4th Line Theatre Announces Call for Proposals for New Interdisciplinary Residency Program

4th Line Theatre announced on Tuesday a call for applications for its new Interdisciplinary Residency Program for regional artists.

Megan Murphy at the Winslow Farm by Jess McDougall. Photo courtesy of 4th Line Theatre.

Four residencies, which will provide an opportunity for artists, based in Millbrook, Peterborough, Lakefield, Port Hope, Cobourg and the surrounding environs, will be awarded to develop a new work.

The successful candidates will be announced in December 2021.

The 2022 Interdisciplinary Residency Program will foster artistic development and engagement between 4th Line Theatre, local artists and community member in theatre, music, dance and film.

“In our continuing effort to give regional artists opportunities to explore and create new work, we have developed these longer form residencies for just that purpose,” said Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell.

They are seeking project proposals from local artists/collectives to create original works or develop existing works during their residency. Priority will be given to artists who explore the history of the region, in whatever medium they chose to work.

Special consideration will also be given to artists who look to follow 4th Line Theatre’s mandate which is to develop and present original Canadian works of artistic excellence that explore regional themes, history and heritage, and to present this work in a politically-responsible and culturally-sensitive manner.

Four grants of $2,500.00 will be awarded to four successful candidates in the above stated performance forms.

Applications must include a 500-word description of the proposed project, what category they are applying under, and the artist(s)’s CV/Bio. The deadline to submit proposals is December 13, 2021 at 5 p.m.

All proposals must be emailed to 4th Line’s Artistic Administrator, Jess McDougall, at jess@4thlinetheatre.on.ca.

Successful residency applicants will be notified by December 20, 2021. The four residencies will begin in January 2022. 4th Line Theatre will feature a hybrid (digital and live) presentation in October 2022. The presentation will showcase a performance from each of the four resident artists.

For more information regarding the residencies, please contact Jess McDougall by phone at 705-932-4448 or by email at jess@4thlinetheatre.on.ca.

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Art Gallery of Peterborough Launches Inaugural Youth Art Mentorship Program

The Art Gallery of Peterborough has launched its inaugural Youth Art Mentorship program, announced on Thursday.

Spencer J. Harrison in his studio. Photo courtesy of the Art Gallery of Peterborough.

This program will give youth entering their final years of high school the opportunity to gain hands-on experience and insights into the arts profession.

Led by artist, activist, and educator, Spencer J. Harrison, students will explore the profession through educational and training workshops, all culminating in a group exhibition at the Art Gallery of Peterborough.

This program is comprised of two phases. Free Portfolio Reviews, designed to offer critical feedback to youth. Youth must register for this program by Nov. 24.

Successful applicants in the juried Call for Submissions will work with Artist Mentor (Spencer J. Harrison) and their peers to develop a body of work to present in a group exhibition at the Art Gallery of Peterborough. Applications for this program open on Dec. 1.

This program is open to all youth currently enrolled in Grade 11 and 12, living in the City and County of Peterborough.

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New Peterborough Screening Collective Canadian Images in Conversation Collective to Host Online Screening

The Canadian Images in Conversation Collective (CCIC), a new screening collective in Peterborough is hosting it’s next online screening of “Mining (and Manipulating) the Home Movie” from Oct. 16 - 23.

Still image taken from Louise Borque’s film Imprint. Courtesy of the Canadian Filmmakers’ Distribution Centre.

Featuring works by the filmmakers Christina Battle, Eva Kolcze, Philip Hoffman, John Kneller, Amanda Dawn Christie, Sara Angelucci, Freda Guttman, Louise Borque and Lindsay McIntyre, Mining (and Manipulating) the Home Movie critiques the value of the home movie as a source of historical evidence and a window into our collective past.

Containing personal and found home movies, as well as other types of source material, the films in this program reflect on the complexities of home movies and the realities they depict through the ways they incorporate and manipulate their source material. Emphasizing themes of memory and decay, the films raise questions about how our collective history should be remembered

A panel discussion with the filmmakers whose works are in the program will accompany the screening, taking place on Saturday October 16 at 7PM. It will be recorded and will be available to watch throughout the week.

