On January 1, 2022, Tweed & Company Theatre assumed operations of two theatrical
venues in Hastings County. The professional theatre company took ownership of the
Marble Arts Centre (MAC) in Tweed, and signed a multi-year lease for the Bancroft
Village Playhouse; both agreements were finalized in December.

Tweed & Co. was gifted ownership of the MAC – located in Actinolite, north of Tweed –
from the Tweed & Area Arts Council. The theatre company had been renting the venue
for its professional productions since 2010 and established a strong relationship with the
Arts Council during that time. Operating the venue throughout the Covid-19 pandemic
posed significant challenges, leading the Arts Council’s Board of Directors to consider a
change in ownership. Though they are stepping down from venue operations, the Arts
Council will continue to be actively involved in the future of the MAC.
Vicki McCulloch, Chair of the T&AAC stated that the “MAC will still be ‘our home’ in
many ways, and the Arts Council will continue to present programming there. Tweed &
Co. have capacity, expertise, and a proven track record, continuing to grow as an arts
and culture presence in the region. We look forward to continuing to work together with
them now and into the future.”
In Bancroft, Tweed & Co. was selected from a pool of applicants who submitted
proposals to operate the Bancroft Village Playhouse. The Playhouse is owned by St.
Paul’s United Church of Bancroft and was previously managed by Hospice North
Hastings. Hospice, similar to the T&AAC, faced new operational challenges brought on
by the pandemic and ultimately decided to step down from their role. Tweed & Co.
toured its nearly-sold-out production of Hastings the Musical to the Playhouse in 2018
and was eager to explore the possibilities for this venue.
“Tweed & Co.’s long-term goals have included the operation of multiple venues in
Eastern Ontario for years,” said General Manager, Emily Mewett. “We’ve seen
exponential growth in these last few years, including the addition of two invaluable
members to our administrative team and the ability to provide work to artists throughout
the pandemic. To add assuming operations of two venues to this list is an absolute
dream; one that would not have come true if it weren’t for the tremendous support we
have received along the way.”
Tweed & Company Theatre is a charitable, not-for-profit organization operated by Tim
Porter (Artistic Director), Emily Mewett (General Manager), Rebecca Ballarin (Artistic
info@tweedandcompany.com www.tweedandcompany.com
Producer), Tricia Black (Creative Director), and Sarah Nairne (Development & Outreach
Coordinator), and is overseen by a board of ten Directors local to Tweed and Bancroft.
“Our Board is extremely grateful to the T&AAC for the generous gifting of the Marble Arts
Center and to St. Paul’s United Church for entrusting us with the operation of their
Bancroft Village Playhouse,” said Don DeGenova, Tweed & Company Theatre
President. “We look forward to staging theatrical productions including our original
Canadian musicals in both of these beautiful theatres, each with amazing acoustics. We
will continue to partner with the Arts Council and the Bancroft community to ensure that
local talent and programming is a central pillar in our operation of both theatres.”
DeGenova went on to note, “It has long been a dream of our Artistic Director Tim Porter,
founder of Tweed & Company Theatre, to make Hastings County a theatre destination
rivalling Drayton theatres in Southwestern Ontario. We are well on our way to making
that a reality!”
Tweed & Co. will be presenting a full season of professional musical theatre in both
venues, as well as operating youth training programs that will include March break and
summer camp programs, and the opportunity for youth in Tweed and Bancroft to work
with professional performers, directors and choreographers. The Company is continuing
efforts to make both buildings fully accessible to patrons, staff and performers. Both
venues will be available for rentals, one-night-only presentations, special events and
more. Tweed & Co. is also encouraging local artists, creators, and performers to join its
mailing list and to follow the company on social media to learn more about upcoming
open houses and opportunities to connect with the artistic team on proposals (artistic
performance and otherwise) for the venues.
“We are incredibly excited for the future of both of these venues, communities, and our
entire region,” says Artistic Director Tim Porter. “We have long envisioned the
possibilities that await here in Hastings County, and we can’t wait to present full seasons
in these stunning venues, and continue on our path to make this region the next
Stratford or Shaw. The future is bright here in Hastings…stay tuned.”
Tweed & Company Theatre will announce its 2022 season on February 1 and will offer
season subscription packages and assigned seating for the first time. For more
information on tickets, youth training programs, venue rentals or how you can get
involved, please visit www.tweedandcompany.com or call the box office at 613-478-
6060.