May Swoons & Pageant Plans

Lots going on this spring…first off, the River Clyde Pageant received the good news that our application to the Canada Council’s Artists & Community Collaboration grant was successful, and that yes! we get to spend this summer on PEI making magical, collaborative, outdoor theatre. There will be blue herons on stilts, giant luminous jellyfish, trolls under the bridge, raft performances and much more coming to life in June and July as we lead the Pageant creation process. The two free performances will take place on July 30 & 31 in New Glasgow, followed by a free community supper for audiences and artists. We have a fancy new website, where you can see some of the amazing people working on the project, and sign up to get involved (if you’re on PEI this summer, you really should). Ker and I are heading to PEI at the end of May, and will be hosting two community meetings for anyone who wants to be involved. These meetings will outline the process, rehearsal and workshop schedule, and the various opportunities for involvement. First meeting is happening in Charlottetown on May 29, from 2 to 4pm, at the Art Bunker at Confederation Centre. Second meeting is happening in New Glasgow on June 5, from 2 to 4pm at The Mill.

In the meantime, I’m working with my favourite Vancouver collaborators (Barbara Adler, Kyla Gardiner, Rob Leveroos) to create an installation in Pandora Park, called Signals From the Mountain, which will playfully re-imagine the 2014 Burnaby Mountain pipeline protests through songs, objects and ephemera. We’re staging the installation at the Pandora Park Field House, in collaboration with friends from Vancouver’s Dance Troupe Practice. This is happening May 20-21 as part of a larger event called “Stories, Sounds and Supper” and has been funded through the Vancouver Foundation’s Neighbourhood Small Grants Program.