Theatre
Westben reveals new outdoor venues By Quinte Arts Council/ Donna Bennett
Performing arts centre
Westben, known for its 400-seat venue The Barn on a 50-acre property in Campbellford, Ont., has been presenting music since its first full symphony concert in 2000: classical, broadway, jazz, folk fiddle, pop, electronic and comedy. Westben hosts over 90 events and experiences each year: that’s until the pandemic hit, and the number of in-person visitors went from 10,000 to zero.
“Nature and music have always been integral to Westben but the pandemic has offered us a platform to take this to the next level”
Unable to continue with live events during lockdown, in 2020 co-founders Donna Bennett and Brian Finley pivoted Westben’s roster to create digital experiences, with online programming and the new Westben digital venue (an interactive map of the Westben grounds which hosts all the Digital Concerts at The Barn). They created 72 new videos including podcasts, Musical Moments, and kids programs. These concerts were recorded without audiences and incorporated a sense of place with performances on the meadow, near the pond, as well as in The Barn.
Looking ahead to summer 2021, Bennett and Finley realized that having an audience limit of 50 could not financially support hosting an international calibre of artists, as well as operating costs. “We concluded we didn’t want to change our branding or mission, but we needed to look at the number of events and experiences we were offering, the location of events, and how we were delivering the experience of nature and music,” says Bennett. They took pause and began to create a new plan that would still bring people together through music safely and comfortably. Then their dreaming went into overdrive.
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