Last week, the Marigold was nominated for an East Coast Music Award in the Venue of the Year category. It’s our first time being nominated in the category by the hallmark music awards body of the Atlantic region. And, I’m not going to be subtle about it, I know exactly why we got the nomination.
1. The Marigold has a staff that works endlessly to bring shows to success, to support projects to completion, and work with a key intent I see everyday: a passion for developing the arts at home. We’re a small staff—Summer, Meg, Dave, and Justin—but in 2024, we did 103 individual, unique shows. Nearly 1/3 of the days of our year were committed to setting up, running, and closing out performances. We’re well past over 10 000 people through the theatre in the last year. We put all this on while also working on upgrades to our theatre and space, education camps in the summer, and the everyday work of keeping the Marigold moving.
2. My board of directors for the Cobequid Arts Council. The board that oversees the operation of the Marigold are all volunteers. They dedicate their time, skill, and attention to making sure we steward our funding towards our mandate—introducing, nurturing, and sustaining arts and culture in our community. They also put up with my emails and creative work habits (see: a bit chaotic). Without these board members, I would not have the input and guidance needed to be the best leader for the Marigold that I can be.
3. The music and arts community in Nova Scotia is one that thrives on supporting one another. There are so many artists I have had the gift to work with who have put their trust in the Marigold to dedicate their time and skill to bringing beautiful music to Truro. At every turn, I meet artists enthusiastic to see music thriving in our community. The Marigold could not be what it is without musicians and we strive to make the best experience we possibly can when they visit us. We work hard to compensate with fair guarantees. What is a stage without a musician? Just a floor.
4. And finally, our volunteers. I have never met such a dedicated community of people who so joyfully donate their time and energy to ushering, greeting, ticketing, and selling merchandise at shows. They’re engaged and excited about what we’re doing at the Marigold. Without them, I don’t know how we would ever run a show. Our volunteers are the beating heart of the Marigold.
For all those who contributed to being recognized with an ECMA nomination, but gratitude has no measure. Mr. Rogers talks about how each of us are loved into existence—our beautiful community at the Marigold is just that, loved into existence by all of the above.
And I am going to be honest here—each of these groups the last year, I have strained by wanting to do more, wanting to bring more shows, wanting to drive larger audiences. The work to put on that many performances exhausts people because art is just that—labour. But, through thick and thin, my staff, my board, our arts community, and our volunteers, have stayed committed because they share something with me: a love for the arts, a love for beautiful moments together.
I hope we win at the ECMAs in May. But it doesn’t really matter. None of us are here for an award. For now, this nomination is for them, for our community. The recognition belongs to the sore feet, long hours, and sleepless nights that all of us have contributed to make the Marigold the soul of the arts in Truro.
So here’s to living up to our title: Truro, Nova Scotia’s Live Music Capital. It grows truer everyday.
marsh feit
