| The RED Letter, May 2006 |
Table of Contents
1. Words from Lisa Pijuan-Nomura
This month marks the 10th annual CONTACT Photography Festival and this city becomes home to some of the most brilliant exhibits in galleries, cafes and bars across the city. Check out www.contactphoto.com to see some of the brilliant art that is happening in Toronto right now. In my world of books and stories, I find that words sometimes become heavy, loaded and confusing. When overwhelmed, I look at some of my favourite photos and am reminded of a perfect day, a quirky friend or an unforgettable moment. Take a moment this month to stop speaking and start observing. Go through old photos and reminisce about times past. Take a walk in one of your favourite neighbourhoods and bring along you camera to take some snapsnots of all that interests you. You might be surprised by what you find. Words are great, but sometimes photography rules. Have a wonderful May! Regards,
2. Feature CONTACT ShowBelong TORONTO, ONTARIO, April 25, 2005 – Melanie Gordon and David Pijuan-Nomura collaborate on a photographic exhibit in the festival theme of Imaging a Global Culture with their work titled Belong. This exhibition features environmental portraits by Melanie Gordon and macrophotography by David Pijuan-Nomura. As modern culture focuses in on the individual, there is an increasing need for a sense of belonging. The feeling of being “out of place” is often the first signpost delineating where we belong. Melanie Gordon and David Pijuan-Nomura explore the tension in being out of place. What happens when a person becomes frozen between origin and destination? Gordon’s portraits are a series of unexpected scenes that explore the collision of the personal and the impersonal. Pijuan-Nomura has taken the idea of “out of place” to another level by rephotographing objects from Gordon’s scenes and presenting a series of macrophotographs that reinvent the meaning of these objects. Melanie Gordon photographs life in motion and e-motion. She has been exhibiting photography since 1997 and her work is a part of many corporate and private collections. Melanie studied photography and film at the Ontario College of Art and Design and Ryerson Polytechnic University and received her Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree in social/cultural anthropology and fine art from the University of Toronto. Melanie’s images explore the space in between motion and paralysis, freedom and restraint, strength and vulnerability. Her work reveals glimpses of dream and reality, building a comfortable tension between imagined and real. David Pijuan-Nomura is a Toronto-based photographer and new media artist. His macrophotography reveals the hidden beauty and forms of things that are overlooked or unseen by the naked eye. The graphic nature of his images transports the viewer to unimagined worlds that are often hidden in everyday objects and phenomena. His photographic and new media work has been featured in studios in Toronto, and as part of the Restorative Justice Week in Ottawa in 2005. David's show, "fluid.dynamic" will be featured at Balzac's Cafe in the Distillery during the month of July 2006. Opening: Thursday, May 4, 2006 6 - 9 p.m. 3. Feature Festival: Deep Wireless
New Adventures in Sound Art Presents: Deep Wireless Festival TORONTO, ON - New Adventures in Sound Art is pleased to launch Deep Wireless 2006, May 1-31, 2006. As part of a month-long celebration of radio and transmission art, radio artists, sound artists and enthusiasts can experience performances, sound installations, new commissions, special radio broadcasts, a CD launch and conference. Deep WIreless performances include Trevor Wishart in Concert on Mar 13th at the Music Gallery, RADiO iN AMBiENCE at THE PiNG, POWER DOWN performances curated by John Oswald throughout the month at the Drake, RADIO THEATRE performances on May 26th & 27th, Evolutionary Control Committee, Kathy Kennedy solo performance as well as the closing night show ALL REQUEST REDIRECT BAND with John Oswald, Mark Gunderson and Toronto celebrities. The Deep Wireless "Radio Without Boundaries" conference (held at Ryerson Student Centre) will close the month-long celebrations May 26-28, 2006 as it explores the many potentials, boundaries and artist perspectives of radio. Conference speakers include Trevor Wishart (UK), Magz Hall (UK), Tetsuo Kogawa (Japan), Joe Milutis (USA), Tianna Kennedy & Matt Mikas (free103point9, USA), and Canadians Kathy Kennedy, Steve Wadhams as well as Jowi Taylor, Chris Brookes and Paulo Pietropaolo from the award-winning radio programme The Wire. Workshops by Steve Wadhams, Tetsuo Kogawa and Trevor Wishart will be offered on May 29th for conference attendees only. Other festival highlights include: Sound installations throughout the month of May at the Drake and inter/access; Radio broadcasts on CBC Radio 1 99.1-FM of the Deep Wireless commissioned pieces by Debashis Sinha, Micheline Roi, Christian Nicolay & Damiano Pietropaolo on May 3, 10, 17, and 24, 2006 at 8:43pm; Radio art interventions on CKLN 89.1-FM and the launch of the Deep Wireless 3 radio art compilation CD (provided free to radio producers and conference-goers).
