| The RED Letter, May 2007 |
Table of Contents
1. Words from Lisa Pijuan-Nomura
Spring has sprung and the days are long and luxurious and here at GirlCanCreate we are busy like bumblebees! The 2nd RED Festival was chock a block full of artists and brilliant art and magical moments. I would like to thank all of the artists who participated, Erica Kopyto, Howard Laurie, Jascha Narveson, Paul Baines, Dave Pijuan-Nomura, Lula Lounge and the all of the volunteers who gave their time to make the festival a success. Great thanks to the Ontario Arts Council for their support in making it a great event. When I started RED, I had anticipated that I would put together two or three shows and I never would have guessed that I would have presented over 450 artists in the past 5 years. When I look at the gallery of the past RED's I am amazed at all of the great art that was presented as part of a little idea that grew into a grand vision. After five years and much thought, June 13 will be the last RED. Although a tough decision, I have a new vision that right now will simply be called RED restructured. I can't tell you much about it now, but I do promise that it will be an exciting new performance event that will commence in the fall. I am taking the summer off to rest and rejuvenate and focus on some new endeavours. I will still be writing the RED Letters and am hoping that finally, my RED Radio dream will come into fruition. I want to invite all of the artists and audiences that have contributed to RED in the past to save the date on June 13th, as it will be a great night of art with a few wonderful surprises. Have a great spring and enjoy the sun! Best, Lisa Pijuan-Nomura P.S. The RED Fest photos are up in the gallery! Have a look at www.girlcancreate.com and click on gallery! Thanks to Dave for the brilliant work! 2. Feature Interview: Missing Plaque Project(I first saw Tim Groves on his unicycle many years ago. A local activist, historian and stilt walker Tim is the founder of the Missing Plaque Project.) — Lisa PN
What is the Missing Plaque Project all about? How do you choose the stories that you will create? Could you also tell us a bit about Hidden Toronto? What are 5 of your favourite places in Toronto? They could be bookshops, parks, ravines, cafes, anything! 1. Guildwood Park , this park stands on top the Scarborough bluffs, it was once the site of an industrial arts guild, but now it is a cemetery for old buildings. in the 1950's, 60's and 70's many of Toronto's oldest buildings were being torn down, the guild went around and bought all sorts of gargoyles and ornamental stone work, brought it back to the park and reassembled it as an amazing sculpture garden. 2. I love Coffee Time , because it is such an important part of Toronto. You can bike to any part of the city at 3am and you know one will be nearby. Probably no other city in the world has as many 24hr donut shops. They are uniquely Torontonian. In a city with not enough homeless shelters these donut shops do a big part of filling the void. Right now my favorite Coffee Time is a Eglington and Spadina, because the back room is all windows, even on the ceiling. 3. The Leslie Street Spit , beaches filled with rebar, and other parts of demolished buildings, turn out to make the best spot for a nature sanctuary. 4. Spadina House, I have never been inside this museum, but sometimes my favorite thing to do in the world is hop the fence late at night and look at downtown from atop the escarpment. The grounds of this historic mansion have beautiful gardens, gnarled trees, and an orchard. 5. The glass elevator at the Hilton Hotel , enough said. 3. Feature Theatre: Crave“Nightwood Theatre was created to be a powerful voice for women. In choosing to mount Sarah Kane's complex and difficult Crave, the company more than fulfills it's mandate... brilliantly choreographed... magnificent... Crave is an extreme theatreical experience.” — Paula Citron, Globe and Mail
Nightwood Theatre is thrilled to present the Toronto premiere of Crave. Renegade playwright Sarah Kane is considered one of the most important and exciting playwrights of the last quarter-century. Crave is an interconnected weaving of the lives of 4 characters, the musings on self and others and the ferocity of craving someone or something. In experiencing this piece, you will have the feeling of eavesdropping on private conversations. The text has echoes of Shakespeare, T.S. Eliot and Samuel Beckett. Crave is symphony of voices expressing their feelings about love, lust, pain, humor, sadness, hope, resignation... it's luxuriously dark. April 26 to May 19 For tickets: 416.866.8666 or totix.ca “The play has such force that by the end I felt as if the breath had been knocked out of me. This is a play no one who loves the theatre should miss.” — eye weekly
4. Feature Photography: Wonderland
Melanie Gordon and William Oldacre Curiosity takes the driver's seat in Wonderland, new photographic works by Melanie Gordon and William Oldacre, presented at Channel Gallery as part of the 2007 CONTACT Toronto Photography Festival. Make no mistake, Wonderland is a vision of this world, reexamining our encounters with the familiar to reveal beautiful and strange truths. With a keen eye to the sensuality of the female form, Melanie Gordon's series of colour prints follows a woman's interaction with tiny objects borrowed from her shrinking past. In these narrative fragments, the tiny objects lose their function and instead inquire into the role of innocence in female identity. William Oldacre's series of colour prints invites a re-acquaintance with our urban environment. He uses the passing of time to create images of urban motion where washes of colour and light transform the familiar streetscape into a beautiful dream. Channel Gallery is an artist run gallery. New works in varied media will be exhibited by members Jess Riva Cooper, Helena Frei, Susan Leopold, and Peggy Mersereau in conjunction with the Wonderland show. Wonderland opens at Channel Gallery, in the Distillery District on info@channelgallery.ca
