Divergent Dances Peterborough is an outdoor aerial performance at Peterborough Square created by Anandam Dancetheatre’s Brandy Leary with dance artists Erin Ball, Opal Elchuk, Nikola Steer, Thomas Vaccaro. and Lina Loaiza Bran. Two open public rehearsals take place during Tuesday, September 25th with performances at 7 p.m. on Friday, September 28th and 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 29th. (Photo: Matt Hayes)
Divergent (adjective) – a. moving or extending in different directions from a common point; b. differing from each other or from a standard.
A dancer, coiled in rope suspended halfway up the side of the TD bank northwest wall of Peterborough Square, proceeds to free fall, seemingly in slow motion and with total control, to the awe of curious onlookers.
This is Divergent Dances Peterborough, a new choreographic work by Anandam Dancetheatre’s Brandy Leary, who will be in Peterborough for three weeks developing the piece as the Fall Artist in Residence with Public Energy Performing Arts.
Divergent Dances is not your typical aerial dance performance. Rather than extenuate the virtuosity of the circus arts form Leary is interested in the quiet, the still, the un-spectacular, and the everyday and manages to explore it all while suspended two stories in the air, or slow motion tumbling down Peterborough Square’s concrete steps.
The aerial component of Divergent Dances Peterborough at Peterborough Square. (Photo: Patrica Levert-Thorne)
“The immense pleasure of working in residency, with a group of collaborators coming together from Peterborough, Southern Ontario, and South America has been deeply transformative for me,” Leary says.
Outside of Peterborough Square is an unusual place for a dance performance. There are no curtains, no seats, there is no stage or music.
What Leary is showing us is that art and performance is about more than this — it’s about listening, watching, and witnessing. And people have indeed been watching. With a wide range of responses.
The Divergent Dances artists in rehearsal at Peterborough Square. (Photo: Nikola Steer)
“I love it. I love it! I’m coming back. I could watch this all day,” says an older woman watching from the concrete banister over the mall stairs.
Other viewers clutch their chests and pace backyards, mouths agape, not expecting to see a body dangling in the air just above the door to their TD ATM banking machine, while others pass by nonplussed by the suspended bodies overhead.
Divergent Dances Peterborough artists have been rehearsing on site to develop the performance at the corner of George and Simcoe Streets daily since mid-September.
Divergent Dances artists exploring the space at Peterborough Square at the corner of George and Simcoe Streets. The artists have been rehearsing on site to develop the performance daily since mid-September. (Photos: Patrica Levert-Thorne)
“This way of working subverts some of the ‘most practiced’ models of touring repertoire in the performance sector, where often an artist brings a finished product to a community from the outside,” explains Leary.
Anandam Dancetheatre, under the artistic direction of Leary, is known for radical choreographic installations in unique settings. Leary’s artists are carefully chosen. Local artists Thomas Vaccaro and Opal Elchuk are seasoned performers and instructors at Peterborough Academy of Circus Arts (PACA), and have worked tirelessly to build and nurture the circus arts community in Peterborough.
Elchuk and Vaccaro are both excited to be working with Leary as a part of Divergent Dances.
“I’m someone who loves to search eternally, who loves to find new and different ways to do things,” says Vaccaro.
“One question I am exploring is how a non-normative body explores a normative space,” says Kingston-based circus artist Erin Ball, who lost her lower legs after a life-changing event. Ball is pictured here under a no-skateboarding sign at Peterborough Square; the platform Ball is using reads “Not a skateboard!!!”. (Photo: Patrica Levert-Thorne)
“The contrast of slowness and softness of fleshy bodies against the harsh concrete and the buzz of the city centre are striking to experience,” adds Elchuk.
“Being in this process profoundly shifts my state of being, every time.”
Vaccaro and Elchuk are joined by Kingston-based circus artist Erin Ball who owns operates Kingston Circus Arts, where she teaches circus arts to bodies of all shapes, sizes ages and situations, as well as staging professional performances.
In 2014, after a life-changing event that resulted in the loss of her lower legs, Ball returned to her passion of training, coaching and performing.
For Divergent Dances, Ball says, “We are exploring slowing down, language, leaning, falling, inefficiency, rolling and dominant bodies. One question I am exploring is how a non-normative body explores a normative space.”
On Thursday, September 20th, Ball will be teaching a free “Adaptive Circus Arts Workshop for People with Disabilities” at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough). Participants will learn partner and group acrobatics, plus aerial hoop and silks.
Ball will be teaching the workshop alongside Lina Loaiza Bran (Ambar Violeta), a dance and circus artist who arrived from Colombia recently to work and study with Ball. Bran says some of her previous work centres on “the exploration that I have been developing about the possibilities of movement my body offers, with the particular condition of being an amputee.”
Divergent Dances performing artists also features Nicola Steer, a Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist known internationally for her burlesque work as Coco Framboise, and Leary herself.
Setting up the equipment on the roof of Peterborough Square for the aerial component of the Divergent Dances performance. (Photo: Patrica Levert-Thorne)The view from the roof of Peterborough Square looking down on the courtyard. (Photo: Patrica Levert-Thorne)
Hard at work throughout it all is Patricia Levert-Thorne, Divergent Dances‘ Stage Manager, who is also Operations and Production Manager at Market Hall with two decades of experience.
“I have been fascinated to see Peterborough Square as a performance space, and how this process expands and slows down movement and plays with the architecture,” says Levert-Thorne.
Amino Yusuf, a recent Trent University graduate, is also involved with the project. Yusuf is Writer in Residence and charged with responding to the artists’ work with original writing.
Throughout the three-week residency there are many opportunities for people to ask questions and learn about the process.
The artists performing in Divergent Dances Peterborough are Erin Ball, Opal Elchuk, Nikola Steer, Thomas Vaccaro. and Lina Loaiza Bran. (Photo: Patrica Levert-Thorne)
Divergent Dances artists will be hosting two open public rehearsals, followed by question-and-answer sessions, from 12 to 1 p.m. and 5 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, September 25th.
On Wednesday, September 26th from 7 to 8 p.m., Leary will deliver an artist talk titled “Divergent Dances: Bodies & Public Space” at Trent University’s Bagnani Hall at Traill College (310 London St., Peterborough).
Performances of Divergent Dances will take place at Peterborough Square in downtown Peterborough at 7 p.m. on Friday, September 28th, and at 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 29th (rain date is 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 30th).
Divergent Dances Peterborough is co-presented by Anandam Dancetheatre, the Art Gallery of Peterborough, and Artsweek Peterborough and is part of the 2018 [in]SITES Series.
“Something that Brandy tells us all the time is to ‘soften’ ourselves,” says Bran. “To learn how to live inside of our own bodies, and the outside world, and share with those around us in soft and gentle ways.”
This story and the accompanying photos were supplied by Public Energy Performing Arts.
The not-for-profit Toronto-based Players sketch troupe is performing a comedy musical show at the Gordon Best Theatre in downtown Peterborough on Friday, September 28, 2018. Proceeds will be donated to the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, Casey House, and the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund. (Photo: Stante Media)
After a long absence, comedy returns to the Gordon Best Theatre on Friday, September 28th when popular Toronto-based not-for-profit group Players brings its unique blend of comedy, music, and tradition to Peterborough for the first time with a new sketch show called “Magical Mystery Tour Bus”.
“It’s a very unique live show,” says Players vice president and performer Meg MacKeigan. “It’s a lot like a cabaret. It’s part sketch comedy, part rock show, part keg party. It’s a bit of all three.”
Established in Toronto in 2004 by alumni of Queen’s University in Kingston, Players is a unique theatrical company that follows in the steps of the university’s Queen’s Players, first established as the Queen’s Drama Guild in 1900.
Players presents Magical Mystery Tour Bus
When: Friday, September 28, 2018 at 8 p.m. Where: Gordon Best Theatre (216 Hunter St. W., Peterborough) How much: $15 in advance or at the door
A one-act sketch comedy musical show featuring performers are Chelsea Jayne Bray, John Beauchemin, Matty Burns, Meg Mack, Steven Suepaul, and Tanya Filipopoulos, and a rock band featuring Brent Vipond (drums and percussion), Dan MacKay (bass guitar), Luke O’Brien (keyboards and rhythm guitar), and Jeff Adams (lead guitar and keyboards). Proceeds will go to charity. An age of majority event. Advance tickets available online.
Combining comedy and music in a bawdy production containing its own special comedic traditions, the Queen’s Players continues to sell out shows in Kingston, while the Toronto Players has become a popular entity all its own, selling out rooms for 14 years.
“The Queen’s Drama Guild started these shows over a hundred years ago,” Meg explains. “They were classic cabaret and little mini-plays, and over time they added music to them.
“Because of the nature of the school, every four years there would be an entirely new group of people and the show itself evolved over time, adding new traditions and the changing the format of the show. The traditions would be passed on from the seniors to the sophomores.”
However, despite their association with Queen’s Players and the adoption of their theatrical traditions, Players co-founder and president Peter Higgins stresses that not all of the members of the group are affiliated with Queen’s University.
“Players is not a Queen’s University only thing,” he says. “At our last show in Toronto. only 30 per cent of our company were Queens’s alumni. Everyone else came from all other walks of life. We truly welcome anyone who wants to donate the time and is talented.”
Players’ productions are as much about music as performance, and the group comes along with a first-rate rock band. (Photo: Stante Media)
Over the past 14 years, Players has been selling out shows in Toronto with full-length original productions that usually mash up two pop culture franchises into a ridiculous frenzy of comedy and music.
