Department of Theatre alum Charles Ross will livestream his popular interstellar romp The One-Man Star Wars Trilogy at 5pm Monday, May 4, to help support an emergency fund for students experiencing financial hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Coordinated through The Farquhar at UVic, this is a special opportunity to watch the Victoria actor and active Theatre alum condense 12 hours of cinema into a 75-minute re-enactment of the plots of three Star Wars films (Star Wars IV, V and VI) while raising money to support students.
UVic theatre alumnus Charles Ross will livestream his popular interstellar romp through Star Wars on May 4 to help support an emergency bursary fund for students affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Image: Courtesy of Charles Ross.
The UVic COVID-19 Emergency Bursary was established in April to help domestic and international students, at the graduate and undergraduate level, who are in financial need as result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Money raised will go toward students who have lost their jobs, face housing issues or have trouble paying for food, tuition or the technology needed for online or remote learning. The fund also supports mental health services, child care and transportation costs for students affected by the pandemic.
The emergency fund was established with $200,000 from the university and $140,000 from the BC government. Other contributions include $67,000 from the UVic Students’ Society, $50,000 from the UVic Alumni Association and $98,000 in individual donations from hundreds of alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the university.
So far, more than 2,000 students have applied to the emergency bursary, and UVic anticipates the demand will exceed $1 million. Fundraising is continuing and all gifts are welcome. Viewers are asked to donate to the UVic COVID-19 Emergency Bursary.
The livestream performance coincides with the popular annual “May the Fourth be with you” celebration of the Star Wars series. Ross has toured his world-famous production around the globe, entertaining more than a million fans in London’s West End, at the Sydney Opera House and off-Broadway in New York. Performed with permission of Lucasfilm Ltd, the show is fast-paced, funny and suitable for ages six to Yoda.
Welcome to issue six of The Fine Arts Connector, your weekly listing of news, resources, activities and other shareable content from the Faculty of Fine Arts, specifically compiled for distribution during the current health crisis.
Another inspiring message about the arts appeared as an op-ed in the April 26 edition of the Times Colonist. In addition to pointing out the vital importance of the arts during this crisis, Pacific Opera Victoria CEO Ian Rye also noted the role our community will play in the difficult months ahead. “We will need the arts more than ever when we emerge from this crisis and rediscover the power of live song and story and the importance of coming together as a community,” he writes. “When that time comes and we can once again share those extraordinary moments of live music, drama and meaning, the arts will be there. We will celebrate together.”
While many of us have been struggling to maintain a relatively normal end-of-semester life with course completion, marking and other administrative duties, a number of our faculty colleagues have also been adding to the community effort during the current health crisis:
Visual Arts alum Libby Oliver has organized a phone campaign for seniors in care-home lockdowns as part of her current position as Listener-in-Residence at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, assisted by AHVS alum and AGGV assistant curator Regan Shrumm
Theatre’s head of wardrobe Karla Stout and Visual Arts instructor Laura Dutton have been sewing and donating face masks
Fine Arts communications officer John Threlfall has been delivering groceries weekly as part of the Fernwood NRG’s increased community Good Food Box program
Current theatre student Nathan Harvey has been using his home 3D printer to print necessary parts for plastic face shields for front-line workers
Writing professor and poet Tim Lilburn has been asked to contribute to a new anthology, tentatively titled COVID-19 Diary: World’s Anthology of Poetry, organized by poet Dr Christopher Okemwa, who teaches literature at Kisii University in Kenya.
But whether it’s live-streaming your work, checking in on elderly neighbours, banging pots at 7pm or simply practicing proper social distancing, we’re all doing our part in these strange times.
As always, please enjoy—and circulate—this collection of material featuring our faculty, students, alumni, staff and guests as a way of both sharing what our creative community is up to and keeping us connected in this difficult moment in history. You can also help by keeping us in the loop if you’re working on a live-streaming project, have online material to share or are involved in something you’d like people to know about: just email either fineartsevents@uvic.ca or johnt@uvic.ca.
Finally, you can sign up here to receive automatic notice of The Connector each week.
Visual Arts alum Libby Oliver has been organizing calls to seniors in care homes
John Threlfall: communications officer by day, delivery driver by choice
News
Livestreaming this week
Fine Arts alumni continue to be active in National Arts Centre’s ongoing #CanadaPerforms series: in addition to the likes of previous performers Charles Ross and Meg Braem (Theatre), Clare Yuan and Stephanie Chua (Music), Marjorie Celona and current MFA candidate Kim Senklip Harvey (Writing), this week sees two more alumni stepping into the national spotlight:
Writing/Theatre alum and current sessional instructor Mark Leiren Young is hosting a triple book launch at noon PST on Friday, May 1, for his set of new books for young readers: Orcas of the Salish Sea, Big Whales, Small World and Orcas Everywhere, all from Orca Books—and eager young readers can even post questions to his Facebook page in advance and Mark will answer them during his reading
Writing MFA alum Sally Stubbs is presenting a livestream performance of her play Our Ghosts Collective, starting at 5pm EST on Saturday, May 2 (interestingly, the same play also received a live online reading on April 11 as part of The Canadian Play Thing series, hosted by fellow Writing MFA Janet Munsil).
But this week’s livestreaming doesn’t end there. In addition to the ongoing UnoFest Online performances of Visual Arts alum and current Fine Arts Indigenous Resurgence Coordinator Lindsay Delaronde (Gemini to May 3) and Music alum Isaiah Bell (The Book of My Shames, to May 3), there are a number of other performances happening in the week ahead:
Our colleagues at Pacific Opera Victoria are offering their latest Listening Party Podcast at 4pm Friday, May 1, with School of Music repetiteur and sessional instructor Kinza Tyrrell as a guest, alongside host Rebecca Hass plus Rachel Fenlon and Doug MacNaughton—expect to hear Kinza chat about her “Karaoke with Kinza” project, where vocalists send song requests for her to perform, then she returns the track for them to sing along to; Her latest episode features Music alum Joé Lampron-Dandonneau in a gorgeous performance of Schubert’s “Nacht und Träume”
Rising Music alumni folk trio West My Friend (Eden Oliver, Jeff Poynter, Alix Rempel) were thrilled to release their latest album In Constellation album last fall, but they recently had to cancel their planned European tour because of, well, you know; now, they’ll be hosting a livestream concert on their Facebook page at 11am PST Saturday, May 2—the concert is timed for an evening show in Europe, but you can enjoy brunch here in BC
Theatre alum Charles Ross is livestreaming a performance of his widely acclaimed One Man Star Wars Trilogy, starting at 5pm PST Monday May 4 (as in May the Fourth be with you); more than just a great show, this is also a fundraiser for the UVic Student Relief Fund—tune in to his Facebook page to watch.
