Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia facts for kids

Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia is a special theatre company. It was started in 1972 in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. The people who helped create it were Evelyn Garbary, Tom Miller, and Sara Lee Lewis. Sara Lee Lewis still helps run the theatre today.

In 1987, the theatre moved to Windsor, Nova Scotia. They bought a big building in the middle of town. This building is now where they make their puppets, practice shows, and perform. It's also where their offices are. The company became an official charity in 1973.

What Mermaid Theatre Does

Mermaid Theatre wants to show young people how fun reading can be. They also want to share the magic of puppetry. They travel all over Nova Scotia, Canada, and even to other countries.

The theatre gets its ideas for shows from children's books. Over 4.5 million people have watched their shows around the world! They have performed a lot in the United States since 1979.

Mermaid Theatre tours all year long. They usually put on more than 400 shows each year. About 200,000 people come to see them.

Because they help the local economy and culture, Mermaid Theatre has won awards. These include export awards from Nova Scotia (2001) and Canada (2001, 2005). They also won an award for Best Performing Group from the Canadian Arts Presenting Association.

The company often travels across Canada and the United States. They have also shown Canadian culture in many other countries. They have performed in places like Japan, Mexico, Australia, England, and South Korea.

Mermaid Theatre has two main goals. First, their professional shows help talented people from Atlantic Canada perform around the world. Second, their Youtheatre program helps young people in the region express themselves creatively. This program has been running for 16 years.

Puppetry is a very important part of Mermaid Theatre's ideas. Through their Institute of Puppetry Arts, they teach people about puppet theatre. They offer special programs and training. This kind of training is hard to find anywhere else in English-speaking Canada.

Awards Mermaid Theatre Has Won

Mermaid Theatre has received many awards for its amazing work:

• Two Citations of Excellence for Puppetry from UNIMA-USA in 2010.
• Award for Excellence in Artist Management from the Atlantic Presenters Association in 2009.
• Crystal Tourism Ambassador Award from the Tourism Industry of Nova Scotia in 2008.
• Cultural Industries Export Award in 2005.
• Nova Scotia Export Award in 2001.
• Canada Export Award in 2001.
• Citations of Excellence for Puppetry from UNIMA-USA in 1986 and 1989.

Mermaid Imperial Performing Arts Centre

In 2003, Mermaid Theatre bought an old theatre building. It is located at 106 Gerrish Street in Windsor. This theatre was built between 1910 and 1920. It used to be a movie theatre and a place for live shows.

When Mermaid Theatre bought it, the building had been empty for several years. Over the next few years, with help from local and national groups, the building became a performing arts centre. It is now called the Mermaid Imperial Performing Arts Centre, or MIPAC.

Since 2008, MIPAC has hosted many shows. These include Mermaid Theatre's own famous productions. It also hosts community shows and touring performances from other groups.

See also

• Mermaid Theatre (London)