What is this project about?
A challenge becomes an opportunity! For the past 23 years, the Westben Centre for Connection & Creativity has been bringing people together through music and nature. Recognized as a cultural cornerstone in its rural location in south-central Ontario, Westben typically involves approximately 10,000 participants and learners annually. Along with its renowned summer music festival and international residencies, its year-round community programming typically engages over 2,000 learners and local enthusiasts annually through large, multi-generational learning programs, choral ensembles, day camps, house concerts, and fun and friendly music appreciation experiences.
Of course, everything changed in 2020. The pandemic forced Westben to cancel 81 out of a planned 84 events, including over 50 “Community Connections” shared learning and outreach projects. Meanwhile, the lease expired on our year-round box office and learning centre when the building was repurposed by the landlord. Our daunting challenge became to pivot and rebuild the organization while finding a new facility to keep connected to, and serve, our community learners.
And we’re meeting the challenge! The creation of new outdoor venues and digital formats helped revitalize the summer festival and the residencies. Support from Ontario Trillium Foundation will enable us to reconceive and relaunch educational and community programming. And with the outstanding help of the community, we were able to purchase the West Schoolhouse, a one-room historic building abutting the Westben property. It is here that we envision reigniting our cultural connection with our growing communities of learners and music enthusiasts.
But the Schoolhouse needs help! Known as a learning and gathering place since its creation in 1890, there are a number of urgent capital upgrades and improvements that are needed in order for it to be a safe, accessible and welcoming facility which can serve its community year-round, and for years to come. Improvements include replacing brittle wiring, adding a parking lot to accommodate rural drivers, providing clean drinking water, supplying hot water and several other repairs and upgrades.
Our overall goal is to reconnect with and grow our community through year-round learning. To achieve this, we will revitalize this historic place of learning, making it into a new, accessible community learning hub for welcoming music rehearsals, all-ages workshops, “Chalk Talk” public chats, intimate Schoolhouse concerts and so much more! We respectfully request support from Commonwell L.E.A.F. to help us revitalize The West Schoolhouse, to serve its important role of providing accessible music education for the strength and well-being of the entire community.
To learn more, visit: www.westben.ca/schoolhouse-campaign
Why is this project important to the community?
Since 2020, we’ve heard how much our communities have missed in-person gathering to learn music together, connect, and grow. Our 2022 Westben Community Engagement Surveys showed:
- 80% of chorus members are “very excited” to return, with 87.2% missing “sense of community” most, and 82% missing “learning” most.
- 83.2% of community members are ready to return to live, adapted programming
Survey respondents also provided over 50 suggestions for the learning experiences they desire: music workshops, dance classes, improv, and more!
After a tough couple of years, we’re eager to deliver on the need to re-energize our “Community Connections” programming. We’re confident it will be welcomed as a vital part of rebuilding community vibrancy in our rural, under-served community.
Music Builds Strong, Healthy Communities:
“Improving mental health” was identified as a priority in the 2021 Community Safety and Well-Being Plan for Northumberland County. Research also shows that participation in community music programming positively impacts mental health, particularly among youth and seniors (see Clements-Cortés 2018, and Hallam 2016); two groups heavily impacted during COVID-19. Providing music programming can improve local community mental health and well-being!
Economic Community Impact:
Our community learning programming will create approximately 11 jobs, particularly for local live performance professionals, such as Chorus Directors and Accompanists, who remain 37.7% away from pre-COVID-19 employment levels (CAPACOA, 2022). We’ll also hire local knowledge experts from a variety of backgrounds to host learning workshops.