Finally, Music alum and Victoria-raised tenor Josh Lovell will be featured as part of the weekly “Acoustic Afternoon” series from Pacific Opera Victoria. Josh will be singing from his home in Vienna in a stream that will be available starting at 1pm Friday, May 8.
Be sure to tune in for some (or all) of these if you can!
Writing alum Sally Stubbs presents Our Ghosts
School of Music alumni trio West My Friend
Theatre alum Charles Ross uses the force to fundraise for UVic’s Student Relief Fund
Now incubating at the Belfry
Our colleagues at the Belfry Theatre just announced participants for their 2020 Incubator Program. While the full list also includes local theatre artists Rick Waines, David Elendune and Jo Leslie, the majority of the participants are all Fine Arts alumni (mostly from Theatre):
Anna Marie Anderson & Ellery Lamm of Collectivus Theatre, further developing their award-winning play Summer Bucket List
Molly Beatrice, Emily Hay, Hailee Jake Friesen & Alexander Moorman, developing The Fear Project
Andrew Barrett & Patricia Reilly of Impulse Theatre, developing The Soft Spaces
Nicholas Guerreiro, Annie Konstantinova & Julie McGuire of Bragi Theatre, developing Tricky Gylfi
Hannah Mariko Bell, developing Momotarō
Sarah Pitman, developing Remarkable Engines
plus former students Monica Ogden & kp dennis (formerly Ann-Bernice Thomas) of Rage Sweater Theatre, developing 100 YT Guys in an Hour.
Incubator participants receive the use of the Belfry’s studios, mentorship from artistic director and Theatre sessional Michael Shamata and recent Theatre PhD alum Taiwo Afolabi—now the Belfry’s artistic and community liaison—as well as administrative mentoring from executive director Ivan Habel and other members of the Belfry staff. They’ll also get use of the Belfry Tower as a writing studio, and participation in the Belfry’s newly formed Playwright’s Unit, facilitated by Governor General’s Award-winning playwright and Writing professor Kevin Kerr.
Watch for the Belfry to feature these works-in-development at their first “mini SPARK festival”, which will throw a spotlight on the creative projects being developed by the participants of the New Incubator Project and the Playwright’s Unit.
Got an idea for Incubator 2021? Deadline for submissions is November 30, 2020. Priority will be given to applicants from diverse communities, applicants wanting to challenge their traditional artistic practice, and projects that provide participants with opportunities to explore new creative territory. Click here for full details.
A scene from Collectivus Theatre’s Summer Bucket List, which won awards for Best Drama and Best Original New Work at the 2019 Victoria Fringe Festival
New publications
Writing MFA alum Melanie Siebert has just launched her new book, Heads Up: Changing Minds on Mental Health, with Orca Books. Aimed at youth 12 & up, Heads Up features real-life stories of people who have found hope and meaning in the midst of life’s struggles. Described as a “go-to guide for teenagers who want to know about mental health, mental illness, trauma and recovery”, Heads Up highlights innovative approaches such as trauma-informed activities like yoga and hip-hop, police mental health teams and peer support for youth.
Our colleagues at the Victoria Arts Council have launched a new online magazine titled UNTIL. Co-created by VAC director Kegan McFadden and Visual Arts alum Leah McInnis, the theme of issue one is “Interconnectedness” and features contributions by Visual Arts alumni Randie Feil, JohnG Boehme, Cassia Powell, Mike McLean, Rachel Kiers and current sessional instructor Todd Lambeth, as well as Theatre alum Matthew Payne. Issue two looks at the idea of “tender” with contributions by AHVS student Monic Liu, Visual Arts alumni Katie Brown and Cassidy Luteijn, plus sessional instructor Emily Geen and professor Daniel Laskarin. Is there a piece you could contribute to a future issue? “Resilience” is the theme of issue 3, and contributions are being accepted until May 6.
Recent Writing MFA and sessional instructor Troy Sebastian / nupqu _a·k_am_ has just been announced as a double-nominee in the National Magazine Awards: his stories “The Art of the Snag” and “Raptors Revolution”—both for The Walrus—have been nominated in the “short feature” and “essays” categories respectively. Winners will be announced in early June.
The Digital Scholarship Commons is there to assist faculty, students and staff in learning digital tools and methodologies which will help you pursue your passions and tell your research stories in engaging ways. Their services help the UVic community become well-versed in digital information fluency through training, workshops, digital curriculum development advice, tools, software and more. Their schedule for May workshops has just been posted.
Concerned about flattening the ever-increasing curve around our collective waists? UVic’s Vikes Active Living program is offering a new virtual fitness membership. You can do a workout from anywhere, anytime, with your six different CARSA instructors and a variety of classes. All you need is 30 minutes, a bit of space and a computer, phone or tablet.
For just $20, you’ll receive 21 workouts starting May 1, available at 7am daily. Classes include Booty Bootcamp, Restorative Flow Yoga, Muscle Hustle, Core 30 and Functional Fitness, with more being added. Just pick a playlist, start your workout . . . and prepare to get sweaty.
Project quarantine
As well as being an invaluable resource for artists, curators, art writers and gallery staff right now, the editorial team at Canadian Art magazine are looking to share the work of Canadian artists who may have had exhibits cancelled by COVID-19 in the “Agenda” section of their website.
Speaking of exhibits, as the national voice of Canada’s professional visual artists, Canadian Artists Representation Le Front Des Artistes Canadiens (CARFAC) has released this list of recommended practices for paying artists during the COVID-19 crisis. If you’re an artist who was at any stage of negotiation with presenters when the crisis hit—signed contracts, verbal agreement or something more informal—you should expect presenters to honour these agreements.
CARFAC also encourages presenters to support artists to the best of their abilities and to consider the financial pressures many self-employed artists are currently facing—including compensating artists for additional labour if exhibit formats change from physical to online, screening, etc. Their guidelines are designed to help the visual and media arts community establish procedures for paying artists when exhibitions, screenings, and other opportunities are disrupted due to cancellations or postponements.
Vocal Jazz in the spotlight
This week’s musical break features the UVic Vocal Jazz Ensemble in their 2019 Autumn Showcase. Recorded in the School of Music’s Phillip T Young Recital Hall on November 24, it was sadly the final concert of the academic year by the group, as their Spring Showcase was cancelled due to COVID-19.
