Return to Theatre Supported by Ontario Trillium Foundation Resilient Communities Fund

A photo of the team responsible for submitting the Ontario Trillium Foundation grant application with one of the air scrubbers purchased with the grant money.
Ontario Trillium Foundation logo
The Northumberland Players have received an Ontario Trillium Foundation Resilient Communities Fund grant.

The Northumberland Players has received a Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. The Resilient Communities Fund was developed to help non-profit organizations recover and rebuild from the impacts of COVID-19 and to continue to serve their community.

As we all know the activities of the theatre were suspended over a year ago for the first time in the Players’ 43 year history. This meant the cancellation of shows and activities for our patrons, volunteers and youth.

The funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation grant has made an immediate impact in two areas of the future of our community theatre.

The Players were able to purchase sanitizing equipment and medical grade air cleaners for the Firehall Theatre and Costume House to improve the safety and air quality for patrons and volunteers and summer camp youth. “When we thought of what we needed to continue providing the community theatre experiences we thought of the safety of our volunteers and patrons first,” says Sharon Anderson, Board member and the Trillium Grant lead.

The second part of the resilience plan was to start doing theatre again. Pivoting to an outdoor theatre experience required the funds for portable lighting equipment and barriers to essentially create an outdoor theatre space anywhere. The Trillium Grant made it possible for The Pop Up Theatre Project. The Northumberland Players are excited to announce a series of performances in outdoor venues this summer. The two staged readings – The Graduate by Terry Johnson and Love Letters by A.R. Gurney – and two one act plays – Laundry and Bourbon and Lone Star both written by James McLure – will “pop up” at the Cobourg Yacht Club lawn and the Lions’ Pavilion in Victoria Park from July 30, 2021 to September 27, 2021. Stay tuned for ticket information!

The team responsible for the successful application to the Ontario Trillium Foundation Resilient Communities Fund with one of the air scrubbers purchased with the grant money.
From left to right – (top) Victor Svenningson, Jack Boyagian, Leslee Argue; (bottom) Jan Crane, Sharon Anderson.