Team conflict cancels Young Company production on P.E.I.

P.E.I.'s Confederation Centre of the Arts has cancelled this summer's Young Company show over interpersonal conflicts.

The centre in Charlottetown made the announcement Wednesday, just two days before the production was set to premiere.

The show was called The Rising and centred on protest songs and music that inspired change.

Centre CEO Steve Bellamy said it's the first time the Young Company has had to cancel a production. The program has been running for more than 25 years.

Bellamy would not go into detail about the nature of the conflict, but said it involved the entire team and despite their best efforts, it could not be resolved.

"Since the beginning ... there were a number of challenges within the team," said Bellamy.

"We rallied resources and did everything we could to to support the team. We brought in external support, professional support to help guide those conversations ... and nonetheless, we weren't able to get past them."

Replacement production planned

The centre bills the Young Company as one of the country's leading performance-based training programs, drawing roughly a dozen people between the ages of 18 and 30 to the province from across Canada.

Daily shows at the centre's outdoor amphitheatre are normally a staple of summer in Charlottetown.

Officials said there are no allegations of misconduct or criminal investigations underway in relation to the conflict.

It's unclear whether the performers will be paid for the rest of the summer or if they will participate in any other Confederation Centre of the Arts shows this year.

Bellamy said a replacement production will be announced later this month, and hopes it can premiere by the end of July.

He said the centre will continue to reflect on and review what happened in an effort to learn from the situation.

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