Under the direction of Music professor Wendell Clanton, the Vocal Jazz Ensemble has established a reputation for artistic excellence, stylistic flexibility and performances of original and inspiring arrangements. (You can check out the Vocal Jazz blog for more details.) “May any temptation to disappointment at the cancellation of the Spring Showcase be accompanied and transformed by the recognition of your artistry and enthusiasm, your skill and achievement which is undiminished by adversity,” writes Clanton to the ensemble. “Please take a moment for yourselves to reflect on the joy you have brought to others through your music.”
Members of the 2019/2020 Vocal Jazz Ensemble include Aaron Ruddell, Allie Bertholm, Andrew Wolf, Anton Sokalski, Ben Mendes, Brendan Ciccone, Brittnie Spriel, Cassidy Stahr, Clay Dowdell, Chris Clarke, Connie Goetz, Davey Bastin-Decaste, Dilly Cooner, Fionalee Lustado, Ila Zbarsky, Ken Kosowick, Katherine Allen, Lindsey Bellman, Megan Handley, Noah Mellemstrand, Odyn Mulder, Patrick Schjelderup, Sophie Groves andVictoria Jackson. Special guests at the Autumn Showcase included James Waddell, Rachel Burtman (bass), Noah Mellemstrand (violin) and Allie Bertholm (trumpet).
The Vocal Jazz Ensemble, from their 2019 Autumn Showcase program
The Vocal Jazz Ensemble opening for The Real Group and the Fifth Street vocal quintet in October 2019 at The Farquhar (photo & wide shot: Leon Fei)
The Way You Look Tonight
by UVic Vocal Jazz Ensemble
Begin The Beguine
by UVic Vocal Jazz Ensemble
Georgia
by UVic Vocal Jazz Ensemble
When I Get Low I Get High
by UVic Vocal Jazz Ensemble
Bluesette
by UVic Vocal Jazz Ensemble
Nature Boy
by UVic Vocal Jazz Ensemble
Words
by UVic Vocal Jazz Ensemble
Since You've Been Gone
by UVic Vocal Jazz Ensemble
Sous le Ciel de Paris
by UVic Vocal Jazz Ensemble
Call Me
by UVic Vocal Jazz Ensemble
A Child Is Born
by UVic Vocal Jazz Ensemble
Take On Me
by UVic Vocal Jazz Ensemble
Exhibit closed, video live
Like so many artists right now, all of the current exhibitions by Department of Visual Arts professor Kelly Richardson are currently closed—and, for Richardson, that translates to the loss of three international exhibits, both solo (Attenborough Art Gallery at the University of Leicester) and group (Trondheim International Biennale for Art and Technology, Hestercome Gallery).
But fortunately, the Hestercombe Gallery in Taunton, England, have produced this video that speaks to the work and context of their now-closed exhibition Most Admirably Improved By Art, which was due to run until June 28, 2020. Richardson’s “Orion Tide” was featured alongside work by Charlotte Hodes, Rebecca Partridge and Fiona Hingston, as well as original works by 18th century English artist Coplestone Warre Bampfylde (Hestercombe’s former owner). The exhibit was intented to build links between Bampfylde’s Georgian endeavours and the concerns of artists today.
As Art Toronto noted, “Drawing from the aesthetics of cinema and dystopian stories, Orion Tide presents a Roswell-esque desert with spurts of light and smoke repeatedly taking off into the dark night sky, resting somewhere in the territory between science fiction and biblical wraths.”
While Richardson’s HD video installation may seem an unusual juxtaposition alongside paintings, sculpture and ceramic installation, Most Admirably Improved by Art brought together four contemporary artists who, like Bampfylde, began their careers drawing and painting, and now through a range of media respond to the landscapes and the environment of today, inspired through the history of art.
Most Admirably Improved by Art, Hestercombe Gallery, 01.03.20 – 28.06.20
Writing student readings
Among the many, many end-of-year events cancelled in Fine Arts this spring was the annual launch party for issue 18 of This Side of West, UVic’s undergraduate writing journal. But since the live readings couldn’t happen, four of the contributing Department of Writing majors—Brianna Bock, Chloe Cookson, Bryant Linton and Tosh Sherkat—took the plunge and offer at-home digital readings of their work instead. Click on the playlist to watch them all.
No word yet on whether the new issue made it to the printers in time, but it’s usually for sale at the UVic Bookstore.
Gateway to art—and art history
If you’ve ever wondered what it is that art historians actually do, the Department of Art History & Visual Studieshas kicked off a new website aimed at exploring exactly that: Gateway to Art offers a layperson’s look at the objects and ideas that inspire UVic’s art historians. But while the idea had been germinating with AHVS chair Marcus Milwright for a while now, ironically it took the COVID-19 crisis to bring it to fruition.
“I’ve always been interested in finding ways for people to engage with art history, but this came about because I was stuck at home and was trying to think what I could do with a laptop and the objects I’m interested in,” says Milwright.
The new website also features a section titled Talking About Art, a series of short audio explorations of objects reflecting the various areas of research and teaching in AHVS. Ranging from the everyday (bricks, coins, maps, bowls) to the more esoteric (medieval architecture, an ancient act of iconoclasm), each 7-10 minute talk explores the central idea of what art is trying to tell us.
“We can draw out narratives from objects—what they were made from, who made them, the context of why such things were done,” explains Milwright, who is both an archaeologist and art historian. “Simple objects can be really fascinating when you pull out the details; it’s not just about the practical things they do.”
He points to an inscribed ceramic jug from Raqqa as an example. “Someone chose to write an entire section of the Koran around the surface of it in ink, and then it becomes something entirely different—it transforms.”
Still in its early days, Milwright is working on a set of contributor guidelines for his teaching faculty and is considering future contributions from the likes of frequent AHVS colleagues in UVic’s Legacy Gallery, Special Collections and possibly the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.
“The whole point is showing why the arts are important, whether studying it or creating it.”
Watch for further developments to Gateway to Art in the months ahead. But for now, be sure to take a crack at Milwright’s Stay-at-Home art history visual quiz on the site: it’s sure to keep you puzzling while you attempt to solve it.
Unglazed ceramic jug excavated in Raqqa, Syria. Late eighth or early ninth century. Raqqa Archaeological Museum
An Inscribed Ceramic Jug from Raqqa
by Marcus Milwright | Talking about art
Creative placemaking
From the nation’s capital to one of the world’s leading creative spaces, the career of Department of Theatre alum Nathan Medd (BFA ’01) has gone far and fast since his graduation. Named the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient for the Faculty of Fine Arts, Medd has been making a name for himself as one of Canada’s brightest young arts leaders.
