Jumblies Theatre
Jumblies Theatre
Jumblies Theatre is a community arts theatre group founded in 2001 by Ruth Howard in Toronto. Jumblies operates several residency projects throughout Toronto and runs a training and mentorship program for emerging arts leaders working in community arts.
Background
Jumblies Theatre was founded in 2001 by its Artistic Director, Ruth Howard. Ruth’s work is inspired by the British community play form, pioneered by the Colway Theatre Trust, and brought to Canada in the 1990’s by Dale Hamilton.
Jumblies’ community engagement activities are adapted to Toronto’s urban context, with a focus on multiculturalism, engaging newcomers, and working with public housing residents. Jumblies also maintains community arts’ guiding principles of inclusive community engagement, a value that ‘everyone is welcome’, along with a focus on artistic quality and respect for process and product.
Jumblies’ residency projects typically involve over 300 community participants from each community it works in, along with 20 to 30 professional artists from a range of disciplines and cultural traditions. Toronto residency neighbourhoods to date include South Riverdale, Lawrence Heights, Davenport-Perth and Central Etobicoke.
Acclaim and Awards
Jumblies is gaining increasing acclaim in several sectors for its social and artistic achievements. In December 2007, Jumblies was awarded the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Great Grants award in the category of arts and culture for its Central Etobicoke project. Jumblies also received a Fresh Ground commission from Harbourfront Centre for its Etobicoke production, Bridge of One Hair. Jumblies was also invited to present Bridge of One Hair at the New World Stage Festival in April 2007. Ruth Howard was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award for outstanding costume design, in 2007.
Training and Mentorship
Jumblies began a training and mentorship program, called the Jumblies Studio, in 2006 to share its approach and core values with a new generation of arts leaders. Through the program, Jumblies Theatre hosts regular workshops and learning sessions in community arts topics and offers intensive paid internships to selected artists on an annual basis.
Artists
Ruth Howard (2001 to present) Artistic Director
Marianne Alas, Faduma Alim, Wende Bartley, Amina Beegins, Valerie Bernard, Sid Bobb, Jen Bulthis,Micheal Burtt, Abby Callard,Catherine Campbell, Margo Charlton, Penny Couchie, Lisa Marie DiLiberto, Faye Dupras, Catherine Fleitas, Sean Frey, Katherine Gombay, Varrick Grimes, Shelly Hering, Renwick Herry, Alice Ho, Leah Houston, Maggie Hutcheson, Hawa Jibril, Noah Kenneally, Loree Lawrence, Faduma Knruma, Duke Redbird, Liz Rucker, Marika Schwandt, Trevor Schwellnus, Eric Schwindt, Mindy Stricke, Yvonne Thomas, Diana Tso, Erna Van Daele, Martin Van de Ven, Dan Watson, Shadya Yasin
Projects
South Riverdale (2001)
Arts for All (2001-current)
Mabelle Arts (2004-current)
Naivelt (2006- current)
Jumblies Studio (2008-current)
Productions
I’m Taipingi Too! (2001)
More or the Magic Fish (2002)
The Land of Three Doors (2003)
Once A Shoreline (2004)
Your Name is Written in the Sky (2005)
Where I’m From (2005)
Tea and Bridges (2006)
Bridge of One Hair (2007)
Further Reading
[The Jumblies| Jumblies Poem by Edward Lear]
Easy to Say: Reflections on the roles of art and the artist in Canadian adaptations of the Colway Community Play form funded by Canada Council for the Arts, Co-written with Rachael Van Fossen and Ruth Howard, Jan 2005
Produced short video on Once A Shoreline process as part of Documenting Engagement Vancouver, by Ruth Howard Jan. 2004
The Cultural Equivalent of Daycare? , written byRuth Howard, funded by In Print Dialogue, Community Arts Ontario, 2004
The Aesthetics of Including Everyone, written by Ruth Howard, Alt Theatre, Fall 2002.