5. Read this Book! With Book Lady Sarah Selecky
Several years ago, I read a short story by Neil Smith in the Journey Prize anthology called Green Fluorescent Protein. This story, about two boys who maybe have crushes on each other and maybe don't, was written so well it made me cry. I looked everywhere for this author’s book, so I could read more. But, alas! He hadn't published a full collection, yet. I've waited about five years for this... and now, finally, it's here. Isolettes, the first and most powerful story in the collection, is a story about a tenuous triangle: a premature infant named B, her mother, An, and the sperm donor, Jacob. An delivered B after only four months, and now B lives in an incubator, filled with tubes. As An and Jacob watch B struggle to live, An struggles to love. The end of this story is breathtaking. The B9ers is a story about a support group for people with benign tumours (I loved this one), Extremities is a story told from the point of view of a pair of calfskin gloves, and Funny Weird or Funny Ha Ha? is about a woman who carries her husband's ashes around in a curling stone for support as she kicks her alcohol addiction. This is unexpected, inspired writing. Every story is an examination of love in some way; as I was reading these stories, I was often hit sideways by an emotional angle I didn't see coming. I love that.
My first George Saunders experience was Pastoralia, a collection of weird and hilarious short stories that revealed a dystopian world that was disturbingly familiar to our own. Saunders holds a carefully constructed fun mirror up to our own obsessions and societal afflictions. It makes us laugh, but then when we recognize a piece of ourselves in a bit of that wiggly reflection, there is a moment of destabilization, a comic hiccup of understanding. This is good satire. With Pastorali, this hiccup was unsettling - with In Persuasion Nation, it's downright terrifying. In My Flamboyant Grandson, a grandfather takes off his tight shoes and tries to walk through the city in sock feet to a Babar musical with his grandson. But embedded in his shoes - in everyone's shoes - are Everly Strips, which are scanned by Everly Readers embedded in the sidewalk, which then beam advertisements to individual consumer eyes and ears. The ads are personalized, of course, because every year, each citizen is required to fill out the Everly Questionnaire, which tracks their personal product preferences. So walking without shoes renders the grandfather's Everly Strips inoperable, and this is not allowed. They track him down, of course. He is easy to trace - everyone is under some kind of surveillance. What's terrifying about this story is how much this world seems to be our own world. Too close! Saunders is a master of voice and diction. He writes in voices that rise off the page, preternaturally human. Whether old, young, educated, self-made, uneducated or corporation-bred, these voices ring in your ears, which ads a jarring intimacy to the satire. Only one story failed to move me - the one that is also the title of the book - and that's only because it went a bit too far, and the spell was broken. But the others - Joe, The Red Bow, Comm Comm. Bohemians - these stories made me laugh and tremble. Read this book. But have someone you love and trust read it, too, so you won't be alone and scared when you're finished. 6. Top10 with Chris Gibbs(It's no secret that Chris Gibbs is a funny guy, but sometimes I like to know little things about someone that you will never know until you ask. And so, here are Chris's Top 10 fabourite things. Oh, and don't forget to go to his book launch this Tuesday! Or go and see his show The Power of Ignorance. Trust me, you will be happy you did! - Lisa PN) Movie - The Princess Bride. Country - I've never had that feeling that I've heard of where you know you're where you belong, except, and I'll never understand this, once when I was in Belgium. Games - Grand Theft Auto, Vice City, although there's a Coke commercial right now which starts with someone playing a game like that, and then the character starts doing really nice things, until eventually the people in the city are all singing and dancing. I want to play that game. Animals - cats, but I like the idea of wolves. Moment on-stage - I once managed to deliberately get my tie into someone's coffee-cup without looking and without showing how incredibly difficult it was to do. Person - Nicole, my wife. I am under no duress to include her at all. I am treated well and am happy. Sound - Laughter, as long as it isn't accompanied by the sounds of flames and hands rubbing together. Holiday - Christmas. Surprise gifts make it a holiday where lying to the people you love is a good thing. I actually was able to use the writing of 'The Power of Ignorance' to cover up that I was actually recording a book-on-tape for Nicole. Dance - The Brazilian martial art/dance capoeira. One of the keys to capoeira is that no matter what direction you fall in, you make it look like you did it on purpose, and that's influenced all my shows. Pizza - Canadian.
