Hello Everyone,
It's been a busy Spring and we’re excited to share the activities and events that we’ve been carefully crafting over the last few months!
Today we are delighted to be back at Rama First Nation with Gathering: Festival of First Nations Stories. This year the festival will launch the Tomson Highway Residency for Emerging Writers. A warm thank you to Curators Sherry Lawson and Fred Addis for their commitment to this event and thank you, Chief Ted Williams and Council, for having the Orillia Centre back at Rama. Please see the inspiring roster of visiting authors and check out the program beginning tonight and running through Saturday.
And There's More!
In April we launched Theatre & Cross Creativity with Desirée Leverenz, Simon Malbogat, Zain Campbell, and Iain Moggach. The weekend was a mash-up of playing, workshopping, and talking in preparation for a 2023 theatre creation residency and community project at the Orillia Opera House.
In May local Penetanguishene artist, Aliyah Beckles kicked off our first Dance & Design residency. She worked with emerging lighting designer, Vera Oleynikova and Toronto-based dramaturge, Dedra McDermott. Stay tuned for a presentation of their work later this season.
We’ve been working in our local schools, bringing elementary children workshops that delve into many different artistic processes. Students learned about eco-art practices with artist Sean Rees who led our youth on a neighbourhood cleanup to pick up plastic and debris – which was then used to create mobile sculptures! Orillia Centre’s Creative Director, Kate Hilliard worked with students in writing and dance using the different states of water as an expressive point of departure for poetry and choreography. This Friday, secondary students will have the opportunity of meeting five of the guest authors who are presenting at Gathering: Festival of First Nations Stories. We have met over 700 students this Spring and the future is looking bright!!!
Finally, we are thrilled to welcome three new members to the Board of Directors. A warm thank you to Sagan MacIsaac, Laura Clark, and Taylor Knox for your commitment to the Orillia Centre for Arts + Culture.
We’ll sign off by wishing you a very enjoyable and safe summer. We hope to see you soon – and we look forward to announcing a full season of fall events this August.
With you in mind,
The team at Orillia Centre for Arts + Culture
Thank you for the generous support from the following groups:
