The Blyth Festival has just appointed Gil Garratt as Artistic Director.

Effective immediately Garratt will be responsible for conceiving, developing, and implementing the artistic vision and focus of the festival.

Garratt was born and raised in Toronto and is a graduate of National Theatre School’s playwrighting program.

Garrat was a member of the English Theatre Company at National Arts Centre in Ottawa. Below is a video recorded there in 2012.

At the Stratford Festival Garrett served as scribe and collaborator in the early workshops of the 2012 production Hirsch.

He has long been affiliated with the Blyth Festival.

“In the past sixteen years, I have been involved in fourteen seasons, as an actor, a director, a playwright, a dramaturge, an administrator, and the director of the young company; each of these representing literally hundreds and hundreds of hours of work here” wrote Garratt in a statement released today.

He added, “Since leaving the associate artistic director position at Blyth in 2012, I have literally worked all over the country…I have never been more qualified or more driven to fulfill the role of artistic director of this incomparable company.”

The long conversation

“For 40 years our community has been engaged in what one patron of ours has termed ‘the long conversation’. I am ready to step forward at Blyth and lead that conversation.”

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In the video below, Garratt discusses how his mother’s artistic vision influenced him as well his work in “The Outdoor Donnellys,” which was conceived and directed by Paul Thompson and the 2001 Blyth Festival Company.

Garratt describes the production as one of his most memorable and inspiring moments.

Purchase a 2015 Blyth Festival season pass and save up to 30%.

by Keith Tomasek
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