Grey Bruce Cultural Network serves arts, culture and heritage

July 9, 2008

The newly elected Board of Directors of the Grey Bruce Cultural Network is pleased to announce that its process of registration as a not-for-profit corporation is complete and the following officers have been appointed to two-year terms:

President: Paul Conway, Voyageur Storytelling, Northern Bruce Peninsula

Vice-President: John Harrison, Tempo Foundation, Georgian Bluffs

Treasurer: Anne Frost, arts management specialist, Georgian Bluffs

Secretary: Joan Chandler, Sheatre, Kemble

Director: Judith Glover, Owen Sound Little Theatre, residing in Meaford

The Grey Bruce Cultural Network is a regional service organization dedicated to encouraging and supporting arts, culture and heritage in all their diversity throughout the region.

Since 2005 the Network has been guided by a Steering Committee of volunteers who have launched the Network, directed the construction of its web site (www.gbcn.ca), and organized the first Annual Gathering held in Hanover in November 2007.

In May this year the Network carried out its first Annual General Process, a pioneering use of e-mail to achieve the purposes of an annual general meeting, which approved the by-laws and the program, and elected the Board of Directors.

Grey Bruce covers a large area, and arts-culture-heritage encompasses a huge diversity. The Network grows out of the idea that not only the cultural sector but the region as a whole can benefit from the kinds of support and developmental energy found in arts councils and similar service organizations in other regions.

“Arts, culture and heritage are exceptionally vibrant in Grey Bruce,” says Conway, “but costs are high, and so are barriers to growth, both artistic and financial. Isolation, poverty, and the daily hard grind to make a living, are not kind to creativity and the free play of the imagination, which are so important to a healthy society.”

The principal activities and services of the Network in the next two years will be:

www.GBCN.ca. To develop and promote the Network’s web site as a tool both for the cultural sector and for those who want to find out about events and activities in Grey Bruce. Growing numbers of individuals and organizations in arts, culture and heritage are on the List and using the web site to promote their activities and share information. The website manager is Emma Hogbin, of xtrinsic, Owen Sound.

Communications and Awareness. To get the word out; to stimulate interaction and the pursuit of mutual interests throughout arts, culture and heritage in Grey Bruce; to encourage general awareness of cultural energy and creativity in all forms.

Cultural Mapping. To describe, understand and display the characteristics and dynamics of the arts-culture-heritage phenomenon in Grey Bruce.

Funding and Resources. To raise money and recruit volunteers for the work that needs to be done.

Arts, Culture and Heritage Support. To respond to particular requests for service and support from arts, culture and heritage individuals and groups.

The second annual Fall Gathering will be held on November 9th, and will focus on the Cultural Map. Details will be announced when confirmed.

The Grey Bruce Cultural Network invites and encourages those concerned with arts, culture and heritage to add their names to the List and get involved. Sign up through www.gbcn.ca.

For further information, contact Paul Conway, 519-795-7477, mail@voyageurstorytelling.ca

Directors and officers of the Grey Bruce Cultural Network, from left, Anne Frost, John Harrison, Paul Conway and Joan Chandler, with committee member Meri-Diane Carroll of Meaford. Absent: Judith Glover and Emma Hogbin.

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Written by Jesse · Filed Under Heritage, The Arts, Community, Participation, theOwen

Making Our Mark

June 20, 2008

SUMMER’S COMING, TIME TO MAKE YOUR MARK with MAKING OUR MARK!

Sheatre presents a totally new workshop for youth this summer, MAKING OUR MARK!

Art and mural-making with Trevor Pfeffer

Theatre and improvisation with Joan Chandler

Creative writing and poetry with Kateri Akewenzie-Damm

Songwriting and voice with david sereda

Learn by doing: learn techniques from professional artists as you make your mark with

a mural you design,

a scene you write and act in,

a poem you create and perform

and a song you write and sing.

You can focus on one art form you’re most drawn to, or experience something you’ve never done before: attend part or all of this multi-arts workshop. What we create will spring from two points of view: 1) kids today and 2) the Metis people in Owen Sound.

