CAMPAIGN PROGRESS
At the time of this morning’s radio announcement, the campaign had already reached $275,000 in early commitments. Thanks to an additional $25,000 in gifts received this morning, the total has now grown to $300,000 — 60% of
our $500,000 goal!
WHY THE BAUER MATTERS
Without significant fire-safety upgrades mandated by the Office of the Fire Marshal, the Bauer Theatre will be forced to close its doors to the public. The Bridge the Bauer / Build the Future Campaign will allow essential fire-code work to proceed so the Bauer can remain safely open while the community plans a new Performing & Visual Arts Centre for Antigonish.
For over 50 years, the Bauer has been Antigonish’s creative heart and a shared stage for students, local artists, and visiting professionals. Thousands of people each year attend performances, youth programs, school matinees, relaxed performances, and Pay-What-You-Can shows in this space. Those experiences — and the sense of belonging they create — are at risk if the Bauer goes dark.
“The Board has been actively working with leadership on this plan for many months,” says Minoli Amit, Chair of the Festival Antigonish Summer Theatre Board. “We fully support the need to invest in the short term to protect our future and the future of the arts for everyone in Antigonish. Each year, more than 8,000 patrons — including over 1,000 students and youth —
come through the Bauer; nearly 700 people access Pay-What-You-Can tickets and about 400 attend Relaxed Performances. Those are the lives and experiences we are safeguarding with this campaign.”
“This plan shows real leadership and vision,” adds Ramsay Duff, Chair of the Festival Antigonish Foundation. “The Foundation Board was proud to unanimously support the campaign with its lead commitment. We are committed — beyond just funds — and we know that realizing this dream will take the entire community working together.”
“This is our moment to protect what was built for us and prepare for what comes next,” says Caleb Marshall, Managing Director of Festival Antigonish. “Together, Festival and Theatre Antigonish support theatre from youth to community to professional — there is a place for everyone at the Bauer. One day, we hope that can expand to a place for every artistic discipline under one roof. For now, Bridge the Bauer is about cherishing and protecting what we have, not only giving the arts stability but powering them for the next generation.”
ONE CAMPAIGN. TWO PRIORITIES
The Bridge the Bauer / Build the Future Campaign has a single $500,000 goal and two connected priorities (detailed in the attached Campaign Materials).
• Bauer Retrofit & Fire Compliance – completing the critical fire-safety work required by the Fire Marshal to keep the Bauer open and safe in the short to medium term.
• Programming Bridge Fund – helping ensure that youth programs, community access, and core artistic activity can continue during and after construction, including when alternate venues are needed.
Planning for a new, multi-disciplinary arts centre is already underway in partnership with Antigonish Culture Alive (ACA) and other community partners. “The Bauer Theatre is essential cultural infrastructure for our town,” says Fenn Martin, Chair of Antigonish Culture Alive (ACA). “Maintaining the Bauer Theatre has a clear community benefit and protects cultural participation for residents, students, families, and visitors.” Because this campaign is the
first phase toward that future, every gift to Bridge the Bauer moves us closer — and gifts to this campaign will also count toward donors’ cumulative giving when a full arts centre capital campaign is launched.
HOW TO GIVE
To learn more or make a gift to the Bridge the Bauer / Build the Future Campaign:
- Visit festivalantigonish.ca to DONATE
- Give online through Canada Helps
- Call Cassie MacDonald at the Bauer Box Office during daytime hours to make a gift by phone. 902-867-3333
- Mail or drop off a cheque, along with a completed Bridge the Bauer giving form, to the Festival Antigonish office at the Bauer Theatre.5015 Chapel Square, StFX Campus, Antigonish, NS B2G 2W5.
Donors may make a one-time gift or a 1- or 2-year pledge, with charitable tax receipts issued for each year of giving. Gifts of securities, legacy / planned gifts, and donations in celebration or in memory of a loved one are also welcome. Community members can further support the campaign by organizing third-party fundraising events — from concerts and bake sales to special gatherings — with guidance from the Festival Antigonish team.
All gifts to the Bridge the Bauer Fund are received and administered by Festival Antigonish to deliver the Bauer upgrades and programming bridge on behalf of Festival Antigonish Summer Theatre, Theatre Antigonish, and the wider community. To learn more about multi-year pledges, gifts of securities, legacy giving, or recognition opportunities, donors are invited to contact the Festival Antigonish office directly.
Every contribution, large or small, is another step on the bridge from the Bauer we cherish today to the arts centre we’ll build together tomorrow
To honour the Bauer’s legacy while we build its future, Festival Antigonish and Theatre Antigonish are also releasing Stage Lights & Stories, a new podcast series celebrating 50 years of Theatre Antigonish at the Bauer.
Hosted by Janet Becigneul, the series brings together every Artistic Director in Theatre Antigonish’s history, alongside artists, students, and community members who found their home on the Bauer stage. Their stories capture the laughter, risk-taking, and life-changing moments that make this small theatre so beloved — a lasting reminder of what we stand to lose if the lights go out.
Stage Lights & Stories is available on major podcast platforms and through Festival Antigonish and Theatre Antigonish channels, inviting listeners to revisit the past even as we work together to build what comes next.