FILLED WITH HISTORY

Every resident of Riverport has a story about the Old Confidence Lodge. Built in 1929, it has been home to secret meetings, community dinners, and wild parties. In the 2000s the space was converted into a recording studio and concert space, bringing in some of Canada’s top artists including Matt Mays, Caribou Run, Rich Aucoin, Corey Isenor and Jennah Barry.

In 2024, the Lodge reopened as a newly-renovated live performing arts hub. It is open for concerts, dances, theatrical performances, voice, dance and piano classes, community events, and even weddings.

The Old Confidence Lodge is a family- and queer-run business.

In the coming years, we will make it our mission to elevate queer stories and performances. We promise that fear and hate will never reach this building. We commit to being a safe space for all ages, all gender identities and expressions, all sexual orientations, all ethnicities.

We stand with the trans community. We stand with the queer community. We love you and we are you. We are fierce and loud advocates and we can’t wait to get to know our community.

If you have any recommendations on how we can fulfil these goals, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

We are a 150 seat venue in Riverport, Nova Scotia that reopened June 2024. Our hall boasts a performance stage, floor seating, and a balcony with beautiful leather seats. Excellent acoustics! Upstairs studio included—fully wired for recording! Our ground-level kitchen is great for catered events. Contact us to book your show!

New Owners

ABOUT THE

CHRIS JACKMAN

Originally from Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Chris Jackman has spent the last two decades as a drama professor, academic administrator, theatre director and educational programmer.

Select directing credits include “Jacques Brel is Alive and Well” and “Soldier’s Tale” (Open Corps), “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” (Lock & Keynote), “Wonderful World of Disney” (Camber Arts, formerly Gros Morne Summer Theatre), “Sound of Silence” and “Man in the Mirror” (Musical Stage Co, Toronto).

Directed adaptations include “Pictures at an Exhibition” and “Children’s Corner” (Open Corps), “Wake” (LaSalle Theatre), and “Dubliners” (Camber Arts). He made his Nova Scotia theatrical debut directing “Dead and Breakfast” with Lunenburg Theatre Collective in summer 2023. He is currently preparing to direct LTC’s summer 2024 season, and is adapting the fable “Stone Soup” for children’s theatre.

Dr. Jackman (University of Toronto) is also a performance scholar specializing in creativity, play, and audience reception. He has taught at U of T and Brock, and was founding Chair of Arts & Design at Centennial College, Toronto. Chris looks forward to collaborating with more performing artists on the South Shore, and to presenting great entertainment here at the Old Confidence Lodge!

SHARI PORTER

Shari Porter comes to the South Shore with 20 years of experience as a theatre artist and a music educator. She is co-founder of Open Corps Theatre (Toronto) and was music director, pianist and collaborative artist for theatrical productions of “Jacques Brel is Alive and Well,” Stravinsky’s “The Soldier’s Tale,” “Pictures at an Exhibition” and Debussy’s “Children’s Corner.” She has music directed with the Stephenville Theatre Festival in Newfoundland (“Spelling Bee”, “Disenchanted”), and served as musical arranger for Camber Arts (formerly Gros Morne Summer Music). Select music directing/accompanist credits include “Pippin” (Sheridan College, as assistant), “The Little Mermaid” (St. Lawrence College), “The Secret Garden” and “Sweeney Todd” (Mainstage Theatre). Her original cabaret musical, WAKE, written and performed with partner Chris Jackman, premiered with Camber Arts in summer ’14 and toured Northern Ontario with the LaSalle Theatre.

Her proudest professional achievement is her work with children. As founder and music director of Lock and Keynote Productions, Shari produced 17 seasons of summer theatre camps in small communities in Northern Ontario and Western Newfoundland.

She is excited to join the vibrant arts community on the South Shore!