Tweed & Company Launches Fundraising Campaign For Accessible Lift At Bancroft Village Playhouse

Tweed & Company Theatre has launched a fundraising campaign to support the installation of an accessible lift at the Bancroft Village Playhouse.

The project has been a priority since the company assumed operations of the venue in 2022. Current physical barriers make access difficult for wheelchair users and patrons with limited mobility. The proposed addition will create full accessibility throughout the building and improve the experience for audiences, performers, and community groups who use the space.

The project includes the construction of a two-story lobby accessible from the exterior through a sloped ramp and from the venue’s main floor lobby. The lift will transport patrons from the ground floor directly to the auditorium level. An accessible washroom has already been roughed in, and Benchmark Dezign Co. is currently working on the design plans.

Construction is expected to begin in September 2026 with completion targeted for December 2026. The organization has set a fundraising goal of $350,000. To date, $125,000 has been secured through federal funding, and an additional $100,000 is anticipated through provincial, municipal, and foundation grants. Fundraising events planned over the next six months, including the Great Big Fundraising Party scheduled for May 2026, are expected to raise approximately $25,000, while $5,000 from previous gala events has already been allocated to the project. About $10,000 in donations has also been raised prior to the official launch of the campaign.

To secure the remaining funds, Tweed & Company is launching a private-sector capital campaign seeking $100,000 from local supporters. Donors contributing $100 or more will be recognized in the Bancroft Village Playhouse lobby. Donations between $100 and $4,999 will be acknowledged on a group plaque. Contributions of $1,000 will be commemorated through a stained glass piece created by a local glasswork artist as part of a larger installation in the new addition. Gifts of $5,000 or more will be recognized with individual plaques displayed in the venue’s foyer.

Artistic and Co-Executive Director Tim Porter said the project is essential to ensuring the theatre is accessible to all members of the community.

“Theatre, arts and culture, and one of our communities’ main gathering places should be easily accessible and navigable for our entire population,” Porter said. “This isn’t going above and beyond — this is really a baseline. This project is so important to us for so many reasons, but mainly we need to make sure that there are no barriers to entry for our community.”

Managing and Co-Executive Director Emily Mewett said the venue serves a wide range of community organizations and events.

“This isn’t just a space for us and our major productions and concerts,” Mewett said. “This is truly a space for the whole community, and it’s vital that our building is open to everyone.”

Community groups that regularly use the space include 100 Plus Women, the North Hastings Community Concert Band, North Hastings High School, Home Again, the United Way, the TIFF Film Circuit, and the Peace Museum, among others.

Founded in 2009, Tweed & Company has become the largest theatre company in Hastings County and the region’s only professional producing organization. The company presents productions at both the Bancroft Village Playhouse and the Marble Arts Centre in Tweed. Upcoming programming includes an extended run of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, scheduled August 19 through September 6.

The accessible lift will provide barrier-free access from the street to the lobby and auditorium and will also stop at stage level, allowing performers with limited mobility to perform in the venue for the first time.