporary stage acts,” says Parkdale Performance volunteer Sandy Navrady.

“The wooden arched room provides audiences a sense of the sacred through its ambience and fine acoustics,” Navrady says, adding that the 20-foot by 30-foot stage is big enough to accommodate a seated 65-person chorus or small enough for a four-piece band.

Parkdale United is also the first church in Calgary to install German-designed CODA speakers backed by a 48-channel digital sound board.

The church frequently covers its cross during performances to ensure those with complicated histories with religion feel safe in the space.

“We’re a ‘radical welcoming church,’” Holmes-Younger says. “That means going above and beyond for inclusivity; gender, race, income, everything. My job is to make sure you feel comfortable. No judgment. Ever.

“For me, one of the most important things is that people never feel that they are being judged and that they’re always 100 per cent welcome in our space,” she says.

“Church is associated with religion, which has hurt people in the past, including myself, and that’s why I’m a minister. I don’t want anyone to get hurt by religion again.”

The invitation is extended from Parkdale United to the community. Artists, organizers, and community groups — especially those who’ve been shut out of traditional venues — are welcome to make this sanctuary their own. Holmes-Younger hopes other local churches follow suit in the future.

“I certainly think that churches need to look outwards of their church and [realize] that they’re not just a Sunday morning church; they can be a seven-day-a-week church,” she says. “I want people to feel like this is a community space. And I do think that should be the motto of all our churches.”

While they’ve dabbled in producing concerts themselves, Holmes-Younger has learned something valuable: partnerships are key.

“If you’ve got the audience, we’ve got the space.”