Canadian Images in Conversation is a new collective that is inspired by the legacy of the Canadian Images Film Festival, which took place in Peterborough between 1978-1984. With support from the ReFrame Film Festival, Trent University, and the Ontario Arts Council, CIIC aims to showcase Canadian films and filmmakers through regular screenings and artist talks. Although its programming will be diverse, it will emphasize work by underrepresented, marginalized, racialized, Indigenous, gendered and queer artists and filmmakers.

This screening is free to all members of the public and available worldwide. Sign up for a free account with Eventive in order to access the films and the panel discussion. For more information, visit CCIC’s Facebook page or email them at canadianimagesinconversation@gmail.com.

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Public Energy is Pivoting to Indoor Shows

After being sidelined for 19 months, Public Energy Performing Arts Pivot 2.0 series will welcome audiences back to indoor live theatre announced on Thursday.

Cheri Maracle performing Paddle Song. See Paddle Song on Oct. 8, 5:00 p.m., at Inverlea Park. Photo courtesy of Pubic Energy.

With the conclusion of the Pivot 2.0 outdoor series, Public Energy is marking a safe return to in-theatre programming with two shows at The Market Hall Performing Arts Centre and The Theatre On King.

Both venues can only be accessed by fully vaccinated audiences and are following all industry-approved protocols.

‘Sound of Mind and Body’, a collaboration between dancer/choreographer Bill Coleman and musician/sound artist Gordon Monahan on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre.

Sound of Mind and Body is an experiment in body sensing technology, in which the dancer’s brain waves are harnessed to control the lights and sound on stage.

It is being co-presented with the Electric Eclectics, a festival of experimental music and sound art based in Meaford, Ont., and will be live-streamed at a later date with Chicago’s Experimental Sound Studio.

Bill Coleman and Gord Monahan performing Sound of Mind and Body. Photo courtesy of Public Energy.

‘Kitten!’ by Victoria Ward is being presented on October 15 and 16 at 8 p.m. at the Theatre On King. ‘Kitten!’ is a collaborative re-imagining of Ward’s 1993 indie theatre hit. Themes of Ward’s show include indoctrination, sexuality during the AIDS pandemic, youth and Catholicism.

The work is being developed through a two-week artist residency for the Precarious3 Festival during which social media will be used as a tool to integrate audiences into an ever-evolving performance text.

Bill Coleman performing Sound of Mind and Body. Photo courtesy of Public Energy.

All Public Energy in-theatre programming is being captured with a multiple camera system to create high-quality recordings that will be live-streamed in the days following each presentation.

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Federal Candidates Join Artsvote Canada at Showplace Performance Centre

Federal candidates Joy Lachica from the New Democratic Party, Maryam Monsef, Peterborough’s Liberal Incumbent and Chanté White from the Green Party will attend Artsvote Canada 2021 at Showplace Performance Centre to discuss federal arts, culture and heritage policy this Thursday at 7:00 p.m.

Photo Courtesy of Artsvote Canada.

Federal cultural policy and funding programs have an enormous impact on the development and sustainability of the arts in Peterborough, affect the lives of professional working artists in our riding and make a difference in our ability to protect and preserve our heritage assets, says Electric City Culture Council (EC3).

The art community contributes millions of dollars to the local economy and has a significant impact on social well-being, the health and vitality of community members, the downtown and local tourism according to EC3. This is a sector that has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic and is facing a rocky road to recovery.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Artsvote Canada 2021 will be taking place for a very limited, invite-only and fully-vaccinated audience, but will be simultaneously streaming live on EC3’s Facebook and YouTube page.

It will also be broadcast on Trent Radio (92.7 FM) and will be available to watch on Facebook and YouTube following the event.

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SPARK Photo Festival Winners Announced

The winners of the 2021 Themed Juried Exhibit at the SPARK Photo Festival were revealed on Wednesday.

The 2021 Juried Exhibit Theme was Nourish: To Eat, To Drink, To Enjoy.
Best in Show was awarded to Fine Art Pear by Melissa Maahs.