Devoted to developing the performing arts in Canada, Medd is currently Managing Director of Performing Arts for the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity—the nation’s largest arts training institution and incubator of new works—a position he took up in August 2018. Prior to that, he was the Managing Director of English Theatre at the National Arts Centre, where his team successfully championed Canadian creators and initiated a new national stage for Indigenous performance.
But prior to those key positions, he was Managing Producer of Vancouver’s Electric Company Theatre, where he produced original works for Vancouver’s 2010 Cultural Olympiad and co-founded Progress Lab 1422, the performing arts creation studio in East Vancouver, in 2009. And before that, he was the Operations and Development Manager for Victoria’s Intrepid Theatre, where he co-founded Metro Studio — still a flagship venue for Vancouver Island — and also held positions with both the BC Arts Council (programs officer and policy analyst) and the Belfry Theatre (front of house manager), where he started right out of university.
In this video about the importance of creative placemaking (recorded in the Bishop Theatre in February 2019 as part of UVic’s Alumni Week activities), Medd is joined by fellow Theatre alumni and Metro Studio co-founders Ian Case and Janet Munsil, plus Writing professor Kevin Kerr, co-founder of Vancouver’s Electric Company.
“My work these past 10 years has been about building infrastructure and altering practices that were built in the 1960s but no longer serve everyone who wants to work in or attend the arts,” Medd explains. “It’s not just a question of physical space, but programmatic space too . . . we’re making space for communities I wasn’t thinking of 10 years ago. With NAC, it was the idea of becoming the living room of the capital: you start with the idea that we’re all artists and we all need a space to be creative.”
Distinguished Alumni Award recipient Nathan Medd
More to come weekly
We’ll be posting more content from our faculty, students and alumni each week—be sure to check back!
Short student film
Watch “Witch Doctor”, hot off an indie film festival
Welcome to issue five of The Fine Arts Connector, your weekly listing of news, resources, activities and other shareable content from the Faculty of Fine Arts, specifically compiled for distribution during the current health crisis.
Department of Theatre professor Brian Richmond recently offered an inspiring message about the endurance of the arts in his role as artistic director of the local Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre, and the importance of facing fear and uncertainty with hope and courage. It’s worth taking a minute to watch the short video, and to reflect on our faculty’s role as leaders in the Greater Victoria arts community. What more could we all be doing to make a difference, here and now?
As always, please enjoy—and circulate—this collection of material featuring our faculty, students, alumni, staff and guests as a way of both sharing what our creative community is up to and keeping us connected in this difficult moment in history. You can also help by keeping us in the loop if you’re working on a live-streaming project, have online material to share or are involved in something you’d like people to know about: just email either fineartsevents@uvic.ca or johnt@uvic.ca.
Finally, you can sign up here to receive automatic notice of The Connector each week.
Theatre professor Brian Richmond
News
Alumni activity
Department of Writing BA/MFA alum Jason Jobin has been shortlisted for the 2020 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for his story, “Provenance”. As the Times Colonist reported on April 21, the Yukon-raised Jobin joins 20 writers from more than a dozen countries on the short list, but is only one of five stories competing in the regional category of Canada and Europe—and is one of only two Canadians on the short list (alongside Toronto’s Marcia Walker). Regional winners will receive £2,500 (announced June 2), while the finalist will receive £5,000 (announced July 7). The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is the world’s most global literature prize, awarded to a writer each year for the best piece of unpublished short fiction.
Theatre alumni certainly have been busy during the COVID-19 crisis. Laura Jane Wallace has created the Today, I’m Bored! channel on YouTube, where she offers creative DIY projects for families like making a string of colourful three-dimensional hearts in a window or painting a fun rock monster. And Theatre SKAM artistic and managing producer Matthew Payne has been working with his son Munro on a series of updates called Mo’s Daily Briefing’s (up to Day 21 as of this writing). Mo was also recently featured on UVic’s The Great Indoors project, alongside a shout-out to this very blog.
Writing alum Jason Jobin
School of Music alum Isaiah Bell is presenting his solo performance piece The Book of My Shames as part of Intrepid Theatre’s UNO Fest Online from April 28-May 3. Described as a “comic, wrenchingly personal tour-de-force” that fuses opera, stand-up comedy and the cabaret-confessional, singer-composer Bell explores a history fraught with shame and longing to reveal our universal potential for transformation in this funny and tender solo show. As a rising tenor star, Bell has performed everywhere from Carnegie Hall to the National Arts Centre, and is directed here by Sean Guist, founding Curator of Intrepid’s OUTstages queer theatre festival. The Book of My Shames had a sold-out premiere at Tapestry Opera as part of Toronto Pride in 2019.
Isaiah Bell in The Book of My Shames
The latest episode of the local arts podcast Check the Program features Theatre alum Britt Small discussing the latest episode of the long-running cabaret Atomic Vaudeville, which shifted online in response to the health crisis, and recent Writing MFA alum and playwriting instructor (and Theatre alum) Janet Munsil talking about her new online initiative, The Canadian Play Thing. Now in its second year and on its 35th episode, Check the Program is a podcast project spearheaded by John Threlfall and includes current Writing student Brianna Bock among its six-person team of contributors.
Financial aid for students
As part of their ongoing aid packages, on April 22 the federal government announced $9 billion in financial aid will become available for post-secondary students during the COVID-19 crisis. Students will be eligible for $1,250 a month from May through August, or $1,750 if the student is taking care of someone or has a disability. The benefit is available also to students who have jobs, but are making less than $1,000 a month.
UVic has also created the COVID-19 Emergency Bursary to provide support for students—domestic or international, undergraduate or graduate—who are experiencing emergency financial need as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This initial allocation of $200,000 will help students facing challenges such as job loss, access to housing, food, tuition, or technology to facilitate online/remote learning, mental health services, child care, transportation, and more.
Recently, the UVic Alumni Association has generously pledged $50,000 in matching funds to this emergency fund: donations to the fund will be matched dollar for dollar, doubling the support for students in need. One of the best ways we can help students right now is through the COVID-19 Emergency Bursary. If you are able, please consider joining us in supporting students through this crisis by making a gift today.
Resources
New Canada Council digital initiative
The Canada Council for the Arts has partnered with CBC/Radio-Canada on a new digital initiative, Digital Originals, which will support Canadian artists and arts organizations to reach Canadian audiences online during the COVID-19 crisis by enabling them to adapt their work for digital dissemination.
This new opportunity offers $5,000 micro-innovation grants for selected projects that CBC/Radio-Canada will then curate and feature in a digital showcase. Digital Originals will support artists and arts organizations in finding new ways to connect with audiences online during this difficult time.
