Barrie theatres receive financial boost from provincial government

Two performing art centres in Barrie received funding from the provincial government Thursday as the theatres continue to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Talk is Free Theatre and Theatre by the Bay received $20,000 and $17,000, respectively – paid through the Ontario Arts Council's (OAC) Artist-Presenter Collaboration Projects program.

"The pandemic has been a unique challenge for the performing arts sector, but also an opportunity," said Arkady Spivak, TIFT producer and CEO.

"Thank you to the Government of Ontario for continuing to provide numerous programs to rethink and reimagine our field and for the understanding that the return to a fully-fledged sector is going to be more of a process."

The two theatres have received more than $1.6 million through the program since 2018.

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"Collaboration in the arts is going to be key for the recovery of our sector," said Iain Moggach, Theatre by the Bay's artistic director.

"Theatre by the Bay is ready and able to foster relationships and expand our network and audiences. It is an exciting prospect, and we are deeply grateful."

Lisa MacLeod, Ontario's minister of heritage, sport, tourism and culture industries, addressed the importance of providing the resources needed to keep these organizations going.

"Ontario's vibrant arts sector is a symbol of hope and prosperity as we continue to move out of this pandemic," MacLeod said.

"Live performance in Ontario is a significant tourism driver that contributes to the province's double bottom line, being its economic and social well-being."

OAC continues to be the primary funder of the professional not-for-profit arts sector in Ontario.