With just weeks to go before the premiere of its inaugural play Tide of Hope, Trent Valley Archives Theatre has already seen generous community support for its mission to bring local history to life on stage while raising funds for Trent Valley Archives — with additional sponsorship opportunities still available.
According to co-producers Mary and Greg Conchelos, within just the first 10 days of the beginning of the fundraising campaign on February 20, local businesses and individuals had contributed $6,740 in sponsorships and donations.
That includes The Gardens of Peterborough Retirement Residence, which has sponsored the inaugural play to the tune of $3,000 and is one of two platinum-level sponsors, with the other being kawarthaNOW.
“We are pleased to sponsor the upcoming Tide of Hope performance and bring attention to the great work of Trent Valley Archives for their preservation and care of the history in our region,” said Sarah Joore, sales and marketing project coordinator of The Gardens of Peterborough, adding that residents have enjoyed guest speakers and presentations from Trent Valley Archives over the years.
Residents of the retirement home will be among the first people to see Tide of Hope, since Trent Valley Archives Theatre will be staging a private performance for them on May 9, prior to a school group performance at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in the afternoon of May 15 which will be followed by a public performance that evening and another public performance the following evening.
There are three other sponsorship levels available for Tide of Hope: bronze for a contribution of $300, silver for a contribution of $500, and gold for a contribution of $1,000. The Peterborough Canadian Irish Club recently came on board as a bronze sponsor — an appropriate sponsorship given the Irish theme of the play.
Written by Peterborough playwright Ed Schroeter and directed by Gerry McBride, Tide of Hope is the first of two plays that will commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Peter Robinson Irish emigration to the Peterborough region. Peter Robinson was a 19th-century politician in Upper Canada who administered the passage and settlement of over 2,500 poor Catholic families from Ireland to what is now eastern Ontario.
The play follows the fortunes and misfortunes of David Nagle, an Irish land agent and rent collector forced to flee to Upper Canada in 1825 when Irish rebels fighting against English tyranny brand him a traitor.
“There is no one better than Ed Schroeter to tell their story to today’s youth,” said Jim Abel, a member of Trent Valley Archives who has also donated to the production.
The Conchelos explained financial support and donated goods and services are very important to both Trent Valley Archives Theatre and Trent Valley Archives,
“Our volunteers on this project — a cast of nine, crew, director, playwright, theatre committee, and board of directors — are donating countless hours of free labour,” Greg said. “But that only goes so far.”
The same can be said of Trent Valley Archives itself, a non-profit organization that has promoted the preservation, identification, and care of historical archives in the Trent Valley region since 1989. Unlike many archival organizations that receive government funding, Trent Valley Archives relies on membership, donations, and user fees to make its unique and extensive collection of local historical resources available to the public five days a week, year-round.
“Trent Valley Archives funds its many activities through memberships, donations, grants, user fees, and volunteer hours,” Mary added.
She said anyone interested in donating or becoming a sponsor or a member of Trent Valley Archives can contact board of directors vice-president Madison More at tvat@trentvalleyarchives.com or 705-298-2350.
“These private donations and corporate sponsorships are also important because they subsidize our low-cost school group admission at only $10 per student with free admission for their teachers and trip supervisors,” Mary said.
Teachers can book their classes to attend the school group performance of Tide of Hope at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15th at the Market Hall by contacting Mary Conchelos at 705-872-6557. More information, including educational resources, is available at trentvalleyarchives.com/tvat/.
Tickets for the two public performances of Tide of Hope at the Market Hall — at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15th and Thursday, May 16th — are $40 for assigned cabaret table seating or $30 for regular assigned seating. Tickets are available in person at the Market Hall box office (140 Charlotte St, Peterborough), by phone at 705-775-1503, or online at tickets.markethall.org/tide24.
Suitable for audiences aged 12 and older, the play runs for around 95 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission.
More noted the Trent Valley Archives Theatre committee is also hoping the Tide of Hope production will attract new volunteers.
“We’re specifically looking for a production manager and a stage manager for our fall cemetery pageant ghost walk,” More said. “It has been very popular with young adults.”
People interesting in volunteering for the two positions can email More at tvat@trentvalleyarchives.com.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a media sponsor for Tide of Hope.
