NEWS RELEASE
HERE FOR NOW THEATRE
************************
Construction of Here For Now Theatre’s (HFN) new micro black-box theatre in the old Perth County registry office will kick off with a symbolic wall-breaking ceremony September 17th. The event will take place at the registry-office site at 24 St. Andrews Street in Stratford, Ontario, starting at 10 a.m.
Confirmed speakers:
- Matthew Rae, MPP, Perth-Wellington
- Martin Ritsma, Mayor of Stratford
- Rhonda Ehgoetz, Perth-County Warden and Mayor of Perth East
A congratulatory message from the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, will be read at the event.
The black-box-theatre project will create a permanent indoor home for HFN, transforming the main floor of the building into an accessible 65-seat performance space, along with appropriate lobby and washroom areas. The basement will also be renovated to include rehearsal, storage and greenroom/dressing room space.
The $1.3-million project is supported by the following government investments:
- $466,415 from the Department of Canadian Heritage’s Canada Cultural Spaces Fund (CCSF)
- $100,000 from the Government of Canada’s Tourism Growth Program (TGP), delivered by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario)
- $191,657 from the Ministry of Rural Affairs’ Rural Economic Development Program
Key individual sponsors include Laura Dinner and Richard Rooney, who have given $75,000 to the project, as well as Sylvia Chrominska, who has given another $75,000. A capital campaign will be announced shortly to raise the remaining $300,000 required for the project.
The new theatre will become the year-round home for HFN, allowing it to expand beyond its current summer-only season. It will also be made available to other small- and mid-sized local arts organizations, filling a vital need in the community for accessible, affordable performance space.
The historic registry office – originally built in 1910 and designed to match neighbouring buildings – was declared surplus to needs by Perth County and slated for demolition in December 2021. The project will thus also rescue an important building from destruction, and divert many tons of building waste from local landfill sites.
HFN has engaged Stratford’s Andy Bicanic as project manager, and Jeff Atchison of Kitchener’s SRM Architects + Urban Planners as architect. Construction is expected to be completed by next spring, in time for HFN to launch its sixth season. The theatre company has secured a 15-year lease for the property.
“The project to save the Registry Office and build both an indoor home for HFN and a badly needed community performance space has unleashed a wave of support from all levels of government and most sectors of our city,” says HFN’s Artistic Director, Fiona Mongillo. “We are beyond grateful for this belief in the power of art to transform lives, economies, and entire communities.”
Says Stratford’s Mayor, Martin Ritsma, “I congratulate Here For Now Theatre on their new venue in downtown Stratford. This exciting addition not only enriches our city’s cultural scene, but also strengthens Stratford’s reputation as a hub for the arts. By providing new opportunities for performances and engaging with audiences in fresh ways, Here For Now helps foster a vibrant community spirit and attract visitors to our beautiful city.”
Says Perth County Warden Rhonda Ehgoetz, “I am excited to see this project get underway. It will be wonderful to see Here For Now Theatre breathe new life into the building through this renovation. It is an exciting new chapter in the history of this facility.”
HFN will announce more details about the project and the capital campaign in the coming weeks.
Event Agenda
- 10am: Welcome remarks, Artistic Director Fiona Mongillo
- 10:05: Federal and Provincial greetings: MPP Matthew Rae, bringing remarks from MP John Nater
- 10:10: City and County greetings: Mayor Martin Ritsma and Warden Rhonda Ehgoetz
- 10:15: Symbolic wall breaking
- 10:20: Closing remarks, Artistic Director Fiona Mongillo
- 10:30: Refreshments
- 10:45: END
************************