The Canada Council recognizes the significant impact of COVID-19 on the Canadian arts sector, with countless performances, exhibitions, screenings, tours and festivals being cancelled or delayed due to necessary public health restrictions. With that in mind, Digital Originals is open to artists, artistic organizations and groups across the country (with a validated Canada Council profile), in all fields of practice—including new and early career artists—to adapt existing work or create new work for sharing online. No prior digital experience will be required. Note that organizations currently receiving core funding will not be eligible.
The grant application portal will open mid-May and applications will be accepted until June 15, 2020. Visit the Digital Originals web page or follow #DigitalOriginals2020 for the latest news.
A gala of go-to galleries
Getting bored with staying indoors? Missing those regular trips to art galleries and museums? You’re in luck: the new Field Trip: Art Across Canada initiative opens Canadian galleries—including the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, among other notable institutions like the National Gallery, Power Plant, Museum of Contemporary Art and over a dozen others—for online visits and activities.
But if you’re looking to virtually visit further afield, you can check out digital tours of some exhibits at The Louvre or this collection of 14 museums in Paris that have recently made digital copies of 100,000 artworks freely available to the public—including work by the likes of Rembrandt, Monet, Picasso, Cézanne, and thousands of others. Or visit this collection of 12 virtual tours that includes destinations like the British Museum, the Guggenheim, the Musée d’Orsay, the Rijksmuseum, Mexico’s National Museum of Anthropology or Seoul’s National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, to name but a few.
Lindsay Delaronde at UNO Fest Online
It’s a busy week for current Indigenous Resurgence Coordinator for the Faculty of Fine Arts and Visual Arts MFA alum Lindsay Delaronde, as she prepares for her solo performance showcase as part of Intrepid Theatre’s April 28-May 3 UNO Fest Online.
Originally hired by Intrepid as the Indigenous Curator for UNO Fest, Delaronde had to pivot sharply when the current health crisis changed both the nature and delivery of the festival. She quickly shifted from curator to performer, with the result being a new performance piece, Gemini. Using the land environment and Indigenous expressions of culture through drum, song and ritual, she has created this unique piece now delivered via a video filmed in her backyard.
Delaronde, who also holds a Masters degree in Indigenous Communities Counselling through UVic, was the City of Victoria’s inaugural Indigenous Artist in Residence (2017-2019). Her artistic practice focuses on Indigenous theatre, land-based/site-specific performance art, collaborative practice, cultural resurgence and social/political activism through the arts. You can get a taste of her work in this 2019 performance piece titled I See You (videography by Lyle Almond).
“My journey as an artist over the past two years has focused on collaborative practice and collaborative performances that reflect on reconciliation as a participatory action that involves bearing witness and observation that puts discussions of perspectives and values into action,” she says. “I have sought to take a critical stand regarding how art contributes to reconciliation [and] have explored reconciliation through working with non-Indigenous and Indigenous groups of people to co-create artworks that symbolized unity, integration and respect.”
In this telephone conversation with Fine Arts communications officer John Threlfall, Lindsay Delaronde talks about her art practice, Indigenous resurgence, learning from others and being creative in a time of crisis.
Lindsay Delaronde, Gemini - UNO Fest
by John Threlfall | Phone Interviews
This week’s musical break
This week’s musical break is brought to you courtesy of the Sobremesa Saxophone Quartet, whose members are a mix of School of Music students and alumni. Formed in September 2017, Sobremesa—a Spanish term referring to “the intimate conversation that often occurs after dinner”—is currently comprised of current students Todd Morgan (tenor saxophone) and Karsten Brewka (baritone), plus alumni Matt Ficther (alto) and Connor Stairs (soprano).
Here, they perform the “American” String Quartet Op. 96 No. 12 by Antonin Dvorak, as arranged by Connor Stairs), recorded in February 2020 at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in New Westminster, BC. This was part of their “Mountain Roads” tour, which saw the Sobremesa perform at six different concerts around the Lower Mainland.
“It was a great experience in learning how to establish your own opportunities,” says Morgan. “We did most of the advertising, poster and program creation, budgeting and logistics for each event. We even made money on it all!”
The Sobremesa Saxophone Quartet’s YouTube channel also features three other recent performances: “Three Short Tales of the Sea” by Rika Ishige, “Quatour pour Saxophones” by Pierre-Max Dubois and “Milonga del Angel” by Astor Piazzolla—all of which are well worth a listen.
Sobresema Saxophone Quartet
Artists in dangerous times
As part of the AGGV’s Field Trip initiative, Visual Arts professors Cedric Bomford and Rick Leong, current facility and production manager Hollis Roberts and alum Michael Andrew McLean, along with Camosun College’s legendary art professor Ralph Stanbridge, are featured in the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria’s “In Conversation” series. Released on April 22, it’s part of the AGGV’s participation in the national Field Trip initiative.
Their wide-ranging conversation looks at what it’s like to be artists, professors and technicians in the times of COVID-19. As active members of Victoria’s art community through their respective and varied practices, these artists have already seen how current world events are shifting the way they, their colleagues and students are working.
The politics of art
Quite possibly one of the most iconic pieces of 20th century art, Pablo Picasso’s 1937 painting “Guernica” was his reaction to the Nazi’s bombing of the Basque town of Guernica during Spanish Civil War. But since we can’t get to Madrid’s Museo Nacional Centro de Arte to see this massive 3.5 metre by 7.8 metre piece right now, we can instead listen to Art History & Visual Studies professor Allan Antliff’s thoughts on “Guernica: A Political Odyssey”, which was originally aired on CBC Radio’s Ideas series in March 2007.
In conversation with host Paul Kennedy, Antliff discusses the politics of Picasso’s arguably most famous work of art, from its inception in the crucible of the Spanish Civil War to the covering of a replica of the painting at the UN in 2003.
“Guernica” (1937), by Pablo Picasso
Guernica - A Political Odyssey
by Allan Antliff / Paul Kennedy | CBC Ideas
And, given Antliff’s position as the Director of UVic’s Anarchist Archives, his 2002 Ideas episode on “Art, Anarchy, and Activism” explores the interface of the arts with anarchist activism on the cusp of the 21st century.
A Canada Research Chair (2003-2008), Antliff has taught courses on activism and art, anarchist aesthetics, Russian Constructivism, New York Dada and a host of other subjects dealing with modernism and contemporary art.
