Jerry Doiron has been appointed as the director of the new Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts (IBCPA), effective June 17. Mr. Doiron comes to Queen’s from Niagara-on-the-Lake’s acclaimed Shaw Festival, where he serves as the planning director.

“Mr. Doiron is an accomplished and respected arts administrator who is perfectly positioned to lead the programming and marketing of the Bader Centre,” says Provost Harrison. “He will be a tremendous asset to Queen’s and the Kingston community.”

Prior to joining the Shaw Festival in 1996, Mr. Doiron held several key positions with performing arts companies, including general manager of Necessary Angel Theatre Company and producer of Theatre Passe Muraille. He has acted as an advisor to several granting agencies and foundations, including the Canada Council, the Ontario Arts Council, the Creative Trust and the Metcalf Foundation. He is a former president of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres and the Toronto Theatre Alliance.

Mr. Doiron will take the helm at the Bader Centre as it becomes the new home for the performing arts at Queen’s and as it begins to develop its own artistic programming.

“The IBCPA will literally transform the cultural landscape of Queen’s and Kingston,” said Mr. Doiron. “It is a tremendous development for the university and the city, as well as an exciting opportunity for me personally.”

The $63-million Bader Centre, which is currently under construction on the Kingston waterfront, will give Queen’s creative arts departments new, state-of-the art performance, exhibition and teaching spaces. It will also provide a home for a concert series and other cultural programs.

Construction at the Bader Centre site is well under way, with much of the structural elements already in place. Progress can be tracked online through a webcam that has been set up at the site.