The Choices of a Few can Improve the Lives of Many

Though the University of Guelph community is vast, each and every individual within it has the ability to drive positive change. Thanks to a $100,000 donation from long-time U of G supporters Sara and Bill Laidlaw (Bill is a College of Arts Alumnus, BA ’74), the College faculty, staff, and students in the performing arts programs, and supporters of the programs, can continue to elevate the importance of community and the arts by nurturing unbreakable bonds, amplifying creativity, and bringing light into others’ lives.

The Power of Connection

The Arts Research Centre (ARC) in the College of Arts recently underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation and is the heart of creativity and community in the College, featuring top of the line performing, teaching, rehearsal and research spaces for the College’s Music, Theatre Studies, and Improvisational programs. 

Simon Flint, costume coordinator for the Theatre Studies program, enthusiastically takes on the many responsibilities of his role, including helping students create costumes for productions by teaching them how to curate unique designs, use sewing machines, choose colour swatches and much more. When talking about the newly renovated ARC and how it has positively impacted the program, Simon highlights the space’s many outstanding enhancements including full spectrum LED lighting and domestic and industrial costume stitching machines in the Theatre Design Studio, a space where students, faculty, and staff create costumes and other key elements for theatrical productions. Simon explains that the LED lighting both decreases eye strain while simultaneously replicating daylight, which exposes the true tones of colours. High quality lighting and colour precision are crucial when creating designs that will accurately reflect the look and feel of a production. As for the costume stitching, domestic machines work slowly but are more accessible and portable, while industrial machines, though immobile, enable cleaner and quicker stitch work. These enhancements truly support the creative processes of students, staff, and faculty.

Simon met Sara and Bill Laidlaw last year at the ARC grand opening. That evening, Sara and Bill brought clothing donations, to be used for costumes, and spent time connecting with Simon, who is as passionate about his work in the College as he is about forging meaningful connections between the College and the community. Several months later, Sara and Bill returned to the ARC to attend the fall theatre performance and connected with Simon again who continued to radiate passion for his work with the Theatre Studies program, as well as for the important role that community plays in supporting the students. The beauty, and quality, of the ARC is evidently clear to anyone who steps into the space, but it was Simon’s enthusiasm that helped Sara and Bill to understand the passion of the staff and faculty, the talent of the students, and the impact of the Theatre Studies program at U of G.

After being impressed by Simon’s thoughtfulness and excitement, Sara and Bill made an extremely generous gift of $100,000 in support of the performing arts at U of G.

The Importance of Supporting the Arts

Sara and Bill Laidlaw are well-known philanthropists to U of G and to the College of Arts (they also made a major gift to the ARC capital campaign in 2021 and named the second-floor lounge). Bill shares that he learned the importance of generosity and the value of the arts from his late mother, whose passion for volunteerism included entertaining underprivileged children and children with special needs with puppet shows via the Junior League in Hamilton, Toronto, and Montreal. Bill’s mother and father also frequently brought Bill and his siblings to many musical and theatrical performances as a child, including trips to the Royal Alexandra Theatre, the O'Keefe Centre (now known as Meridian Hall), the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Shaw Festival and theatre trips to New York City.

With Sara and Bill Laidlaw’s generous donation, the College of Arts space formerly known as the Theatre Design Studio has been renamed the Isobel (Timmy) Laidlaw Theatre Design Studio in honour of Bill’s mother and her community impact via the arts. Bill recalls his parents’ involvement with charities and his realization that “you have to give back.” He also stresses that “it’s so important as a society for us to support the arts...[because] if we don’t have arts, we don’t really have a society.”

Bill believes, and has personally experienced, that “you can change peoples’ lives [by extending mentorship and support.]” Reflecting on his philanthropical motivations, he says, “[I help] because I think that I can make the difference.” Sara and Bill were inspired, and they hope others will be inspired to make their own donation to continue community support of the performing arts at U of G.

Seeing Support in Action 

Sara and Bill’s donation in support of the performing arts at U of G will significantly impact the many College of Arts students, like Katie Bryant, who rely on the space to collaborate with their peers and access resources to build production sets and props, design costumes, and so much more. Katie, currently in their fourth year of an Honours Bachelor of Arts program with a Double Major in Theatre Studies and Vocal Music feels “very fortunate to [have access to] state-of-the-art design and creation spaces [like the Theatre Design Studio,]” describing it as “[one of their] favourite spaces on campus.” Simon strives to create inclusive and community-oriented spaces like the Theatre Design Studio that “[allow for the combination of] communities that would sometimes exist in isolation of each other” and “[give] people the opportunity to explore skills that may not be traditionally held within academic spaces,” such as sewing. Katie’s experiences as a Theatre Studies student and during time spent in the Theatre Design Studio reflect these goals. Katie shares that they have access to materials and networking opportunities with industry professionals and exposure to a wide range of unique creative projects to participate in.

For example, Katie spoke about a course they truly enjoyed, THST*2190 - Theatre Workshop II, where they had the opportunity to build human-sized puppet costumes in the Theatre Design Studio for Nanatasis – Opéra en Trois Légendes, a collaborative project with the Musique 3 Femmes ensemble and College of Arts Professor Troy Hourie, a highly regarded artistic director. The production itself went on to win the Mécénat Musica Prix 3 Femmes, an award for “contemporary operas created by emerging female and non-binary composers and librettists,” according to the Musique 3 Femmes website. The production was also featured in Fables et Légendes – Opéra d’aujourd’hui, a large showcase in Montreal where the puppets were used. During the course, Katie shared, they not only met the composers of Nanatasis, Abenaki Author Nicole O’Bomsawin and Mexican Canadian Composer Alejandra Odgers, but they were also encouraged to step out of their comfort zone to be the stage manager for the College of Arts’ performance of Nanatasis, which they found fulfilling and exciting.

This fall, the College welcomed new and returning students who eagerly entered the Isobel (Timmy) Laidlaw Theatre Design Studio where their creativity is inspired, and their talents and skills refined.