As Director of the Anarchist Archive, he is involved in archival acquisitions and the development of the collection’s digitization centre and virtual archive. He is also art editor for the interdisciplinary journals Anarchist Studies and co-editor of Anarchist Developments in Cultural Studies.
Both these recording, along with a good deal of other content, can be found on the new AHVS Gateway to Art site.
AHVS professor Allan Antliff
Art, Anarchy & Activism
by Allan Antliff / Paul Kennedy | CBC Ideas
What time is it?
While there’s no shortage of online distractions these days, notice should be paid to the weekly StoryTimes livestream by local Collectivus Theatre, co-founded by current Writing MFA candidate Ellery Lamm and Theatre alum Anna Marie Anderson. Perhaps best known as the company that presented the award-winning productions of Lamm’s Summer Bucket List (in 2019) and The Fitting Room (2018), Collectivus were fast out of the gate with their livestream offerings almost as soon as the shelter-in-place notices went out.
StoryTimes—which just completed its seventh episode as of this writing—offers a range of music, poetry, comedy, character scenes and more. It’s well worth tuning in at 5pm Wednesdays weekly.
Participants in a recent episode of Storytimes
Looking to witness
If you’re looking to mix books with audio and video, consider this Witness Blanket double-play:
listen to Writing sessional instructor Kirstie Hudson and Visual Arts Audain Professor Carey Newman discuss their recent book Picking Up The Pieces: The Making of the Witness Blanketin this April 17 episode of CBC Radio’s The Next Chapter with host (and UVic Chancellor) Shelagh Rogers
then watch this free streaming of the documentary of the same name, directed by Carey Newman and Cody Graham, presented by the Canadian Museum of Human Rights (where the actual Witness Blanket is on permanent installation).
Celona at the VFW
Finally, you can catch celebrated author and Writing alum Marjorie Celona when she discusses her latest novel, How a Woman Becomes a Lake, with Vancouver Writers Fest Artistic Director Leslie Hurtig in a special livestream conversation at 1pm Saturday, April 25. This presentation with the National Arts Centre offers a glimpse inside one of the most hotly-anticipated titles of the season.
How a Woman Becomes a Lake is an unorthodox crime novel with overlapping viewpoints of characters, trapped by mistakes from their past and cycles of abuse. In an enthralling discussion with Vancouver Writers Fest Artistic Director Leslie Hurtig, Celona will explore her work, the depths of our human experience and the secrets we lock away—and what they reveal about us in our moments of greatest vulnerability, especially in times of crisis.
Back in January, Fine Arts was fortunate to host acclaimed Canadian playwright, director and writer Marcus Youssef as part of our ongoing OrionLecture Series. In addition to his engaging and entertaining public talk, “The Drama of Working Across Difference”, Youssef spent a week on campus working with students in our departments of Writing and Theatre.
The recipient of more than a dozen national and international awards—including the $100,000 Siminovich Prize and a Governor General’s Award nomination—Youssef is the artistic director of Neworld Theatre in Vancouver, artistic advisor to the National Arts Centre, editorial advisor to Canadian Theatre Review, senior playwright in residence at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and a Canadian Fellow to the International Society of Performing Arts. His award-winning plays include Winners and Losers, Leftovers, Ali & Ali and the aXes of Evil, and his work has been performed at theatres and festivals across North America and around the world.
Enjoy this recording of his January talk, introduced by Writing professor Kevin Kerr.
More to come weekly
We’ll be posting more content from our faculty, students and alumni each week—be sure to check back!
Short student film
Watch “Witch Doctor”, hot off an indie film festival
Normally, this week would see the opening of the annual Visual Arts BFA grad exhibition, one of the most highly anticipated events of the Fine Arts academic year—but, of course, there’s nothing normal about the world these days. Instead of being able to come and enjoy the work of nearly 30 emerging artists in the exhibition Suggested Serving Size, however, we’re pleased to still be able to present their work via this online catalogue.
Ranging from performance, animation, video and photography to installation, painting, drawing and sculpture, supervising faculty member Richard Leong describes the work planned for the BFA exhibition as “a dynamic exchange of ideas”—and, as an undergrad alum of the very department in which he now teaches, he should well know.
“In my experience leading this year’s Art 401 Professional Practice and BFA Exhibition class, I came to see the next generation of artists come into their own,” he says. “This was not only reflected in the quality of their work . . . but also in their demonstrated leadership and teamwork. Their collective drive and commitment to their disciplines and each other was inspiring, and gave me great hope for the future.”
Hope & solace
That’s a sentiment echoed by BFA curator and graduating student Christian McGinty. “Looking at the work this group has made, I have found that there is a hope and solace about the future throughout the works, despite the anxious times we’ve found ourselves in,” he writes in the catalogue foreword. “The artists in the 2020 graduating exhibition have worked extremely hard to showcase our works to you nonetheless . . . . Despite the uncertainty of what’s to come, Suggested Serving Size shows that regardless of a tumultuous future, we will be able to weather it, even if it isn’t always what was on the on menu.”
And while this isn’t the splashy grad exhibition and party everyone was expecting, Leong feels some good has come of it. “I believe we all bear a great disappointment in not being able to witness how their hard work and critical discourse was realized in unique and engaging ways,” he concludes. “One of the remarkable things that they were able to accomplish this term was the development of their BFA exhibition catalogue, which highlights the culmination of each student’s research over the last four years.”
Please enjoy the exhibit in this digital format, and take the time to explore the extraordinary work and ideas of this year’s graduating Visual Arts students.
A quick selection of graduating artists in the 2020 BFA exhibition—be sure to visit the online catalogue to see all the artists
Welcome to issue four of The Fine Arts Connector, your weekly listing of news, resources, activities and other shareable content from the Faculty of Fine Arts, specifically compiled for distribution during the current health crisis.
If you haven’t yet seen the recent video message from UVic president Jamie Cassels, it’s nice to note that, in the midst of such an unprecedented crisis happening both in the world and on campus, he takes time to mention by name the artist in front of whose painting the video is being recorded—”Beaver Pond” by local painter and Theatre sessional instructor Jeremy Herndl—and why that painting matters to him. “It’s one of my favourite paintings in our UVic collection, because it reminds me of the topography of my youth and brings back some very happy memories,” says Cassels.
Cassels’ comments highlight why the arts matter so much—every day, yes, but specifically at this point in history, as people turn to the arts for relief from the stresses and worries of daily life. Paintings, books, concerts, films, plays . . . not only do they offer people an escape but also provide a different way of thinking about life, of processing the world around us.