May 15 May 16 to 19 For more info on Chris and his future shows check out www.chrisgibbs.ca 7. Classes, Workshops and Conferencesthe 5th annual The fifth annual Radio Without Boundaries conference makes Deep Wireless an internationally sought after destination for those with a general interest in radio and transmission art and/or those who just want something more from radio. May 25 to May 27 $150/$130 (price includes conference sessions, workshops, lunches, & performances) Exploring the many potentials, boundaries and artist perspectives of radio and transmission art, the 2007 all-star line-up of international radio art luminaries include : R. Murray Schafer (Can), Robyn Ravlich (Australia; with support from the Australian council), Hans Ulrich Werner (Germany), Gregory Whitehead (USA), Heidi Grundmann (Austria; with support from the Austrian Cultural Forum), Harmon e. Phraisyar (UK), Eleanor King & Stephen Kelly (Can; with support from SOCAN Foundation). Workshops by Steve Wadhams, Andra McCartney, Stephen Kelly with Tetsuo Kogawa (via internet) as well as Hans Ulrich Werner with Gregory Whitehead will be offered to those attending the conference. Your conference registration also gets you into all Deep Wireless performances and Radio Without Boundaries workshops contact naisa@naisa.ca for details or go to http://www.naisa.ca/RWB for full info including conference session descriptions. Solo Show Weekend Intensive May 25, 26, 27 REGISTER: 416-778-8984 cre8_tv@yahoo.com CREATE YOUR SOLO SHOW! Whether you want to create a full length solo-show or experience a fantastic creative adventure...this weekend will guide you! Everything that happens to you is material for your show, from the details of your daily life to the epic moments that changed everything. Overcome your fears and unearth the universal truths that lie beneath your personal stories. We use improvisation, 'hot seats', timed writings, and other tools that allow your stories and theme to emerge in an organic way. Topics Include: Equity Members & RED LETTER READERS $220 ~ Non-Members $265 REGISTER: 416-778-8984 cre8_tv@yahoo.com Instructor: Tracey Erin Smith
Fresh Ideas in Puppetry Day The day will include: The Line-Up Discussion Group Performers (to be confirmed) The Participants For more info see www.puppetmongers.com
8. Calls for Entries
HATCH: emerging performance projects Harbourfront Centre is currently seeking proposals from Toronto-area artists and companies working in the field of performance for HATCH: emerging performance projects for the 2007/2008 series. Now heading into its fifth year, HATCH: emerging performance projects is designed to incubate and foster invention and innovation in the local theatre and performance scene. The programme has quickly become an important element in the ecology of local performance development. Companies and artists participating in HATCH will receive a one-week residency in the Studio Theatre, located at Harbourfront Centre. NEW this year! All 4 residency periods will be clustered in the spring of 2008. The residency package includes: One week (Monday - Sunday), rent-free in the Studio Theatre; Professional development and guidance in production and presentation - from marketing to international touring - through consultation with Harbourfront Centre's professional staff; Production subsidy designed to cover basic production costs during residency; Inclusion in marketing and media relations campaigns. We welcome proposals from emerging artists, as well as from more established artists engaging in new collaborations or entering into new artistic territory. We encourage performance projects originating within theatre, dance or interdisciplinary performance. We are particularly interested in proposals that can demonstrate how HATCH will be of benefit to the project or the artist at this particular point in development. Please see the full application package for more detailed information, available online at www.harbourfrontcentre.com/hatch. For more information, or to receive an application package via email or post call 416 952-7969 or email hatch@harbourfrontcentre.com. Deadline: 11 June 2007. A CALL TO PARTICIPATE ArtReach Toronto, in partnership with City of Toronto Culture, invites you to participate in a PITCH CONTEST! If you are a young artist or a group of artists, between the ages of 16 and 24, we want to hear from you. The arts are a powerful and motivating way that youth are involved in their communities. Whether it's in someone's basement, or through a community program, young people are creating art all over this city. We want to discover and support some of Toronto's finest artistic talent and encourage community participation through the arts. We invite you to submit your ideas