Volunteer Opportunity at Harbourfront

If you like kids and/or Harbourfront, there’s a great opportunity to get some volunteer hours in this year. A friend of mine is working for the Kids programming department and they’re looking for volunteers to help out during HarbourKIDS! this year. Here’s the info:

HarbourKIDS!
May 17 – 19, 2008

The big idea for HarbourKIDS this May is Fearless! This action-packed festival celebrates and encourages bravery, pluckiness and courage in kids by showing them that anything is possible once they set their minds to it! There are plenty of exciting volunteer opportunities from May 13 – 19 including:

• Preparing décor and craft materials
• Working with our designer to assemble our FUNHOUSE
• Assisting facilitators with the Powerful Poetry and Fearless Funk Styles Dance Workshops
• Helping the kids with their own artistic creations including masks, costumes, noise makers and juggling balls
• Front of House and Usher positions for the amazing performances and presentations including Creepy Critters:Bugmania and the Kids’ Open Mic Poetry Jam
• And much more!

If you would like to be a part of this action-packed festival, please attend a recruitment session

on:    Monday, April 28, 2008
at:    6:30 pm
in:    Miss Lou’s Room, Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay West

Please email to volunteers@harbourfrontcentre or call 416-952-3625 to register for the recruitment session.

Art Project info for Earth Day!

No. 9 and BGL Launch Environmental Art Project for Earth Day

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING FUN, FREE AND CREATIVE TO DO AFTER SCHOOL ON EARTH DAY?

COME DOWN TO THE BANKS OF THE LOWER DON!

No. 9 Contemporary Art and the Environment has commissioned the acclaimed art collective BGL to create an art installation on the Lower Don, the most altered part of this urban river.  Inspired by this installation, No. 9 is hosting an Earth Day Event on the banks of the Lower Don, by the old Eastern Avenue bridge. 

Open to the general public April 22, from 3:30 – 5:30 pm, the event integrates environmental issues, art and social history.

Participants can create their own clay art in response to the BGL exhibit, and are also invited to go on an environmental walking tour of the Lower Don, and visit the displays by groups instrumental in the protection and revitalization of the Lower Don, such as the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and Waterfront Toronto.

For information and directions to the site, please visit www.no9.ca.

Everyone is Welcome. We look forward to seeing you there!

New podcast available …

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to let you know there’s a new Go Live Toronto podcast available direct to you from me. You can find it at Go Live Toronto or on iTunes.

The coolest garage sale this season!

A note from a friend of mine:

Looking for some new clothes? A computer? Lamp? Toys? Stereo? Record player? Good book to read? Christmas shopping early? Or just out for a stroll and need to support the upcoming Lab Cab Festival? Then come on down to the Lab Cab Garage Sale!!!!

1550 Queen St. West (next to Mitzi’s Sister @ Dowling)
Saturday, April 19th, 2008
10am-4pm

We will not be undersold!! You will not be disappointed!! Spread the word!! Exclamation!!!

The third annual Lab Cab Festival
May 31st & June 1st, 2008
12pm-6pm
Factory Theatre
FREE!!!

Party for Arts Administrators!

If you work in the arts and wish you could get out there and connect with more people in different disciplines in a relaxed atmosphere with some tunes and drinks … then here is your answer:

The Emerging Arts Professional Network (EAP) is hosting its first ever EAP Connects event which aims to bring those who are in a senior position within the arts and those who are just starting out. This event will be happening on the last Tuesday of every month, so if you miss out this time, there’s always next month, but it should be a blast! I’ll be there (I’m on the EAP Committee) so drop by and say hi …

Text Refashion is looking for YOU!

A good friend of mine is putting together the second installment of “Text Refashion” which launched quite successfully last year at The Gladstone Hotel. It was a fantastic evening of art installations on the second floor of the hotel. More is explained in the details below. I know the deadline is today – but I’m sure you could probably slip in a submission.

(Hope Mike doesn’t kill me for saying that) 😉

Even if you don’t submit, this is definitely something worth checking out when the next installment takes place!