“We’ve sold out pretty much every show we’ve ever done because our audience is so loyal and love our shows so much,” Peter says. “They come back and they feel like they are in on the joke. Of course we want new audiences, which is part of what this tour is all about. We want to find new audiences and get them in on the joke and invite them into this silly musical comedy that we have.”
What makes Players so special is the use of a theatrical element called “traditions” that originated at Queen’s University.
“We have traditions big and small,” Peter explains. “The biggest and most obvious are the interactions between the audience and the cast and band members. You might want to think about how the Rocky Horror Picture Show has an audience that knows what to say during certain points of the movie or the play. With us there is a similar sort of thing.
“For instance, if you hear during one of the comedic scenes a title of a song, the audience is supposed to yell ‘Sing!’ and the players might sing that song. Another tradition is ‘seamless’. If somebody onstage makes an obvious mistake, if they fumble their lines or drop a prop, the audience yells ‘Seamless!’ which points out how the cast member screwed up. Certain audience members live for that moment.
“There is another tradition that if you like what the people on the stage are doing, you can pass up a beer, which they will drink right away. Those are three of our most obvious traditions, and those began at Queens’s University decades ago.”
The Toronto Players’ shows follow “traditions” of audience interaction that originated with the Queen’s Players at Queen’s University in Kingston. For example, if one of the performers messes up, the audience yells “Seamless!” to point out the mistake. (Photo: Matt Highfield)
In 2017, Players decided to move its shows away from the familiar audiences in Toronto and take them on the road. This is the group’s second year touring through Ontario, and its first time in Peterborough.
“Last summer was our first tour, and we wanted to do Peterborough but scheduling conflicts with the Gordon Best prevented us from stopping there,” Peter says. “So we focused on figuring out the logistics of doing a tour and travelling to another city. It was a success for us, so we decided to try again this year and reached out earlier and we got the Gordon Best secured and ready to go.”
While the Toronto-based shows are traditionally full-length productions, for the travelling show Players has created a sketch comedy production.
“The travelling show is an entirely new show,” Meg explains. “This is the second year that we have a sketch group, which is different than how we do our summer shows based off of one full-length narrative script. Each sketch is a standalone, but it’s all based on the theme of a journey. From that we came on the jumping point of the Magical Mystery Tour Bus.”
It should be noted that the show is not just theatrical sketch comedy. Players’ productions are as much about music as performance, and the group comes along with a first-rate rock band.
“Audiences are blown over by the music,” Peter says. “It’s totally accessible. Every song that we play is stuff you’ll know and you’ll sing along and you’ll love it.”
A Players’ show is equal parts comedy and concert, with the band playing a mix of accessible alternative and classic rock. (Photo: Stante Media)
“The band is amazing,” Meg adds. “It’s equal parts comedy and concert. The opener is a medley of songs you’d hear on the radio. We have songs from Blink 142, Fleetwood Mac, Hall and Oates, and The Killers. It’s a mix of accessible alternative and classic rock.”
“It alternates between comedy and music throughout the show,” Peter continues. “You have the comic scene, which is punctuated by rock n’ roll, and then the next scene happens. It kind of goes back and forth and, throughout, the cast members and the people in the band are having drinks.”
Out of all the traditions, the most important one that Players continues is that all of the proceeds of their shows goes back to charity. Once again, this is a decade-old tradition that originated at Queen’s University.
“Whenever we did shows in Kingston it was for charity,” Peter says. “None of the players took money. So when I and my friends formed the group in Toronto, we decided we wanted to maintain that model because it helps form what Players is all about.
“We have three pillars that we adhere to when we make decisions. One is to put on a great show, of course, otherwise the audience won’t come back. Another is to have fun, and respect everyone involved and create a safe environment. And the third is to give any proceeds we make to charity.
“We’ve hit on this model every year where we pick three charities. This year’s charities are the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, which we’ve sponsored the last three years, Casey House, which is a Toronto hospice for people with HIV and AIDS, and the third is the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund, which is focused on Indigenous issues and efforts towards reconciliation and in just making Canada a better place. So those are the charities for this season, and all the shows we do are raising money for them.”
The Players’ Magical Mystery Tour Bus arrives in Peterborough at the Gordon Best Theatre on Friday, September 28, 2018. Tickets are $15, with proceeds going to charity. (Graphic: Players)
If there’s one thing I’ve learned by sitting in Peterborough audiences, it’s that this community loves comedy shows. For years, the Gordon Best Theatre was a hub for improv and sketch comedy. However, in 2018 laughter has ceased to penetrate the walls of the theater, so Players’ stop in Peterborough is a chance to bring comedy back where it belongs at the Gordon Best.
To experience Players’ century-old traditions and blend of comedy and music, and to support three deserving Canadian charities, this community should come out and welcome the Magical Mystery Tour Bus when it pulls into Peterborough.
The Magical Mystery Tour Bus will be performed at Friday, September 28th at the Gordon Best Theatre at 216 Hunter Street West in Peterborough. The show starts at 8 p.m.. with doors opening at 7:30 p.m.. Tickets are $15 and are available online at www.playersto.com/events/peterborough-show or at the Gordon Best the night of the show. Note: This is a 19+ event.
The "Strutt Your Mutt" fun dog walk and fundraiser for the Peterborough Humane Society takes place on Sunday, September 23, 2018 at Beavermead Park in Peterborough. With only a couple of days left before the event, the Peterborough Humane Society needs your help right now to help meet its $25,000 fundraising goal. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough Humane Society)
This Sunday morning (September 23), hundreds of animal lovers from across the community will gather at Beavermead Park in Peterborough for “Strutt Your Mutt”, a fun dog walk and fundraiser for the Peterborough Humane Society.
There’s a photo booth at “Strutt Your Mutt”, so you may want to give your dog a chance to express their personality. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough Humane Society)
There is both a 1-kilometre and a 2-kilometre walk and you are welcome to bring your dog. In addition to the walk, there’s a $5 BBQ lunch (with vegetarian options available), microchip and rabies clinics, face painting, vendors, photo booth fun, games for dogs, prizes, and more.
With only a couple of days left before the event, the Peterborough Humane Society needs your help right now to help meet its $25,000 fundraising goal.
There’s still time to sign up as an individual or a team before the event and raise some money, you can make a pledge for an existing a participant or team, or you can just make a donation.
Every dollar raised supports the organization’s life-saving work, including facilitating adoptions and providing shelter and care for over 2,000 animals annually that been lost or rescued in our community.
The Peterborough Humane Society is a not-for-profit organization and is not funded by government — it depends on charitable donations to do its work.
The event takes place at Beavermead Park (2011 Ashburnham Dr., Peterborough), with registration from 10 to 11 a.m. and the walk running from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Peterborough Humane Society honourary chair couple Jen and Tim Farquharson with their daughter Hannah and their dogs Jimmie and Roscoe (who was rescued from a Korean dog meat farm). Participating in, sponsoring, or donating to the “Strutt Your Mutt” fun dog walk on September 23, 2018 will help support the Peterborough Humane Society to continue its work to help over 2,000 animals annually that have been lost or rescued in our community. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough Humane Society)
Fall is the best time to take a nature hike in Peterborough & the Kawarthas. The bugs are gone, it's cooler, and you'll be surrounded by the brilliant yellows, oranges, and reds of native tress. Make sure to check out Robert Johnston EcoForest Trails in Douro-Dummer Township and, if you're in the City of Peterborough, the popular Jackson Creek Kiwanis Trail.
Between the demands of work, home, and school, fall can be a busy and stressful time for you and your family. All the more reason to carve out a weekend or two and experience some of the fun activities available in Peterborough & the Kawarthas this autumn.
From touring artist studios to hiking in an eco-forest, from taking a spa day to throwing an axe, here are 11 must-try things to add to your fall bucket list in Peterborough & the Kawarthas.
This is part three of our ultimate Peterborough & the Kawarthas bucket list. If you’re looking for even more things to do — or want to start planning for next summer — check out our lists for July and August.
1. See local artists at work
The annual Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour provides a rare and unique opportunity to visit artists where they live and work.
During the weekend of September 22nd, take a self-driven tour of the studios of Peterborough & the Kawarthas artists during the 34th annual Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour.
Presented by the Art Gallery of Peterborough and 33 local artists, studios and galleries in the City and County of Peterborough (including the Village of Lakefield) will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 22nd and Sunday, September 23rd.
It is a unique opportunity to meet artists and learn about their craft in varied and intimate settings throughout the region. At this juried studio tour, you can browse a rich diversity of arts and crafts on display, including fine art, ceramics, glass, jewellery, sculpture, wood, fibre, metal and printmaking.
The 33 artists participating in this year’s Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour are Anne Cavanagh, Anne Renouf, Bill Reddick, Bronson Smith, Christianna Ferguson, Christy Haldane, David Hickey, Don Clark, Frank DiDomizio, Gail West, Georgina Brown, John Climenhage, Keith Thirgood, Leanne Baird, Lisa Martini-Dunk, Lois Shaw, Louise Laroche, Lucy Manley, Marilyn Goslin, Mary McLoughlin, Nan Sidler, Owen Dixon, Peer Christensen, Peter Rotter, Rob Niezen, Rowena Dykins, Sandy MacFarlane, Shannon Taylor, Stephanie Ford Forrester, Susan Fisher, Suzanne Woods, Thomas Aitken & Kate Hyde, and Valerie Davidson.
Admission to all studios and galleries is free, and some of the locations are accessible.
Robert Johnston EcoForest Trails in Douro-Dummer Township has four trails that pass through a cedar forest, a red pine forest, a small hardwood forest, a wetlands, and more. (Photo: Ernie Silhanek)
With trees turning colour and wildlife preparing for the long winter ahead, fall is the perfect time for a nature hike. And, just south of the community of Douro in Peterborough County, is a beautiful little trail system known as the Robert Johnston EcoForest Trails.
