News: (TO) Tarragon receives $100K from Trillium Foundation (Press release)

Tarragon receives over $100,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation

to improve the theatre-going experience in the building!

Tarragon Theatre's commitment to their audience is reaching new heights thanks to The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) and the launch of five all new patron initiatives designed to add to the experience of the productions on stage.

Thanks to a $103,000 grant from the OTF, Tarragon will be rolling out new technology over the next year to increase our capacity to meet the needs of our patrons. Importantly, Tarragon will now be able to offerAssisted Listening Devices to patrons for both the Mainspace and Extraspace theatres. The lobby will be animated by Large Digital Screens to share information about the shows and recognise donors and supporters, as well as play a high-definition feed from Closed Circuit Cameras in each theatre, with sound playing through a new Lobby Wide Sound System. This system will allow Tarragon to start responding to the long-standing complaint around a "no re-entry" policy once performances have started. As part of a serious commitment to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), Barrier Free Doors will be introduced to all public spaces. Patrons will be most excited however by the arrival ofNew Chairs for both theatres.

Tarragon is a handmade theatre, full of big stories, ideas and feelings. Over 43 years, we've nurtured a curious and passionate audience by keeping the Tarragon experience warm and welcoming. Our new audience initiatives bring us even closer together by inviting you to go deeper into the art and making your time in the theatre that much more worthwhile. Mirroring the community effort of theatre creation we have dubbed our enrichment program Tarragon Village. Tarragon Village includes Preview Feedback Sessions,Talk Back Weeks, Podcast Series, Lecture-Conversations, and improved hospitality and concessions.

Preview Feedback Sessions let our audiences share their opinions and insights with us, helping to shape the play before it opens. Led by a member of our artistic team in the lobby after each Preview performance, these candid conversations about what they have just seen inform our artists as they prepare to reveal their new Canadian work to the wider public. Think of it as a focus group for theatre.

The third week of every production is Talk Back Week and after every performance (excluding Saturday matinees) an artist will lead audiences through a Q&A with company members. The talk back sessions are hosted by Tarragon affiliated artists (in order of appearance) Tony Nappo, Miriam Fernandes, Tawiah M'Carthy, Kawa Ada, Maria Milisavljevic, Kate Stevenson, Jonathan Seinen, Jordi Mand, and Erin Brubacher.

For the first time ever, Tarragon presents a Podcast Series featuring some of our most beloved artists based on the themes in our season, LOVE, LOSS, WINE and THE GODS. Join us in the studio, the kitchen, the backyard and on the road, as we converse, reflect, drink and be merry. Listen to the podcasts on the Tarragon website. Our first Podcast on LOVE by real life sweethearts Christian Barry and Hannah Moscovitch was released last week.

For many years Tarragon has been inviting special guests to speak on subjects in relation to our productions. This year, we have expanded from five to eight of these Lecture-Conversations. Sunday January 12th, 1pm before the matinee performance of The Ugly One, performance artist Nina Arsenaultwill speak on the Surgical Body as a Metaphor. Saturday January 18th, 1pm before Flesh and Other Fragments of Love, psychoanalyst Dr. David Dorenbaum will speak on Love and Time. The rest of the lecturers will be announced later in the season.

Tarragon has set itself the goal of offering the best customer service in town. We have increased patron communications and staff training. As a small token our appreciation for their ongoing support, we have initiated the Surprise & Delight campaign in which a subscriber might find their parking paid for, or a glass of wine on the house waiting with their tickets. Concession offerings have been changed to reflect the discerning tastes of our patrons and the wide selection of food in our neighbourhood. In addition to our internal hospitality improvements, patrons of Tarragon are now able to purchase their parking in advance. There will still be an attendant to assist with day-of purchases, but patrons may purchase in advance by using the following link: http://www.unitpark.ca/tarragon.

The OTF grant is just the beginning of Tarragon's new commitment to their audiences; we are going further than we ever have before to meet the needs of our loyal and growing audiences. The physical improvements to our lobby and theatre spaces, in addition to our proven history of production excellence, help position Tarragon as one of the premiere arts and culture institutions in Canada. All of these changes begin our long-term project to improve the facility in increasingly significant ways over the next few years.

For any information on programming, tickets, or anything else, please do not hesitate to contact Patron Services at 416.531.1827, or patronservices@tarragontheatre.com.