Please enjoy—and circulate—this collection of material featuring our faculty, students, alumni, staff and guests as a way of both sharing what our creative community is up to and keeping us connected in this difficult moment in history. You can also help by keeping us in the loop if you’re working on a live-streaming project, have online material to share or are involved in something you’d like people to know about: just email either fineartsevents@uvic.ca or johnt@uvic.ca. Finally, you can sign up here to receive automatic notice of The Connector each week.
UVic president and art appreciator Jamie Cassels
News
Music alum rock for relief
Local band Carmanah—which counts Music & Computer Science alum Mikey Baker among its members, alongside fellow UVic alum Laura Mina Mitic, Pat Ferguson and Marek Olsen—has been announced as part of the lineup for the April 17 CHEK TV benefit concert, Rock for Relief: A Living Room Concert for Vancouver Island.
Also featuring performances by the likes of David Foster, Randy and Tal Bachman, Jesse Roper, Trevor Guthrie, The Tenors and City of Victoria Artist in Residence Kathryn Calder, Rock for Relief aims to raise money to support residents throughout Vancouver Island who are most in need during the pandemic. Watch for a special Zoom performance by combined members of The Choir and The Chorus, which includes a number of Fine Arts faculty (as well as Fine Arts communications officer John Threlfall).
This Island-wide fundraising effort is a joint initiative between CHEK, the Victoria Foundation and the Nanaimo Foundation, with donors able to direct their funds to either the Rapid Relief Fund, supporting Greater Victoria and the Cowichan Valley, or the Island Response Fund, supporting communities north of the Cowichan Valley.
“The effects of this pandemic are unprecedented,” says Levi Sampson, CHEK Media Group board chair. “CHEK can play an important role at this time, bringing together Islanders who are feeling isolated with some of the Island’s most celebrated performers who are all giving of their time for a vital cause.”
Rock for Relief will be broadcast and streamed without commercial interruption at 8pm Friday, April 17, on CHEK (Shaw ch. 6, Bluesky ch. 109/ Telus Optik ch. 121) as well as the CHEK TV Facebook page and their YouTube channel.
Carmanah
Resources
Showcase BC launched to support musicians
Working together with Creative BC, the provincial government has now created a new funding program to support musicians impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with new grants for livestreaming. The new ShowcaseBCinitiative provides immediate support in the form of micro-grants to eligible emerging and established BC musicians who have been affected by the pandemic. A total of $750,000 worth of one-time micro-grants of $500 to emerging artists and $2,000 to established artists will be awarded to support livestreaming, songwriting and professional development to eligible artists who have previously applied to Amplify BC programs. The resulting online performances will be free and available to the public at Showcase BC or through the hashtag #ShowcaseBC.
“Music has the power to lift us up and give us hope in times of crisis,” says Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture. “BC’s music industry responded swiftly by embracing opportunities to livestream and bring people together online. Today, we’re stepping up to support their efforts.”
UVic Resource Toolkit
To better help us all adjust to working at home, UVic has put together an online toolkit full of resources. While not all of it applies to all people, there’s sure to be something of use to everyone:
Take a few minutes to see if there’s anything here that can make your life and work a little easier right now.
Yep, there’s an app for this
And in case you haven’t tracked it down yet, the government of Canada has created a COVID-19 support app, which will let you receive the latest updates and trusted resources, as well as allow you to self-assess any symptoms you may have. It’s also available as a web version too.
CBC Creative Relief Fund
A reminder that the deadline for the new CBC Creative Relief Fundis Friday, April 24. CBC has earmarked $2 million for new content in a variety of familiar CBC programming areas (scripted content, podcasts, documentaries, etc.), as well as a special funding stream for playwrights. Funds are being distributed via three key streams:
the Innovation Stream, which offers support for big, bold ideas that are innovative and take creative risks, to be considered for multiple development and production opportunities on all platforms—both established and emerging creators are invited to apply in areas ranging from scripted and unscripted to kids & tweens, youth & young adult, and podcasts
the Playwright Pilot Stream, which is open to playwrights with at least one produced play to submit either new concepts or existing plays for adaptation on all platforms (comedy, drama, episodic, serialized, pilots) for either 30 or 60 minutes
or the Short Docs Stream, which invites documentary filmmakers from across Canada to showcase their unique perspectives on what’s happening in the world during this time of COVID-19—they’re looking for stand-alone, immersive documentaries under 40 minutes intended for a digital audience, which can be produced and delivered within three months or less, with filmmakers adhering to all local and national COVID-19 safety guidelines.
BFA exhibition shifts to an online catalogue
Normally, this week would see the opening of the annual Visual Arts BFA grad exhibition, one of the most highly anticipated events of the Fine Arts academic year—but, of course, there’s nothing normal about the world these days. Instead of being able to come and enjoy the work of nearly 30 emerging artists in the exhibition Suggested Serving Size, however, we’re pleased to still be able to present their work via this online catalogue.
Ranging from performance, animation, video and photography to installation, painting, drawing and sculpture, supervising faculty member Richard Leong describes the work planned for the BFA exhibition as “a dynamic exchange of ideas”—and, as an undergrad alum of the very department in which he now teaches, he should well know.
“In my experience leading this year’s Art 401 Professional Practice and BFA Exhibition class, I came to see the next generation of artists come into their own,” he says. “This was not only reflected in the quality of their work . . . but also in their demonstrated leadership and teamwork. Their collective drive and commitment to their disciplines and each other was inspiring, and gave me great hope for the future.”
That’s a sentiment echoed by BFA curator and graduating student Christian McGinty. “Looking at the work this group has made, I have found that there is a hope and solace about the future throughout the works, despite the anxious times we’ve found ourselves in,” he writes in the catalogue foreword. “The artists in the 2020 graduating exhibition have worked extremely hard to showcase our works to you nonetheless . . . . Despite the uncertainty of what’s to come, Suggested Serving Size shows that regardless of a tumultuous future, we will be able to weather it, even if it isn’t always what was on the on menu.”
And while this isn’t the splashy grad exhibition and party everyone was expecting, Leong feels some good has come of it. “I believe we all bear a great disappointment in not being able to witness how their hard work and critical discourse was realized in unique and engaging ways,” he concludes. “One of the remarkable things that they were able to accomplish this term was the development of their BFA exhibition catalogue, which highlights the culmination of each student’s research over the last four years.”
Please enjoy the exhibit in this digital format, and take the time to explore the extraordinary work and ideas of this year’s graduating Visual Arts students.
