Making Jelly - Casual Co-working comes to Owen Sound

August 8, 2008

August 27, 2008
9:00 am	to	5:00 pm

OK, so I have first learned about Jelly (or casual co-working environment) a number of months ago. Not really sure about the name but the concept sounds super interesting. Basically a get together and work day for the solo professional set (or anyone in an office setting that can convince the boss that hanging out/working at Jelly is beneficial to the company, words like networking, creative juices, inspiration… could be thrown around during your pitch!)

I believe a regular co-working get together for area business owners, entrepreneurs, digital creatives, visionaries … has to be a good idea and at very least it will spice up the work week a little bit.

Here are some of the details about the Jelly that started it all followed by more details about the first Owen Sound Jelly.

What is Jelly?

Jelly is casual coworking. We invite people to work from our home for the day. We provide chairs and sofas, wireless internet, and interesting people to talk to, collaborate with, and bounce ideas off of. You bring a laptop (or whatever you need to get work done) and a friendly disposition. Watch this video about Jelly, or read about it in Wired,

Why do you do this?

Jelly started in NYC in February of 2006 when roommates Amit and Luke realized that they loved working from home, but they missed the creative brainstorming, sharing, and camaraderie of a traditional office. (Office politics, not so much.) So they started inviting friends to come work from their home one day a week. They soon found that working in close proximity to new and interesting people every couple weeks resulted in new ideas and interesting conversations. Emboldened by their early success, they made it a more regular thing. Jelly was born.

Who can come to Jelly?

jelly shot Anyone! We see a lot of designers, developers, and internet types, but we’ve also had musicians, cooks, sound designers, tea sommeliers, product designers, photographers, writers, and more. Some of us are entrepreneurs or freelancers. Others work in an office most of the time, but work at Jelly for fresh ideas and a change of pace. No matter what you do or what you create, you’re welcome to come to Jelly and share your talent and learn from others.

When is the first one in Owen Sound?

We are going to kick things off with the first gathering on August 27, 2008.

How about the where?

The event will take place at 925 2nd Ave West in Owen Sound

When

Somewhere in the 9-5 (ish) range. You don;t need to come for the whole day but you might just want to.

What do I need to bring

A good attitude and some work to get done! If you like you could bring a couple of bagels or something of the sort to snack on. We’ll have coffee a brewing’ all day long and I am sure we can find a few other drink selections as well.

We should have a variety of work surfaces available (desks, tables etc) and there is WIFI in place for the computing set. If you need a bandsaw or a other technical (and big) equipment we might have some trouble with that… perhaps the Jelly would be a good time to work on your marketing strategy or business accounting?

Leading up to the event if you have any questions feel free to contact Ryan (wiseman@theowen.com) or shoot us a message via the contact page.

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Written by Ryan · Filed Under jelly, Business, Events, Participation, theOwen

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