New Stages presents the 2026 Brand New Stages Festival

Feb 24 – Mar 1, 2026 | Peterborough / Nogojiwanong

Brand New Stages returns to Peterborough for its 3rd annual festival of new Canadian theatre, bringing six days of bold, imaginative, and deeply human stories to life in the heart of winter. Featuring 7 plays in 6 days, over 40 local and national artists, and performances across Market Hall Performing Arts Centre and The Theatre on King (TTOK), the festival showcases brand-new work at exciting stages of development—from gripping contemporary dramas and absurd comedies to inventive family-friendly storytelling.

With three mainstage presentations at Market Hall and four eclectic events at TTOK, audiences can experience staged readings, experimental works, and communal storytelling led by some of Canada’s most respected playwrights, directors, and performers. Highlights include The Cull, a timely modern drama featuring a powerhouse cast of Canadian stage and screen talent; 12 Dinners, an acclaimed semi-autobiographical work gaining national attention; and Munsch Goes Wild, a high-energy Sunday morning treat for kids, parents, and grandparents alike.

Committed to accessibility, ticket prices are kept intentionally low to encourage audiences to brave the cold and gather for a vibrant celebration of creativity, collaboration, and new voices in Canadian theatre.

Festival details and tickets are available at newstages.ca, or through Market Hall and The Theatre on King box offices.

Most startups fail not because founders don’t work hard enough, but because they keep pushing a plan that’s no longer working. This workshop helps founders recognize when it’s time to pivot, how to do it without losing momentum, and how to test new directions quickly before burning more time and cash.

We’ll go through real examples of successful pivots, identify common blind spots that delay tough decisions, and teach a framework to evaluate whether your startup should double down, adjust, or completely change direction.

This session is designed for early-stage founders who already have a product or MVP in the market and are struggling with slow traction, customer churn, or unclear product/market fit. Expect candid discussions, practical frameworks, and clarity on your next move.

You'll Learn How To:

• Recognize the 5 key signals that it’s time to pivot, including market rejection, stagnant engagement, and internal misalignment.
• Understand the 3 types of pivots (customer, problem, or product) and which one best fits their situation.
• Learn a simple validation process to test new ideas before committing resources.
• Build a pivot decision matrix to compare potential directions based on data, not emotion.
• Leave with an actionable next step for either refining their current model or exploring a new one.

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/when-how-to-pivot-your-startup-tickets-1975840951474?aff=oddtdtcreator

Discover how your library can help you explore the past and preserve personal history.

Learn about key resources for researching local history, genealogy, and memory preservation, including collections, databases, and digitization tools available through the library. Registration is required, please contact the branch.

Free program at the Lindsay library branch.