A quick selection of graduating artists in the 2020 BFA exhibition—be sure to visit the online catalogue to see all the artists
Christina Lee
“Caketopia” (2019)
Kirsten Yu
“Bus Station #1” (2020)
Meghan Crow
Untitled (2019)
Rudra Manani
“Get Your Om On” (2020)
Georgia Tooke
“The Portraits” (2018)
Malak Alraygi
“Disquieted Minds” (2019)
Nada El-Shaarawi
“UnSEE”
Xinyue Ling
“Green Whale” (2019)
Christina Lee
“Caketopia” (2019)
Kirsten Yu
“Bus Station #1” (2020)
Meghan Crow
Untitled (2019)
Rudra Manani
“Get Your Om On” (2020)
Georgia Tooke
“The Portraits” (2018)
Malak Alraygi
“Disquieted Minds” (2019)
Nada El-Shaarawi
“UnSEE”
Xinyue Ling
“Green Whale” (2019)
This week’s musical break
This week’s musical break is brought to you courtesy of the UVic Wind Symphony, under the direction of School of Music professor Steven J. Capaldo. Back on February 7, 2020, the Wind Symphony presented what would unintentionally become their final concert of the season at The Farquhar: Sea and Song, a collaboration with the Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy, conducted by Lieutenant Catherine Norris.
For the past seven years, the Wind Symphony has developed a unique collaboration with the Naden Band, one of six regular force military bands of the Canadian Forces and the official musical unit of the Canadian Forces Maritime Forces Pacific Command. In operation since 1940, the Naden Band is comprised of 35 professional full-time musicians whose primary role within the Royal Canadian Navy is to support Naval Operations, ceremonial events and public outreach initiatives. Indeed, many School of Music alumni have gone on to perform with Canadian Military ensembles—including the Naden Band.
Sea and Song featured a range of pieces inspired by the ocean: Franco Cesarini’s “Blue Horizons”, David Bedford’s “The Sun Paints Rainbows Over the Vast Waves”, Alex Shapiro’s electroacoustic work “Liquid Compass” and the classic Claude T. Smith fantasy “Eternal Father, Strong to Save”, based on the traditional British mariner’s hymn of the same name.
Also in this concert, you’ll hear Music student Jesse Johnson—winner of the 2019 UVic Wind Symphony Concerto Competition—take centre stage for Ney Rosauro’s “Concerto for Marimba and Wind Ensemble”.
Proceeds from this concert benefited the Naden Band of Maritime Forces Pacific Scholarship in Music Performance, awarded annually to second- and third-year School of Music students who demonstrate excellence in brass, woodwind and percussion performance.
"Sea & Song" (part one)
by UVic Wind Symphony with the Naden Band
"Sea & Song" (part two)
by UVic Wind Symphony with the Naden Band
The UVic Wind Symphony in rehearsal (photo: Leon Fei)
Members of the Wind Symphony and the Naden Band backstage before the concert
Students working with students
The second part of the Urban Regalia exhibit—Westshore Stories—opened at UVic’s downtown Legacy Gallery in January 2020 and was scheduled to continue until April, but its run was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. Curated by the Art History & Visual Studies students of professor Carolyn Butler Palmer and featuring original button blanket designs by the Westshore Colwood Campus high school students of Yolonda Skelton (whose Sug-ii-t Lukxs Designs were featured in the first part of the Urban Regalia exhibit), the exhibit was a rare opportunity to pair student artists with student curators and share learning experiences and emerging connections between UVic and Westshore classrooms.
Yet while the exhibit was forced to close early, they were still able to have an opening gala on February 4, where the Westshore students were able to mix with the Art History and Visual Studies student curators. Westshore Stories provided the high school students with the opportunity to tell stories from their lives by making connections to the land using ovoids, u-forms, s-forms, melton wool fabric and buttons. The design of each robe is based on the individual students’ stories and connection to the Esquimalt and Songhees territories, where they live and learn.
In the early stages on this curatorial project, AHVS students developed the exhibition’s texts based on the oral histories collected from Westshore students; the UVic students worked collaboratively to write the introductory panel, object labels, exhibition layout and select objects for inclusion.
“Being part of this research project with professor Carolyn Butler Palmer and her students has been wonderful,” says Skelton. “I enjoyed teaching both my students and her students the traditional art form of button blanket making [and] providing a safe, creative, respectful environment for reconciliation to be fostered and nurtured through art.”
Parenting amidst a pandemic
While we may all be avoiding reading anything more about COVID-19, we would encourage you to check out Writing professor David Leach’s column in the April/May issue of Island Parent magazine: the aptly titled “Love in the Time of COVID-19” (with a sly nod to Gabriel García Márquez).
“I’d planned to write this column about our family’s new puppy,” writes Leach. “I was going to confess how, against all good parenting advice, we gave in to our kids’ lobbying efforts and adopted a mixed mutt a week before Christmas. I’d describe in comic detail how bringing home an eight-week-old pup felt like we’d become new parents again: the sleepless nights, the random poops and pees, the worry we were raising her wrong—and the sheer joy of watching this new life wiggle her way into our hearts. Then everything changed.”
Leach has been chronicling his adventures in family life with Island Parent magazine for a while now, and his planned puppy column is yet another creative casualty of the pandemic. Instead, however, his latest piece finds him in a more philosophical mood, searching for a sense of peace in the crisis at hand.
“I only hope that we all act on what we learn during our time in collective quarantine,” he writes. “I hope our temporary loss of in-person contact reminds us to strengthen the true social networks—with our friends and neighbours, with local businesses and the strangers we’ve had to step away from—that make a community livable and help our kids to blossom. I hope that the resiliency we discover in our own families, in the face of global tragedy, can help us to rebuild our shared institutions to be twice as durable as before.”
While known worldwide for his continuing series of One-Man shows (Star Wars, Batman, Lord of the Ring), Ross is still Victoria-based and will be performing his Pride and Prejudice live from the stage of the Roxy, home to Theatre professor Brian Richmond’s Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre.
While a one-hour, one-man rendition of this Jane Austen classic (yes, we did say one “man”) may seem a bit more of a stretch than, say, something as crowd-pleasing as Star Wars or Batman, consider this five-star review (“an intelligent, funny and professionally delivered show”) Ross received during his 2018 run at the Edinburgh Fringe:
“It takes real bravery to present an hour-long version of Jane Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice—condensing the numerous scenes and chapters into a cohesive highlights reel—yet even more to do so as a one-man show. Madness, perhaps? Fortunately, in this instance it’s a stroke of genius . . . . As well as being a proficient dramaturg, Ross shows himself as an adept performer in taking on almost every character in the book without ever venturing into farce, or needing props and costume . . . . Overall, this production just oozes confidence in the base material and mastery in performance.”
