Wake the River Clyde

Wake the River Clyde was the second edition of The River Clyde Pageant, created and performed in New Glasgow, PEI in July and August 2017. I produced and co-directed Wake the River Clyde with Ker Wells. Over the course of two months, the 2017 Pageant came to life thanks to a team of over 125 artists, community members and volunteers. Together, we built puppets and costumes; created scenes, characters and choreography; wrote and learned music; walked on stilts; harvested mud from the river; cooked and served food; performed, sang, steered a puppet-ship, and more, all along the banks of the River Clyde.

The 2017 narrative explored the environmental issues of the River Clyde in greater detail, considering the conflicting feelings and opposing viewpoints, as well as addressing the very real possibility of becoming overwhelmed by the scale of the problem. The characters considered what the death of the river might actually imply, and found concrete actions and ideas to pursue to protect our waters for generations to come. Within the production, fantastical, musical and natural elements celebrated these actions and possibilities, presenting a vision of community that accounts for all its members, human and non-human as well as the environment in which it exists.

Additional artistic & production support from Emily Wells, Jane Wells, Ian McFarlane, Marti Hopson, Kirsten MacLaine, Sebastian Poissant-Labelle, Sue Leblanc, Arnold Smith, Laura Astwood, Kathy Randels, Robin & Debi Stevenson, Tara Callaghan, Kyla Gardiner, Grace Kimpinski and many, many others.

Wake the River Clyde was made possible thanks to grants from the Canada 150 Fund, the Canada Council for the Arts, the PEI Arts Grants program, and donations from over 150 local donors.

Photos by Robert Van Waarden