Where: The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen St W) Contact: Nadene Thériault-Copeland 4. Focus Toronto: Hidden Toronto Guided ToursGUIDED TOUR of The TORONTO ISLANDS and its history This tour crosses the Toronto Islands, and is designed to be fascinating and exciting, even to seasoned Torontonians. The history of the Toronto Islands includes first nations camps, a military post, a fishing community, violent storms, shipwrecks, hotels, amusement parks, the growth of a cottage community into a year round residential community, the demolition of island homes to create a park, and the fight back against those demolition to save island homes. "Really interesting, especially since I have come to the island since childhood and found I knew hardly anything about it." - a pleased participant WALKING TOURS ON SATURDAYS: BIKE TOURS ON SUNDAYS:
Tim Groves is a Torontonian who is dedicated to spreading his fascination and excitement of the city's history. In 2002 he founded the Missing Plaque Project, a project to make posters about little known and obscured Toronto history, and distribute them in the neighborhood the history is about. In 2004 he was accepted into the Youth Entrepreneurship Program, and in 2005 he started Discover Hidden Toronto a business providing bicycle and walking tours, as well as workshops on Toronto history. Tours are approximately 2hrs 15min Call to book your spot: 647 892 6442 To book your spot on a tour, to arrange a tour for your group on a different day to or to find out about the other guided tours and talks on Toronto history that we offer, contact Discover Hidden Toronto: 5. Read this Book! With Book Lady Sarah Selecky
6. RED Updates
Oh, it’s been a busy time at the GirlCanCreate offices this past few weeks. We have made some executive decisions about future RED shows. RED Festival will be in April 2007. This enables us to secure some brilliant artists and raise some more funds so that we can pay these brilliant artists! If you are interested in donating to RED to ensure the future of quality programming of quality events you can contact lisa@girlcancreate.com June 14th RED will be a fundraiser for The Paradise Project which features some of RED;s favourite performers telling the story of Paradise Lost by John Milton. Confirmed artists are Elana Freeman, Ilse Gudino, Noah Kenneally, Erin Shields and a special appearance by the experienced contact improvisers celebrating the 30 anniversary of the Toronto Jam. We will take a hiatus in August and return in October for a two day celebration of RED: A Night of Live Performance 4th Anniversary! Also, A New Gallery on GirlCanCreate.com with lots of great RED Photos by Dave Pijuan-Nomura! 7. Classes, Workshops and Conferencess h e d d i n g layers The Skinner Releasing Technique™ (SRT) lets us practice letting go of habitual holding patterns and ways of thinking in order to let something new happen. We find energy and power, improve strength and flexibility and awaken creativity and spontaneity. SRT can enhance any movement style and any activity. Classes include imagery as a powerful tool for transformation.Movement unfolds, sometimes in surprising and inventive ways. Integration of the technical with the creative is a unique aspect of the Skinner approach. The class atmosphere is gentle.Each of us can proceed at our own pace and in our own way. It's an experiential, intuitive approach taking into account the physical body and the energies that move through and around us. Julia Sasso is a Certified SRT Teacher and has been studying and practicing the form since 1994. Classes are facilitated in English and open to all with or without formal movement training. Classes run from June 5 to 30. +Mondays 10-11:30 ++Wednesdays/Fridays 10-12 studios open @ 9:30 $9/class http://www.skinnerreleasing.com Master Class with Sarah Chase Sarah Chase, internationally renowned dancer/choreographer and teacher, will be teaching a Master Class in different techniques of combining storytelling and movement on May 21, Noon - 6 p.m. at the Pia Bouman Studios, 6 Noble Street. The class will begin with an extensive warm-up, designed particularly to enable to participants to tap into the unique co-ordination necessary to successfully combine spoken word and movement. The class will explore how two lines of concentration - the body and the mind - can weave together in random patterns, creating chords of meaning. The warm-up exercises centre on cross-patterning exercises that Sarah has created or adapted from other sources; the aim of these exercises is to get both sides of the brain bright and alert as the body moves and are very specifically focused on integrating the right and left hemispheres of the brain. Other parts of the class will concentrate on biography and techniques Sarah has developed to stimulate memory and to find patterns and symbols embedded in biographical stories. The class is open to experienced dancers, actors and writers. Experience in dance/movement is helpful but not essential. Fee: $60 CLASS SIZE IS LIMITED! To ensure your place in the class, full payment must be received in the To register, call 416-504-6429 x 42 or Puppetry Workshops with Puppetmongers Week 1. Big Head and Prop Construction with Shadowland Theatre. June 5 to 9, from 9:30 to 4:30 