more time, you writer types

THEATRE CREATORS' RESERVE

DEADLINE EXTENDED to November 15, 2006!!

Cahoots Theatre Projects is a theatre recommender for the Theatre Creators’ Reserve. This program allows artists time and support to work on new creations by applying to theatre companies who in turn recommend funding from the Ontario Arts Council.

Please consult the OAC's information page for more details.

Artists interested in applying for this year's program are asked to review the Cahoots’ mandate. In keeping with our mandate, preference will be given to artists that reflect Cahoots’ core beliefs and values. Cahoots strongly encourages submissions from artists working in non-text disciplines, or with diversity of practices and approach.


To apply, please prepare the following:

• 1. Vision – your letter or statement of intent, including any previous development
• 2. Project – a proposal and/or script excerpt
• 3. Bio/Resume
• 4. Support – video/audio for non-text based submissions only (VHS or any standard digital formats)
• 5. Ontario Arts Council forms – 3 copies of the form available from their site.
• 6. SASE – with enough postage to cover the material you wish returned

(Please note there is a 40 - page limit to the entire application.)

Send by mail or drop off to:

Cahoots Theatre Projects

174 Spadina Ave. #610

Toronto, Ontario

M5T 2C2

RE: THEATRE CREATORS' RESERVE

Recommendations will be determined based on the following factors: scope and scale of the proposed project, artists’ past history of creation and feasibility of the artists’ workplan.

Any questions regarding the program,
please contact Marjorie by email or by phone at 416-203-9000 x3.

Refugee All Stars

Hot Docs is pleased to co-present the Doc Soup and Hot Docs' hit THE REFUGEE ALL STARS (Guinea, Sierra Leone, USA; 2005; 80 min) on Saturday, November 11 at 2 pm.

In the wake of Sierra Leone's brutal decade-long civil conflict, THE REFUGEE ALL STARS tracks a spirited band of exiled musicians living in a refugee camp in Guinea who make music to entertain fellow refugees and salve the wounds of war. Driven from their homes in Freetown, the band members endure unspeakable atrocities, witnessing the murder and mutilation of family members and friends at the hands of the vicious Revolutionary United Front.

Part of the Regent Park Film Festival, running November 8-12.
All films will be screened at the Nelson Mandela Park Public School, 440 Shuter Street. Admission is FREE.

Sea Gypsies in Thailand

One of the groups in Thailand that lost the most in the tidal wave was the Monken also known as the ‘Sea Gypsies’. Sea Gypsies are an indigenous fishing people who have occupied the Andaman coasts of Thailand for centuries. They speak their own language and worship the ocean and Mother Nature. Traditionally, the Monken’s lived on boats during the dry season and emerge on land during the monsoon season. They survived on goods that they collected from the ocean such as fish spear shells, sea cucumbers, and lobsters. The Sea Gypsies have been affected greatly by the tsunami; they lost their houses, boats and belongings, as well as their civilizations. Despite the destruction of their homes there were only 42 tsunami casualties among the Moken communities. This is said to be because they knew the tsunami was coming due to their close relationship with the ocean.

More recently and especially after the tsunami the Monken people have been forced to live on land in villages which are poor and dirty. There are very few (roughly 500) Monken that still live on the ocean leading a nomadic life-style. The Monken face many problems with this shift into Thai civilization.

They are yet to be recognized as Thai citizens partly because of the dreadfully slow approval process and sometimes because of a nationalistic bias against them. In order to gain citizenship they have to prove that they were either born in Thailand or have been residents for at least 10 years. The lack of citizenship (for those who want it) has left thousands of Monken battling hunger, disease, and poverty alone without state help. They are also unable to own land if they are not citizens.

As the Monken ‘assimilate’ into the Thai culture they begin losing their own. Their way of life is changing but they are caught somewhere in the middle. Their livelihood is becoming an issue as governments are acquiring the Monken’s traditional hunting grounds in order to build resort developments and aquatic national parks. Besides fishing the majority of people in these communities have little employment opportunity nor information about viable jobs options. They are often seen as unsophisticated and unlawful drifters who need to be ‘assimilated’ into mainstream society. Moken people are now a marginalized group with little status or recognition in the community. The Monken have also been exploited in the mist of Thai civilization. The island elite and business owners pay the gypsies a pittance for their fish as well as their work on resorts and national parks. They also offer the Monkens high interest loans that they must take in order to buy their own boats.

The government tries to draw the Monken children into school, but almost 30 percent of children drop out of school after 6th grade (even though completion on 9th grade is mandatory) in order to help their parents’ fish. They face many problems in schools. As Monkens are seen as lower class many teacher and students discriminate against them making school life a hardship.