Winners of the 2021 SPARK Themed Juried Exhibit Nourish: To Eat, To Drink, To Enjoy competition from entries by photographers from across Ontario.

This year there were two double-winning photographers who will take home a cash prize.

From the top 25 images selected by the jury, the Best in Show is Fine Art Pear by Melissa Maahs, Second Place is Hots by Laura Berman, Third Place is Fall Harvest by Melissa Maahs of Courtice and Honourable Mention is Crunch by Laura Berman of Castleton.

To view all winning entries click here.

The winners, along with all Top 25 images, are on display outdoors on George Street for spectators to view.

Find the Exhibit listings with information about the artists, venue locations and operating hours and the downloadable digital catalogue here. Pick up your own copy of the keepsake print catalogue at exhibit venues.

The SPARK Photo Festival is on until Sept. 30.

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Local Indigenous Business Owner Semi-Finalist in Pow Wow Pitch

Dominique O'Bonsawin, owner of cedarlilie a beadwork and craft supply shop, is a semi-finalist in the Pow Wow Pitch. Pow Wow Pitch is a a grassroots community of Indigenous entrepreneurs across Turtle Island.

Dominique O’Bonsawin and her dog Cedar. Photo courtesy of Dominique O’Bonsawin

O'Bonsawin is of both French-Canadian and Abenaki heritage and started learning beadwork about five years ago while attending university in Ottawa.

“It was an important part of me reconnecting to my community and the larger Indigenous community in Canada,” she said.

As she gained interest in the craft she began to notice a lack of Indigenous owned bead stores in the country. She began to buy beads in bulk for her own use and selling any extras she had.

“I started running out of beads and realized this was a market I could tap into,” she said. “Before I knew it I had to make my own website.”

O'Bonsawin has now been selling beads and craft supplies for about a year and a half.

An example of Dominique O’Bonsawin’s beading. These pieces were completed along with her mother and sister. Photo courtesy of Dominique O’Bonsawin.

The Pow Wow Pitch competition is for Indigenous entrepreneurs across North America. It shines a light on vendors, artists, business builders and innovators from all backgrounds and industries, whether just starting or looking to grow to the next level.

This year, more than 1,500 Indigenous entrepreneurs pitched their businesses online for a chance to win cash prizes ranging from $500 to $25,000.

O'Bonsawin was one of those entrepreneurs and was surprised to find that she was chosen as a semi-finalist.

“I had a few people reach out to me and tell me to apply, but I didn’t think I was there yet. I’m still kind of figuring out this whole thing,” she said.

“All we had to do was submit a one minute video of what we would do with the money if we were to win,” she said. “It caught and I thought ‘okay this is for real now’.”

Of the over 1600 entries there are 156 semi-finalists who now must pitch their business plan live to a board of panelists.

O'Bonsawin is also eligible to win the peoples choice award, which would send her straight to the finals. The peoples choice award is based on the amount of votes a contestant receives, anyone is welcome to participate in voting.

More beadwork by Dominique O’Bonsawin.

O'Bonsawin’s pitch can be viewed here on September 22, 2021.

If she wins the Pow Wow Pitch competition she plans to expand her business and while she plans on doing so anyways, winning this competition would allow her to do it sooner.

Through beading O'Bonsawin has had the opportunity to connect with a new community of people.

“I didn’t grow up knowing much about my roots until I became a young adult and started doing that work myself, and I’m still learning. It’s an ongoing journey of reconnection,” she said.

O'Bonsawin hopes that people realize that beadwork is about building a community, and anyone can do it.

“I’ve met a lot of people who are in the exact position as I am. They’re doing their best to learn their language and know the people. It’s so beautiful to meet people that are going through the same thing you are and i think its even more beautiful that we can do that through beadwork.”

To view all the semi-finalists in the Pow Wow Pitch click here.

To vote for a winner in the peoples choice award fill out this online form.

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11 Festivals and Events in Peterborough and Area Recieve Over $900,000 in Funding

11 festivals and events in Peterborough and the Kawarthas have received over $900,000 in provincial funding through the 2021 Reconnect Festival and Event Program.

