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There is No Word For Wilderness

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Hello! 

We are Animacy Theatre Collective: A female-led collective focused on the creation of original, experimental and interdisciplinary theatre.

ATC was formed through a shared belief in the necessity – especially in the current political climate – of bringing research into conversation with communities. We do this by sharing stories that are funny, physical and imaginative. By collaborating with communities and grassroots movements, we work to converge the artistic, social and environmental spheres, and challenge interlocking structures of oppression in order to work towards social and environmental justice. 

This September we will be presenting There is No Word For Wilderness by Lisa Hamalainen as part of the Toronto Arts Foundation's Arts in the Parks  program. This piece is a land-based theatrical nature walk that explores the dangers of over-consumption, and our relationship, as urban dwellers, with the natural environment. It will be brought to life using mask, puppetry, and live music. Each performance will be followed by an Anishinaabe teaching from Anishinaabe-Kwe Shelba Deer. 


We are very grateful for the support this production has received from the Toronto Arts Council's Animating Toronto Parks  program, which has covered our production costs and ensured all artists working on the project are being compensated fairly.

Why do we need your support?
To increase the accessibility of this production.


We are working with accessibility consultant Jessica Watkin  to learn more about the ways in which we can make this production more accessible to both Deaf identifying and Blind identifying audience members.  One of our goals is to provide at least one performance during the run that includes ASL (American Sign Language) Interpretation, and one performance that integrates Audio Description.  

Help us meet this goal! Your contribution will ensure we can hire the consultants, Interpreters and Audio Description Service providers to make this happen. Their collective professional fees will total approximately $3,500. 

This initiative is the beginning of ATC's commitment to increased accessibility; an ongoing learning process which will continue far beyond There is No Word For Wilderness.

We are grateful for your support, and hope that you will stay connected with the collective moving forward. To learn more about Animacy, our past productions, or to join our mailing list visit www.animacytheatrecollective.com



About the Play 

There Is No Word For Wilderness was first produced in 2017 for the 4Elements Living Arts' Elemental Festival on Manitoulin Island and was subsequently produced by ATC in 2018 at Evergreen Brick Works, and at Morningside Park with Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.

The play follows one woman’s journey 'getting lost to find herself'. As the audience follows the Young Woman along the park path, the story unfolds around them as she is visited by the animals of the forest. 

Centring around the land/life connection, this piece aims to raise awareness about waste and over-consumption, while also offering the opportunity for audience members to re-connect with nature and recognize the importance of this relationship in relation to environmental justice and preservation. 

The play features live music performed by Anders Azzopardi, and land-based masks and puppet created by director Alexandra Simpson. 

Following each performance, Shelba Deer will give an Anishinaabe teaching and offering to Shkagamik-Kwe (Mother Earth) around the campfire.

Performance Dates: 
September 18 - 21, 24-26, 28 at 6pm 

All performances are free.

CREATIVE TEAM: 

Lisa Hamalainen - playwright 
Shelba Deer - Anishinaabe teaching 
Alexandra Simpson - director
Zoe Fairless - stage manager 
Anders Azzopardi - musician  

Joseph Recinos - performer 
Lisa Hamalainen - performer
Shaquille Pottinger - performer
Morgan Johnson - performer 
Jack Comerford - performer

Rebecca  Ballarin - producer 



About Arts in the Parks


Arts in the Parks  brings free, family-friendly arts events and activities to parks across the GTA. Think theatre performances, dance classes, workshops, movies, festivals and more, right in your backyard!
 
Arts in the Parks encourages community building, enjoyment of local parks, and offers arts events for residents and tourists of all ages. Events take place in parks throughout Toronto, from Etobicoke to Scarborough and North York to the downtown core. Arts in the Parks is a new initiative of the Toronto Arts Foundation, being presented in partnership with Toronto Arts Council, the City of Toronto and Park People.

There is No Word For Wilderness will be performed at Earl Bales park; one of the many parks with programming this year. Earl Bales is the fourth largest park in Toronto (127 acres!) and includes  a dogs off-leash area, playgrounds, a sensory garden, splash pad, outdoor amphitheatre, memorials, paved walking/cycling trails, picnic sites and fire pits. The Earl Bales Community Centre is also located in the park and provides a wide variety of programming for all ages. 

We are so excited to have the opportunity to connect with the community surrounding Earl Bales and to bring this piece to their neighbourhood! 


About Animacy Theatre Collective

Animacy Theatre Collective (ATC)  is focused on the creation of original, experimental and interdisciplinary theatre works. We tell stories that: are driven by women, use humor and physical storytelling to raise social awareness, and create characters who defy pre-existing borders (human, nonhuman, gender, sexuality). Our work focuses on physical theatre (mask [building and performance], clown, dance and improvisation), playwriting and multimedia to create research-based and devised plays. By collaborating with communities, artists, and grassroots activism we work to converge the artistic, social and environmental spheres, and to challenge interlocking structures of oppression in order to work towards social and environmental justice. ATC is interested in theatre that offers immersive spaces and views all things within them (humans, more-than-humans, places, objects, technologies and all their histories) as theatrical ecologies. ATC was formed through a shared belief in the necessity – especially in the current political climate – of bringing research into conversation with communities through stories that are funny, physical and imaginative.

Connect with us online!

Join our Mailing List 
Twitter: @animacytheatre 
Instagram: @animacytheatrecollective 
Facebook: @animacytheatrecollective 


Animacy Theatre Collective would like to thank the Toronto Arts Foundation, Toronto Arts Council and Ontario Arts Council for their continued support. 

Organizer

Animacy Theatre Collective
Organizer
Toronto, ON

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