Call for submissions

Skinny Jo Productions is seeking artists of all disciplines to submit for a chance to be part of the collective of SJP’s 2nd TEXT refashion.  In April 2007, SJP held TEXT refashion: Project 1 at the Gladstone Hotel with major success, and now we are ready to hit the 2nd project with full force.

TEXT is a conceptual art/media project that encourages artists’ off every medium to find inspiration through words and art as a whole.  The concept is simple and unique:  Through 1 chosen piece of text, 10 artists’ will express the text’s message through their art medium and will be given 2 weeks each (in sequence) to create the text and the art that preceded them as they see fit.

We are seeking visual and performance artists, writers, designers, and beyond. Beyond can be chefs, carpenters, fashionistas etc?

Your deadline to submit your interest is MARCH 20, 2008

We are also seeking those interested in marketing, producing and funding.

Please contact:
Michael Soulard
textrefashion@mac.com
or
416-455-5753

Tags: Art, Installation, Exhibit, Call for Submission

Go Live Toronto Podcast – new episode!

Here’s a little bit of self promotion …

If you haven’t heard, I put together a podcast once a week for the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts and the Go Live Toronto campaign. Each week I give listeners an overview of the shows opening in Toronto in the coming week.

Podcasts can be subscribed to via iTunes or the RSS feed on the Go Live Toronto website. A new one was just posted today (although they are generally posted on Monday).

Check it out and let me know what you think … always looking for feedback to make it better! 🙂

I’m a published author!

Who would’a thunk it, but I’m a published author now!

It was over a year and a half ago – almost two years now – that Sky Gilbert called me asking for a few samples of my writing as he was putting together an anthology of gay playwrights … so I sent him a few things I had written, didn’t hear anything for a few months, gave up, and then got the call that he was going to be using a few of my monologues and scenes in the anthology! Colour me surprise …

So the book has finally been published and there’s a launch party on Tuesday at the Gladstone. If you’ve got nothing else to do that night, c’mon out and enjoy some gay dramatic fun!

Playwright’s Canada Press announces the arrival of
Gay Monologues and Scenes: An Anthology
Edited by Sky Gilbert

Join PCP as we celebrate the publication of Gay Monologues and Scenes, an anthology edited by Sky Gilbert.
This exciting collection of contemporary gay Canadian theatre will be launched at the Gladstone Hotel Art Bar on Tuesday, October 16th, at 8pm.

rief readings from Gay Monologues and Scenes will be performed by Edward Roy, Peter Lynch, David Bateman, Salvatore Antonio, Tony Berto, Jefferson Guzman and Sean Reycraft. The ever-genial RM Vaughan will host the evening, and the even more genial Sky Gilbert will be in attendance, along with the authors, to sign books.

Gay Monologues and Scenes: An Anthology features work by
Salvatore Antonio
David Bateman
Tony Berto
Ken Brand
Gavin Crawford
Julian Doucet
Paul Dunn
Blair Francey
Jefferson Guzman
Peter Lynch
Michael Lewis MacLennan
Jordan Patterson
Sean Reycraft
David Roche
Edward Roy
Colin Thomas
RM Vaughan

For further information, please contact Annie Gibson at 416-703-0013 or at editor@playwrightscanada.com

NO CUTS TO OUR ESSENTIAL SERVICES

NO CUTS TO OUR ESSENTIAL SERVICES
because it’s tough as hell to swim in empty pools?

Gathering at Nathan Phillips Square
Wednesday, September 19th
4 – 6 PM
please circulate widely

On WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19TH, 4-6PM we are calling on ALL MEMBERS OF THE ARTS COMMUNITY AND ANYBODY ELSE to convene at NATHAN PHILLIPS SQUARE to make it clear that we will not tolerate cuts to our essential services and that we support the Land Transfer tax.

IT’S URGENT: the councillors will be meeting on the 20th to discuss this and we need to show our city officials that we are organized and strong in numbers and that we are horrified by the city’s deteriorating quality of life.

