New equipment purchased through provincial grant funding has allowed Theatre Sarnia to broaden its audience and volunteer scope.
Theatre Sarnia installed a state-of-the-art broadcast/ live stream system earlier this year after receiving $36,700 over 12 months from the Ontario Trillium Foundation's Resilient Communities Fund. The grant is meant to help organizations and initiatives impacted by COVID-19.
Imperial Theatre, which is owned and operated by Theatre Sarnia, had to cancel over 50 shows in 2020 due to the pandemic. It also issued $380,000 in refunds and deferred revenue during the first lockdown and an additional $125,000 in subsequent lockdowns, read a media release.
Executive Director Brian Austin Jr. called the grant funding "a blessing".
"We're now able to offer virtual programming if heaven-forbid we ever go into a lockdown again," he said.
"We live-streamed a local concert with Born Riot and Gypsy Flats -- that was just after Christmas I believe. It was the first thing we had produced with the equipment."
(Camera operator Alya Goodrow became acquainted with one of three new broadcast cameras. (Photo by Emily Nutson.)
Austin Jr. also said the new equipment will expand the local theatre's audience moving forward.
"Our audience is technically Canada-wide now. We're able to produce certain works that we're able to get the rights for," he said. "Through our rights holders, sometimes we'll be able to get broadcast rights which will allow us to produce shows like Mama Mia and people all over Canada can see Theatre Sarnia's version of whichever show that we are producing."
Austin Jr. said the system allows volunteers to gain new skills while also attracting new volunteers who are interested in broadcast or film and television production.
"We've had a lot of people go through for theatre and live performance programming so now we're able to engage another sector of the cultural community."
Theatre Sarnia said plans to produce more digital content are in the works but specific projects have not been named.