A Weekend of Free Workshops with Art for Real Change

The Red Hut

Take note of a whole weekend of free workshops below!

ART FOR REAL CHANGE
BRINGS YOU A WEEKEND OF
FREE WORKSHOPS!

RESPONDING: PERFORMANCE ART, EXPLORING ISSUES REFUGEES FACE
SATURDAY OCTOBER 28th, 2006
12:00 P.M. - 1:30 P.M.
PARKDALE LIBRARY DOWNSTAIRS, 1303 QUEEN ST. WEST
Julie Lassonde, in association with FCJ Refugee Centre (Toronto) will lead participants as they work with fabric and physical movement to explore barriers, recognition, and connections.

FORUM THEATRE
SATURDAY OCTOBER 28, 2006
2:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M.
PARKDALE LIBRARY DOWNSTAIRS, 1303 QUEEN ST. WEST
ALL AGES ARE WELCOME
Interested in a creative exploration of social justice issues through theatre? Join expert forum theatre instructor Jessica Bleuer in this fun, challenging, and thought-provoking community action.

· BREAKDANCING: ROOTS CULTURE AND BEATS
SUNDAY OCTOBER 29th, 2006
2:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M.
PARKDALE LIBRARY DOWNSTAIRS, 1303 QUEEN ST. WEST
ALL AGES ARE WELCOME
Nylda Gallardo will lead this workshop exploring the moves, beats, art and culture of breakdancing.

THE RIGHT SPIN: THE ART, POLITICS AND BUSINESS OF DEEJAYING IN THE CITY
SUNDAY OCTOBER 29th, 2006
1:00 P.M. - 3:00 P.M.
QUEEN WEST ARTS CENTRE, 100A OSSINGTON AVE.
The facilitator will guide you through the equipment, terminology, audio basics, gear and gigs of DJing.

Register at owens.veronica@gmail.com or call 416-538-4637
ARCfest - Toronto's Social Justice Arts Festival runs from Oct. 22nd -29th
For more information on these workshops and other ARCfest events visit our website
www.arcfest.org

Katherine Duncanson Voice Workshop Fall 2006

The Red Hut

We're very happy to report that the fabulous Katherine Duncanson will be hosting another voice workshop just around the bend. Here are the details:

5 Week Series-Fall 2006
Mondays Oct 30, Nov 6, 13, 20, 27
6:30 to 9:00

Cost: $230. Which includes the 5 group classes plus one private lesson
to be taken during the 5 week period.

Suitable for New and Continuing Students.
Limited to 12 participants.

The Darling Building
96 Spadina (north of king, south of Adelaide)
The InterGalactic Collective Studio
8th Floor. Studio 802.

Please enroll by email or phone.
kat2@total.net
416 971 8671

A Professional Development for artists of any discipline, designed to reveal, develop and integrate vocal, movement, musical, rhythmic and imagination skills. Class work will be generated through the use of improvisational scores, as well as existing music and text in a co-creative, safe and playful manner.

Katherine Duncanson is an interdisciplinary performer, vocal director, music educator and creative facilitator. One of Toronto's most prolific performers, she has collaborated with Toronto's finest dance artists, composers, actors, writers, visual artists, musicians, magicians and clowns. She has been a member of the interdisciplinary performance collective, Urge, since 1995.

As well as teaching privately, Katherine has given voice and movement workshops coast to coast. For many years Katherine taught Music for Dancers at York University and the School of Toronto Dance Theatre.
She is also a certified Reflexologist and Kundalini Yoga Instructor.

welcome fresh blood

We have a new volunteer in office - Marie Barlizo, a talented playwright and producer from Montreal. She is currently working on our screening of the documentary by reknown Hong Kong company theatre du pif's community theatre project. The screening will be followed by a panel discussing the role of theatre in the community. It'll all happen as a part of the social justice arts festival ARCfest on October 26, 8pm at the SPIN Gallery.

Here is Marie in a meeting with ARCfest founder and general theatre guy extraordinaire Josh Bloch. They are pointing at the ARCfest postcard which is oh-so-snazzy. Don't you agree?

Check out their website for all the exciting happenings!

Theatre Creators' Reserve

Cahoots is now accepting applications for Theatre Creators’ Reserve!

Deadline: November 1, 2006

Cahoots Theatre Projects is a theatre recommender for the Theatre Creators’ Reserve. This program allows Ontario artists time and support to work on new creations by applying to theatre companies who in turn recommend funding from the Ontario Arts Council. Please consult the OAC's information page for more details.

