$77,500 OTF Grant Gets Driftwood Theatre Back On The Road
Ontario, Canada – In 2021, Driftwood Theatre Company received a $77,500 Resilient Communities Fund from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to assist in Driftwood’s ability to adapt to the many challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. This fund has supported the research, creation and implementation of safety procedures and community-based programs as Driftwood continued to plan for a return to live performance and touring. The project was completed in April 2022 and thanks to the support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Driftwood is eagerly anticipating the return of The Bard’s Bus Tour for the first time since 2019.
“How far that little candle throws its beams! So shines Driftwood Theatre, a company that enlightens and entertains audiences across rural Ontario by touring its energetic renditions of Shakespeare,” said Todd Smith, MPP for Bay of Quinte. “I’m pleased to hear the $77,500 from the Resilient Communities Fund has been well directed to ensure the safe staging of the Bard’s Bus Tour and other forms of theatrical engagement in 2022 and beyond.”
In addition to the adaptive measures created by Driftwood to ensure audience safety at all events, the Resilient Communities Fund helped Driftwood assess and increase community impact through new community-based programming. Driftwood is now piloting new programs to help further engage individuals who might otherwise not have access to professional theatre.
“We are so thankful to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for their support as we’ve weathered the storm of the past few years,” said D. Jeremy Smith, Artistic Director of Driftwood Theatre. “The resilient Communities Fund support has helped to ensure that, as we return to live performance, our audiences, artists, staff and volunteers are safe and that Driftwood is able to move forward with fresh perspectives and new ideas for reaching out to underserved members of our communities.”
The Bard’s Bus Tour is Driftwood’s signature event, touring professional theatre across Ontario since 1995. The tour returns July 14, 2022 and runs until August 21, 2022 with stops in over 20 communities across Southern and Eastern Ontario. For more information about Driftwood Theatre, including the complete Bard’s Bus Tour schedule, please visit www.driftwoodtheatre.com.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) mission is to build healthy and vibrant communities across Ontario. As an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations, last year, OTF invested nearly $209M into 2,042 community projects and partnerships, which included funding for the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund. Since 2020, OTF has supported Ontario’s economic recovery by helping non-profit organizations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19. Visit otf.ca to learn more.
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For Media Inquiries:
Michael Sheppard, Communications and Development Manager
Driftwood Theatre Company
613-449-9558
