The Shaw Festival is forced to cancel all public events and performances scheduled in August due to the extension of the Province of Ontario’s
Emergency Orders and the continuation of the State of Emergency in the Province and Niagara. In discussion with and under the guidance of The Shaw’s insurer, it has become clear that scheduled performances cannot proceed as originally planned.
“While we are disappointed with these further cancellations, we are focusing our energy on planning for the future so that we can safely welcome audiences back to our theatres, hopefully in September – even if in a more limited way,” said Tim Jennings, Executive Director/CEO. “In the meantime, we continue to stay in touch with our patrons through a number of digital and other initiatives and thank you all for your support.”
The Shaw’s Education and Community Outreach Specialists (ECOS), an artist employment program supported by the Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) and the generosity of Festival donors and the Shaw Guild, continue to create engaging digital content for the Festival’s members, patrons and education partners. The Festival recently launched Shaw from Home, a collection of content produced by the artists in the ECOS program. The landing page also features a Friends of The Shaw portal with exclusive content for our Members.
At this time, the Shaw Festival administrative and box offices continue to be closed by provincial order until mid-July at the earliest. Ticket holders to cancelled performances will have the full value of their tickets held on their account.
A team of box office representatives is working remotely to contact ticket holders to discuss options such as leaving money on account for future exchanges, converting the ticket value to a charitable donation or issuing a refund.
In the meantime, patrons can visit shawfest.com for more information and direct any ticket related questions to feedback@shawfest.com.
The Festival will continue to follow the guidance and directives of the local, provincial and federal governments and Canadian public health agencies to determine when the Festival can safely return to stage.
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About the Shaw Festival
Inspired by the spirit of Bernard Shaw, the Shaw Festival creates unforgettable theatrical encounters. The Shaw Festival is a place where people who are curious about the world gather to share the unique experience of live theatre and to create a deeper human connection with the artists, the beauty and abundance of Niagara and with each other.