The trails are named after Robert Charles Johnston, a long-time resident of Douro-Dummer Township who donated the property in 1997 to the township to be used as recreational land. With the assistance of provincial and federal funding, the township designed and constructed the trail system to protect and enhance the land’s natural resources and for passive recreational enjoyment by the general public. Named the Robert Johnston EcoForest Trails in 2010, the trail system officially opened in the spring of 2011.
There are four trails totalling around six kilometres, which pass through a cedar forest in the lower half along with a boardwalk through wetlands, and a red pine forest in the upper half. Some of the interesting features include a large pond that attracts Great Blue Herons, ducks, muskrats, and, white-tailed deer, a small hardwood forest (with sugar maple, basswood, white birch, white ash, ironwood, and trembling aspen), large beech trees, a drumlin, and a rock pile providing habitat for sunbathing reptiles and amphibians.
The Robert Johnston EcoForest Trails are located at 185 Douro 5th Line in Douro-Dummer Township. The trails are free to use, with ample parking available at the entrance to the trails. Overnight camping and motorized vehicles are not allowed.
3. Discover Ontario’s hunting and fishing heritage
Learn more about Ontario’s fish and wildlife conservation history and traditions of hunting, fishing, and trapping at the Mario Cortellucci Hunting and Fishing Heritage Centre.
Whether or not you and your family fish or hunt, the Mario Cortellucci Hunting and Fishing Heritage Centre in Peterborough is an affordable destination where you can learn about Ontario’s fish and wildlife conservation history as well as celebrate the province’s hunting, fishing, and trapping traditions.
Operated by the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters thanks to a donation by life-long member Mario Cortellucci, the centre offers self-guided tours of its stunning wildlife displays. Each display has an interactive touch screen to provide interesting facts about the fish and animals you see before you. There’s also an impressive antique lure and decoy exhibit as well as giant Shimano Aquarium featuring warm-water fish.
If you want to try fishing, maybe for the first time, drop in and check out the Centre’s Shimano Fish Pond. The live-release warm water pond is easily accessible by wheelchair and provides a memorable and exciting experience, with the centre supplied the rods and reels. The pond is open until Thanksgiving.
There’s no need to call ahead; just visit the Centre during opening hours to discover what’s inside. General admission is only $5 per person.
The Mario Cortellucci Hunting and Fishing Heritage Centre is located at 4601 Guthrie Drive in Peterborough, and is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The Centre also offers special events, programs and camps, educational experiences, and more. For more information, visit www.hfhc.ca.
4. Enjoy a farm-to-table meal on the shores of Rice Lake
The Hearthside Dining Room at Elmhirst’s Resort in Keene overlooks Rice Lake. (Photo: Justen Soule)
If you want to experience a casual yet elegant dining experience while overlooking breathtaking colours on Rice Lake, you’ll want to make the trip to Elmhirst’s Resort in Keene this fall.
Open seven days a week, the Hearthside Dining Room at Elmhirst’s Resort offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner for both guests of the resort and visitors.
Renowned for using fresh farm-to-table ingredients, Elmhirst’s not only source ingredients from local farms and producers, but also raise its own chickens, cows, ducks, and turkeys right on the resort. The resort’s plentiful gardens also supply herbs, honey, and vegetables.
The popular Sunday brunch features freshly carved roast beef with fresh vegetables, a selection of seafood, cheese boards, and more. And people come from far and wide for desserts hand-crafted in-house by Elmhirst’s very own pastry chef.
If you enjoy wine with your dinner, the Hearthside Dining Room offers some of Ontario and Canada’s finest vintages on its wine list, which is carefully chosen to complement the menus. Elmhirst’s also hosts regular Winemaker’s Dinners with meals featuring fresh local ingredients paired expertly with VQA wines from a guest winemaker.
The Hearthside Dining Room at Elmhirst’s Resort (1045 Settlers Line, Keene) is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner from Monday to Saturday, and brunch and dinner on Sundays. For more information, visit elmhirst.ca/wine-dine/hearthside-dining-room/.
5. Take the day off and treat yourself at one of Canada’s top spas
One of Canada’s top 50 spas, Euphoria Wellness Spa in Peterborough offers a complete medi spa and more than 100 world-class spa and salon services. (Photo: Simone Dobson / Euphoria Wellness Spa)
Even though summer vacations may already feel like ancient history, there’s no reason you can’t treat yourself to a mini-vacation during the fall months. And there’s no better way to pamper yourself than with a day visit to a spa.
Euphoria Wellness Spa in Peterborough is one of Canada’s top 50 spas, offering a complete medi spa and more than 100 world-class spa and salon services.
Unwind with a sauna or steam, put on a cozy robe and slippers, and relieve stress and aches and pains with one of several massage treatments, including the classic Swedish massage, therapeutic massage, hot stone massage, and more. There’s even a couples massage so you can also treat that special someone.
Give yourself a fresh new look by taking advantage of some of the other spa services, including facials, body treatments, manicures and pedicures, body sugaring, cosmetic spray tans, and more.
And Euphoria Wellness Spa isn’t just for women — there’s a full range of spa services designed especially for men. Services include haircuts, manicures and pedicures, facials, back treatments, hair waxing, scrubs and wraps, and massages. The spa also offers skincare and grooming products specially formulated just for men. (Did we mention gift cards are available?)
Euphoria Wellness Spa is located at 290 Water Street in downtown Peterborough and is open Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information about Euphoria Wellness Spa, including services and prices, visit www.euphoriawellnessspa.com.
6. Visit the animals at Ontario’s first SPCA-certified natural farm
If you remember the 2015 television commercial for the Subaru Forester, where a farmer drives his injured border collie to herd the sheep, you’ve already seen Harley Farms near Keene. The commercial proved so popular that a sequel was filmed at the farm the following year.
The 400 hectares of farmland nestled in rolling hills made Harley Farms an ideal location for the commercials, but that’s not what makes Harley Farms special. It’s a natural farm, founded with the belief that animals should have a good life.
This is why Harley Farms became the first SPCA Animal Welfare Certified farm in Ontario in 2014.
Harley Farms offers a “behind the scenes” guided tour where you can visit the pigs, sheep, cattle, and chickens. The guide will give you an overview of the farms, the importance of animal welfare, and show you how the livestock at Harley Farms thrives in a natural environment.
Tours are available upon request and cost $10 for adults and $6.50 for children ages 5 to 12 (free for children under 5).
A cowboy competition is only one of many events and activities at the Norwood Fair over the Thanksgiving weekend.
The fall fair, a mix of agricultural show and entertainment, is a tradition of rural life in Ontario. Many of us have a cherished childhood memory of enjoying cotton candy on a cool autumn afternoon while clutching a ticket for a ride on the midway.
The Norwood Fair is a popular time-honoured tradition for many people in Peterborough & the Kawarthas, attracting around 40,000 visitors every year. Held annually over the Thanksgiving long weekend (October 6th to 8th), 2018 is a special year for the Norwood Fair as it’s celebrating its 150th anniversary.
First established in 1868, the Norwood Fair was a community gathering where village folk came together to celebrate the harvest, display the fruits of their labours, engage in some friendly competition, and have fun. The fair has grown and evolved over the years, but remains a traditional country fair filled with lots of fun and excitement for the entire family.
Along with the traditional parade, animal exhibits and pulls, and the midway, the 150th Norwood Fair also features live entertainment, a talent show for kids, lawn mower racing, sheepdog demonstrations, Hot Diggity Dogs flyball, a cowboy competition, an antique car show, an antique tractor show and pull, and much more.
The Norwood Fair takes place from Saturday, October 6th to Monday, October 8th at the Norwood Fairgrounds at 56 Alma Street in Norwood. Gates open at 9 a.m. daily, with the midway opening at 10:30 a.m. daily. Adult admission is $10 daily (cash only), with adult weekend passes available for $20 and student weekend passes for $15. Children 12 and under are admitted for free. Tickets for midway rides may be purchased at the ticket booths on the carnival grounds.
For more details, including a full schedule of events, visit www.norwoodfair.com.
8. Take a nature hike in the heart of Peterborough
Beginning at Jackson Park in Peterborough, the Jackson Creek Kiwanis Trail runs for more than four kilometres through forests, fields, and a large wetland.
Located off of Parkhill Road in the middle of Peterborough, Jackson Park is a favourite destination for city residents, in no small part because of the Jackson Creek Kiwanis Trail.
An abandoned CN rail line converted for walking and cycling, the 4.5-kilometre trail runs from Jackson Park in the east to just west of Ackison Road in Selwyn Township.
Part of the Trans-Canada Trail, the trail will take you through upland forested areas, large open agricultural areas, lowlands, wooded valley slopes, and a large wetland before reaching the end at Ackison Road. Each one of these areas contains its own unique habitat for native plants and wildlife.
For its entire length, the trail runs alongside Jackson Creek — the reason for the abundant plant and animal life you can see along the trail. The trail also includes four railroad bridges that cross Jackson Creek at various locations, providing
stunning views.
The Peterborough Axe Club, the first axe-throwing club in Peterborough & the Kawarthas, hosts leagues, group bookings, and walk-ins.
With the nights growing longer during the fall we’ll be spending more time inside, so it’s a great time to try the latest urban craze: axe throwing.
Originally an event in lumberjack competitions, axe throwing is a social sport where you throw a hatchet at a target, attempting to hit as near to the bullseye as possible. It’s like playing darts, but with an axe!