For the 2005-2006 season, Cahoots was pleased to recommend funding to the following artists:

Byron Abalos – Brown Balls
Camellia Koo – non-perishable
Soraya Peerbaye – tell
Bea Pizano – The Communion
Michael Rubenfeld and The Suck and Blow Collective – Suck and Blow
Guillermo Verdecchia – Secure

Artists interested in applying for this year's program are asked to review the Cahoots’ mandate. In keeping with our mandate, preference will be given to artists that reflect Cahoots’ core beliefs and values. Cahoots strongly encourages submissions from artists working in non-text disciplines, or with diversity of practices and approach.

To apply, please prepare the following:

1. Vision – your letter or statement of intent, including any previous development
2. Project – a proposal and/or script excerpt
3. Bio/Resume
4. Support – video/audio for non-text based submissions only (VHS or any standard digital formats)
5. OAC forms – 3 copies of the form available on their site.
6. SASE – with enough postage to cover the material you wish returned

(Please note there is a 40 - page limit to the entire application.)


Send by mail or drop off to:

Cahoots Theatre Projects

174 Spadina Ave. #610

Toronto, Ontario

M5T 2C2

RE: THEATRE CREATORS' RESERVE

Recommendations will be determined based on the following factors:

scope and scale of the proposed project
artists’ past history of creation
feasibility of the artists’ workplan

Any questions regarding the program, please contact Marjorie or by phone at 416-203-9000 x3.

literary lights

Cahoots Theatre Projects' honourary chair Wayson Choy (All That Matters) joins an exciting line up of authors reading from new works in progress:
Nigerian Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka
Azar Nafisi (Lolita In Tehran)
Miriam Toews (A Complicated Kindness)
MG Vassanji (The In-Between World of Vikram Lal)
Ann-Marie MacDonald hosts.

Called Uncensored, the gala benefit isfor PEN Canada, an association of
writers and supporters formed in 1926 to defend freedom of expression. It's part of the International Festival Of Authors running Wed, Oct 18 to 28 at Harbourfront in Toronto.

Tickets for readings: $20 & $35.
Gala tickets: $175.
7pm readings; 8:30pm
cocktail reception with authors and live auction.
Friday, October 20.
Convocation Hall.
31 Kings College Circle. Call (416) 978-8849.
For more info, go to PEN Canada.

i like my actors organic

ORGANIC ACTOR
Acting workshop

Led by Victor Mora
In this workshop the doers develop the essential elements of organicity that will give them the opportunity to confront themselves with their body-life in the present-moment. Having unblocked the body, the flow of emotions and feelings are organically free. Victor Mora has been a professional working actor, director and acting teacher for 25 years. He has trained with Vladimir Pechkine (Russia) Augusto Boal (Brazil) Pina Bausch (German)Stanislaw Scierski (From Jersy Grotowski’s Theatre Company) Miguel Ponce (Cuba-Venezuela)

CONTENT
Physical exercises
Psycho-Physical exercises
Vocal resonators
Improvisations
Physical actions system (Stanislavski-Grotowski)

BRING LOOSE CLOTHING

WHEN: October 10 to October 26 /2006 (6 classes)
Tuesdays and Thursdays 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm

WHERE: Studio 145. 1173 Dundas St East at Carlaw
(From Pape station takes bus 72 southbound to Dundas st east)
FREE PARKING

Cost: 100.00

To register: (416) 6546276 or azuldot@hotmail.com

f.o.o.t papers?

2007 Festival of Original Theatre: Dissolving Borders
Graduate Centre for Study of Drama,
University of Toronto
February 15-18, 2007

We invite papers and artistic presentations that examine themes surrounding intercultural performance for the 2007 Festival Of Original Theatre: Dissolving Borders. This conference and performance based festival sets out to interrogate the concept of intercultural performance by creating a forum for discussion between theatre practitioners and the academic community while addressing the ever- expanding definition of culture and the question of what constitutes a cultural group in theatre.


Topics may include, but are not limited to:

Intercultural performance in Canada.
Defining Culture: What constitutes a cultural group in theatre.
Case Studies on Intercultral theatrical process and the performance of difference.
Multi versus (or in relation to) Inter culturalism- as well as issues of intra and trans culturalism.
The constructions and contestations of difference in theatre/ performance.
Borders/ liminal spaces in intercultural theatre.
Pedagogical/ practical strategies for considering cultural plurality and understanding diversity.
The Dissolving Borders conference and festival provides a forum for scholars and artists to engage in discussion through papers, performances, talk -backs and panels. We encourage submissions from graduate students.


If you are interested in proposing a paper or presentation please send a 200-250 word abstract by October 24, 2006.

Submissions may be sent by

e-mail to: foot.graddrama@utoronto.ca
mail: 2007 Festival of Original Theatre: Dissolving Borders
Graduate Centre for Study of Drama
University of Toronto
214 College St.
Toronto, ON
M5T 2Z9