The Haliburton County Development Corporation has been invaluable since the founding of the HHACF with their advice and guidance.

This year, we partnered with the Burlesque Ball Haliburton committee to submit a joint application to HCDC’s Local Initiatives Program funding. The Burlesque Ball is a celebration of queer pride and culture with performances by local and professional drag artists, burlesque dancers and dance troupes.

The funding gift goes to securing professional sound & lighting and paying performers. In turn, the sell-out event is a fundraiser for the Haliburton Highlands Arts Centre Foundation via corporate sponsorships and donations at the door.

Media Release

June 26, 2024
Contact: Dan Manley, President
info@hhartscentrefoundation.ca

On Tuesday, June 25th, 2024, Dysart et al council voted unanimously to give the Haliburton Highlands Arts Centre Foundation 14.5 acres of land, located at the intersection of Wonderland Road and County Road 21, for the purpose of building a world-class Performing Arts Centre.

Foundation president, Dan Manley, who was present at the council meeting, said “We are thrilled to accept this generous contribution of land to our vision of bringing a Performing Arts Centre to Haliburton County. This represents a major step forward for our Foundation, and it will kick off the important work of beginning to raise funding and awareness from the federal and provincial government, private foundations, corporate partners, and individual donors.”.

The Haliburton Highlands Arts Centre Foundation is a non-profit group which was founded by Dan Manley and Wil Andrea, and its purpose is to build a world-class Performing Arts Centre in Haliburton County.

Over the past six (6) years, the foundation has been incorporated, and its board of directors has expanded to include nine (9) members of the local arts and business community, who have been working tirelessly to make this vision into a reality.

Janis A. Barlow & Associates conducted a Project Feasibility Study. It was released in September 2022, and revealed to the public at the AGM in October 2022.

Following the release of the Barlow Report, The Dennis Group was hired to conduct a Fundraising Feasibility Study,, and the HHACF Board will be planning the next steps of the campaign in consultation with the Dennis Group, who recently raised $45 Million for the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough, as well as architects, engineers, environmental consultants, designers, acoustic engineers, and general contractors.

The Haliburton Highlands Arts Centre Foundation wishes to thank Mayor Murray Fearrey, the entire council of Dysart et al, and their staff, for their foresight, generosity and support in making this historic donation!

Stay tuned for the next phase of our building plans and development.

A PDF of this press release can be downloaded here.

Haliburton Highlands Arts Centre Foundation

Media Release

June 26, 2023
Contact: Dan Manley, President
info@hhartscentrefoundation.ca

The Haliburton Highlands Arts Centre Foundation (HHACF) is a not-for-profit charitable organization dedicated to serving the performing artists and audiences of the Haliburton Highlands. The vision of the HHACF is to program a full range of performing arts and film, independently and with community partners, and to provide purpose-built, professional facilities for shared experiences of the arts and a range of community gatherings.

As a growing arts community, Haliburton has outgrown the current available performing arts venues in terms of capacity and use. A project feasibility study and a fundraising Community Assessment and Planning Study were conducted in 2022 to provide the groundwork, including community input, for the development of a purpose-built performing arts centre. The studies showed a need for a facility with increased seating, orchestral space, dressing rooms and rehearsal spaces, as well as a box office, lobby, better lighting and sound equipment and more.

Interviewees and survey participants included a diverse scope of stakeholders including (but not limited to) local, provincial and federal government, performers, patrons and local businesses.

The Community Assessment and Planning Study identified key areas of importance to our community and provided recommendations that the HHACF Board of Directors is moving forward with, including:

• Developing a communications plan to clarify the role of HHACF and the value and impact of this project to the residents within the catchment area.

• Exploring potential partnerships with projects that hope to address key issues in the region that were identified through the assessment (i.e., shortage of housing, food insecurity, healthcare, as well as opportunities to provide economic stimulus).

In the spring of 2023, the HHACF Board of Directors began exploring collaboration opportunities with multiple organizations and community leaders, as well as a variety of potential partners with a goal to identify creative options for the project and provide sustainability and community impact.

Dan Manley, President HHACF shares, “The HHACF’s vision for a performing arts centre will have a significant impact on Haliburton County by providing an enhanced facility to support our growing performing arts community and providing a boost to the local economy through increased tourism and job creation. We feel it is also important to address the fuller needs of our community, and so we are exploring collaboration opportunities to reimagine the possibilities of this project.”

With the summer season, the HHACF Board of Directors looks forward to advancing conversations with community members, leaders, potential partners and visitors. They welcome community input to find the best way forward for both the project and Haliburton County.

For more information on the Haliburton Highlands Arts Centre Foundation, visit their website (https://hhartscentrefoundation.ca/) or email (info@hhartscentrefoundation.ca).

A PDF of this press release can be downloaded here.