City of Peterborough Invites Artists and Residents to Shape Public Art Projects

Peterborough artists, designers, creators and residents are invited to help create and shape the artistic experience through various projects in the City of Peterborough. 

file photo.

The City is launching several new projects focusing on public art, including a vinyl mural project at the Peterborough Transit Terminal, a Request for Proposals for digital artwork and the creation of a Public Art Jury.  

Public Art at the Peterborough Transit Terminal

Artists and artist collectives are invited to submit an Expression of Interest for a public art project at the Peterborough Transit Terminal.  

This project involves applying vinyl murals to the Terminal’s exterior concrete columns and façade surfaces. The artwork will improve wayfinding, help users identify entrances, pathways and key areas and enhance safety and accessibility.  

This public art project is part of an infrastructure upgrade at the Terminal, partly funded through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.  

Expressions of interest must be submitted by Feb. 23 at 4 p.m.  

Request for Proposals Open to Artists, Designers, Creators 

Local artists, designers and creators are invited to submit a proposal for the creation of an original, scalable digital artwork to support the City’s Culture and Sport Tourism marketing, communications and merchandise initiatives.   

The selected artist will be commissioned to create one original digital artwork that can be adapted and reproduced across a wide range of applications, including:  

• Apparel and merchandise 

• Printed promotional materials 

• Digital marketing and communications 

• Event branding and tourism campaigns 

Proposals must be submitted by Feb. 9 at 4 p.m. 

Join the Public Art Jury 

The City is seeking knowledgeable and passionate individuals to serve as members of its Public Art Jury.  

The five-member Public Art Jury will be responsible for reviewing and scoring artist submissions for public art projects, participate in meetings as required, provide professional and lived experience in making recommendations and support the City’s Public Art Policy. Jury members will make recommendations to the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee.  

Selected Jury members will receive an honorarium for participating in meetings and reviews for up to six different art projects during the year.  

The deadline to apply is Feb. 23 at 4 p.m. 

For more information on these local art projects, including how to apply, visit the City’s website.

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Peterborough Artist’s Work Displayed At Art à la Carte Exhibition in Queen's Park

Peterborough artist Lynda Todd’s artwork “Salmon, Salmon, Salmon” has been accepted into Art à la Carte, a curated exhibition program presented by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

Salmon, Salmon, Salmon. photo courtesy of lynda todd.

Todd’s art will be displayed throughout the year in the In Camera Dining Room, a private parliamentary dining space located within the Legislative Building at Queen’s Park in Toronto. Art à la Carte features the selected artworks and highlights the diversity of contemporary artistic practices across Ontario.

Members of the public can view Salmon, Salmon, Salmon by booking a lunch reservation in the In-Camera Dining Room.

Todd is a Peterborough-based, legally blind and colour-blind artist whose practice explores environmental change, migration and resilience through textured acrylic painting and mixed media. Her work is rooted in accessibility and inclusion, emphasizing adaptability, movement and survival within changing landscapes. Todd works with adaptive tools and support systems that enable a sustainable and professional studio practice.

To check out Todd’s work locally, the ECCO Art Gallery & Studio in Lakefield features an exhibit from Mar. 4 to Apr. 4.

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Peterborough Symphony Orchestra To Take Audiences Back To the Sixties With “Stars of the Silver Screen”

The Peterborough Symphony Orchestra (PSO) will transport audiences back in time to the 1960’s with “Stars of the Silver Screen” Feb. 7 and 8 at Showplace Performance Centre.

photo courtesy of The Peterborough Symphony Orchestra, facebook.

Music Director Michael Newnham has curated a list of film scores from iconic movies such as Pink Panther, Mission Impossible, The Sound of Music, James Bond and more.

Due to popularity, the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra will hold two concerts at the Showplace Performance Centre on Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 8 at 3 p.m.

PSO recommends arriving 45 minutes early for Maestro Newnham’s pre-concert talk, and to get a sneak peek of what the show will entail.

Audience members are encouraged to dress in their favourite 60’s style.

“Will it be the Jackie Kennedy look, mini-skirt, slim-cut suit, 007 attitude, go-go boots, geometric patterns or hippie fringe and headbands? We can’t wait to see!” said PSO in a press release.

To purchase tickets or to check out Maestro Newnham’s Stars of the Silver Screen Spotify playlist, visit the website.

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Peterborough Singers Artistic Director to Retire After 35 Years

Peterborough Sings artistic director Syd Birrell is performing his final concerts after 35 years as he has announced his plans for retirement on Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of Peterborough Singers.

“As you can imagine, making the decision to retire was extremely difficult,” explained Birrell. “For the past 35 years, the Peterborough Singers has occupied so much of my thoughts, my time, and my affections. However, after much reflection, I concluded that the time has come to pass the reins to a new, younger director.”

