Mermaid Theatre

• Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia was founded in Wolfville, NS in 1972. Mermaid was registered under the Societies Act of Nova Scotia on September 1, 1972 (# 1294259), and received charitable status with Revenue Canada in March 23, 1973 (# 119038768 RR 0001). The Theatre is celebrating its 43rd continuous season. • Mermaid Theatre moved to Windsor, NS in 1987, a small town of 3700 residents at the gateway to Nova Scotia's rural Annapolis Valley. The Theatre's focus is twofold. On the one hand Mermaid's energetic professional touring theatre for family audiences has won international claim for original productions with a strong emphasis on puppetry and the incorporation of original music. At the other end of the spectrum, Mermaid has a strong local and regional presence as the result of teaching and presenting activities. These include the Mermaid Theatre Loft's artists' residencies, the Mermaid Imperial Performing Arts Entertainment series, the Institute of Puppetry Arts' innovative instructional programs, and the Mermaid Youtheatre's vibrant outreach activities for adolescents. • The promotion of indigenous talent is of prime importance to the company. Mermaid Theatre's touring productions at home and abroad serve as a continuous showcase for the Atlantic Region's performing artists, writers, directors, designers and technicians. The company ranks among Atlantic Canada's foremost cultural employers, and is currently Canada's major exporter of theatre for family audiences. • The company's choice of material is based on the belief that young people can benefit substantially both in their emotional and aesthetic development, from early exposure to literature, the arts, and the power of imagination. The company's objective is to produce work which is good theatre - entertaining, informative and stimulating to all the senses. As important is the goal of encouraging literacy and generating enthusiasm for the art of reading. • Mermaid Theatre ranks among North America's most respected theatres for the young, and plays an important ambassadorial role for Nova Scotia and for Canada. The company regularly crosses Canada and the United States, travels abroad frequently, has performed for more than four and a half million spectators on four continents, and offers productions in seven languages. In recognition of its accomplishments, Mermaid has been awarded export Excellence Awards by both Nova Scotia (2001) and the Government of Canada (2001, 2005); was awarded the Crystal Tourism Ambassador Award by Nova Scotia's tourism industry in 2008, and in the Fall of 2009 received the Atlantic Presenters Association's first annual award for excellence in artist management. The company's touring circuit is unparalleled in North America.