Welcome to our February/March issue. We hope you are enjoying our very seasonal winter here in Simcoe North. It really is winter, with lots of snow and lots of cold. Bundle up and embrace it!

For those of us that find it harder to face the cold weather, there are lots of local events and happenings that are ready to entertain us, out of the cold.

One of the entities that we are lucky enough to have bringing us incredible arts programming in our area, is Arts Orillia.

Arts Orillia has a bit of a long and storied backstory. It started life as Huronia Centre for the Arts, about ten years ago. The idea was to make this area a real centre for the arts, like Tanglewood in the States, and to obtain the former Huronia Regional Centre property as the physical home for this programming.

There was an excellent board made up of lots of arts patrons who got things done, and some initial fundraising, grants, and events which were wonderful. But that idea had to change and metamorphose as it became apparent that the Ontario government weren’t interested in giving up the property for this goal. The organization’s name changed, as well, to Orillia Centre for the Arts, out of respect for our first nations neighbours.

Four years ago, around the time of the pandemic, the organization went through another name change, Arts Orillia, acquired a new creative director, Kate Hilliard, and did some soul searching. This soul searching led to a new strategic plan, finalized in 2023, and a new mandate:

“Arts Orillia enriches the cultural landscape of Orillia by programming diverse arts experiences that would otherwise not be seen in our region. Our focus is Youth! We are proud to support guest and local talent while fostering community inclusion.” (from the website)

What I want to tell you about are the Arts Orillia opportunities for our community to see incredible talent from outside the region. Events and talent that are diverse, equitable, diverse, inclusive, and frankly, outstanding.

I have attended several Arts Orillia events over the past year and a half. All of them have been of unbelievably high calibre, and like nothing else we can see in this area. If you are eager to see something different and full of talent, I urge you to check out one of Arts Orillia’s upcoming offerings, and consider supporting the organization as it moves forward.

Arts Orillia’s next event is Black in Canada, with Shameka Blake and Artists in Motion. Also featuring Ty the Poetess, Barrie’s poet laureate. This will be an intimate evening of dance, song, and poetry in the Studio Theatre at the Orillia Opera House.

“Black in Canada” brings attention to the overlooked histories of blackness and black people in Canada. In dance, song, and spoken word, the show explores key issues and debates that expose the truth about oppression, resistance, and resilience. “Black in Canada” focuses on the cultural experiences of black Canadians beginning from slavery to the present day.

Read the bios of these guest artists, and you will start to understand the calibre of talent they will be bringing to our Opera House. Orillia does not see a lot of dance, aside from youth dance competitions in May. This is an opportunity to see world-class modern dance up close and personal. It will be incredible. You can get tickets for Black in Canada here.

Speaking of up close and personal, to celebrate its tenth anniversary, Arts Orillia is hosting Showcase 2025, a gala dinner and entertainment at the Orillia Opera House. The twist? Attendees will be having dinner ON the Opera House stage! With local dancers and a pianist entertaining right in the middle! This will be an amazing fundraising event for all of Arts Orillia’s youth programming in our community, and really a highlight of arts in Orillia this year. You don’t want to miss it!

Tickets available https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/ArtsOrillia/events/showcase-2025-arts-orillia-fundraiser/.

Arts Orillia also hosts Gathering: Festival of First Nation Stories in June, and FutureFest in September. Stay tuned for more information!

Stay warm, stay entertained, support local. See you in the spring!