Final Curtain Call
After 40 significant years of service, it is with great sadness and regret that Friends of Baycourt have taken their final bow in March 2025.
As the cultural landscape of the performing arts continues to evolve, shifting societal interests and diminishing membership numbers have left a lasting impact on this familiar and much valued society. Once a supporter of community engagement and cultural enrichment, Friends of Baycourt leave behind a rich legacy intertwined with the history of Baycourt itself. For further insights into their farewell, read on to learn more about their story.
The society was established in 1985 by a community group that lobbied for the Baycourt Community and Arts Centre to be built. The society was restructured in the late 1980’s, becoming an incorporated society in 1997. With growing membership, Friends of Baycourt shifted from promoting to actively supporting Baycourt, enhancing its contributions to the local arts community.
Friends of Baycourt Incorporated was founded to promote cultural and educational initiatives, encourage community support for Baycourt and to foster excellence in the performing arts. The society provided members with diverse benefits, such as member shows and special events, newsletters, preferential bookings, discounts on tickets and bar prices, and worked alongside other groups with similar goals. Additionally, they supported and collaborated with Baycourt Management on selected events by underwriting performance costs.
At its height, Friends of Baycourt reached a membership exceeding 1,700 individuals, with many dedicated members contributing throughout the organization's 40-year history. Their involvement and unwavering support had been instrumental to the success of the society.
During a 25-year period in its history, Friends of Baycourt donated over $200,000 to Baycourt Community and Arts Centre. From small to substantial support for Baycourt's acquisitions, one their most significant donations was a $20,000 contribution to the Steinway Fund.
In later years, Friends of Baycourt shifted their focus to nurturing the collective talent of youth in the community. They collaborated with schools and colleges, engaging students in the performing arts with events and gifting scholarship awards towards tertiary education.
Throughout the history of Friends of Baycourt, nine chairpersons and numerous committee members have devoted their time to serving the membership with unwavering integrity, dedication and passion.
In 2020, Covid changed the world, placing a halt on almost everything for a time, including the performing arts. Also, faced with an aging and declining membership, along with societal shifts shaped by technological progress, a Special General Meeting was convened in February 2025. The decision to dissolve the society was reached, closing a notable chapter in the history of Baycourt and the community. It pays tribute to decades of commitment by Friends of Baycourt Committees, the invaluable contributions of its members and the collaboration with the Baycourt Community & Arts Centre. Friends of Baycourt will be fondly remembered for their steadfast support and enduring contribution to the local performing arts and culture within the community.
Friends of Baycourt has represented far more than just a name - it has embodied a sense of community, a deep passion and a collective appreciation for the performing arts, uniting countless individuals along the way. Though they say farewell as a society, they look forward to crossing paths again at the many performances that Baycourt Community & Arts Centre continues to offer.
Friends of Baycourt
1985 - 2025