Ruth Howard

Ruth Howard is the founding Artistic Director of Jumblies Theatre. She and Jumblies have created multi-year residencies resulting in large scale performances, in a series of Toronto neighbourhoods, resulting in large-scale productions and lasting Offshoot organizations. She has worked across Canada and in England as a theatre designer, has taught at many universities, colleges and schools, amentored many emerging artists and organizations, and won many awards for her work. In 2015 Ruth and Jumblies produced the west-to-east-coast Train of Thought tour with partners across the country. Her most recent projects with Jumblies include the May/June 2017 Touching Ground Festival of new works in Toronto and the Four Lands tour.

Adrienne Marcus Raja

Adrienne explores a range of practices which blends in painting, puppetry, audio, installation, moving images, and photography. As a Malaysian with a Kelabit and Hainan ancestory, she is a multi-disciplinary artist currently living in Toronto. Her works has been presented nationally and internationally. She is an MFA graduate of Ryerson University in Documentary Media. She also holds a BA degree in Mass Communication and Television Production from Curtin University. She is the first recipient of Jumblies’ Al Levitt Memorial Award. She enjoys travelling as well as learning alongside people from different backgrounds and communities. She is currently the Tour Coordinator for Jumblies’ most recent collaborative touring project, The Four Lands. She is also Jumblies’ Arts Management Intern (thanks to an Ontario Arts Council Compass grant). 

Sharada Eswar

WRITER, STORYTELLER, SINGER AND ARTS EDUCATOR, SHARADA ESWAR’S WORK SPANS ACROSS MULTI DISCIPLINES AND ART FORMS. A GRADUATE IN LITERATURE STUDIES, SHE TRAINED TO BE A WRITER AND A STORYTELLER. SIMULTANEOUSLY SHE ALSO IMMERSED MYSELF IN CARNATIC MUSIC (SOUTH INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC) IN CHENNAI, INDIA. SHE ALSO TOOK TO MANY OTHER STYLES INCLUDING HINDUSTANI CLASSICAL (PATIALA GHARANA) RABINDRA SANGEET, ABHANG AND EUROPEAN. WHILE MAINTAINING HER VEENA STUDIES, HER INTEREST SHIFTED TO THE VOICE AND STORYTELLING. SHE WAS PART OF THE TEAM REPRESENTING INDIA AT THE INDIA ABROAD SHOW IN PARIS AND NEW YORK. SHE WAS ALSO ONE OF THE THREE CHOSEN BY THE CENTRES CULTURELS DES LIONS CLUBS DE PARIS TO PRESENT INDIAN CULTURE IN NORMANDY, FRANCE. SINCE THEN, SHE HAS BEEN PERFORMING AND TEACHING IN TORONTO AND INTERNATIONALLY, DRAWING ON HER OWN SOUTH ASIAN ANCESTRY AND HERITAGE. A PUBLISHED CHILDREN’S AUTHOR, SHARADA IS AT PRESENT THE COMMUNITY ACTIVATOR AT THE ART GALLERY OF MISSISSAUGA AND HAS BEEN THE CULTURAL ANIMATOR (MISSISSAUGA/PEEL) THROUGH THE ONTARIO ARTS COUNCIL.

Andrew Gaboury

Andrew Gaboury is a performer, playwright and educator based in Port Credit. His work embraces and mashes together devised theatre, durational performance, physical improvisation and clown. He is one of three co-Artistic Directors of hub14 art & performance works, a studio and artist residency in Toronto, and the Director of a field of crowns, a performance-based company with an interest in collaboration and an empowered audience. Recent credits: Home (Mississauga Waterfront Festival, Frog in Hand Productions); Explorer (HarbourKIDS: Circus 2017, Harbourfront Centre); A Wake for Lost Time (DaPoPo Live-in, [elephants] collective, Halifax); Life List (Acky Made Productions, Toronto Fringe).