As Birrell’s last request before calling it, he asks the public to donate to Peterborough Singers’s newest campaign, ‘Syd’s Legacy Fund,’ to raise $100,000 by Dec. 31 and $250,000 by the end of this concert season. The funds raised are to support the Peterborough Singers and ensure a smooth transition with a new artistic director, as the organization requires roughly $200,000 annually to run, according to Birrell.

“The immediate aim of Syd’s Legacy Fund is to guarantee that the choir will transition smoothly to a new director,” he explained. “It will also allow the new director to focus his or her energy on what matters most: making great music.”

Part of the proceeds are going towards searching for and hiring emerging young Canadian artists, commissioning original Canadian compositions and hiring world-class Canadian soloists.

Candidates for the artistic director position are currently being selected, with an announcement to be expected within the new year.

Birrell concludes that he has truly treasured his 35 years with the Peterborough Singers.

“I will especially miss that magical moment when the choir sings the first notes at the start of a concert. There’s nothing like it. That first burst of song can take your breath away,” he said.

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Nominations Open For The City of Peterborough's Next Poet Laureate

The Electric City Culture Council (EC3) and The City of Peterborough launched the Peterborough Poet Laureate Program for 2024.  

PHOTO COURTESY OF EC3.

The Peterborough Poet Laureate is an honorary position established to recognize the excellence and outstanding achievements of professional poets living and working in Peterborough and Peterborough County.

The Peterborough Poet Laureate advocates for poetry and spoken word art, for the arts in general and the City of Peterborough and its residents. They compose works to be presented at Peterborough City Council meetings and other City of Peterborough civic events and occasions. Poets Laureate may also be available to speak at schools, libraries and other organizations. As of this year, the Peterborough Poet Laureate is a two-year position, and they will receive an honorarium of $4,000.00 across their term. 

The Peterborough Poet Laureate Program was launched as a pilot in 2021-22. Curve Lake spoken word artist Sarah Lewis was named Peterborough’s first-ever Poet Laureate. Following an extremely successful term that included four appearances at official City occasions and some 70 additional engagements, Peterborough’s City Council voted to make the Poet Laureate position permanent. Ziysah von Bieberstein is currently serving as Peterborough’s second Poet Laureate.  

The full Poet Laureate Program Guidelines and Nomination Form can be found online. Nominations are being accepted until April 18 and will be assessed by a panel including peers in the poetry and spoken word community, local citizens, and a City representative. 

The City of Peterborough provides the honorarium for the Poet Laureate Program, administered by the Electric City Culture Council (EC3) under the guidance of the City of Peterborough’s Arts and Culture Advisory Committee (ACAC).

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Classic Musical 'Fiddler on the Roof' Is Peterborough Theatre Guild's February Production

The classic musical ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ is hitting the Peterborough Theatre Guild for eight shows in February, announced on Thursday.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Theatre Guild.

Shows are scheduled for Frb. 16, 17, 18*, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25* with matinee shows at 2:30 p.m. and evening shows at 7:30 p.m.

*denotes matinee performance

The nine Tony Award-winning musical is being produced by Jerry Allen and produced by Pat Hooper. Janina Krauss is the musical director while Laura Lawson is the choreographer for the shows.

The following are the cast for the production:

• Donnell MacKenzie – Tevye

• Lyndele Gauci – Golde

• Hilary Evans – Tzeitel

• Christine Helferty – Hodel

• Laura Lawson – Chavalah

• Bruno Merz – Motel

• Eddy Sweeney – Perchik

• Simon Banderob – Feydka

• Alex Hodson – Sprintze

• Poppy Alderson – Bielke

• Nicole Grady – Yente, the Matchmaker

• Matt Kraft – Lazar Wolf

Tickets are available online or by phone at (705) 745-4211.

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TASSS Students Bringing 'Mean Girls' High School Drama In Theatrical Production For December

The famous film and book ‘Mean Girls’ is being brought to life by the students of Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School (TASSS) in a theatrical production slated for four December dates.

Hannah-Marie Toll (left) and Mattie Davies (right) rehearse for TASSS’s upcoming production of the popular film/book, ‘Mean Girls.” The production is slated for four shows on Dec. 7, 8 and 9 (twice). Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Director Jessica Sisson and music director Michaela Hetherington have been preparing for the production since June — and informed the students then — and have worked diligently to prepare the production for December.

The students have worked equally as hard according to both Sisson and Hetherington.

“We have a certain standard here that we like to meet each year. We help support students and push them towards meeting that standard and they have not disappointed,” said Hetherington. “They give up lunches, after schools, they've given up their evenings; there are some upcoming weekend rehearsals that they're going to have to attend and participate in.”

