Jumblies is delighted to welcome Laura Hale to our artistic team over the next year, partly thanks to a professional development grant from the Saskatchewan Arts Board.

Laura Hale is an interdisciplinary artist from Saskatchewan who’s work encompasses large scale, site specific works, installation art, all season ephemeral environmental work, repurposed and recycled art, small-scale intimate pieces, props, wardrobe, set design and construction, themed event design installation and community-based collaborations and workshops. She spent 5 years as Head of Props at the Globe Theatre in Regina before moving on to pursue her own independent art practice. Laura has since worked with a variety of diverse communities, groups and individuals through the Saskatchewan Arts Board artist in residence program. Over the last 5 years she lived and worked in the communities of Lloydminster with the Barr Colony Heritage Cultural Centre, Saskatoon’s Meewasin Valley Authority and the Jeux du Canada Games in Regina. She was recently named the 2010 “emerging artist” by CARFAC Saskatchewan.

On December 13 of 2010, ARTS4ALL presented The Forest of Shadows, an installation performance that combined  visual art environment, live performance, sound collage, radio drama and shadow projection to create an interactive playground of light and sound. The evening featured stories of fear and courage by the Pelham Park Seniors, the Davenport Perth Neighbourhood Centre (DPNC) Italian, Portuguese, English and Spanish Speaking Seniors, DPNC Literacy Learners, and starred the Arts4All Players and participants in the Jumblies Studio Arts For All Essentials workshop as both masked and storytelling performers.

Artists included Liz Rucker (Artistic Director, Writer), Dan Watson (Director), Eric Schwindt (Composer), Beth Frey (Designer) and Sean Frey (Projections). Bill G., a DPNC Literacy Learner, was in the audience, and kindly wrote this review about his experience:

It was a welcoming sight to enter into the shadows of the forest. Walking thought made you feel like the forest came to life. I particularly liked the lion that each time somebody walked by, he would roar and scratch at its victims that go by her way. There was a scary animal like man, with a stick in his hand that seemed to be banging it trying to wake up the forest. Then there were all these different shapes and sizes of people with snow white masks, that seemed to be frozen in time. They came to life when the animal like man came running and banging, scaring them off. The lights that made all of the shadows on the walls seemed to be a little eerie as you walk through. The forest seemed to be whispering with the waving of its branches. It was a great sight to behold. Then there were the stories the forest had to share with you, as you could reach for one of the head phones to hear the tales of the forest, like the brave lion, or the woman who had enough courage to stand up to her boss. It gave you a sense of courage too, to hear and see all of these people and animals that stood up for themselves. It was to say the least a very entertaining and new experience that you will really enjoy.

Light Box, Sean Frey & others, Photo: Katherine Fleitas

Arts4All is funded by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, the Toronto Arts Council and the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

Jumblies is delighted to receive a grant from Theatre Ontario’s Youth Theatre Training Program (YTTP), for our a  series of theatre workshops for East Scarborough Youth, connected to our multi-year community arts residency in that neighbourhood. This project, taking place this spring, will be lead by Beth Helmers, involve several Jumblies regular artists and introduce several new artists to our company and project: Lisa Codrington, Kevin Ormsby and Veronica Johnny.

Theatre Ontario’s YTTP Program is funded by the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario.

(Photo: mask made & worn by Ashraf, 2009 Scarborough Youth, by K. Fleitas)

We are pleased to announce our first seminar of 2011, this time a pleasant morning gathering:

My Year with Jumblies Theatre, by Beth Helmers
(thanks to the Metcalf Foundation)

Wed. January 19th
9:30 to 11:30 AM
Cedar Ridge Creative Centre
225 Confederation Drive
Scarborough, Ontario

Coffee, tea and morning refreshments included.
Admission free, donations always gratefully accepted.

Shuttle bus  from Kennedy Subway (Passenger Pick-up) at 9:15– returning by  noon.

Beth has spent a full year as lead artist in Jumblies’ East Scarborough residency, and her presentation will give you a chance to find out about this project and see where it takes place, as well as hearing about what it’s like to be an intern in the world of community-engaged arts. Don’t be intimidated by the time or location. Cedar Ridge is a warm and beautiful place: if you’ve never been there, you’ll be amazed. We’ll feed and entertain you, and get you safely to and from the subway. If you drive, there is free parking, and we can send you a map.

Other than completing a year-long Metalf Foundation performing arts internship with Jumblies Theatre, Beth Helmers’ work includes co-facilitating the Creators’ Unit with the Paprika Festival, teaching in the drama school at LKTYP, writing her play Uglyful,  directing Tottering Biped’s premiere production, Thom Pain, in Burlington, and directing a section of  We Live Here, at Arts4All. Past projects include directing Ablaze and acting in HONK, If You Can Hear Me! (NNNN, NOW Magazine) at the SummerWorks festival, directing Escape from Grace (**** EYE Magazine) at the Toronto Fringe Festival, and assistant directing Offensive Fouls for Theatre Direct. Beth has worked as an assistant professor in the acting program at Ryerson University, created and directed projects with young women through Theatre Revolve and led workshops for Soulpepper, Canadian Stage, and the Tarragon Theatre.  She holds a BFA in acting from Ryerson University.

Please reply or ask questions via 416 203 8428 or info@jumbliestheatre.org .

Jumblies Arts For All Essentials – our 6-day intensive workshop on the principals, practices and underpinnings of Jumblies and art that engages with and creates community – took place from December 11 to 18, for the 5th time in Toronto (and 7th time in the world), with 26 participants of varied ages, experience levels and arts disciplines and 10 Jumblies artists, staff, associates and guest presenters. It was based at Davenport Perth Neighbourhood Centre, with excursions to Jumblies projects and offshoots in Etobicoke and Scarbourough.

Some things the participants said about it:

Arts For All Essentials was an inspiring experience, creatively, emotionally and spiritually. I’ve been exposed to people and ideas that have changed the way I think about art and community, both separately and together.

I was motivated as a newcomer to Community Based Arts Practices, I was given the opportunity to connect with others in this field, and deeply inspired as an Artist – all over the course of one week.

Wow! Realized the powerful potential of community art engagement when there is more of a focused intent and goal/path/journey: the power of collective creation that creates community and growth.

A hotbed of creative art-making in the GTA bringing seasoned artists and enthusiastic participants together to reflect on practice and practice theory.

I work in the Arts but not as an artist and I loved that everything learned this week is relevant to my work and that my voice and presence felt as valued as everyone else’s.

Jumblies makes me feel at home in Community Arts; I have found my place.

You guys provoke so many radical ways of thinking about community, activity, ritual, ways of bringing people together… I found your work to be very fierce and your openness to new ideas even fiercer.

One of the things I appreciated most was the opportunity to encounter the diversity of talent hidden away in some of Toronto’s most disconnected neighbourhoods.

I strongly recommend it to artists, cultural producers, and organizations who are working in/with communities.

The fact that arts for all means for all seems obvious, but one reads a lot of mission statements that say a lot of things. It is, thus, very refreshing to see a genuine care, which is demonstrated in your work.

Any organization that’s hosting community arts activities or working in the arts should take it.

Arts For All Essentials will be offered again in Toronto in the winter of 2011. If interested, please e-mail us to be put on an info. list.

(Group photo by: Katherine Fleitas)