What you're about to hear began as a private working discussion between Gil Garratt and Joanne Wallace as they worked to shape the Blyth Festival's 2026 matching-gift campaign. But as the conversation unfolded, it became clear they were circling something much larger than a fundraising appeal.

What emerged was an unusually candid, wide-ranging discussion about Canadian stories, artistic risk, cultural sovereignty, imagination, and what's really happening inside Canada's theatre ecosystem right now.

Moments here are messy, exploratory, deeply personal, occasionally provocative, and very, very real. In the end, we made the unusual decision to share this recording - but only with those we were asking to support the campaign. We took a chance that our closest friends, allies and supporters might value listening in on this conversation exactly as it happened.

More than anything, we hope it offers a genuine peek behind the curtain at the thinking, questioning, debating and dreaming that shapes the work happening at the Blyth Festival every day.

Lightly edited for length and clarity but otherwise left largely intact.

Support Blyth's 2026 Matching-Gift Campaign for New Play Development

Questions? Feedback? We love hearing from you.

 📧 jwallace@blythfestival.com
Joanne Wallace
Director of Development
Blyth Festival
1.877.862.5984 x 209