Photos: 33rd Annual Peterborough Folk Festival Rocks Nicholls Oval Park

Following ticketed events at Market Hall on Thursday and Friday evenings, free performances were held throughout the weekend in Nicholls Oval park as part of Peterborough Folk Festival.

Nathan Truax and band performs during Peterborough Folk Festival 2022. Photo by Luke Best

First organized in 1989 as part of the now defunct Peterborough Arts Umbrella, the festival became a not-for-profit organization in 2001 and a registered charity in 2018.

The mandate of the festival is to promote folk music and arts within the Peterborough community as well as provide safely accessible venues and diverse audiences for both local and Canadian touring musicians.

The 2022 edition of Folk Fest featured acts such as the Sudbury string band, Murder Murder.

Murder Murder perform during Peterborough Folk Festival 2022. Photos by Luke Best

I, The Mountain from Kitchener played through sunset and into the evening.

I, The Mountain perform during Peterborough Folk Festival 2022. Photos by Luke Best

Afie Jurvanen, known by his stage name, Bahamas headlined the show with a packed performance on Saturday Night. Jurvanen was born in Toronto and raised in Barrie.

Bahamas headline Saturday night of the 2022 Peterborough Folk Festival. Photos by Luke Best

On Sunday the 12-piece band from the Niagara area, My Son The Hurricane performed during the day. Lead singer Jacob Bergsma, wore a Zellers smock to commemorate the announcement that the Canadian company would be returning.

My Son The Hurricane perform during Peterborough Folk Festival 2022. Photos by Luke Best

In addition to the performances, the festival featured an artisan village, a food village and valet bicycling parking provided by B!KE Community Bike Shop. Reusable dishes were used by food vendors and a team of volunteers washed and returned them to keep the festival as eco-friendly as possible.

Riverside Tattoo was just one of many vendors at the 2022 Peterborough Folk Festival. Photos by Luke Best

The Peterborough Folk Festival is a volunteer-run, non-profit, registered charity organization and relies on the generosity of sponsors and donors to keep the event free.
If you’re interested in making a donation or learning more: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/peterborough-folk-festival/

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4th Line Theatre Announces 2022 Young Company Members

4th Line Theatre, Trent University’s Traill College and Lakefield College School have announced the 2022 Young Company, a group of young, diverse regional artists and performers, who will work with industry professionals to produce livestream virtual play readings and performance pieces this summer.

2021 Young Company.

This announcement comes as part of the Emerging VOICES Youth Apprenticeship Program.

“We are so pleased to support 4th Line Theatre’s Young Company program,” said Anne-Marie Kee, Head of School and Foundation of Lakefield College School. “As an independent school with a robust co-curricular arts program, we have seen first-hand how important the performing arts can be in a young person’s development, offering a venue for them to express themselves creatively and build confidence, both on and off the stage. We hope to see more young performers flourish at 4th Line Theatre.”

Following the success of 2021 Young Company, 4th Line Theatre have partnered with Lakefield College School to further develop the exciting Young Company initiative. Young Company members will train with industry professionals Victoria Cutler, Pat Maitland, Rebecca Birrell, Simone Georges and Melissa Wotherspoon to bring scripts to life and create original work.

The 2022 Young Company is led by Young Company Coordinator Rebecca Birrell and its members are: Mackenzie Airhart, Norah Appleby, Sarah Bubteina, Jack Chesla, Zoe Dunaway, Aimee Gordon, Ava Imeson, Laurin Isiekwena, Annie Mancini, Sidney Moon, Ivy Morgan, Neveah Taylor and Bunni Verbal.

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4th Line Theatre Celebrates 30th Anniversary With New Show And New Administrative building

4th Line Theatre is kicking off their 30th anniversary with ‘The Great Shadow’ running until July 23, and has just purchased a new administrative building.

Photo from The Great Shadow, a show set in the 1920’s. Photo by Wayne Eardley - Brookside Studio.

After years at the 4 Tupper Street location, 4th Line Theatre will begin a new chapter at 9 Tupper Street, which the company purchased in May 2022. The company will move its box office and administration centre to the new building later this year.

“After two slightly furloughed years, we are back in a big way,” said Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell. “We have wanted our own administrative building for several years now. And with the acquisition of 9 Tupper, our administration will be centred in the Village of Millbrook for many years to come.”

The theatre will continue to operate at the Winslow Farm.

Until further notice, tickets, gift certificates and picnics for 4th Line Theatre productions can still be purchased 4th Line Theatre’s Box Office at 4 Tupper Street or by phone (705-932-4445), online at 4thlinetheatre.on.ca.

