Five philanthropic gifts bring universal design to the Performing Arts Centre

When the Windsor Foundation learned about the plan to incorporate innovative universal design elements into the new Performing Arts Centre in Fredericton which would allow vulnerable community members to enjoy the venue, they were compelled to act.

The Windsor Foundation has become the lead accessibility partner in the project with a generous gift of $200,000 to the Encore! campaign, specifically to fund the incremental cost of universal design in the building.

Tim Yerxa, executive director of Fredericton Playhouse Inc. says the donation was the catalyst for moving ahead with implementing universally accessible design well above and beyond the standard accessibility code. “This incredible gift from the Windsor Foundation covers just over half of the incremental costs for design elements and technology to make the facility fully accessible to the most vulnerable in our community. We will be able to eliminate barriers that many face to attending a show, performing on stage or working on productions.”

The Windsor Foundation is a private foundation established in 1960 by New Brunswick-born Sidney Albert Windsor of the Windsor Canning Company, and its mandate is to support programs, projects and initiatives that benefit the disadvantaged or vulnerable in the community. Nancy Roach, a director with the Windsor Foundation and Fredericton resident, commented that “the foundation is thrilled to help make this amazing venue extremely accessible for those with hearing or physical challenges in our community. The Performing Arts Centre is clearly a visionary and exciting project with long-term impact for all New Brunswickers.”

As part of their donation, the Windsor Foundation challenged Fredericton Playhouse Inc. (the non-profit overseeing the new Performing Arts Centre project and the Encore! community campaign) to leverage the gift to secure the remaining funds needed to make universal design a reality.

“We met that challenge quite easily because of the generosity of members of our New Brunswick community,” Yerxa confirmed. “I’m so pleased to announce four further gifts to support universal design in the Performing Arts Centre, from Ed and Melissa Barrett, the Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain, Bill and Joanne Reynolds, and John and Lois Cameron Thompson.

“Seeing members of our community step forward to make performing arts available to all is heartwarming,” Yerxa says. “Our programs have always been about making performances accessible, and now we’re so excited to make our new physical space more accessible as well. These donations will allow us to go well beyond the expected universal design elements such as accessible entrances and exits, restrooms and unobstructed and flexible seating options. The Performing Arts Centre is employing innovative technology and design to serve seniors and others with hearing challenges, as well as patrons, artists and technical staff with physical disabilities. A huge thank you to the donors who have made this possible.”

Learn more about the universal design elements going into the Performing Arts Centre.

If you’d like to support the Encore! campaign to raise community funds for the Performing Arts Centre and the programs within it, you can give online or by phone here.