You’ll work with other youth aged 12-20. No previous experience or special knowledge is necessary!

MAKING OUR MARK IS A COLLECTIVE PROJECT. We’ll work on a lot of the project together as a group, and some things will be created by just one person – but together we’ll decide which particular themes and stories we’ll focus on. We’ll explore these stories and ideas using visual art, theatre, poetry and music. Our idea is to let these arts come together in an exchange, and to enrich each other — just like the participants with different interests and backgrounds will come together and enrich each other. What we create will be developed and linked together into a staged presentation onsite. Here’s how we’ll do it!

GETTING INTO THE STORY: At the beginning of the workshop, Joan Chandler (theatre), david sereda (music) and Trevor Pfeffer (mural artist) will kick things off with the group, playing cooperative games, telling stories and deciding just what this mural is going to be about. Special guests will talk about Metis history and current status as a culture within Canada. We’ll brainstorm ideas for themes and stories that best represent our community as a whole now and in the past. We’ll play with themes of “community” and “heritage” and “your culture”. Then we’ll create a storyboard for the project. Participants will present their ideas to the United Way and the Metis Association for approval, since the murals are in their building and office space.

MAKING OUR MARK WITH MURALS

July 2 – July 25

Led by Trevor Pfeffor, students will create graffiti style murals from sketches to full two-storey wall-size paintings. If you ever wanted permission to draw on the walls or to cover them with graffiti – this is it!!!

MAKING OUR MARK ON THE PAGE

July 7 – 11

Kateri Akewenzie-Damm leads the group in creative writing and poetry and performance technique. Some of the poetry will be included in the murals.

MAKING THE MURALS COME TO LIFE

July 21 – August 2

Joan Chandler and david sereda will lead this stage of the workshop, where participants respond to the stories in the murals by creating theatrical scenes and characters and songs, and by integrating their poetry.

We’ll culminate in a public unveiling and performance on August 2 that brings together the best of everything we’ve developed over this month-long exploration.

DATES: The workshop runs from July 2nd until August 2nd (Monday through Friday) at the United Way and Metis Centre located at 380 9th Street East in Owen Sound.

COST: FREE! (donations are accepted)

WHO CAN ATTEND? Youth 12-20.

Making our Mark is brought to you by Sheatre in partnership with The United Way of Bruce-Grey and with the support of The Metis Nation of Ontario.

TO REGISTER, contact:

Francesca Dobbyn, United Way at 519 376 1560

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FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

david sereda, Associate Artist, Sheatre at 519 372 2888

or Joan Chandler, Artistic Director, Sheatre at 519 534 3039

Sheatre, Grey-Bruce’s only professional community arts and arts education company, is funded in part by

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Written by Jesse · Filed Under Youth, The Area, The Arts, Participation, theOwen

The Big Love

June 12, 2008

a slideshow and recording from: Charles Glasspool and The Big Love

The Flash Player and a browser with Javascript support are needed..

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Written by Jesse · Filed Under Photos, The Arts, Music, theOwen Features, Audio, theOwen

2008 Cops for Cancer Shave Off this weekend

May 30, 2008

The 2008 Owen Sound Cops for Cancer Event
Saturday, May 31, 2008
11 am - 3 pm
shave Mix 106 parking lot - downtown Owen Sound

Come out and enjoy an afternoon of fun and excitement.

For more information please call (519) 376-6011 or The Salon at (519) 372-9398. To register, please stop by The Salon at 897 3rd Ave East in Owen Sound or at the Canadian Cancer Society office at 163 8th St. East or call (519) 376-6011 or to register online at Cops for Cancer in Grey and Bruce County.

To date, the Canadian Cancer Society’s Cops for Cancer program has raised more than $28 million across Canada!

Funds raised help the Canadian Cancer Society fund the most promising research projects in the country, provide information services and support programs in the community and advocate for public policies that prevent cancer and help those living with it.

For a recap of last years event we invite you to check out Follicle Follies, a short video we produced last summer that followed our own intrepid reporter, Adam Reese to the shaving chair.

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Written by adam · Filed Under The Area, Participation, theOwen