The Peterborough Axe Club is the first axe-throwing club in Peterborough & the Kawarthas, and hosts leagues, group bookings, and walk-ins. Although axe throwing may sound dangerous to the uninitiated, it’s not. The Peterborough Axe Club is a welcoming, safe, and engaging place where you can compete for leaderboard ranking while having a lot of fun with your friends or colleagues.
Group bookings for six to 70 people are available for birthday parties, bachelor or bachelorette parties, corporate events, fundraisers, or any other get-together where you want to do something a little different. Walk-ins are also available on weekday evenings (excluding Mondays) and on Saturday afternoons and evenings. Group bookings are $30 per person for two and a half hours of axe-throwing fun, and walk-ins are $20 per person for an hour and a half session.
In all cases, an experienced instructor will coach you on how to throw an axe safely like an expert, so you and your friends can compete with one another for bragging rights. If you end up really enjoying the sport, the Peterborough Axe Club also hosts adults and youth leagues. The cost for an eight-week season is $115 for adults and $100 for youth.
For more information and to book a session at the Peterborough Axe Club, visit www.ptboaxe.com.
10. Grab a bite or a drink in downtown Peterborough’s vibrant restaurant district
Sam’s Deli is one of many restaurants and cafes located in the Hunter St. Cafe District in downtown Peterborough.
While there are many excellent choices across Peterborough & the Kawarthas for dining out or grabbing a casual lunch, if you’re in Peterborough you’ll definitely want to check out the downtown Hunter St. Cafe District.
This section of Hunter Street West, between Aylmer Street and Water Street, has the largest concentration of restaurants and cafes in the city.
Whether you’re looking for casual or fine dining, grabbing a quick sandwich or a slice of pizza, lingering over a dessert with a coffee, enjoying a vegan meal or a steak, going spicy with pad thai or jerk chicken or authentic fajitas, or just getting together with friends for a beer and chicken wings, there’s something for you in Hunter St. Cafe District.
Restaurants in the Hunter St. Cafe District include Kettle Drums, Island Cream Caribbean Cuisine, Gerti’s, Blackhoney Dessert & Coffeehouse, Karma’s Cafe, The Only Cafe, Hunter County Cuisine, Yo Yo’s Yogurt Cafe, La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant, Sam’s Place Deli, The Night Kitchen, Caffeina, Dreams of Beans Cafe, Hobart’s Steakhouse, The Food Forest, and St. Veronus Cafe and Tap Room.
If you’re more interested in a beverage or two, while watching the game or listening to a DJ or a live band or just socializing with friends, you can drop in to One Eighty Hunter St., the Historic Red Dog Tavern, Spanky’s Downtown Pub & Patio, or The Sapphire Room — all located in the Hunter St. Cafe District.
11. Paddle the Trent-Severn Waterway
From novice to experienced paddlers, there are lots of fall paddling routes to choose from along the Trent-Severn Waterway in Peterborough & the Kawarthas.
While many people consider summer the best time for paddling, fall is actually a great time to head out on the water with your canoe or kayak.
Not only are the bugs gone and the temperatures cooler, but you can be surrounded on all sides by the majesty of fall colours.
And the Trent–Severn Waterway provides ample opportunities for a fall paddling adventure, whether you want to paddle through the locks (which are open for navigation until Thanksgiving) or put in for a shorter trip.
From an easy paddle in Little Lake in Peterborough to more challenging trips through Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park, there are plenty of routes to choose from.
A guide to Artsweek 2018, which takes place from Friday, September 21st to Sunday, September 30th at locations across Peterborough.
Artsweek 2018, Peterborough’s biennial festival of the visual and performing arts, features more than 40 events with over 100 artists. The festival kicks off in Peterborough with a launch party on Friday (September 21) at the Peterborough Public Library, and continues until Sunday, September 30th.
Produced and presented by the Electric City Culture Council, this year’s program includes everything from music and dance to poetry and puppetry to clowns and flying canoes, and it all takes place in public spaces all across the city.
All Artsweek events are free and open to the public to experience.
“Artsweek 2018 features some of the most talented and imaginative artists in the city,” says Artsweek 2018 Artistic Producer Hannah Keating. “It shines a spotlight on the incredible creativity of this community.”
Artsweek 2018 includes some returning favourites such as the ‘Poetry Take-Out Cart’ (poetry on demand, just place your order) and ‘Porchapalooza’, front=porch concerts by a great line up of musical talent that take place in East City and the Old West End Avenues. Performance events include dancing on the escalators at Peterborough Square in ‘Sorry about what happend at the mall’, and aerial magic on the outside walls of the square with ‘Divergent Dances’.
There are more than 40 free events featuring more than 100 artists at various locations across Peterborough during Artsweek 2018. A printable version of this placemat, along with a printable program guide and a listing of all the events, is available at artsweekptbo.com. (Illustration: WeDesign)
‘Between the Water and the Sky’ — a dynamic fusion of music, dance and storytelling — will mesmerize audiences as it explores an artist’s journey to reclaim their Indigenous culture and heritage. ‘The Flying Canoe’ is an action-packed adventure told with theatre, dance and an aerial canoe.
In ‘The Wailing’, five 12-foot whales will weave in elegiac pageantry, music, and sound, calling audiences to remember what is happening to their world. ‘Tootah In Town’, an unorthodox clown, will pop up here and there throughout the festival. You can see printmaking in action and writ large, outdoors, at ‘Roll-O-Matic: Public Acts of Printmaking’.
Porchapalooza is a series of concerts featuring local musicians that take place on the front porches of residential homes in in East City and the Old West End Avenues.
In ‘Cognitively Nuanced: Neuro-Divergent Perspectives on a Burgeoning Urban Landscape’, you can connect with the experiences of people living with traumatic brain injuries through visual arts, media arts, writing, and performance. ‘Between the Lines’ is a site-specific series of pop-up projects organized by Hannah Keating and featuring filmmaker Daniel Crawford, visual artist Carolyn Code, and theatre artist Anne White.
This is a taste of what’s awaiting you during Artsweek 2018. Detailed information about each event, including artist bios, and a printable schedule are available at artsweekptbo.com, but kawarthaNOW has pulled together the following key details for your convenience, along with an interactive map of event locations:
Date: Friday, September 21 Time: 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. Location: Peterborough Public Library (345 Aylmer St. N)
Join the Artsweek team for the world premiere of Lester Alfonso’s Imaginarium, the Artsweek proclamation, opening remarks, and a sneak peek of festival highlights, including the Take-Out Poetry Cart, The Flying Canoe (Thomas Vaccaro), Porchapalooza (Washboard Hank and Sweet Muriel), and Between the Water and the Sky (Unity).
Refreshments will be provided.
Between the Lines
Carolyn Code, Daniel Crawford, and Anne White.
An outdoor exhibition of sculpture, animated film projection, and performance, Between the Lines is a group show that asks three local artists to respond to the questions posed and opportunities presented by “in-between” spaces.
Tangle is an outdoor installation by Carolyn Code. Using thread to sculpt geometric shapes, Carolyn’s piece draws on forms she has explored in previous work, while representing for the artist a bold new foray into public art.
The Door That You Walk Through is a film by Daniel Crawford. Projected onto the side of an abandoned brick building, the film weaves itself into the fabric of a magical, ramshackle setting behind The Only Café. Audiences are invited to journey through the café to the see the film.
Lookout is a performance by theatre artist Anne White. Anne positions herself with a critical eye in relationship to a space often overlooked, but heavy with personal, public, and historic meaning and asks audiences to do the same.
Between the Lines – Tangle by Carolyn Code Date: September 22 – September 30 Time: All Day Location: Behind Engage Engineering, 171 King St. Suite 120
Between the Lines – The Door That You Walk Through by Daniel Crawford Date: September 24 – September 29 Time: 7 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Location: behind The Only Café, 216 Hunter St. W
Between the Lines – Lookout by Anne White Date: September 24 Time: 12:30 p.m. – 1 p.m. Location: Confederation Square, 499 George St. N
Between the Lines – Lookout by Anne White Date: September 26 Time: 6:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. Location: Confederation Square, 499 George St. N
Between the Lines – Curator’s Tour Date: September 26 Time: 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Location: Meet at Confederation Square, 499 George St. N Tour ends at The Only Café, 216 Hunter St. W
Between the Lines – Lookout by Anne White Date: September 28 Time: 10 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. Location: Confederation Square, 499 George St. N
Between the Water and the Sky
Between the Water and the Sky is a live performance featuring Unity Indigenous vocal ensemble, Peterborough Symphony Orchestra String Quartet, and dancer/choreographer Beany John.
A dynamic collaboration between art forms, Between the Water and the Sky features original songs “The Medicine Song” and “Ghost Dancer” by Unity, musical composition by Christine Donkin, and an embodied performance by John.
Between the Water and the Sky – Relaxed Performance Date: September 27 Time: 3:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. Location: Peterborough Square Courtyard 360 George St. N
Between the Water and the Sky Date: September 27 Time: 4:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. Location: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Lobby (300 Water Street)
Between the Water and the Sky – Open Dress Rehearsal Date: September 27 Time: 12:15 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. Location: Trent University, 2510 Pioneer Rd. West side of Gzowski College
Between the Water and the Sky Date: September 27 Time: 5:45 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Location: The Peterborough Public Library (345 Aylmer Street N)
Cognitively Nuanced: Neuro-Divergent Perspectives on a Burgeoning Urban Landscape
These are Horizon Days and The Brain Injury Association of Peterborough Region (BIAPR) have partnered to present Cognitively Nuanced, a multidisciplinary exploration of lives lived with traumatic brain injury (TBI).
A workshop series delivered prior to Artsweek invited members of the BIAPR to navigate Peterborough through verse, comedy, and sculpture and to create works that reflect their experiences.
