Clark Builders congratulates Fort Edmonton Park for receiving the prestigious Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement – Heritage Centre for their new Indigenous Peoples Experience.
We’re extremely proud of our involvement on this unique project. Our team at Clark Builders played a major role in the management of the specialty fit-out, including media production, creative content, signage, theming, audio-visual, lighting, and sound system. The Thea Awards are internationally recognized for celebrating outstanding work on educational, historical and entertainment projects.
About the Project
Located along the North Saskatchewan River and adjacent to the 1846 Fort Edmonton, the Indigenous Peoples Experience focuses on a 30,000 square foot, cultural centre set within seven acres of native plant discovery trails, animal sculptures, tipi camps, and gathering places. The Experience delves deeply into wisdom traditions and history, using the best of contemporary storytelling techniques and technology to give authentic voice to the original people of Beaver Hill House, Edmonton, and Alberta. The park worked in partnership with the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations and the Metis Nation of Alberta.
This immersive attraction exhibits all the best outcomes of inclusive community creation and is intended to be an important step in Canada’s nascent Truth and Reconciliation movement. Entering into a 360-degree view of the Saskatchewan River (Cree: kisiskāciwani–sīpiy, “swift flowing river”), a lighted media path leads from roaming buffalo and migratory First Nations, then to the Metis river lots, and on to the modern Edmonton landscape. The media finale brought together Indigenous artists in a collective storytelling process and exploration of what’s next. The Thea Awards committee celebrates this project for timely relevance, broad inclusivity and excellence in presentation – all while navigating daily pandemic requirements and challenges.
Please visit our project page to watch our video and learn more about the Fort Edmonton Park Enhancement Project.
Click here to learn more about TEA and other Thea award recipients.
About TEA
The TEA (Themed Entertainment Association) is an international nonprofit membership association for the creators of compelling places and experiences. TEA was founded in 1991 and is based in Burbank, California. TEA presents the annual Thea Awards and the TEA Summit and hosts the annual SATE Conference series. TEA also produces a variety of print and electronic publications, including the highly respected international industry resource, the TEA/AECOM Theme Index.
About the Thea Awards
The Thea Awards were created by the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) to help realize a key mission of the association: bringing recognition to achievement, talent and personal excellence within the themed entertainment industry. From a modest beginning in 1994, the Thea Awards have become internationally recognized as a symbol of excellence.
The name of the Thea Award is a play on three words: the first is “Thea,” the Greek goddess from whom all light emanates. Thea was the mother of Helios (the sun), Eos (the dawn), and Selene (the moon). The second key word is “Theater,” a word derived from the goddess Thea. The third word, is TEA, for the Association.
Photos by Jim Dobie Photography and Chris Bernard Photography.