Since its founding in 2003, Bobcaygeon’s Globus Theatre has been a staple of professional theatre in the Kawarthas. For those who have found their calling onstage, those who have let loose in a creative workshop, and those who have sat back laughing — or crying — in the audience, Globus Theatre has proved itself to be essential in the community.
There couldn’t be better evidence of that than over the past two years since the theatre company launched its “Raising the Barn” capital campaign to purchase the Lakeview Arts Barn and sustain its future in the place it has called home since 2006.
To date, the community has donated $1.6 million of Globus Theatre’s $2.525 million goal to acquire the distinctive building where the theatre company stages its productions and to make some much-needed repairs and updates to ensure the building’s longevity.
“Coming out of the pandemic and then looking ahead, having just celebrated our 20th year, we’ve been thinking, ‘How do we make sure that we’re still around and still doing this in 20 years, 40 years, 60 years’ time?” says Globus Theatre co-founder and artistic director Sarah Quick. “We’re taking it to the next level and trying to build something for the future.”
Along with operating Globus Theatre, Quick and her co-founder husband James Barrett (who is the theatre company’s artistic producer) have been running the Lakeview Arts Barn — a former cattle barn transformed into a comfortable and contemporary 150-seat theatre with an attached restaurant — as a commercial venue by hosting weddings, conferences, and other gatherings so that the theatre company could also stage its productions in the building.
As a registered charitable organization, Globus Theatre was able to carry on during the pandemic by staging outdoor and online productions and by raising funds, most notably through the $200,000 Save Our Stage campaign in 2020. But, as a commercial operation dependent on revenue from social gatherings, the Lakeview Arts Barn did not fare so well.
“James and I put all our capacity and passion into saving Globus and making sure that Globus got through the pandemic, but the Lakeview Arts Barn was completely changed in that,” says Quick.
Faced with rising debt from remortgaging the building, the couple considered selling the Lakeview Arts Barn to a new owner, hopeful a buyer would allow let Globus Theatre to rent the space. However, after consulting with other theatre companies, industry experts, and supporters, they decided instead to launch the Raising the Barn capital campaign to raise enough funds to pay off the mortgages, own the building outright, and complete some repairs.
When the couple let donors know about the capital campaign, longtime Globus patrons and arts supporters John and Sally Eaton — who had already matched donations in the Save Our Stage campaign up to $100,000 through their John C. and Sally Horsfall Eaton Foundation — pledged an astounding $1 million towards the campaign. After announcing the Eaton’s generous pledge at a donor meeting, Quick and Barrett saw even more support roll in from the community.
“There were donations anywhere from $20 to $100,000, and from all from people that came to shows who really fully understand the heartbeat of this place and why it’s important to the community,” says Quick. “That’s when it became this whole team of people going ‘We are now Team Globus, we’re going to move forward together and leave this legacy for the next generation’ and that is so cool for us.”
Already evident from the previous Save Our Stage campaign, the immediate support for the Raising the Barn capital campaign once again showed just how much the community would rally around Globus Theatre and the Lakeview Arts Barn.
“The beauty of the Lakeview Arts Barn is that it’s in the middle of this rural community and it’s so welcoming,” Quick points out. “It’s not pretentious — it screams ‘Come on in!’. This is where people have gotten married, they’ve met their significant others, they’ve had dances. This is just a welcoming little community hub.”
Quick adds that having a debt-free permanent home will help future generations of performers through the Globus Theatre School of Dramatic Arts (SODA), which not only supplies young people with the skills and tools to develop their stage presence, but also allows them to envision a professional career in the performing arts.
“I love the idea that there are fantastic stages in rural areas all around Ontario where people can hone their craft and make a living from it,” says Quick. “This increases their confidence and makes them understand that a career in the arts is a viable thing in Canada. If they can see a professional theatre on their doorstep which they could transition into, I think that’s important.”
Globus Theatre’s general manager Rebecca Anne Bloom is a case in point, as a SODA faculty member and professional actress who has worked in many positions at Globus Theatre since she was a teenager.
“She is a professional artist in her own rural community, and I think that’s huge,” says Quick, noting that the impact of rural theatre extends beyond the personal growth into economic development as well.
“It makes for a better place to live. If you’re choosing where to move your family, you’re looking at what there is for entertainment, and what is there for your kids to do. It’s important for all of the larger companies that are expanding or that are moving here, because they need people to work for those companies and you attract workers by being in a vibrant community.”
As of last summer, Globus Theatre had raised $1.5 million of its original $2 million goal, before hiring Peterborough’s The Dennis Group to assist with relaunching the campaign with an updated goal of $2.525 million. The Dennis Group was instrumental in developing a volunteer campaign cabinet comprised of a range of community members, some who visit theatres all over the world and know how vibrant Globus Theatre is, and others who grew up in its orbit.
“Carle Poole grew up in Bobcaygeon, has always been a performer, and was in our panto ten years ago,” says Quick, providing an example. “Her young daughter was just in the panto this year for the first time, so she’s wanting it to be around for the next generation.”
The expanded $2.525 million fundraising goal will provide not only the funds needed to pay off the mortgages on the Lakeview Arts Barn, but to ensure the building’s longevity by funding roof repairs, the installation of a generator and energy-efficient LED lighting, and the hiring of someone to focus on the hospitality side of the business.
“We’re super proud of what we’ve done so far but we would be foolish to think there’s no improvements to be made,” says Quick. “This would bump it up a little bit so the Lakeview Arts Barn is really something that the community can be proud of. We have people that travel from across the province to see shows that we’re doing, so we want to make sure that the venue reflects that.”
Quick and Barrett are also considering that time when they are no longer at the helm of the theatre company and must pass on the reins to someone else.
“When you build up something like this that has its core values, I think the community likes that and don’t want massive changes to take place when we’re not here,” Quick says, noting that paying actors and staff an industry standard is a top priority for Globus Theatre. “I would love to be able to mentor an associate artistic director and talk them through the vision of the company, why it exists, and why certain things are very important to keep doing.”
With these goals in mind and aiming to meet the $2.525 million fundraising goal by the end of 2024 or early 2025, Quick and Barrett are hopeful when it comes to the growth of Globus Theatre in the future.
“What we have created here and the impact that it has on the community shouldn’t go away,” Quick says. “It deserves to be here and I’m very proud of where we’ve gotten it to. I think it is a duty to see it through to the next chapter.”
To learn more about the Raising the Barn capital campaign, visit globustheatre.com/raising-the-barn-capital-campaign.
To donate to Globus Theatre, visit globustheatre.com/donate-1.
For more information about Globus Theatre’s 2024 season of 13 productions — including 10 mainstage shows and three special events — and to purchase tickets, visit globustheatre.com/globus-current-season.