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Director That Documented Balsam Lake Tragedy In 1926 Makes A Stop At Aron Theatre In Campbellford

Brotherhood, a film depicting the 1926 tragedy on Balsam Lake, was screened at The Aron Theatre in Campbellford on Thursday morning for high school students, and will show again at 7 p.m. on Thursday.

Director Richard Bell and actor Gage Munroe. Photo by Angela O’Grady.

Director Richard Bell and actor Gage Munroe were there Thursday morning to present the film and answer questions after the screening.

“It’s particularly meaningful that young people are coming to see this movie because usually our audiences skew a bit older - that’s the era that still goes to the movie theatre,” said Bell. “So it’s great that they’re coming today because this is a young person story.”

The story focuses The Brotherhood of St Andrews, a boys leadership camp on Balsam Lake. As the boys and their leaders take off by canoe, a freak summer storm hits and what follows is a combination of light and dark, as viewers learn more about the characters and their past.

“Older audiences are seeing it because they remember the halcyon days of summer and that camp experience but I want younger people to see it because it’s a young person survival story. Seeing that kind of heroism that these young people exhibited 95 years ago is very meaningful. I hope it makes kids go ‘would I do that?’,” said Bell. “I think that’s why we go to the movies - to see stories and think ‘would I do that?’.”

Though Brotherhood was filmed in 2017, being set ten years after the Spanish Flu pandemic, themes that arise throughout the characters stories might be somewhat reflective of the world today. High school students in attendance on Thursday had the opportunity to reflect on The Great War, the Spanish Flu, and ‘what it means to be a man’.

The screening at The Aron Theatre is the final stop in the South East Ontario Brotherhood Roadshow.

Bell, along with various actors, made stops at The Regent Theatre in Picton, The Loft in Cobourg and at The Empire in Belleville.

“I am so pleased that our local independent cinemas have all enthusiastically come on board to support this Canadian film,” said Russ Christianson, founding President and General Manager of the Aron Theatre Co-op. “Coming out of the pandemic, people in our communities need to have opportunities to get out again to socialize and decrease their pandemic-enforced isolation. We are excited about this opportunity.”

Tickets are still available for the 7 p.m. screening on Thursday, which will be followed by a question and answer period with Director Richard Bell and actor Gage Munroe.

Tickets are $10 online and $12 at the door. Seating is unassigned. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Purchase tickets here.

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Lindsay Little Theatre Returns From Hiatus With New Shows

After being sidelined for a few years, Lindsay Little Theatre makes its return to the stage with a new comedy production called “Men Are Dogs” announced Tuesday.

Lindsay Little Theatre has been active since the 1960’s. Photo courtesy of Lindsay Little Theatre.

The production will run on two separate waves on March 31 - April 2 and April 7 - 9 with tickets available for $20.

Written by Joe Simonelli and directed by Seamus McCann, the play is about Cecelia, a successful psychologist who runs a support group for single and divorced women according to the theatre company.

She brings a "volunteer" role-player to help her support group but becomes the victim of all their pent-up frustrations from past relationships.

Tickets are available online on Eventbrite including their next show, Paradise Lost.

Lindsay Little Theatre is a volunteer-run, not-for-profit community theatre, located at 55 George St. W., Lindsay.

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Hometown PTBO: Kate Suhr On Her Path to Becoming a Performer and Returning to the Stage After a Two-Year Hiatus

This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday speaks with songstress and storyteller Kate Suhr about her journey to being a performer and her return to Market Hall Performing Arts Centre on March 25.

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Painted Paddle Art Exhibit Returns To Downtown Windows

The Downtown Business Improvement Area will be celebrating local art and our connection with the waterways here in the Nogojiwanong/Peterborough area with the second annual Painted Paddle outdoor public art exhibit in March

Photo courtesy of Peterborough DBIA.

The Painted Paddle self-guided outdoor exhibit will include a series of 33 paddle art installations in Peterborough’s central entertainment and shopping district. During the month of March, locals will be able to tour the paddle art exhibits by visiting a number of storefront windows scattered throughout the downtown, as part of an art crawl experience.

“We are so thrilled for the return of the Painted Paddle outdoor art exhibit. This is the kind of positive intervention that livens our downtown shop windows during what many consider a more dreary month in the Canadian calendar,” said Terry Guiel, Executive Director of the Peterborough DBIA. “With the world opening back up, people are eager to get out and explore again and the Painted Paddle is slated to capture that enthusiasm for adventure while highlighting the incredible wealth of artistic talent we have right here in Peterborough.”