daily. Week 2. The Arts of Puppetry with Puppetmongers and their Collaborators. June 12 to 16, from 9:30 to 4:30 daily. Week 3. Puppet Play Development with David Craig of Roseneath Theatre and Puppetmongers. June 19 to 23, from 9:30 to 4:30 daily. FEES: One week $450. Two weeks $750. All three weeks $950 TO REGISTER for this class please contact David at 416 691 0806 or info@puppetmongers.com to confirm that there is still room in the course. PAYMENT can be made by cheque made out to Toronto School of Puppetry and mailed to our office at 101 Spruce Hill Road, Toronto. ON. M4E 3G5 FOR REGISTRATION POLICIES please see www.puppetmongers.com RADIO WITHOUT BOUNDARIES CONFERENCE co-produced May 26-28th with workshops for conference registrants on May 29th Monday May 29th workshops are FREE RADIO WITHOUT BOUNDARIES will explore the many potentials and boundaries of radio and transmission art. Radio and sound artists, radio producers and enthusiasts attend this conference from far and wide to listen to lectures, panel discussions, and artist talks by leading international curators, producers and artists in the radio and transmission arts field. This year’s conference includes internationally reknown transmission and media artist Tetsuo Kogawa (Japan); seminal radio artist and composer Trevor Wishart (UK, sponsored by the British Council); radio producer and educator as well as one of Resonance-FM’s founders Magz Hall (UK, sponsored by the British Council); web-radio station and transmission arts presenter free103point9 artists and staff Tianna Kennedy and Matt Mitkas (USA); Prix Italia (2005) and Peabody (2006) award-winning show The Wire with Jowi Taylor, Paolo Pietropaolo and Chris Brookes; Kathy Kennedy (Montreal); EarSpace workshops by soundscape artist and educator Andra McCartney (Montreal) and Joe Milutis (USA). $150/130 2-day pass; $85/75 one-day pass; 1/2 price for CKLN programmers Read the full session descriptions 8. TOP10 with Meagan O’Shea
Things that Meagan likes the sound of but hasn’t experienced yet!
9. Calls for SubmissionsREEL ASIAN NOW SEEKING SUBMISSIONS DEADLINE JULY 3, 2006 REEL ASIAN
10. Websites I like
www.magnuminmotion.com - This website has powerful and poignant photoessays that make one think, question and marvel at the world around us. A note to the squirmish, some of the photo essays have extremely powerful content. www.artsbirthday.com - Although this doesn’t happen until January 17, I thought this was mighty interesting. www.torontocraftalert.blogspot.com - lately I love crafts and this website rocks my world. 11. Upcoming Performances of InterestMay 9 to May 21 May 9 to May 21 May 13 May 16 May 16 May 17 to May 21 May 18 to May 20 May 21 to May 28 May 25 May 26 May 20 May 21 Co-Artistic directors Karen Kaeja and Pam Johnson welcome you to the 10th annual Festival of Interactive Physics Performance. This informal show marks a special anniversary where Nancy Stark Smith, Mike Vargas and Nina Martin will perform along with a wonderful array of north american improvisers. Nancy, Mike and Nina bring to Toronto their pioneering knowledge as workshop leaders to this year's 45 participants. The May workshop will culminate with a final performance on May 21. May 24 May 24 and May 25 May 27 and May 28 Good food, like art, nourishes the soul. The act of breaking bread together enables us to share the deepest of human experiences. The Essence of Ambrose Ichor is a theatrical dinner that explores the order of a meal, the ambience of communal dining and the rituals of feasting, combining theatre with delicious culinary arts and site-specific installations. In a world of fast food and meals on the run, Shadowland hosts its guests in a meandering culinary adventure of six courses through the Toronto Island landscape culminating at the Gibraltar Point Center for the Arts. 12. What is It? Contest
The first preson to respond correctly to this contest wins an 8x10" matted print of this mysterious image! Good Luck! 13. Last ThoughtThe artist vocation is to send light into the human heart. |
This month, I praise photographers of the world. They can put in one image all of the feelings, thoughts and ideas that one might need a million words to describe. 
Talking It Over by Julian Barnes 
Truth and Beauty [A Friendship] by Ann Patchett 
In the Place of Lost Things by Michael Helm
Meagan O’Shea will perform an excerpt from her dance theatre work something blue with vocalist Aviva Chernick. Meagan O'Shea "is becoming the first lady of contemporary character dance" (Toronto Star). Her dance-theatre solo show Night Stills, a DanceWorks CoWorks series event, has been performed across the country in fourteen festivals and theatres and in New York City. As an independent dance-theatre artist, she divides her time between creating new work, performing, training, teaching, clown, and quilting. She has been a guest artist at the Banff Centre, Earthdance in Massachusetts, Sunshine Coast Dance Society, Dance Base in Edinburgh and at The Theatre Centre in Toronto. Her choreography has been commissioned by IDAC, GirlCanCreate, Megan English, Dance Ontario, Dusk Dances, YMI Dancing, BOOM! Youth Dance in Edinburgh. Meagan regularly leads workshops in creative movement, dance and composition across Canada and in the United States. Her website 
