Tweed & Company Theatre Wins Provincial TOP 100 FEO Award for the Second Year in a Row!

On February 28th, Festivals & Events Ontario hosted their annual Awards Gala, an exciting conclusion to their annual conference of Festivals and Events Organizers from across the province. There, Tweed & Company Theatre was named one of the Top 100 Festivals and Events in Ontario for the second year in a row! Artistic Director Tim Porter and General Manager Emily Mewett were at the Niagara Falls conference yet again to receive this distinction on behalf of the company. Now in their 16th season, this is the third time Tweed & Company has made it on the Top 100 List.

The Top 100 recipients list is made up of events and festivals across the province that excel within the industry. “Being on the Top 100 List again is a huge honour for us,” says Tim Porter. “We’re working hard to build exceptional live theatre in Eastern Ontario that we and our audiences can be proud of, and it is an honour to be recognized for that work alongside so many other influential companies.” Tweed & Company was one of the few honourees representing Hastings County and one of only three in the tourism region, RTO 11 (covering from the Haliburton Highlands to Ottawa Valley). Other arts and theatre companies that were recognized on this list included SING! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival, Lighthouse Blues Festival, The Toronto Caribbean Carnival, Belleville Waterfront & Multicultural Festival, and the TD Ottawa Jazz Festival. The only other theatre company to be named on the list was the Blyth Festival.

Hot off their incredibly popular run of HASTINGS: The Musical, the company was first named as a Top 100 event in 2018. They were honoured again in 2023, and were also nominated in the innovation award category for their ASL interpreted performances. Their upcoming season is their biggest yet. “In 2024, we’re bringing in some large-scale musicals that are incredibly popular,” Tim explains. “We’re also offering a full year of youth performance programs and camps. And we’re undergoing a major renovation at our Tweed venue, where our Capital Campaign is raising money for a new Atrium Addition which is going to establish the Marble Arts Centre as the county’s cultural hub.”

Their company is growing in all directions, including an increase in their administrative staff team which is now at nine, along with a nine person Board of Directors. They involve over 100 volunteers, hire over 100 contract artists and other seasonal employees, and host over 20,000 patrons throughout the season. 2023 was their first year operating three venues at once – the Marble Arts Centre and the Tweed Outdoor Stage in Tweed, and the Village Playhouse in Bancroft.

“We are so excited to be bringing this distinction back to Hastings County”, says Porter, “The theatre is an incredible contributor to tourism and economic development in the region, and we plan to keep growing, and bringing in bigger and better shows, and more and more people to our region and to our downtown cores. Not to mention the joy and improved quality of life these shows bring to our residents. It’s an exciting time!”
Tweed & Company’s 2024 season has already kicked off with a lineup of winter and spring concerts and events that have included Elliott BROOD, Tommy Youngsteen, Becoming the Beatles: Unplugged, and more. The main summer shows will start with Dear Rita, the Ontario premiere of the story of Cape Breton’s Rita MacNeil, followed by the national favourite Anne of Green Gables – The Musical at the Bancroft Village Playhouse. Then the Broadway hit, Million Dollar Quartet will be taking centre stage. The fall will also include a ton of concerts on all stages, along with the Halloween extravaganza, A Night At The Grand Ghoul Opry, and the season will finish off with a spin on the classic tale, A Christmas Carol. Tickets for the main shows are already on sale and going fast, so grab yours today by calling the box office at 613-478-6060 or online to www.tweedandcompany.com