W.A. Fisher Auditorum

Project Description:

The City of Barrie has a growing cultural community, especially in the performing arts. From award-winning contemporary theatre to symphonies, classical ensembles to bands, youth groups to cultural associations; their performing arts scene has depth and diversity.

In June of 2016, the City of Barrie engaged Cobalt Connects in a study to better understand the nature of their performing arts community and the facilities it managed to support them. In particular, the community was considering saving the local high school, Central Collegaite and the W.A. fisher Auditorium, as part of a major development in the west-end of Downtown as a home for this sector.

Over the course of 2 years Cobalt Connects, in partnership with LETT Architects, dove into the process.  LETT focused on the possibilities and obstacles with the existing auditorium, while Cobalt Connects sought to fully understand the nature of the organizations working in the community.  Over the course of two years the project completed the following elements:

· In-depth studies of each performing arts group and their rehearsal and presentation needs

· An audit of the two facilities that were City-run (Georgian and the Mady)

· Assessment of the current local and regional audience engaging in performing arts

· Comparable theatres within the province with respect to amenities, rates, usage, partnerships and municipal involvement

· Programming of all potential users to identify market gaps, and interviews with major touring productions to understand their opportunities in Barrie

· A public survey on cultural spending, performing arts programming desires, and potential involvement in a major fundraising campaign

· Partnership opportunities with post-secondary institutions, cultural agencies, and First Nations communities

· Multiple charrettes and space use design sessions with key organizations to ensure the facility could meet their scheduling and seasonal needs

· Full schematic and technical designs of a facility incorporating the existing W.A. Fisher Auditorium

· Multi-year renovation and operational budgets for the proposed facility.

After an exhaustive process Cobalt Connects, along with City staff, led multiple presentations to Council which resulted in an approval of the project earmarked for a $25M+ budget. 

Client: The City of Barrie

Collaborators: LETT Architects, City staff, 20+ local arts/cultural organizations,

Website: https://www.barrie.ca/Culture/Pages/theatres.aspx

City: Barrie, ON

Date: 2017 - 2019