Bobcaygeon’s Globus Theatre is hoping to kick off 2025 by securing its permanent home in the Lakeview Arts Barn.

Having raised $1.73 million in its “Raising the Barn” capital campaign, the not-for-profit professional theatre company is just $160,000 away from being able to purchase the building Globus Theatre has been operating out of since 2006.

“That means we’ll be able to go into this next year taking over the venue and not having a mortgage,” says Globus Theatre co-founder and artistic director Sarah Quick. “Any of the financial resources that we have — whether that is government funding, sponsorships, or revenue from ticket sales — can go into what we do best, which is creating the new shows that we write, direct, and perform, and bringing great artists to our rural community.”

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 they purchased and 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 rent-free 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. But, as a commercial operation dependent on revenue from social gatherings, the Lakeview Arts Barn did not fare so well.

Faced with rising debt from remortgaging the building, the couple considered selling the Lakeview Arts Barn to a new owner, hopeful a buyer would let Globus Theatre to rent the space. However, after consulting with other theatre companies, industry experts, and supporters, they decided instead to launch a $2-million “Raising the Barn” capital campaign to raise enough funds for Globus to purchase the building outright.

Kicked off by a very generous $1 million donation from the John C. and Sally Horsfall Eaton Foundation, the local community also rallied behind Globus Theatre. After reaching 75 per cent of the original campaign goal, Globus Theatre increased it to $2.525 million so they could also fund some much-needed upgrades to ensure the sustainability of the organization, including fixing the venue’s leaking roof and getting upgraded lighting equipment.

Thanks to a $200,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the venue is already undergoing some transformations, including the installation of a generator.

“That would mean that if the power goes out, which tends to happen if you’re in a barn in the middle of a rural area, those shows don’t have to be cancelled,” Quick says. “When a power cut happens, the show can go on.”

Along with completing technical upgrades, reaching the campaign goal means Globus Theatre, renowned for its dinner theatre experiences, could hire staff to focus on the food and hospitality side of the theatre’s operations.

“Patron engagement and making sure the experience is great for everybody is something we’ve always prided ourselves on, and now that it’s growing and growing, we want to have somebody else doing that and in charge of hospitality, so that James and myself can concentrate on the artistic and creative side of things,” Quick explains. “A lot of what we do is the experience of having dinner or even just a nice cocktail before coming to see the show, and we want that to be the best that it can be.”

Reaching the campaign goal would also allow Globus Theatre to offer even more programs and small-scale productions tailored for children.

“There’s not a ton of things for kids in this rural area and we have the ability, the resources, and the talent to bring more programs for kids together,” says Quick. “If we had the financial resources, we could grow those programs and reach out to even more people.”

For patron and sponsor Beth Gilroy, having Globus Theatre in her own community has played a very important role for her family. Her two young adult sons have taken classes through Globus Theatre’s School of Dramatic Arts and have been involved in various Globus productions. In fact, both her sons and her husband were on stage for this year’s Aladdin holiday panto.

“They’re both very academic kids who like math and science, so we wanted to give them the opportunity to do something else that was different by getting involved in the arts,” says Gilroy. “They just loved it so much and now they want to continue on with it.”

She admits that her younger son did not initially see the value in exploring his creative side, and even questioned the need for art and music classes in school. Now, however, he has done the panto for a few years, engaged in the summer camps, and even volunteered to help with the younger kids last summer.

“It’s so interesting to me that he’s gone from a kid asking ‘Why do we even have an arts class?’ to ‘This is a valid use of my time, and I want to volunteer and help the younger ones’,” says Gilroy.

She adds that it’s also difficult, in her experience, to find accessible and affordable activities for children in the area.

“The fact that our small little town has access to these things at Globus is amazing,” Gilroy says. “There’s no charge for us to participate in the panto. The idea that a kid can go to participate in a full play production and be entertained and it not cost anything — that’s a really big thing.”

While Globus Theatre is a professional theatre company that has hired more than 300 professional performers from across Canada since its inception, it’s also a place where young people can explore their interests and gain confidence in the performing arts.

“There are a lot of times when a kid who hasn’t found his niche at school but has a vivid imagination or an interest in expressing themselves walks through our doors and finds ten other people in exactly the same situation,” Quick says.

“That’s when you create something really quite spectacular. I love it when a child — and it works the same for seniors — has found their passion. It just makes them happy and, in my opinion, healthy because they have found a place where they feel accepted and can be themselves.”

Those who do find their passion and a true calling for the stage through youth programming at Globus Theatre can also be assured there is a place where they can sharpen their performing skills and build a future for themselves on the stage, without having to leave home or venture to larger urban areas.

“The arts in Canada is so important when you are looking at the well-being of its citizens, and that is only going to be a healthier future if there are people going into the arts,” says Quick. “It’s my responsibility as the artistic director of a professional theatre to show these kids that if that’s what they want to do, it’s a possibility.”

Quick adds that crafting a vibrant arts community in Bobcaygeon is beneficial for the economic prosperity of the entire Kawarthas region by attracting tourists.

“A huge number of people in Ontario are theatre lovers and will travel to see theatre, and if they travel to beautiful locations like Bobcaygeon — which also has nice restaurants and places to shop — then they’re super happy to be able to do that. Those other businesses benefit greatly from those tourists.”

For her part, Gilroy — who is a real estate agent — recognizes that families, seniors, and others who are moving to the region are attracted by the local theatre and arts community.

“It makes a difference because we do see a number of people moving here from a bigger centre, and one of their worries is a loss of cultural options,” she says. “My clients have been excited and happy to hear there’s a theatre here.”

In fact, Gilroy often gives Globus Theatre tickets as a housewarming gift to her clients who have just moved to the area, some of whom end up purchasing season subscriptions because, as Quick notes, they realize high-quality professional theatre is available in their new rural community.

“Our actors are the same actors that you are going to see on stage in Toronto and around Ontario,” Quick points out. “We are making sure that the people that live here can also see professional performers.”

VIDEO: Globus Theatre In Bobcaygeon, Ontario

By securing its own home, Globus Theatre will be able to continue to provide high-quality professional theatre in the Kawarthas for many years to come.

“Instead of just thinking and living in the moment, and thinking about the next play that we’re doing, let’s think about the next decade,” Quick says. “Let’s think about how this company that has been around for 20 years can secure its future, because our community without Globus would be very, very different.”

To find out more about Globus Theatre’s Raising the Barn campaign and how to make a donation, visit www.globustheatre.com/raising-the-barn.

This branded editorial was created in partnership with Globus Theatre. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.