2021 Heart the Arts Spotlights

In Waterloo Region (and beyond), we have some amazing, and sometimes undiscovered gems in our Arts Community. While most of us in the arts, whether we are in theatre, dance, music, fine arts, creation or all of the above, have been extremely challenged by this pandemic, as we deal with tightened protocols that most definitely have made difficult to be as creative and express ourselves as we normally do.

That said, there are some fabulous arts organizations, groups and leaders in our community who have continued to move forward, adjusted and done great things in the midst and despite the pandemic.  And we are going to spotlight some of these wonderful examples over the next couple of months.

Please check back every week, as we will have a new highlight every Wednesday!

NOTE: If you know an organization that should be highlighted, nominate them! Click here!

 

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Week 8: We ❤ Agnew Acting Studio!

WHO IS COREY AGNEW?

Corey Agnew is an accomplished actor and director, and has immense experience specifically coaching and directing youth. His most impressive credits include: 

Les Misérables – Associate Director of Broadway Tour; Director of Mexico City Production; Resident Director of Toronto (Mirvish) and Australia productions

Matilda – Resident Director of Broadway Tour and Toronto (Mirvish) production; Deputy-Associate Director in South Korea
Mary Poppins – Children’s Director of Broadway production, Broadway Tour and Australian production; Associate Director of Broadway Tour; Resident Director of Australian Tour.

Corey also launched his one-on-one coaching studio, Agnew Acting Studio for performers of all ages.

 

HOW HAS AGNEW ACTING STUDIO BEEN A CREATIVE LEADER DURING THIS PANDEMIC?

When the pandemic hit, Corey, formally extremely busy with stage shows, started Agnew Acting Studio, to continue to be able to work with the incredibly talented youth in a virtual setting.

This also led to a successful livestream production of Charlotte’s Web in November/December 2020 for 8- to 13-years-olds…all before many companies had figured out how! With the success of Charlotte’s Web, he launched two new productions — A Little Princess for 10- to 14-year-olds, and Little Women for 14- to 19-year-olds that will be streamed online at the end of June. 

The virtual setting, while limiting in some respects, allowed for youth both inside and outside of the Region to have access to Corey and participate in these great opportunities.

 

WHAT IS THE COREY MOST EXCITED ABOUT RIGHT NOW?

As you might imagine, the two livestream productions of A Little Princess and Little Women are the two things Corey is very excited about right now. But if you know Corey, you know he has a lot more going on!

This summer he is hoping to write a play of his own, intended specifically for young actors. He is also looking to offer a few playwriting workshops, where aspiring young writers will meet in small groups to discuss and workshop their ideas. If you would be interested in this great opportunity, keep an eye on Agnew Acting Studios Facebook and Instagram. 

He has also been partnering with an organization called Student Links Community Living Ontario, a wonderful organization that partners youth with disabilities with community volunteers.  He’s currently working on a show with a member of the Student Links community (how awesome is that??)

Finally, he is excited for his students! He has had many who have been accepted to Eastwood Integrated Arts program for Voice, Drama and Dance (high school), Sheridan College for Musical Theatre as well as the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University!

 

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AGNEW ACTING STUDIO?

Facebook: agnewactingstudio

Instagram: agnewactingstudio

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Week 7: We ❤ The KW Symphony!

WHO IS THE KW SYMPHONY?

The KW Symphony is one of Waterloo Region’s largest arts and cultural organizations, who continues to push boundaries, build community, and welcome and cultivate world-class talent in the community. Founded in 1945, today the KWS is one of Canada’s outstanding orchestras, presenting a diverse and rich concert season together with education and outreach programs serving its evolving community and a continuum of ages. The KWS performs over 222 concerts annually to an audience of over 90,000, both in the concert hall and across Waterloo Region.

 

HOW HAS THE KW SYMPHONY BEEN A CREATIVE LEADER DURING THIS PANDEMIC?

Like so many organizations, the pandemic forced the KWS to quickly shift the way they operated. Last spring and into the summer, the KWS presented weekly free concerts of archival recordings streamed live on Facebook and YouTube, along with tons of special content and videos from the musicians to stay engaged with their audience and the community. 

In the fall of 2020 when their normal concert season would have been getting started, the KWS began creating and streaming online concerts instead, which was made possible by the fact that the stage at Centre In The Square is large enough to accommodate almost the full orchestra physically distanced with plexiglass barriers. In fact, outside of Quebec, the KWS has been the biggest producer of online concerts with full orchestra anywhere in Canada!

 

WHAT IS THE KW SYMPHONY MOST EXCITED ABOUT RIGHT NOW?

Unfortunately with the recent stay-at-home order recording of concerts at CITS cannot continue. Luckily the KWS had recorded a handful of concerts before the shutdown and still has a couple more to present: this weekend (April 23-25) is Indigenous artist, musician, and creator iskwē with the KWS, and May 14-16 is Classic Hits of Tin Pan Alley.

 

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE KW SYMPHONY?