Julia Hune-Brown

JULIA HUNE-BROWN IS AN ACTOR, EDUCATOR AND COMMUNITY ARTIST. FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS, SHE HAS BEEN WORKING WITH DIVERSE COMMUNITIES FACILITATING MOVEMENT AND THEATRE WORKSHOPS HERE IN TORONTO AND INTERNATIONALLY. HER WORKSHOPS HAVE AN EMPHASIS ON IDENTITY AND EXPRESSION THROUGH MOVEMENT AND HAVE USED DANCE AND THEATRE TO DISCUSS ISSUES OF BULLYING, CONSENT, IMMIGRATION, RACE AND LGBTQ RIGHTS. JULIA HOLDS A BFA IN THEATRE AND DEVELOPMENT FROM CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY AND A BED IN EDUCATION FOCUSING ON INNER CITY EDUCATION FROM OISE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO. AS AN EDUCATOR SHE PREVIOUSLY TAUGHT IN BRIXTON, ENGLAND AND CURRENTLY WORKS AS A VISITING ARTIST AND CLASSROOM TEACHER WITH THE TDSB. MOST RECENTLY, JULIA HAS WORKED AS ACTOR AND FORUM THEATRE FACILITATOR TOURING WITH MIXED COMPANY THEATRE. LAST YEAR, JULIA TRAINED WITH RUTH HOWARD AT JUMBLIES THEATRE- MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE THEATRE ONTARIO PROFESSIONAL THEATRE TRAINING PROGRAM. JULIA IS DELIGHTED TO BE BACK FOR A SECOND SEASON WITH JUMBLIES AS A LEAD ARTIST AND DIRECTOR OF THE GROUND FLOOR YOUTH THEATRE PROJECT.

Tijana Spasic

Binaeshee-Quae Couchie-Nabigon

Fortunate to have been born into an artful family, she has always felt free to dream: Binaeshee-Quae (Loon Clan) is a singer songwriter, actor & community arts enthusiast from Biigtigong First Nation. She works with many different mediums but the voice is the “heart of her art”. She performs jazzy-alterna-folk & onomatopoeically crafted lyrics. Her first full length album “Ooof” was released in 2013 & is planning a follow-up release in the coming year. Binaeshee-Quae has been involved in community arts as an artist, presenter, workshop facilitator & volunteer since 2009. She has worked professionally for community arts organizations such as Aanmitaagzi (2011-2017) and more recently Jumblies (2017) where she assists and collaborates in music, theatre, movement & visual arts activities.

Sam Egan

Heather Long

Heather Long is a visual artist, educator and arts administrator currently living in Toronto. Her mixed media works on paper are experimental and free flowing, often referencing patterns, shapes, colours and textures observed from both natural and urban landscapes of her everyday surroundings and through her travels. She has more recently begun to work in ceramics, and is passionate about caring for plants and gardening. Heather graduated from York University with a BFA in Visual Arts and BEd, followed more recently by a post-graduate certificate in Arts Administration & Cultural Management from Humber College. As an educator, Heather has taught visual arts to young children around Ontario, as well as English in Seoul, South Korea. Since October 2018 (supported by CHRC and Young Canada Works), Heather has had the opportunity to work with Jumblies in many different capacities from organizational to artistic. Being able to work with talented artists and community members in a warm and welcoming atmosphere on a daily basis has been very rewarding and a great learning experience! When not at Jumblies, Heather works as an installation technician at The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery.

Jamie-lee Oshkabewisens

Aanii, Jamie-lee Oshkabewisens Dizhnikaaz, Wikwemkoong Doongibaa. Hello I’m Jamie–lee Oshkabewisens, I hail from Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve, on Manitoulin Island, Ontario. I’ve been in plays with Debajehmujig Creation Centre – in “Nanabush Steals the Fire”. I was the main protagonist, which was performed to the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation (sucker creek) perschoolers. Other shows include “12” (12 days of Christmas 2014) & “Spirit of the North” (2013), done here at the Creation Centre. I’ve had the honour to be a part of the Debajehmujig production “Global Savages” (2015). I also take part in an annual “Wilder Med Senarios” with the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (N.O.S.O.M). I’ve been in an Arts Educator Foundations workshop with the Royal Conservatory of Music & Debajehmujig Theatre Company. I’ve been a part of the tour “Train of Thought Canada” with a theatre company in Toronto “Jumblies Theatre”. Another notable educational credit is the Heritage Interpreter workshop. I am now a freelance artist after 7/8 years with Debajehmujig, currently working on my own projects as well as starting in April 2018 to work with Jumblies for a year, thanks to Miziwe Biik.

Ashley Riley

Ashley Riley is an Anishinaabe Indigenous woman and daughter of Cheryl and Kelly Riley of Seine River and Chippewas of the Thames First Nations. She studied Theatre Arts at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario. Ashley enjoys all forms of art mediums including theatre,movement, singing, powwow dancing, sewing and beadwork. Ashley is an activist for First Nations rights and is passionate about how she may heal the intergenerational trauma that exists with her people through the arts. She has participated in “Talking Treaties Spectacle” with Ange Loft sharing knowledge of the Treaties surrounding the Toronto area. She is very grateful to be a recipient of the Miziwe Biik grant and is excited to be sharing a space with Jumblies Theatre. She is continuously learning about community arts and is looking forward to this year at Jumblies.