Through poetry, dance, visual art, and photography, members share what it is like to move within and access Peterborough’s urban spaces.
Cognitively Nuanced: Exhibition Opening – painting, sculpture, photography, and performance Date: September 22 Time: 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. Location: Brain Injury Association Peterborough Region (BIAPR) 158 Charlotte St.
Cognitively Nuanced: Appendages in Relation to the Body (Revisited) – dance performance Date: September 25 Time: 2 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Location: Peterborough Square Courtyard 360 George St. N
Cognitively Nuanced: Brainstorm (cliché title subject to change) – poetry reading and chapbook launch Date: September 26 Time: 1 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Location: Peterborough Downtown Farmers’ Market Charlotte St.
Cognitively Nuanced: Appendages in Relation to the Body (Revisited) – dance performance Date: September 27 Time: 2 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Location: Peterborough Square Courtyard 360 George St. N
Divergent Dances Peterborough
Divergent Dances Peterborough is an outdoor aerial performance created by Brandy Leary of Anandam Dancetheatre. It features local dance artists Erin Ball, Opal Elchuk, Nikola Steer, and Thomas Vaccaro in performance on an exterior wall of Peterborough Square.
The performances will be prefaced by an open rehearsal on Tuesday, September 25th.
Divergent Dances Peterborough explores themes of listening, non-spectacle, and how bodies move in public space.
Divergent Dances Peterborough – Open Rehearsal Date: September 25 Time: 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. Location: Peterborough Square, 360 George St N, Corner of George and Simcoe
Divergent Dances Peterborough – Performance Date: September 28 Time: 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. Location: Peterborough Square, 360 George St N, Corner of George and Simcoe
Divergent Dances Peterborough – Performance Date: September 29 Time: 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. Location: Peterborough Square, 360 George St N, Corner of George and Simcoe
The Flying Canoe
The Flying Canoe, presented by the Peterborough Academy of Circus Arts, tells the story of a French-Canadian folktale, the Chasse-Galerie (“The Flying Canoe”), with live fiddle music by Jay Edmunds.
Brought to life through live theatre, dance, fire spinning, and acrobatics, the piece follows four lonely woodcutters who strike a deal with the devil.
Witness the spectacle, the woodcutters’ comical, action-packed adventures, and their dealings with a fiery devil as they traverse an innovative circus apparatus — the aerial canoe — rigged to the roof of The Canadian Canoe Museum atop the Grand Portage.
Performers include Opal (Jennifer Elchuk), Kayla Stanistreet, Jeffrey Cadence, and Victoria Kopf as the woodcutters, Thomas Vaccaro as the devil, and dancers Sammi Blanchard, Jess Gentle, Ceinwen Perks, and Kollene Drummond.
The Flying Canoe – Performance Date: September 27 Time: 6 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Location: The Canadian Canoe Museum, 910 Monaghan Road
The Flying Canoe – Performance Date: September 27 Time: 7 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Location: The Canadian Canoe Museum, 910 Monaghan Road
Imaginarium
Imaginarium is a large-scale video projection mapping work by filmmaker and media artist Lester Alfonso that transforms the front windows of the new Peterborough Public Library with light and imagination.
Imaginarium invites passersby into new worlds and adventures, like those provided by the books on library shelves. Creating moments of unexpected, immersive, and ambient encounters, with music by Sherine Cisco and sound mix/design by Michael Phillips, this mirage plays with ideas of individual memory and public architecture.
It is a temporary, site-specific, multimedia event that will make a lasting impression on all who manage to catch a glimpse.
Imaginarium – Film Projection Date: September 21 – September 23 Time: 8 p.m. – 11 p.m. Location: Peterborough Public Library (345 Aylmer St. N)
New Visions/Old Land: On Hospitality
The Electric City Culture Council is proud to present the Downtown Artists in Residence Project, New Visions/Old Land: On Hospitality. Six local artists have been selected to take part in the residency and have been invited to contemplate the theme of hospitality.
A cross-cultural value, hospitality can be expressed, understood, and interpreted in diverse ways. The Indigenous, settler, and newcomer artists taking part will share their unique perspectives on the subject as well as their diverse artistic practices. An exhibition, performance works, and public engagement activities, created in response to these collective investigations will be delivered throughout Artsweek 2018.
Featuring Brad Brackenridge, Kelly O’Neill, Nick Ferrio, Rodney Fuentes, Mayelin Lovet, and Alice Williams, the residency aims to give space and time to meaningful collaboration, community gatherings, and multidisciplinary expression.
Exhibition – New Visions/Old Land: On Hospitality Date: September 22 – September 30 Time: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Location: ünicity, 418 George St
Group Drawing Project – New Visions/Old Land: On Hospitality Date: September 22 Time: 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Location: ünicity, 418 George St.
Applique Workshop – New Visions/Old Land: On Hospitality Date: September 23 Time: 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Location: Meta4 Contemporary Craft Gallery, 164 Hunter Street W.
Collecting Sound – New Visions/Old Land: On Hospitality Date: September 24 Time: 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Location: ünicity, 418 George St.
Drop in Salsa Dance – New Visions/Old Land: On Hospitality Date: September 25 Time: 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Location: The Theatre on King, 171 King St.
Painting Masks – New Visions/Old Land: On Hospitality Date: September 26 Time: 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Location: The Theatre on King, 171 King St.
Artists Talk and Lunch (Provided by the Gitigaan Project) – New Visions / Old Land: On Hospitality Date: September 27 Time: 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Location: ünicity, 418 George St
Textile Mark-Making – New Visions/Old Land: On Hospitality Date: September 28 Time: 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Location: Meta4 Contemporary Craft Gallery, 164 Hunter Street W.
Porchapalooza
Porchapalooza is a lively neighbourhood concert series that transforms front porches into stages for live, local music. The event features 13 performances over two days and is produced by local musicians Washboard Hank and Kris Fisher.
Roving from one porch to the next, audiences will enjoy diverse musical genres and the unique atmosphere of front-yard concerts in a thrilling two-day tour through the historic Avenues and in East City.
There are three tour times for each Porchapalooza concert, but audiences are welcome to pop in at any time and follow their own schedule.
Porchapalooza – Pine Box String Band (Old Style Roots/Blues) Date: September 22 Time: 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m. Location: 551 King St.
Porchapalooza – Rob Phillips (Jazz ensemble) Date: September 22 Time: 2:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. Location: 297 Maitland Ave.
Porchapalooza – Robert Atyeo (Original Folk Stylings) Date: September 22 Time: 3:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. Location: 314 Pearl Ave.
Porchapalooza – Television Rd (Jazzy Rock/Psych) Date: September 22 Time: 4 p.m, 5 p.m., 6 p.m. Location: 307 Boswell Ave.
Porchapalooza – Electric City Ukes (Eclectic 6-8 piece band) Date: September 22 Time: 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. Location: 467 King St.
Porchapalooza – Red Room Quartet (Classical) Date: September 23 Time: 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m. Location: 73 Robinson St.
Porchapalooza – Bruno Merz Date: September 23 Time: 2:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. Location: 111 Sophia St.
Porchapalooza – The Hunter St. Fire Brigade (Roots/Bluegrass trio) Date: September 23 Time: 3 p.m., 4 p.m., 5 p.m. Location: 298 Mark St.
Porchapalooza – Lauryn Macfarlane (Blues/Alt Country) Date: September 23 Time: 3:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. Location: 303 Mark St.
Porchapalooza – Winona Wilde (Folk Americana trio) Date: September 23 Time: 4 p.m, 5 p.m., 6 p.m. Location: 18 Maria St.
Porchapalooza – Mayhemingways (Folk-Rock-Cajun Power Duo) Date: September 23 Time: 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. Location: 19 Charles St.
Porchapalooza – Otis and The Honey Lambs (Dixieland Jazz) Date: September 23 Time: 5 p.m., 6 p.m., 7 p.m. Location: 239 Burnham St.
Roll-O-Matic: Public Acts of Printmaking
Jeffrey Macklin’s Roll-O-Matic printing system brings lino-block printmaking to the streets and invites audiences to join in the fun. Together with Carl Baker, Jeffrey stages public acts of printmaking at the Silver Bean Café in Millennium Park and at the Art Gallery of Peterborough, bringing “The Print Medium is the Message” to Artsweek audiences.
The large prints will be hand-pulled using a heavy, hand-operated, water-filled lawn roller, inviting audiences to consider how traditional mediums might relate to contemporary modes of communication in a world consumed by digital media. An art event committed to bringing communities together, the blocks have been carved by Jeffrey, Carl, and local artists recruited through a public call: Kathryn Bahun, Bennett Bedoukian, Christy Haldane, Alana Batten, Rob Niezen, and Cyd Hosker.
The final product will be five bound volumes of a special edition book from Artsweek 2018.
Roll-O-Matic: Public Acts of Printmaking Date: September 22 Time: 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Location: The Art Gallery of Peterborough (250 Crescent Street)
Roll-O-Matic: Public Acts of Printmaking Date: September 29 Time: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Location: The Silver Bean, Millennium Park, 130 King Street
Sorry about what happened at the mall
Sorry about what happened at the mall is a site-specific contemporary dance work set in Peterborough Square. Choreographed in three parts by Victoria Mohr-Blakeney, Kate Story, and Ryan Kerr, the piece investigates themes of late capitalist decay and the creative possibilities of unexpected spaces.
Part one, Sorry, is a dynamic duet between Ryan and Kate performed on the escalators of Peterborough Square with musical accompaniment from Evangeline Gentle.
Part two, About what happened, takes place on a bench in the mall’s lower level and features Bennett Bedoukian, Jenn Cole, and music from Pam Birrell.