Website: kwsymphony.ca
YouTube: kwsymphony 
Facebook: facebook.com/kwsymphony 
Instagram: @kwsymphony
Twitter: @kw_symphony

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Week 6: We ❤ The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery!

 

WHO IS THE CANADIAN CLAY & GLASS GALLERY?

The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery is a long-standing site of excellence and a destination for contemporary clay, glass and copper enameling arts for all. They present critically-acclaimed exhibitions that challenge ideas and perceptions of the definitions of art, craft and design. A relevant and dynamic cultural organization, the Gallery provides supportive education programs. Using exhibitions as a starting point, individuals develop arts vocabulary, arts appreciation and cultivate confidence in their interpretation of contemporary artworks.

 

HOW HAS THE CANADIAN CLAY & GLASS GALLERY BEEN A CREATIVE LEADER DURING THIS PANDEMIC?

Due to Covid lockdowns in Ontario, the Clay and Glass Gallery has had to modify the way they present exhibitions. In addition to free admission to the gallery when pandemic protocols allowed, The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery has been developing online programs, including art activities and exhibitions for all. Switching to a virtual forum they’ve developed a variety of galleries for online viewing, and some of the fun, family-friendly activities include colouring pages and modelling clay recipes. They also created a speaker series in 2020 called “In The Kiln Room: Digital Artist Talk Series” with 11 great episodes learning from Local, Canadian, and International artists about their unique styles, right in their own studios. 

 

WHAT IS THE CANADIAN CLAY & GLASS GALLERY MOST EXCITED ABOUT RIGHT NOW?

Using 3D technology, The Gallery is offering tours of their current exhibition, Nature Inspired. They are preparing both digital and in-person versions of their upcoming Summer Camps, and you can also look forward to workshops and other online programming with the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery.  

 

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CANADIAN CLAY & GLASS GALLERY?

Website: https://www.theclayandglass.ca/  
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cdnclayandglass/
Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/theclayandglass/

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Week 5: We ❤ Frontier Music!

 

WHO IS FRONTIER MUSIC?

A hub of artistic expression in the heart of downtown Kitchener, but also a school for developing your musical craft, Frontier Music provides an outlet for artists and students alike, all the while producing its own catalog of media. The studio is driven by the talent and dedication of its founders, Ryan Dugal and Claryssa Webb, and has produced/collaborated with many local artists (Trap Tiger, The Short Films, John Orpheus, Brownman Ali, Christen Latham…), but is currently headed by 3 bands: A New Ground, Vulcan Nightclub, and Mighty Kin. The studio also provides private music lessons online and in person (protocols permitting) for violin, piano, voice, guitar, drums, cello, and bass, including a roster of 3 student bands. 

 

HOW HAS FRONTIER MUSIC BEEN A CREATIVE LEADER DURING THIS PANDEMIC?

Reaching its audience and its students has completely changed with the pandemic. Early on it was clear that a shift to online lessons was going to be necessary. But where does that leave the bands? By now we’re all too familiar with the drags of internet lag on a video call, and this is wholly destructive to playing music in a band. So, using Vulcan Nightclub as a guinea pig, Frontier Music switched from a studio to a high quality live stream broadcast stage. Reaching nearly 10k views on a single stream, Vulcan Nightclub built a new audience online with their unique style of groove oriented prog funk improv, releasing their debut EP Anthropomorphize on February 4th 2021. But the studio has also begun hosting more local talent on it’s live streams with Frontier Music LIVE (A New Ground, Postmodern Machine, Ben Malleck, Nicole Magnish…), and is booking new talent now to take advantage of their new setup.  

An important part of Frontier Music is its student bands. But in order to keep the students safe, and help maintain everyone’s isolated social bubbles, Ryan and Claryssa felt it was necessary to put additional safety measures in place. Before the lockdown from wave 2 was lifted, they outfitted the studio enabling students to safely rehearse together, but in separate rooms via headphones and microphones. The bands could play together in time again and it gave them the added advantage of always being ready to record, which is good practice for the studios of the future. Most importantly though, it provided a space for students to hang out and make music without the fear of infection looming in the air.  

On a community outreach level, Mighty Kin is the band bringing back the live show. Before the virus, you could find Mighty Kin jamming away your favourite Irish tunes on a rooftop patio or busy pub around town. But for obvious reasons they had to change course, and shifted to maybe the last safe place you can talk to a stranger, and connect on a level that isn’t filtered through 1s and 0s: the street. It’s been a long time since many music lovers experienced it live, and the glow on people’s faces as they pass by the band, realizing just what they’ve been missing, is what really fuels the show. You can most often find them jamming away around Waterloo Town Square (weather and pandemic permitting).  

 

WHAT IS FRONTIER MUSIC MOST EXCITED ABOUT RIGHT NOW?

After plans of a 2020 summer tour were dashed, Claryssa and Ryan decided to wait on their next release as acoustic folk duo, A New Ground. But now, with the pandemic’s end in sight, the team is excited to release their second album, Connected in it’s updated post-covid form. The story we’re living through has inspired new material from the band, and now with the tools built at Frontier Music, they’re ready to bring it to a whole new audience. But more than that, they’re excited to use the tools developed out of this catastrophe to help the KW music scene reach a worldwide audience together.   

