OUR MISSION
As an artist-driven company, our mandate is to support the emerging artistic community by producing a wide range of ensemble-based, off-centre, inventive and rare programming. We also strive to:
- address the well-being of local youth by involving them in the core of all our activities;
- break barriers for wider public participation and access;
- build a distinct local professional artistic community by providing increased opportunities to local professional artists.
Through our artistic work, community involvement and business innovation our goal is to develop a unique, vibrant and internationally recognized cultural identity for the City of Barrie.
BRIEF HISTORY
TIFT was first formed in Toronto in 2002 by Arkady Spivak, its current Artistic Producer. From the beginning, our goal was to choose work that focused on building an artistic ensemble, rather than producing work strictly on the merits of the script.
While in Toronto, TIFT produced three full-scale productions, most notably an absurdist Russian Comedy Christmas at the Ivanovs, for which it received a Dora Nomination for Outstanding Production in Independent Theatre Category.
Later in 2002, TIFT relocated to the City of Barrie to achieve a better positioning for our artistic vision, while serving our new community's evolving cultural needs. Talk Is Free Theatre was subsequently incorporated as a Barrie-based, not-for-profit, charitable organization.
In September 2004, Park Place - North American Centre Corp. made available to us at no cost the former drive-thru Beer Store in Molson Park for our home venue. TIFT, using mostly donated labour and materials, has converted the building into a 120-seat theatre, now known as the Park Place Theatre. The facility is used for our own productions and is also available to smaller local arts organization.
TIFT’s programming has grown both in terms of the number of productions and their size. For example, our first season in Barrie featured three productions and one program for local youth. In our fourth season we presented seven productions and four full-time programs for youth.
PREVIOUS PRODUCTIONS
Click here for our production archive.
CURRENT ARTISTIC VISION
We concentrate primarily on theatrical works that have enjoyed a fractured production history. This includes styles and forms of theatre that are still in search of a wider audience. We continue to be especially concerned with the evolution of Canadian Musicals as a distinct theatrical form and the re-examination of classics from the International and Canadian repertoire. In the 2006-07season we will also begin to develop and produce works by local playwrights and/or about local themes.
LONG-TERM ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS
By 2010 we expect our operating budget to be approximately one million dollars.
Artistically, we hope to achieve international profile for our organization through the uniqueness of our vision and our ability to attract first rate professional talent.
Our goal is to have a multi-venue operation by 2010,
which will include a subscription resident season in
Barrie but with a summer repertory festival at Big Bay
Point resort.
For more information, please visit www.bigbaypointresort.ca