Part three, At the mall, is performed by Gavin Barton, Suzanne Sorensen, and Hayley Carroll from the TASS Integrated Arts Program. It takes audiences further into Peterborough Square with the musical stylings of Peterborough’s Garbageface.
Imbued with an awareness of the mall’s past and present, the work gestures toward a new set of possibilities and associations for the Square, even while its future remains unknown.
Sorry about what happened at the mall Date: September 24 Time: 4 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. Location: Peterborough Square, 360 George St N
Sorry about what happened at the mall Date: September 25 – September 26 Time: 8 p.m. – 8:45 p.m. Location: Peterborough Square, 360 George St N
Take-Out Poetry Cart
What do you do when you have a craving and don’t want to cook it yourself? You order take-out of course! Step right up to the handmade, bicycle-pulled Poetry Cart, where gracious servers will offer you a menu of poetic options.
Check off the style, mood, and theme you’re after and an array of talented writers will create an instant work of original poetry just for you, tapping it out on a classic typewriter. Whether you request a Shakespearean sonnet, a vengeful haiku, or a tragic ode, you are guaranteed to walk away with a unique work of spontaneous art.
This year, the Take-Out Poetry Cart will be fueled by the talents of Tammy Bunce, EJ, Kay’la Fraser, Jon Hedderwick, Wes Ryan, simon tjh-banderob, Ziy von B., and Hilary Wear.
Take-Out Poetry Cart – Cart Session Date: September 22 Time: 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. Location: Millennium Park, 130 King Street
Take-Out Poetry Cart – Cart Session Date: September 24 Time: 4:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. Location: Confederation Square, 499 George St. N
Take-Out Poetry Cart – Cart Session Date: September 25 Time: 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. Location: Victoria Park, Brock St. and Water St
Take-Out Poetry Cart – Cart Session Date: September 26 Time: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Location: Peterborough Downtown Farmers’ Market Charlotte St.
Take-Out Poetry Cart – Poetry Reading Date: September 27 Time: 8 p.m. Location: Sadleir House, 751 George St N
Take-Out Poetry – Cart Session Date: September 28 Time: 12 p.m. – 3 p.m. Location: Silver Bean Café, Millennium Park 130 King St.
Tootah in Town
Tootah is an open-hearted, family-friendly, red-nosed clown who likes to keep busy. Whether collecting garbage, trying to understand Bineshiinyag (the Birds), or joyfully interacting with passersby, Tootah is always tending to something important. This year, Tootah will appear in repeated locations at the same time over the course of Artsweek to deepen his relationships to people and to place.
Hilary Wear is Tootah’s animator and she creates opportunities for people to observe and interact with Tootah using a fun and collaborative approach. Through Tootah, Hilary continues to grow and strengthen her Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe language) muscle memory and invites audience to greet or visit with Tootah in their travels.
Tootah in Town Date: September 25 Time: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Location: Millennium Park, 130 King Street
Tootah in Town Date: September 25 Time: 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. Location: Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (300 Water Street)
Tootah in Town Date: September 26 Time: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Location: Peterborough Downtown Farmers’ Market Charlotte St.
Tootah in Town Date: September 26 Time: 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. Location: Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (300 Water Street)
Tootah in Town Date: September 28 Time: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Location: Millennium Park, 130 King Street
Tootah in Town Date: September 29 Time: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. Location: Peterborough Regional Farmer’s Market, 307 Aylmer Street N (Citi Centre Courtyard)
The Wailing
The Wailing is an outdoor performance conceived by multidisciplinary artist Laurel Paluck. At its centre is a pod of five large ghost whales assembled from plastic in Laurel’s downtown studio.
The whales gather, commune, and mourn in response to the harm caused by over consumption of plastic and human pollution, and invite audiences to do the same. They swim low through and around the crowd and audiences are encouraged to stroke them as they pass.
This striking visual and musical experience is created in part by Kathleen Adamson who has composed an original piece for the performance and by a choir and dancers who bring the piece to life. One of the whales is outfitted with a droning instrument that forms the base upon which this roving, ghostly performance unfolds.
The performance in Victoria Park is presented with special consideration for accessibility. Accommodations available upon request.
The Wailing Date: September 23 Time: 6 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Location: Riverview Park and Zoo (1300 Water St, Peterborough)
The Wailing Date: September 27 Time: 6:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. Location: The Canadian Canoe Museum, 910 Monaghan Road
The Wailing Date: September 28 Time: 6 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Location: Victoria Park, Brock St. and Water St.
Artsweek 2018 Event Location Map
kawarthaNOW has put together this interactive map of all the Artsweek 2018 events, so you can check what’s nearby when you’re around town over the next week.
Environment Canada has issued a severe thunderstorm watch today (September 21) for all of the Kawarthas, including Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, Hastings, and Haliburton.
Conditions are favourable for the development of dangerous thunderstorms that may be capable of producing damaging wind gusts, large hail and heavy rain.
Thunderstorms are expected to develop ahead of a cold front beginning this afternoon. Wind gusts up to 100 km/h will be possible.
These thunderstorms will move through the area by early evening.
Very strong wind gusts can damage buildings, down trees and blow large vehicles off the road. Remember, severe thunderstorms can produce tornadoes. Be prepared for severe weather.
Take cover immediately, if threatening weather approaches. Lightning kills and injures Canadians every year. Remember, when thunder roars, go indoors!
Environment Canada issues severe thunderstorm watches when atmospheric conditions are favourable for the development of thunderstorms that could produce one or more of the following: large hail, damaging winds, torrential rainfall.
The Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management recommends that you take cover immediately if threatening weather approaches.
Please continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. To report severe weather, send an email to ONstorm@canada.ca or tweet reports using #ONStorm.
Toronto fingerstyle guitarist and singer-songwriter Po' Boy Jeffreys (aka Jeffery Dodman) performs his country blues, folk, and ragtime at a special Sunday evening show at the Black Horse in downtown Peterborough on Sunday, September 23rd. (Photo: Les Dodman)
Every Thursday, we publish live music and performance events at pubs and clubs in Peterborough and The Kawarthas based on information that venues provide to us directly or post on their website or social media channels. Here are the listings for the week of Thursday, September 20 to Wednesday, September 26.
If you’re a pub or club owner and want to be included in our weekly listings, please email our Nightlife Editor at nightlife@kawarthanow.com.
Friday, October 5 8:30-11pm - Open Mic with John Dawson
Dr. J's BBQ & Brews
282 Aylmer St., Peterborough
(705) 874-5717
Coming Soon
Wednesday, October 3 6-10pm - FriendsGiving w/ music by Cary Shields ($35 dinner and complimentary beverage)
Dreams of Beans
138 Hunter St. W., Peterborough
(705) 742-2406
Wednesday, September 26
8pm - Jazz Night with Marsala Lukianchuk & The Imports
Frank's Pasta and Grill
426 King St. E., Cobourg
(905) 372-2727
Friday, September 21
9pm-12am - Karaoke; 12am - DJ
Saturday, September 22
8pm - Steve Bebee & The Burnt River Band; 11:30pm - DJ
Wednesday, September 26
8-11pm - Open Mic
Coming Soon
Saturday, September 29 8pm - Urban Angel; 11:30pm - DJ
Ganaraska Hotel
30 Ontario St., Port Hope
(905) 885-9254
Friday, September 21
8pm - Comedy Burlesque w/ Honey de Mele, Belle Epoque, Knox Harter, Jacob Blashin, Che Durena, Olivia Stadler, Miles Verweel ($20, advance tickets at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/comedy-burlesque-at-th
Saturday, September 22
2pm & 10pm - Marty and the Mojos
Wednesday, September 26
8-11pm - Open Mic w/ Clayton Yates & Rob Foreman
Coming Soon
Saturday, September 29 2pm & 10pm - The Bridemaids
The Garnet
231 Hunter St. W., Peterborough
(705) 874-0107
Thursday, September 20
9pm - Dub Trinity
Friday, September 21
5pm - Ben Rough
Saturday, September 22
9pm - Peterborough Pride: Act On It ft David Bateman, Em Glasspool, comedian Dawn Whitwell, Peter Bro and Victoria Haliburton, and DJ ElephantTree ($10 or PWYC)
Sunday, September 23
8-11pm - Tragedy Ann, Peachykine ($10)
Tuesday, September 25
5pm - Tyler Hellard, Kate Story, Janette Platana, and Andrew Forbes, hosted by Justin Millon; 8pm - The Never-Ending Present: The Story of Gord Downie by Michael Barclay
Monday, October 1 6-8pm - Community Kitchen ft DC Guitarman ($30 per person, proceeds to Kinsmen Minor Football)
The Social
295 George St. N., Peterborough
(705) 874-6724
Friday, September 21
9pm- Greg Williams
Coming Soon
Saturday, September 29 10pm - Head of The Trent After Pary ft Austin Carson Band
Southside Pizzeria
25 Lansdowne St. W., Peterborough
(705) 748-6120
Fridays
9am-12pm - Open mic hosted by Jim Russel
Tuesdays
9am-12pm - Open mic hosted by Art Lajambe
The Trend
110 London St., Peterborough
(705) 750-1265
Wednesday, September 26
7-10pm - Erika Nininger, Michael Morse, and Ambrose Veno
The Twisted Wheel
379 Water St., Peterborough
Thursday, September 20
7-10pm - Washboard Hank's Backroom Bazaar fft Bruno Merz with Alice Phelps and Reece Jacob; 11pm - Hell Yeah! Karaoke
The Venue
286 George Street North, Peterborough
(705) 876-0008
Coming Soon
Saturday, September 29 5:30-10pm - Two Rooms Live "A Celebration of the Music & Lyrics of Elton John & Bernie Taupin" in support of Global Angel Foundation (reserved dinner & show $139.95, general admission show at 8pm only $65, advance tickets at https://eventpass.ca/events/two-rooms-live-elton-john-bernie-taupin-the-venue-9-28/)
In "Fluff Stories", the first show at The Theatre On King's new space at 171 King Street in downtown Peterborough, Kate Story and Ryan Kerr perform while author Joe Davies read three short stories on the concept of "fluff". (Photo: Andy Carroll)
Fluff (noun) – 1: a covering of soft fluffy feathers; 2: something fluffy // dandelion fluff; 3: something inconsequential; 4: blunder, especially: an actor’s lapse of memory
On Thursday, September 20th, The Theatre On King (TTOK) not only opens its 2018-2019 season with Fluff Stories, but also debuts its new home at 171 King Street in downtown Peterborough.