Local businesses providing window space for the paddle art installations include: The Boardwalk Game Lounge, Cork and Bean, Watson and Lou, Cottage Toys, GreenUP Store, Pammett’s Flowers, The Earth Food Shop, Fork It and many more.

Each paddle will be as unique as the artist, showcasing the many talented visual artists we have in the area. Paddle artists and organizations contributing art for the Painted Paddle include: Trent Gzowski College, Princess Gardens Retirement Residence, Empress Gardens Retirement Residence, Beth LeBlonc, Jason Wilkins, Miguel Hernandez Autorino, Rachel Dyck, Kate Irwin, Brianna Gosselin, and many more.

“I am so excited to take part in this project to support our city and the power that art can bring, especially when different artist come together,” said Cree artist Nuin-Tara ᓄᐃᓐᑕᕋ. “This piece is significant to me because it tells a story I have learned along my journey of connecting with my Cree culture. I think it’s important for connections to be made, and art is one way to bring people of all cultures together.”

The Painted Paddle exhibit will be on display until March 30. Exhibition paddles will be available for auction from March 11 at 8 p.m. – March 25 at 8 p.m. ahead of the First Friday event on April 1. All proceeds raised through the online auction will support the Downtown Green Team, a DBIA partnership with the One City Employment Program to create a downtown horticultural crew and create two seasonal positions for people who are experiencing barriers to traditional employment. For the virtual auction visit https://www.32auctions.com/boropaintedpaddles.

To participate in a self-guided tour of the Painted Paddle, community members can access a full map of paddle exhibit locations by visiting the Love For The Boro website online at https://linktr.ee/LoveForTheBoro.

For more information on the Painted Paddle project contact the DBIA Placemaking Project Manager, Dawn Pond by email at dawn@ptbodbia.ca.

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The Art Gallery of Peterborough to Reopen on Friday

After undergoing month-long renovations, the Art Gallery of Peterborough and Gallery Shop are reopening on Friday.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

The gallery has been closed since Feb. 2 for the installation of a new lighting system. The reopening includes exciting new exhibitions according to the Art Gallery.

The shop sells ceramic, glass, jewelry and more. Their items feature artists and makers from the Peterborough-Kawartha region and beyond.

For more updates visit www.agp.on.ca

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Public Energy Makes A Return To Market Hall With In-Person Shows Beginning February 17

Public Energy Performing Arts is coming back to the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre for in person shows beginning on Feb. 17.

Melika Dez Photography.

After a 23-month period in which Public Energy presented just two events in their busiest venue, they are back with three major presentations over three months.

From Feb. 17 to April. 20 audiences will be able to enjoy cutting edge artists from across Canada with works of dance, theatre and interdisciplinary performance.

Being aware that this is a time of particular financial difficulty for many, and with a goal of eliminating cost as a barrier to attending the performing arts, Public Energy is instituting a pick-your-own-price policy for these three events.

Audiences can pick a price according to their ability to pay, starting at $5 and going up to $30. Tickets available through the Market Hall website: markethall.org or by email to admin@publicenergy.ca or phone 705-745-1788.

On February 17 and 18 is the urban dance company Ebnflōh from Montreal, the hotbed of Canadian dance.

The second show in Public Energy’s Market Hall season is the hard-hitting OUFF from Montreal transdisciplinary artist Alexis O'Hara on March 24. Tackling themes of white privilege, late capitalism and perimenopause with humour and a disconcerting honesty.

The final show in Public Energy’s Market Hall season is Deafy by Edmonton actor and playwright Chris Dodd, being presented April 19 and 20. Deafy is a poignant and humorous storytelling piece blending ASL, the spoken word and surtitles which reflects on the experience of what it is like to be a Deaf person in a hearing world.

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Buckhorn Festival Of The Arts To Be In Person In 2022

After two years of virtually hosting, the Buckhorn Festival of the Arts is set to be in person in 2022.

The festival, which was established in 1978, takes place at the Buckhorn Community Centre.

The festival showcases artists from all over Canada and gives visitors the opportunity to purchase art, listen to music and enjoy food from various cooks.

For the last two years due to COVID-19, organizers have taken a virtual approach to showcasing artists. On Monday they announced on social media that the festival will be in person in August 2022.

Dependent on the COVID-19 situation, the festival will run August 13 -14, 2022.

For more information click here.

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