In September 2012, the Vancouver International Wine Festival Society announced that its new charitable beneficiary would be The Bard on the Beach Theatre Society. VanWineFest has energized Vancouver’s wine and food scene since 1979, while also raising more than $10 million for the performing arts; we are dedicated to celebrating the inspiring creativity of vintners, chefs and artists.
BARD ON THE BEACH
Vision:
Inspired by Shakespeare, the beauty of the mountains and ocean and the spirit of the land, Bard on the Beach opens hearts, expands thinking, and builds community through the power of storytelling.
Values:
Bard values a standard of excellence and innovation, a culture of inclusivity, and the search for joy in all its work and play.
Mission:
Bard creates transformational experiences through exceptional theatre, training, and education opportunities that inspire, resonate, and promote the exchange of ideas.
Bard on the Beach is Western Canada’s largest not-for-profit, professional Shakespeare Festival, presented in Vancouver’s Senákw/Vanier Park against a spectacular backdrop of mountains, sea and sky. The Festival offers Shakespeare plays, related dramas and special events in two modern performance tents from June through September, with an average annual attendance of 100,000. The Festival is known for its signature blend of high-quality artistic programming and an inclusive, welcoming, and informal experience for local residents and visitors from around the world. The Festival’s 35th Season, from June to September 2025, will include productions of Much Ado About Nothing, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] [Again], and The Dark Lady. Bard Education offers year-round opportunities to play and explore Shakespeare, through relaxed performances, programs for youth, emerging theatre artists, and the general community.
Bard engages a team of exceptional actors, directors, designers and technicians each season, along with year-round administrative staff and teaching artists; it is also supported annually by more than 370 volunteers.
Through its constantly expanding community outreach, Bard hosts the popular Summer Camp workshops for youth and teens at the site during the summer, as well as Bard in the Classroom and Bard in the (Virtual) Classroom workshops for students and teachers during the school term. Additionally, its Riotous Youth program provides further Shakespearean theatre education and workplace skills to young adults, Bard Studio provides free drop-in classes for professionals, and Bard for Life lets adults ‘play Shakespeare’ in a lively, informal environment.