Fluff Stories
When: Thursday, September 20 – Saturday, September 22, 2018 at 8 p.m. Where: The Theatre on King (171 King St., Peterborough) How much: $15 at the door or pay what you can
A multidisciplinary performance work collaboratively created by Joe Davies, Matthew Hayes, Annie Jaeger, Ryan Kerr, Justin Million, Elisha Rubacha, and Kate Story, with Eryn Lidster. With bird, buried press chapbook launch of Joe Davies’s Fluff Stories on Thursday, and storefront readings by Justin Million on Friday and Saturday.
An multidisciplinary showcase featuring acting, movement, film projection, sound scape and prose, Fluff Stories is directed by Kate Story and features three dramatic presentations of stories read by local author Joe Davies.
Making the show come to life is a grouping of artists consisting of on-stage performances by Ryan Kerr and Kate Story, filmmaker Matthew Hayes, set designer Ann Jaeger, and special effects and tech by Eryn Lidster, amongst others.
The September 20th opening will also double as a book launch for Joe Davies’ Fluff Stories, with Elisha May Rubacha of bird, buried press creating the books in the TTOK lobby in front of the audience.
Also make sure to check out the poetic erasures created by local poet Justin Million in the new street front window of the theatre in conjunction with the show (Justin will be giving storefront readings on Friday and Saturday).
A unique event, Fluff Stories is a perfect piece to show off the capabilities of the new home of TTOK.
There is a lot going on in this show, but at the core of Fluff Stories are the three short stories by Joe Davies. On stage throughout the entire presentation, Joe gives haunting “matter of fact” readings of his Fluff trilogy as performers and film projection dramatically punctuate the stories, bringing them to life for the audience.
At the core of “Fluff Stories” are three short stories by author Joe Davies, a master storyteller who creates a hypnotic effect while reading his works. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
Joe’s Fluff Stories are exactly what they claim to be: stories about fluff. The first story tells of a housewife’s battle with fluff and its concerning effect on her family. The second story, More Fluff, is the tale of juvenile delinquent Ronald Reginald and his quest for drugs. The third story, Fluff Ends, tells of a young couple’s bike ride through the country, and the surprising discovery they make.
Joe Davies is a master storyteller, who creates a hypnotic effect while reading his works. Although the stories may sound simple when described, they are actually quite complex in their delivery and the audience holds on to every word, as if something in the timbre of Joe’s voice is guiding them on a journey through the mysterious fluff. Even without the dramatic lighting and stage performances, Joe’s reading is a show all its own.
But what exactly is the fluff Joe writes about? In each story, the meaning and subtext seems to change, and in the end it is all up to the individual audience member’s perception. Fluff can be terrifying, romantic, soft, or deadly.
In the first story fluff seems to be a metaphor for boredom, compulsive behavior, dissatisfaction, and insanity. In More Fluff, it’s an allegory for justice when it becomes a predator, judge, and jury. Fluff Ends, on the other hand, is a creation story — the Genesis of Fluff — which explains nothing yet explains everything, with a beautiful and haunting effect to end the evening.
Kate Story and Ryan Kerr performing while Joe Davies reads from his third “fluff” story, about a young couple’s bike ride through the country. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
But really, this is just my interpretation of Fluff Stories. The stories are open for interpretation by individual audience members. The meaning of fluff is so fluid that one person’s interpretation might be completely different than another’s. You really have to come and experience this show yourself to truly understand it. It’ll be a show that will be sure to create discussion afterwards.
What is most intriguing about Fluff Stories is just how Joe’s stories create so much out of something that people rarely actually think about. It’s a brilliant trio of stories that are sometimes charming, sometimes horrifying, but always brilliant and beautifully told.
Fluff Stories has been described by Ryan Kerr as a performance that could not have been produced at the old TTOK space, and for the show the TTOK team experiment with the space through staging as well as the projection of Matthew Hayes film for More Fluff, shot on a bicycle while riding through downtown Peterborough parks.
I was lost in the film trying to identify the locations that drift in and out, from being familiar to completely alien. All the while, the film manages to illustrate Joe’s story with strong visual points. It’s an interesting and original effect.
The Theatre on King’s new and larger location at 171 King Street in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: kawarthaNOW.com)
As mentioned, for those who enjoy Fluff Stories, a limited number of books created by bird, buried press will be available for purchase the nights of the show for $10. These books will certainly go fast. I’ve already put my order in for two copies.
Although Fluff Stories is a perfect example of what you love about TTOK, there is no denying the dramatic difference created by the new space. It is an exciting time of change at TTOK, and Fluff Stories is the perfect production to usher in the future of this beloved institution.
Come and experience the new TTOK, buy a book and discover Fluff Stories for yourself. You’ll never think of fluff the same way again.
Fluff Stories runs from Thursday, September 20th to Saturday, September 22nd. Show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 or pay what you can, and are available at the door.
The Holy Cross Bee Club is a teacher-led group of 12 students who steward three hives at Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School in Peterborough. At Myrtle's Kitchen at Peterborough Public Health on September 17, 2018, Holy Cross Bee Club member Emily Berardi uses a comb to uncap the honey cells in trays that were removed from the hives, before the trays are placed in a honey extractor to remove the honey using centrifugal force. Holy Cross Bee Club member Jacob Duda helps to drain honey from the honey extractor into buckets, that will then go through several stages of filtering. (Photo: Karen Halley)
The mission of the GreenUP Community Beekeeping Program is to promote the awareness and appreciation of pollinators as a healthy part of our community through beekeeping, education, and advocacy. In total, GreenUP stewards five hives with a team of experienced beekeepers that have been buzzing about the hives located at Lock 20, the Peterborough Lift Lock, and Ecology Park.
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by Karen Halley, GreenUP Communications & Marketing Specialist.
In addition, this year GreenUP supported the Holy Cross Bee Club, who steward three hives at Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School in Peterborough. Starting earlier this spring, a group of 12 students — led by their teacher Mike Halloran — have been suiting up in protective bee suits, conducting hive checks, treating the hives for mites, and learning all there is to know about the honey bee life cycle.
Students in the Holy Cross Bee Club are members of the Eco Club who have a special interest in bee keeping. While all of the members of the club eagerly admit how fun the experience is, Emily Berardi also shares, “Understanding bees is really important because bees pollinate our crops and our gardens, and without them we wouldn’t have fresh vegetables and fruits to eat.”
Holy Cross Bee Club member Jacob Duda helps to drain honey from the honey extractor into buckets, that will then go through several stages of filtering. (Photo: Karen Halley)
Beekeeping programs like this help to promote the awareness and appreciation of pollinators as a healthy part of our community through bee keeping education and advocacy.
Understanding honeybee life cycles and ecology is an important step in learning to coexist with critical pollinators, particularly in urban areas where there has been as much as 60 percent loss of bee populations.
“Stewarding the Lift Lock hives and helping with the Holy Cross Bee Club has given me the opportunity to talk to people, show them the hives, and help them understand the importance of bees, which will help bees recover from their losses,” says volunteer community beekeeper Quentin Day.
Holy Cross Bee Club member Emily Berardi takes a turn at stirring honey through the stage one of the filtering process. (Photo: Karen Halley)
Holy Cross Bee Club member Jacob Duda agrees.
“Going right into the hive in the spring was the best experience. It is really interesting to see how the bees interact with their hive and see what is in the comb; I really like learning about what makes the hive healthy.”
This week, the students in the Holy Cross Bee Club extracted honey with the GreenUP Community Beekeepers. Together they harvested 86 jars of honey from three hive locations in Peterborough.
A student in the Holy Cross Bee Club squeezes honey through a fine filter during the second stage of filtering. (Photo: Karen Halley)
You may already know that the sweet, thick liquid that you enjoy in your afternoon tea is the food bees make after foraging nectar from flowers. But did you know that nectar is converted to honey when the bee regurgitates the liquid and stores it in honeycombs inside the beehive? That’s right, honey is actually evaporated bee vomit.
Bees ingest and regurgitate the nectar many times until it is high enough in sugars to be stored as their food source. They continue to fan the honey in the honeycombs with their wings to continually evaporate more water from the liquid, which prevents fermentation. The bees then cap the cells with two layers of beeswax to seal them with honey for consuming later.
The process of extracting the honey from the hives involves removing the honeycomb frames from the hive, unsealing the capped honey cells, placing the frames in a honey extractor, which removes the honey using centrifugal force, and then using a series of sieves and filters to remove impurities.
Once honey is extracted from the trays, the remaining beeswax is scraped off and can be used for a number of purposes such as candles, lip balm, cooking, and more. (Photo: Karen Halley)
It takes 12 bees their entire lives to make only one teaspoon of honey, which is something to really appreciate the next time you drizzle that teaspoon onto your breakfast toast.