Nimra Bandukwala

Nimra is interested in the intersections between art and well-being. She is originally from Pakistan, and is currently based in Mississauga. Having recently graduated from McGill University in Psychology, she is constantly looking for ways to make the language of expression more accessible and inclusive. She has created and been involved in Art Hives in Montreal from 2015-17. She currently engages fourth graders, facilitates workshops for adults with disabilities, oil paints, and admires Jumblies.

Sadaf Zuberi

Sadaf Zuberi is a multi-disciplinary professional with international development experience. Zuberi blends her commitment to social change with her focused expertise in financial and grants management, program administration and stakeholder engagement. With over 10 years of experience across education, environment and the arts sectors, Sadaf brings strategic and operational expertise to the Art Gallery of Mississauga. Also a keen filmmaker, Sadaf is committed to highlighting peripheral voices and visuals that stimulate reflective dialogue that inspires shared understanding of diverse perspectives. Her portfolio can be viewed at organicdrift.space.

Martin van de Ven

MARTIN VAN DE VEN IS A COMPOSER, CLARINETTIST AND MUSICAL DIRECTOR AND EDUCATOR. A MAINSTAY OF THE CANADIAN KLEZMER SCENE, HE PERFORMS WITH CANADA’S HOTTEST KLEZMER BAND, BEYOND THE PALE, RECENTLY RETURNED FROM TOUR OF THE SOUTHERN U.S. HE HAS PUBLISHED TWO INSTRUCTIONAL VOLUMES OF KLEZMER TRANSCRIPTIONS AND HAS COMPOSED AND PERFORMED MUSIC FOR FILM, TELEVISION, THEATRE, AND DANCE PRODUCTIONS. IN 2017 WITH JUMBLIES HE COMPLETED THE MULTI MOVEMENT CANTATA, UNDER THE CONCRETE, PREMIERED AT HISTORIC FORT YORK, ALONGSIDE THE TALKING TREATIES SPECTACLE.  HE IS CURRENTLY A FULL-TIME MATH INSTRUCTOR AT FOR THE TORONTO DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD, AND A FIRM BELIEVER IN ARTS EDUCATION –FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS ALIKE– AS A WAY TO A HEALTHY, WELL ROUNDED AND FULFILLING LIFE.

Daev Clysdale

Daev (pronounced Dave) Clysdale is a musician from Ottawa, now living in Toronto. Daev plays Irish traditional music on wooden flute, tin whistle, accordion and piano and has been playing, performing and composing music for over twenty years. Daev studied in the music program at Carleton University, where he became the first person in Canada to earn a performance degree in tin whistle.Now, after years of playing sessions, ceilis, weddings, and other events, he has developed a reputation as a skilled performer and teacher. In 2012, Daev competed in the prestigious Midwest Fleadh Cheoil in Chicago, placing first in tin whistle and third on flute. 

Alejandra Nuñez

Alejandra Nuñez is a vocalist, percussionist, composer and mother to Natalia and Mathew. Born in Santiago Chile, Alejandra has lived and worked as a musician in Canada and the United States, she has performed in Europe as well as North and Central America. Her training on percussion has taken her to Brazil, Cuba, Puerto Rico, New York and Egypt. Band leader of Latin Jazz Band Projecto Urbano Self titeled CD with Mano Music. Alejandra has performed with The Toronto Dance Theater and written scores for various plays, including Djanet Sears Adventures of A Black Girl in Search of God (Dora MD Nomination) MD Trey Anthony’s The Kink in My Hair, Score, Soundscape, MD Michael Miller’s The Power of Harriet T!

Robert Alan Mackie

Robert Alan Mackie has spent his adult life dissecting the sounds of Québecois jazz purists, Torontonian songwriters, and Scandinavian fiddlers, sewing them back up however he pleases for display on the double bass, the violin, and the written word. Robert Alan Mackie is thankful to count Anh Phung, Jaron Freeman-Fox, Quinn Bachand, Steven Foster (Omhouse), Sarah Jane Scouten, The Bombadils, and Coco Love Alcorn as collaborators and compatriots on record and in performance.