How an idea sparked nearly 30 years ago has evolved into the Belfry’s most quietly successful program, Belfry 101.

Longevity is surely one of the best measures of success — especially when you’re an organization like the Belfry that is built upon short-run projects: holding a hit show over for an extra week is great, but it’s nothing compared to a three-decade run of a project that has inspired generations of teenagers. Such is Belfry 101, the annual high school training program that offers young people the chance to learn from theatrical professionals and, in many cases, encourages them to develop their own professional careers.

“It’s amazing what teenagers can achieve when given the space to be creative,” says current B101 coordinator Dave Morris. “They have this perfect mix of hope and inexperience, and they’re full of great creative ideas . . . watching them grow and learn and create art is such a beautiful, fun experience for me. That’s what keeps me coming back.”

Perhaps best known locally for his improvisation work with Paper Street Theatre, Morris has been leading B101 for the past 10 years but shares credit for its success with some of Victoria’s leading theatrical professionals, including the likes of Monica Prendergast, Kate Rubin, Erin Macklem, Joel Bernbaum and Nicole Malcolm. To date, about a thousand grade 10-12 students have participated in the incredibly affordable program — just $75 for eight months (bursaries also available) — which includes entrance to every mainstage production plus pizza dinners.   

“It’s remarkable! I couldn’t be more delighted with its success,” says Prendergast, who helped grow B101 from a late-1990s grant proposal by former Artistic Director Glynis Leyshon and longstanding Director of Marketing & Communications Mark Dusseault into a signature program that directly engages youth with the creative talents behind mainstage productions, including talkback sessions, script and social impact analysis, and collective creation projects which are then publicly presented as Belfry 101 Live!     

“The talkback sessions alone were golden,” says Prendergast, whose experiences in Artistic Director Roy Surrette’s era went on to form the basis of her Master’s thesis. “My only regret is that I never recorded those: the kids just were so excited about seeing a professional production — for many of them, it was the first professional theatre they’d ever seen.” 

Laura Harris was a Belmont Secondary student back in 2002 when she signed up as one of Prendergast’s students. Now a US-based professional playwright, director and actor who has since performed at the Belfry’s SPARK Festival, Harris credits B101 with inspiring her career. “It taught me that I can write and perform my own work, which I’ve been doing since I graduated from theatre at UVic. It showed me that theatre isn’t just about being a performer, there are so many possibilities . . . and that’s a skill that can be transferred to any other career — it doesn’t have to be the arts.”

While there have been many B101 alumni who have indeed gone on to arts careers — local Fringe Festival favourite Rod Peter Jr., Juno Award-winning composer Martin MacPhail (“it was a formative experience which made a career in the arts seem reachable”), Ronnie Burkett puppet creator Marcus Jamin, UK-based actor Samuel Walmsley-Byrne — for others it was a springboard to greater self-awareness.

“I was a really anxious kid and Belfry 101 gave me the chance to express myself, make friends and gain confidence,” says Antonia Neatby (’15/’16). “I was actively struggling with OCD at the time, which very few people knew about, and the work we did let me get out of my own head. I’m really, really grateful.” Local youth educator Jessica Burdge (’14/’15) says it had an influence on her wanting to teach secondary school, and recent UVic theatre graduate Bill Allen sees his B101 experience (’17/’18) as directly leading to his current path. “Every skill I employ in my theatre art now was formed through this program in one way or another, and continues to be built upon as I write, direct and perform my own work,” he says.

Local playwright Nicholas Guerreiro just saw his latest work, Hapax Theatre’s Hidden People, have a sold-out run in the Belfry’s BMO Theatre in December 2025. Also, an actor and coordinatorfor the BC Legislature’sParliamentary Players program; he did two successive years in the program (’12/’13) before graduating from Mount Douglas.

“Belfry 101 was a formative experience for me,” he recalls. “I remember Michael Shamata complimented one line I had written for our show: I don’t remember the line, but I do remember the compliment — it made me feel that someone was actually interested in what I had to say theatrically.” (Interestingly, Guerreiro brothers Aiden and Jaren then went on to enroll and have both become theatrical professionals themselves.)

Kate Rubin, coordinator for eight years after Prendergast, feels the unique mix of students and professionals is the program’s core strength. “I really like that aspect of melding the actual artists they’re about to see in the shows with the teens, who are often looking for inspiration and people doing innovative work,” she says. “I’m heartened that it’s continuing, that the Belfry still feels it’s important to have that connection with youth and build their creative development, which will help them in whatever context they find themselves. It’s a beautiful chance for people to cross different landscapes together and have conversations that you don’t often get — especially at that age.”

Ultimately, current coordinator Dave Morris feels Belfry 101 is one of the most inspirational projects he’s ever been involved with. “It’s been this quiet thing at the Belfry for years now — it’s not something they really shout from the rooftops — but it’s always happening and is a really wonderful entrance into Victoria’s greater theatre community,” he concludes. “I think it’s the best program for youth who want to do theatre. I wish this existed when I was in high school!”

If you know a high school student who may be interested in participating during the 26 – 27 Season, contact the Belfry 101 coordinator at  b101@belfry.bc.ca.

Belfry 101 is supported by the Potash Family Foundation.

John Threlfall is a local writer and longtime theatre advocate who also wishes a program like Belfry 101 existed when he was in high school.