“For many of them, this is their first time doing something like this so they're learning curve is so substantial,” said Sisson. “For me, that makes it even more rewarding because to watch them go from never having sung on stage to belting out a number as a lead is pretty incredible to watch.”

Twenty-five cast members will receive two course credits for being involved in the production —vocal and acting/dance — and are mainly comprised of Grade 11 students. The workload of acting in a play and juggling other courses teaches time management to the actors and actresses, including grade 11 student Kelly Hoang, who plays Cady Heron as one of the lead roles.

“A lot of it comes down to planning my time and knowing when everything is,” she explained. “If I have an English essay due tomorrow, then maybe I should focus more on that rather than focusing on this which has a further deadline.”

The production has several musical numbers and choreographed dances. Any funds raised from ticket sales and concessions fund the school’s next theatrical production. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

More than 70 students in other grades are contributing to the school’s production.

Grade 12 students are aiding in the play’s development in a production class. Behind-the-scenes work such as stagehands, dressers, ushers and front-of-house concessions are done by Grade 9 and 10 volunteers.

Dance students aided in choreography, the construction class helped create set pieces, those studying fashion did costume design and anyone in media aided in the technology aspect.

“As much as it’s a class that we teach, it is a whole school journey that happens to bring it to the stage,” explained Sisson.

With only eight days away from the first show, the numerous rehearsals and heavy workloads have helped the students bond and create chemistry to provide genuine quality theatre.

“It's been phenomenal,” exclaimed Emma Robertson, Grade 12 student playing Glenn Coco. “We're always complimenting each other which is awesome. I feel very comfortable with the team.”

“We all support each other and cheer each other on,” added Hoang.

Performances are scheduled for the following dates and times:

• Dec. 7: 7 p.m.

• Dec. 8: 7 p.m.

• Dec. 9: 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased for $20 through School Cash Online or at the door at TASSS (cash only).

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New Stages Theatre To Stage Production of 'It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play' At Market Hall For Mid-December

New Stages Theatre is staging the production of the classic tale 'It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play' for five shows at Market Hall running from Dec. 13 - 17.

Photo courtesy of News Stages Theatre.

The classic story depicts George Bailey looking back over his life and remembering what a precious gift it is. The production is putting a unique twist on the original tale, with the play set in a 1940s radio station with five actors playing all the characters from the movie and creating all the sound effects in front of the live studio audience.

The show features well-known local actors and actresses such as M. John Kennedy, Ordena Stephens-Thompson, Megan Murphy, Kerry Griffin, and Brad Brackenridge.

The play is directed by Mark Wallace who is the Artistic Director of New Stages, two-time Dora Mavor Moore Award nominee (recipient in 2003 for Outstanding TYA production. Toronto’s Gabriel Vaillant is the music director and pianist, Korin Cormier from 4th Line Theatre is the costume designer, Sean Harris and Patricia Thorne are the set and lighting designers and Esther Vincent is the stage manager.

Tickets are available online and can be found at Market Hall’s or New Stage Theatre’s website.

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Hometown PTBO: Chris Marris of the Peterborough Theatre Guild and Two Generations Being Involved in Local Arts

This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday talks with Chris Marris about how she got into the Peterborough Theatre Guild, her life as a retired teacher/principal and her mother's involvement in Peterborough arts.

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4th Line Theatre Accepting Applications For Playwright Funding

4th Line Theatre is recommending playwrights to receive funding of between $1,000 and $3,000 to develop new works through the Ontario Arts Council’s Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators program, announced on Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of Rebekah Littlejohn and 4th Line Theatre.

Ontario-based professional theatre artists and artists’ collectives can apply by Jan. 12, 1 p.m. The Ontario Arts Council (OAC), an agency of the government of Ontario, is the primary funding body for professional arts activities in the province.

4th Line Theatre will administer the granting program with the primary goal of supporting as many playwriting projects as possible. Secondarily, they are also looking for projects that align with its artistic mandate: To preserve our Canadian cultural heritage through the development and presentation of regionally-based, environmentally-staged historical dramas, with special consideration for culturally diverse artists and collectives, artists living with a disability.

“I understand the financial challenges faced by playwrights and the OAC’s Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators is vital to supporting their writing projects,” said Kim Blackwell, 4th Line managing artistic director.

Application forms are to be completed online on the OAC website. Interested applicants will need to create a NOVA account and follow the instructions for submission. If interested applicants have any questions about the process, please contact 4th Line Theatre’s Administration by email at submissions@4thlinetheatre.on.ca or by phone at 705-932-4506. The applications will be reviewed by Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell.

Funding decisions are based on the artistic interest of the project, the quality of the artistic examples given and the program's impact on the artist’s development. 4th Line Theatre will then forward a positive funding decision to the OAC for final recommendation. Grant amounts will be determined by the number of approved applicants and the funds available from the program.

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