Please show your concern by attending WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19th!
because it’s tough as hell to swim in empty pools.

please circulate widely

If you have suggestions for speakers, activities or want to help organize please contact:
Heather Haynes – heather@torontofreegallery.org
Darren O’Donnell – darren@mammalian.ca
Lisa Pijuan-Nomura – girlcancreate@yahoo.ca

– the land transfer tax is a one-time 2% cost payable only when you choose to buy a house; if implemented it will avert large annual property tax increases payable each and every year
– first time home buyers will receive a rebate for the land transfer tax
– only 6 cents of every tax dollar you pay goes to the city. The remaining 94 cents goes to the provincial and federal governments.

Queen West Arts Crawl – The Art of Community

Another press release that happened to fall into my inbox today … I’ve never actually been to the QWAC, but this looks like a lot of fun!

Take the famous 501 Queen streetcar, stroll through Trinity Bellwoods Park, discover the hidden treasures of Parkdale and join us for a major launch party at the Gladstone Hotel. Enjoy all of this and more at Artscape’s 5th annual Queen West Art Crawl – a weekend-long celebration of the art of community.

The QUEEN WEST ART CRAWL kicks off with a LAUNCH PARTY at the Gladstone Hotel on Friday, September 14, starting at 7pm. You can take in all of the Gladstone events and party until the last person is left standing!

Artscape is rolling out a series of Welcome Mats along Queen Street West for the weekend of the Queen West Art Crawl. The Welcome Mat Project is a festive way of marking key programming locations, welcoming visitors to our community and demonstrating the hospitality of Queen West.

TRINITY BELLWOODS PARK
Outdoor Art Show & Sale
Saturday 15 and Sunday 16, 11am – 6pm
250 artists, artisans, arts and community organizations transform Trinity Bellwoods Park into an outdoor art gallery/market and community meeting place.

Art That Binds curated by Shannon Cochrane
Saturday 15 and Sunday 16, 11am –6pm
A wild and hilarious performance art series featuring some of Toronto’s best loved artists. Meet Canadian royalty, kick back with the top 40 beats of a cross-dressing boychoir, play a game of zombie-tag at the supermarket and take an intimate walking tour with local personalities.

ING DIRECT Interactive Kids Zone
Saturday 15 and Sunday 16, 11am – 6pm
Two non-allergenic peanut butter and jam packed days of creative action and interaction for kids including chess, yoga, cartooning, bicycle eccentrification, drumming, jewellery-making, theatre and more!

PARKDALE VILLAGE
PLAY/GROUNDS curated by Elaine Gaito and Chris Reynolds
Saturday 15, 10am – 11pm and Sunday 16, 10am – 8pm
Start your adventure at Parkdale Town Square, home base for PLAY/GROUNDS’ site-specific installations and performance art taking place in Parkdale.

GLADSTONE HOTEL
The QUEEN WEST ART CRAWL kicks off with a LAUNCH PARTY at the Gladstone Hotel on Friday, September 14, starting at 7pm. You can take in all of the Gladstone events and party until the last person is left standing!
Variation One – created and performed by the Gladstone Cooperative
Show Me Yours featuring Queen Street By Numbers, House Call, The Transformative Moment, Artscape Tenant Group Show

CAMH CAMPUS
Annual Being Scene Art Exhibition & Sale produced by Workman Arts
Creative on Queen

ALONG QUEEN
Participating businesses, galleries and art lovers include: Art in the Fall at 401 Richmond, Artscape’s 900 Queen at Crawford St., Artscape’s 1313 Queen at Cowan Ave. ,Good Catch General Store, Woolfitt’s Art Enterprises Inc.,Stephen Bulger Gallery ,IT’S NOT A DELI ,Propeller Centre for Visual Arts Chau Le above the Hong Phat Variety Store, Planet Kid ,Fresh on Crawford, The Paper Place, Tern Art Supplies, Dufflet Pastries, Response, Rumah Inc

For more information, please visit www.torontoartscape.on.ca/qwac

ABOUT ARTSCAPE
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Artscape is a not-for-profit enterprise engaged in culture-led regeneration. Its work includes anchoring creative communities within affordable spaces and building authentic and dynamic places by connecting creative and cultural resources. Visit www.torontoartscape.on.ca for more information on Artscape.