The colour and taste of honey will differ depending on the source of nectar or the species of flowers in bloom in the vicinity around the hive. Each flower has its own unique nectar and flavour that is reflected in the taste of the honey.
Growing and blooming seasons will also determine the taste of honey. For example, clover honey is light in colour and mild in flavor whereas buckwheat honey is quite dark and strong tasting. When honey is collected after corresponding growing seasons, different flavours and types of honey can be separated and packaged. In Ontario, many interesting honeys are available including blueberry, lavender, and goldenrod.
The honey in these jars came from three different hives in the GreenUP Community Beekeeping Program: the Holy Cross hive on the left, the Lift Lock hive in the centre, and the Lock 20 hive on the right. Each has its own unique colour determined by the pollen that the bees in the hive collected at each site. (Photo: Karen Halley)
“Helping the students at the Holy Cross hives and showing them how to extract honey, along with talking to people in the community who come to see the hives throughout the summer, are ways for me to help others understand the importance of pollinators,” explains Day. “And I really do like the taste of honey!”
To learn more about the GreenUP Community Beekeeping program visit greenup.on.ca and to follow along with Holy Cross students’ experiential learning activities, follow them on Twitter at @HolyCrossPTBO
Ryan Kerr and Kate Story are two of the performers in "Sorry about what happened at the mall", a contemporary dance work set inside Peterborough Square on the escalators and lower hallway. It's one of more than 40 events reflecting the theme 'Art In Unexpected Places' of Artsweek 2018, which runs from September 21 to 30 at various locations in Peterborough. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
There are those who back down from a challenge and there are those who embrace the most daunting of tasks. To the great benefit of the Peterborough arts community, and by extension the community at large, Su Ditta stands firmly with the latter.
Better still she’s not alone, as a member of the like-minded team bringing Artsweek back to the city from Friday, September 21st to Sunday, September 30th. The arts festival was officially launched at an event held Wednesday (September 19) at 418 George Street in downtown Peterborough, a space donated by project sponsor ünicity to serve as the festival’s headquarters.
With the theme ‘Art In Unexpected Places’, the biennial showcase of new work by more than 100 local artists will see more than 40 events staged at various locations. Millennium Park, The Canadian Canoe Museum, Peterborough Square, the Downtown Farmers’ Market, and Riverview Park and Zoo are among the venues.
Artsweek 2018: September 21st-30th!!
Artsweek has a theme song! Sing along! Music by local poet of repute and prestige Derd Wormlinger (also know as Washboard Hank) Also featuring Kate Story, Ryan Kerr, Janette Platana, Laurel Paluck, These are Horizon Days,Hilary Wear, Peterborough Symphony Orchestra, Joeann Argue, Thomas Vaccaro, The Flying Canoe, Jeff Macklin, Beany John and many more!
Equally varied is the art form menu that includes dance, theatre, poetry, visual arts, film, puppetry and live music. Admission is free to all events, a full listing and description of which can be found at artsweekptbo.com.
“There’s nothing like Artsweek in any other community our size,” says Ditta, Artsweek’s executive producer.
Artsweek 2018 executive producer Su Ditta (right) with artistic producer Hannah Keating and Bill Kimball, president of the board of The Electric City Culture Council and artistic director at Public Energy, at the launch announcement for Artsweek 2018. (Photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW.com)
“I was really lucky to work with Liz Bierk on the first Artsweek in 2005,” Ditta recalls. “I keep thinking at the beginning (of each Artsweek planning process) that I’m going to be bored with it and then I just get more and more excited. This year, Gloria Proctor Bennett did these (promotional) videos. A whole bunch of them came in a batch. I watched them and I started to cry. I was so happy. I thought ‘Oh yes, this is what it’s about and it’s so good.'”
“The work gets better every year, the promotion gets better every year and, with the number of partners increasing, we know we’re on the right track. It’s a win-win for everybody. It’s something that’s socially important to do and imaginatively important.”
In 2005, when the City marked its 100th anniversary as an incorporated municipality, then mayor Sylvia Sutherland appointed a committee to organize a year-long series of projects and events. The theme of the 2005 Centennial Celebrations was ‘Imagine Peterborough’ and most of the activities focused on cultivating an investment in, and recognition of, Peterborough as a creative city.
Kate Story and Ryan Kerr, who perform in the contemporary dance work “Sorry about what happened at the mall” during Artsweek 2018, at the launch announcement of the biennial arts festival on September 19, 2018. (Photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW.com)
Ditta, along with Bierk, was on that committee, charged with coming up with ideas to create designated legacy projects in the arts. From that effort, Artsweek, an annual event, was born.
There things stood until late 2014 when responsibility for Artsweek was assumed by the Electric City Culture Council (EC3), Peterborough’s newly formed municipal arts, culture, and heritage organization. After Artsweek was staged in 2016, the decision was made to present the event every two years moving forward. That, said Ditta, simply made good sense.
“Going biennial was an absolutely correct decision,” she said. “It was something that was recommended by a focus group that we held. It brought together people that were coming to Artsweek events and also those who weren’t. We heard ‘Fewer projects, please’ and ‘More money invested in every project’ and ‘More opportunities to see each project.'”
“We knew we needed more time to plan the festival and give artists more time to do their work, and to get our fundraising strategies in place, so we approached the City and asked if we could do that. They were giving us $25,000 a year. That money still comes but now we have $50,000 to invest at the start of each festival.”
VIDEO: “Imaginarium” test by Lester Alfonso at the Peterborough Public Library
A major player in the formation of this year’s Artsweek schedule is Hannah Keating. She says serving as the event’s artistic producer is “an honour” that has her more excited as the Friday, September 21st Artsweek kick-off nears — featuring the world premiere of filmmaker Lester Alphonso’s new film Imaginarium, which will projected on the Peterborough Public Library’s 16 front windows.
“It’s balancing so many projects, so many artists and so many locations,” says Keating of Artsweek’s logistical challenge.
“But so many locations in Peterborough have said ‘Please come here’ or, when we approach them, ‘We would love to have you.’ It makes those partnerships really easy when community organizations are willing and happy and able to welcome our projects in.”
“We really made a strong effort this time around to do a lot of outreach leading up to the festival. All through the summer we were at various events spreading the word and reaching out to specific partners, like the Council for Persons with Disabilities, the New Canadians’ Centre, and Peterborough Pride.”
There are more than 40 free events featuring more than 100 artists at various locations across Peterborough during Artsweek 2018. A printable version of this placemat, along with a printable program guide and a listing of all the events, is available at artsweekptbo.com. (Illustration: WeDesign)
When all is said and done, success, adds Keating, will show itself in various ways.
“It will be a real success if we get good numbers out to all of the events and we’re reaching new people. I think success is also the artists feeling great about the work that they’ve done. Most of works are brand new pieces. I think that’s one of the things we should be most proud of. If the artists feel gratified and fulfilled, that’s a huge success.”
For all the fine tuning that has occurred since 2005, Keating notes one Artsweek staple remains sacred: presenting artistic performances and work in public spaces where people typically gather. Ditta concurs, noting Artsweek remains a work in progress in terms of things learned and applied, year to year.
Kate Story is one of more than 100 artists participating in Artweek 2018, which has been funded and sponsored by three levels of government along with many local businesses and organizations. (Photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW.com)
“There are things that we learned in 2016, everything from volunteer management to what we need on site,” Ditta says.
Artsweek 2018 Team Members
Su Ditta, executive producer; Hannah Keating, artistic producer; Esther Vincent, production manager; Eva Fisher, program coordinator; Anna Boulanger, project assistant; Anna Currier, outreach assistant; Susan Newman, bookkeeping; WeDesign, graphic design; Jeffrey Macklin, additional graphic design and social media; Gloria Proctor Bennett, additional social media; Sarah Mackillican, editorial; and Andy Carroll and Matthew Hayes, documentation.
“This year we’re really proud that we have one performance designated as a relaxed performance that’s more welcoming to people with autism or uber sensory stimulation. The incredible people at the Council for Persons with Disabilities went to every single site with Hannah to see what we couldn’t do and what we could do to make them more accessible.
“And I think things went more smoothly with the artists than ever just because we learned through experience how much we need to know up front, when to push people, what kind of deadlines to set. We sought as much information about a piece as we could because we want to attract the biggest audience possible to see their work.”
Ditta adds the very fact that Artsweek is staged successfully in Peterborough is a huge credit to the artists involved.
“(Trent University president) Leo Groarke, whenever he’s talking about what it’s like to live in Peterborough, talks about the arts community and mentions that within three months of being here, he really could feel the arts community here punch way above its weight, as he put it,” she says.
“Bill Lockington is the chair of Community foundations Canada. He travels a lot. He says as soon as he goes anywhere and says he’s from Peterborough, the first thing people say is ‘Wow…there’s a great arts community there.’ It’s extraordinary because although we have a Cultural Studies program at Trent University, we don’t have a Fine Arts program. Typically you wouldn’t see this level of artistic practice in a city without a fine arts program.
“It’s a very supportive community for emerging artists. Senior artists helping starting artists without any question.”
kawarthaNOW.com — whose predecessor quidnovis.com provided the first online presence for Artsweek back in 2006 — is proud to be a project sponsor of Artsweek 2018, along with Bell Media, ünicity, and LLF Lawyers.
Artists sponsors are Jo Pillon of Royal LePage Frank Real Estate and Ashburnham Realty, and event sponsors are Laridae Communications and Lett Architects. Artsweek Muses are Core Chiropractic, Collins Barrow, Locks Salon and Spa, Sherbrooke Heights Animal Hospital, Farquharson Pineiro Law Office, Bryston, Peterborough Square, and Cherney Properties.
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