MEGAN MURPHY (LEFT) AND KATE SUHR (RIGHT) of 4th line Theatre. 4th Line theatre is receiving $92,842. PHOTO COURTESY OF TRISTAN PEIRCE PHOTOGRAPHY AND 4TH LINE THEATRE.

The Reconnect Festival and Event Program offers non-capital funding for events in Ontario that provide safe experiences virtually or in-person when it is safe to do so.

$43 million was given to 439 festivals and events across Ontario.

11 festivals and cultural organizations hosting events in the Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes area are receiving a total of $904,386 in funding.

Among the recipients are Peterborough Music Fest, the 2022 ReFrame Film Festival, 4th Line Theatre and Public Energy’s Pivot 2.0 Series.

For a full list of recipients click here.

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Peterborough Arts Alive Fund Awards $104,500 to 15 Local Arts Organizations

The Electric City Culture Council (EC3) has announced that the Peterborough Arts Alive Fund has received $104,500 in COVID-19 Strategic Recovery & Resilience Grants to 15 local arts organizations on Wednesday.

Photo Courtesy of Peterborough Arts Alive Fund.

Organizations receiving grants include the 4th Line Theatre, Kawartha Youth Orchestra, Market Hall Performing Arts Centre and The Peterborough Singers Choir.

Grants awarded range between $2,500 - $10,000 and support projects in artistic creation and development, PPE and public health upgrades, management and staff training/coaching/expert consulting, technology and digital upgrades, marketing and communications development and staffing.

Applications were reviewed and evaluated by a five-member peer assessment jury who recommended the grant amounts.

The initial idea came from local arts supporter Deborah Berrill. She leads a group of private donors who, along with EC3 and the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough, collaborated on the efforts that raised $104,500 for the Peterborough Arts Alive Fund.

The City of Peterborough donated $40,000 to the fund.

“Local artists and arts organizations provide Peterborough with an amazing cultural life, one that we appreciated even more during the pandemic as their work lifted our spirits, offered us meaning and brought us together,” said Berrill. “It’s so important that we continue to support them through this difficult period and into the future, so they can keep doing what they do best.”

To view a full list of grant recipients, click here.

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95th Anniversary of Tragic Balsam Lake Accident Recognized With Film Screening

Today marks the 95th anniversary of a tragic accident on Balsam Lake. Brotherhood, a film depicting the event will be nationally broadcasted on Super Channel Entertainment Network at 7:15 p.m.

Newspaper clippings from 1926. Photo courtesy of Brotherhood1926.com.

In 1926 the Brotherhood of St. Andrew leadership camp located on Balsam Lake encountered a freak summer storm. Eleven boys died when their canoe was overturned by a large wave and they could not make it back to shore.

“It’s a transformative story about boys becoming men over the course of an evening,” said Director Richard Bell.

Crews began filming in 2017 and the first screening was on July 20, 2019 at Balsam Lake.

When the pandemic hit Canada screenings of the film were slowed due to theatres closing. When they re-opened briefly in the summer months the film was screened 127 times.

Image from the film Brotherhood - 2020 winner of the Canadian Screen Award for Achievement in Visual Effects. Photo Courtesy of brotherhood1926.com

Director Richard Bell says the COVID-19 pandemic has caused him to look at this film in a completely different way.

This film takes place ten years after the Spanish Flu pandemic and touches on themes like brotherhood, loss, grief, guilt, and trauma.

Director Richard Bell wears a shirt with the names of the boys lost in 1926. Photo Courtesy of Brotherhood1926.com.

“I didn’t know when I released the film that another pandemic was coming,” he said.

Bell recalls a line in the movie in which a character in crisis says ‘We can’t go back. We can only go through.’

“This last year has been so divisive,” he said. “I’ve seen neighbour turn against neighbor and people divide. What I want to say is the same as this character - we can’t go back we can only go through.”

The broadcast is poignantly timed to begin at 7:15 p.m as the boys would have been gathering on the dock to prepare for their adventure across the lake in 1926.

Super Channel titles are also available to access via Amazon Prime. Brotherhood is available to rent on Apple TV (iTunes), You Tube, Google Play and can be accessed on-demand through Shaw, Bell and Telus.

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