When Westben co-founder Brian Finley talks about what he and his wife Donna have created and sustained for 25 years, it’s with a great deal of gratitude and humility. At the quarter century mark, Finley reflects on what has surprised him most about Westben’s success: It comes down to the extended Westben family.
“I’m continually blown away by the efforts of people like Board members or others who really want this to succeed and really do amazing things to see it happen,” he says. “It’s really amazing that this dream is such a contagious kind of thing – embraced by so many others.”
Westben is a performing arts venue that’s located in the Trent Hills near Campbellford – an off-the-beaten path location. “Being where we are, there are no preconceptions about what we should be, which is a wonderful way to go,” says Finley. “Not that we don’t compete with anybody, but in this area, people are willing to explore the possibilities. It’s very exciting.”
Calling itself a “year-round centre for connection & creativity through music in nature,” Westben has evolved from a single venue – The Barn – built in 2000 in the middle of a cornfield. “We opened The Barn on Canada Day. That was kind of the launch of the Westben concept here on site,” says Finley. “It had been going through various projects in the years previous to that, but this was the real manifestation of where it was going to find a home.”
Fast forward to 2024 when Westben has a total of 5 venues, including Willow Hill Amphitheatre, The Campfire, The Mary West Nature Reserve, all on the same property, and The West Schoolhouse one field north of The Barn. During the COVID pandemic, Westben also launched digital programming including concerts, podcasts, musical moments, kids videos, and more.
Westben began as a dream of the Finley’s after they returned to Donna’s hometown of Campbellford in 1989 to start their family. Soprano Donna and pianist/composer Brian had been enjoying international careers, living and working in Europe. Upon their return, they started performing and hosting events at local venues, as well as teaching music students and leading the music program at a local church. The successful staging of Jesus Christ Superstar and The Sound of Music led the couple to establish The Westben Arts Festival Theatre as a not-for-profit organization in 1999.
“There was an interesting feeling of immediacy to those early years,” says Finley. “We weren’t really considering where this is going to go; what we’re going to build it into; who was going to be involved. None of that was really happening because the present was so exciting. It was just such an explosion of energy and artistic possibilities and people coming together.”
The people power at Westben is remarkable: An 11-member Board of Directors, paid employees numbering from six to about 20 (depending on the season), a 250-member volunteer corps, 250 membership families, more than 20 long-term sponsors, plus government grant agencies. This doesn’t include the artists, musicians, and, of course, audience members.
“We consider all of these people part of our family. It takes a huge group to run this place, but it’s not just to run it, it’s to be involved in the experience of what it is. It’s the opportunity to do something positive in the world, something collaborative, that focuses on beauty and bringing people together.”
When an elderly audience member tells Finley, ‘Westben brings such joy to this community’, it’s powerful evidence of Westben’s impact on the community. A formula provided by the government grant agencies allows Westben to calculate its economic impact: A remarkable $1 million is brought into the community each year by the organization.
Finley is optimistic that Westben will thrive for a long time to come, and he expects future generations to carry the torch. “It’s a way of life for this family. There’s no doubt about it.
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