Jumblies Theatre
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Jumblies Theatre is a Community Arts Theatre Company with the over all concept of social inclusion.
Origins
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 1990s by Dale Hamilton.
In bringing the community play to Toronto Ruth Howard and Jumblies Theatre created the necessity to adapt the form to an urban community. The new format focus’s on multiculturalism, engaging newcomers, and working with public housing residents. The company 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.
Residencies
Jumblies Theatre creates residency projects, which 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.
Projects
South Riverdale (2001) Project Partners South Riverdale Community Health Centre, WoodGreen Community Centre, Ralph Thornton Centre, Jimmie Simpson Recreation Centre and Park, Queen Street East Presbyterian Church, Riverdale Community Business Centre, WoodGreen United Church
Arts for All (2001-current) Project Partners: Davenport Perth Neighbourhood Centre, the STOP Community Food Centre, Pelham Park (TCHC), Davenport Perth United Church
Mabelle Arts (2004-current) Project Partners: Montgomery's Inn (City of Toronto Culture Division), Toronto Community Housing Corporation, Madbakh, Islington Junior Middle School, Mabelle Community Action Committee
Naivelt (2006- current) Project Partners: United Jewish Peoples Order, Morris Winchevsky Centre
Training and Mentorship
Jumblies began a training and mentorship program, called the Jumblies Studio, in 2007 to share its approach and core values with a new generation of arts leaders. Through the program artists attend regular workshops and learning sessions in community arts topics
Jumblies Studio (2008-current) Project Partners: Davenport Perth Neighbourhood Centre, Ontario Trillium Foundation, George Cedric Metcalf Charitable Foundation
Key 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
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)
Acclaim and Awards
2000 Our Millennium Award South Riverdale Lives and Legends
2000 South Riverdale CHC Citizen of the Year
2002 Community Arts Ontario best practices
2004 Toronto Urban Institute Urban Leadership Award Nomination
2005 Vital People (Ruth Howard)
2005 Fresh Ground commission Harbourfront Centre
2007 Great Grants Ontario Trillium Foundation
2007 nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award for outstanding costume design
2007 participant in at the New World Stage Festival
2007 Vital Ideas
Further Reading
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.
External Links
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