to us, which could land you a spot in front of our esteemed panel of judges for a live and interactive pitch contest! Three $3,000.00 prizes will be awarded to youth groups that make it through a submission process and live contest being held as part of the Ignite: Youth Arts Forum on June 12, 2007 at the Gladstone Hotel. Deadline for Entries: Friday May 18, 2007 at 5:00pm MAKE YOUR PITCH! Call for Art/Craft Submissions: http://www.goodcatch.ca/vending.html well, they are more like vendor info sheets but you'll get the idea. PLAY/GROUNDS Deadline for Submissions is 4pm Friday June 22, 2007 PLAY/GROUNDS is a weekend-long festival of installation art spread throughout several sites in the community of Parkdale in downtown Toronto. Presented by the Parkdale Liberty Economic Development Corporation (PLEDC) in association with Artscape's Queen West Art Crawl, PLAY/GROUNDS will run on September 15 and 16, 2007. The Parkdale Town Square will serve as the festival's home base, and artists are encouraged to employ empty store fronts, vacant lots, and parks as possible satellite locations for installations that engage and interact with passers-by. The festival seeks to challenge popular notions of public space, and to explore how diverse populations creatively relate with and within the shared spaces of their community. Parkdale is one of Toronto's most diverse neighbourhoods, with many newcomers opting to make this downtown community their first Canadian home. Installation and performance pieces will animate the streetscape of Parkdale, inviting the public to participate and learn about the following topics: • Gentrification: an examination of this economic phenomenon and its specific social and artistic consequences in the Parkdale /Liberty Village area. • Relationships: the exploration of how people interact socially within the built urban environment. • Interpretations of public space: how seemingly nondescript public spaces can be manipulated to not only serve the artistic purposes of the artist, but to encourage local audiences to re-evaluate the city streets and buildings that they negotiate daily. We are actively soliciting site-specific installation work in a variety of mediums including performance. While we have a number of anticipated sites, proposals for alternate public or private spaces within the boundaries of Parkdale will also be considered. For more information contact Jessica Hum at Sequential Artists Group (S.A.G.) Call for Artists, Writers We are a group of sequential artists (comic book writers, artists) who meet the 2nd Sunday of every month in order to hone our skills and discuss our work in a friendly and informed atmosphere. We are always looking for other creators to join the group. The sequential artists group is structured: If you are interested in hearing more please contact Ruth Tait (studio no. 416-535-2901, email artbyrt@pathcom.com ) 9. Harbourfront Happenings
Lantern Making Workshops for the whole Family! Carnivalissima , produced by Luminato and Harbourfront centre, will liven up the waterfront with glowing dragons, glimmering lanterns and more. We invite you and your family to latern making workshops to help us create carnival lanterns for the Carnivalissima FireWalk on Saturday, June 9 Live: Matt Mullican- Under Hypnosis While under hypnosis, Matt Mullican creates paintings and drawings through a character who is very different to Mullican's everyday persona. Sandra Martin The First man in My Life: Daughters Write about Their Fathers, edited by award winning journalist Sandra Martin, is an anthology of 22 true narratives in which some of Canad's most acclaimed women writers share their memories of the first men in their lives; their fathers. With stories comples, compelling and wonderfully moving, this unforgettable colellection with strike a chord with fathers and daughters everywhere. Contributors Katherine Ashenburg, Catherine Gildiner, Rachel Manley, Rebecca Snow, and Tina Srebotnjak will join Sandra Martin on stage for an evening of readings and conversation with the audience. Brigantine Room, York Quay Centre 235 Queens Quay West For more info on these and more Harbourfront events please call 416-973-4000 or see www.harbourfrontcentre.com 10. Upcoming Performances of InterestMay 14 May 15 May 16 to 19 May 17 May 18 to May 20 May 19 to June 1 May 20 May 23-26 (2 performances daily) May 24 May 26 11. Photography by Dave Pijuan-Nomura
12. Last Thought Any great work of art revives and readapts time and space, and the measure of its success is the extent to which it makes you an inhabitant of that world – the extent to which it invites you in and lets you breathe its strange, special air. |
Hello to my lovely RED Letter Readers and welcome to those joining us! 