 

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT FRONTIER MUSIC’S CLARYSSA AND RYAN?

facebook.com/frontiermusicstudio
facebook.com/anewground  
facebook.com/vulcanightclub  
facebook.com/themightykin

Instagram:
@ryan.dugal  
@claryssawebb 
@a_new_ground
@mightykin
@frontiermusicstudio

or email Ryan@frontiermusic.ca

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Week 4: We ❤ KW Glee

WHO IS KW GLEE?

KW Glee is a pop rock choir that performs live in Southern Ontario. The group is managed by Producer & Music Director Steve Lehmann and Artistic Director Amanda Kind. Built of young people aged 9-13 (junior) & 14-19 (senior) their organization is distinctly different than other choirs – the participants sing music right off the pop charts all while delivering full throttle choreography that brings each song to life in an innovative way. The group is currently on a hiatus from live performances due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

HOW HAS KW GLEE BEEN A CREATIVE LEADER DURING THIS PANDEMIC?

Although in-person singing is on pause, KW Glee continues to keep kids and families engaged with virtual choir video opportunities and a variety of online classes in songwriting, music theory, music production, dance, and vocal health. Nothing can replace the original Glee experience of performing together, but these digital opportunities have helped their members stay connected to each other and to the arts.

 

WHAT IS KW GLEE MOST EXCITED ABOUT RIGHT NOW?

KW Glee just released a new original song called “We Got This” written for the City of Kitchener’s State of the City Address requested by Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. They aimed to capture both the sadness and hopefulness we all feel about these strange pandemic days. Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/CtvzeV4BMmg

The song will be released on music streaming platforms on April 9.

KW Glee has also been writing a lot of songs through their Songwriting Class Program. It’s amazing to discover the immense creativity of kids and teens as they explore their songwriting abilities. People can hear the original songs written from these classes on their YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPak6ivFHralxhmjd0OH3li7STLWRptcy

 

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT KW GLEE?

Website: www.kwglee.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kwglee
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kw_glee/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KWGlee

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Week 3: We ❤ Penny & Pound Theatre Productions

WHO IS PENNY & POUND THEATRE PRODUCTIONS?

Penny & Pound Theatre Productions is Cambridge, Ontario’s premiere, not-for-profit youth theatre company. Their sole focus is training young performers, ages 14-24, through professional-caliber, full-scale productions. Penny & Pound produces three ‘mainstage’ productions a year (two plays and a musical) as well as a number of ‘second stage’ events, including cabarets and staged readings.

 

HOW HAS PENNY & POUND BEEN A CREATIVE LEADER DURING THIS PANDEMIC? 

After the cancellation of Penny & Pound’s summer 2020 musical, Sweeney Todd, they continued to bring great entertainment to the region through online cabarets and other events. To date, Penny & Pound has produced four virtual cabarets, featuring local performers of all ages and performance backgrounds (BooTube in October, YuleTube in December, From the Heart in February and Miscast in March.)

In response to the closure of the cenotaphs and churches due to the pandemic, the cast of Penny & Pound’s upcoming production of ‘Little Women’ took to the screen to present ‘Never Forget: A Virtual Remembrance Day Celebration.’ This online event featured music and recitations, and was presented on November 11th at 11:00, via Facebook and YouTube.

As well, P&P was pleased to present a new musical radio adaptation of Charles Dickens’ beloved classic, A Christmas Carol, which was written and composed by mother-daughter team Lori Robinson Distel (P&P founder) and Piper J. Distel. This event featured twenty local youth and was viewed over 1k times on Facebook and YouTube, receiving rave reviews. This radio production was produced following COVID-19 protocols.

 

WHAT IS PENNY & POUND MOST EXCITED ABOUT RIGHT NOW?

In the coming weeks, Penny & Pound is pleased to present a first- a musical-on-demand! From April 9th-11th via the platform ‘ShowTix4U,’ P&P is presenting the two-person musical fable, Daddy Long Legs, featuring local performers Jeremy Vandenhelm and Piper J. Distel.

Jerusha Abbott is ‘the oldest orphan in the John Grier Home,’ until a mysterious benefactor decides to send her to college to be educated as a writer. Required to write him a letter once a month, Jerusha is never to know the benefactor’s true identity, so she invents him one: Daddy Long Legs. Thus begins a story of friendship, romance and adventure- all set to the backdrop of early 20th-century New England. This beautiful show, complete with soaring melodies and lovable characters, is perfect for fans of such classics as ‘Anne of Green Gables’ and ‘Little Women.’

With the purchase of a ticket, this professionally-filmed production is available to view via your computer, phone, tablet or TV for 48 hours!

As well, Penny & Pound is excited to (hopefully!) return to in-person entertainment next season, with ‘Little Women,’ ‘Sweeney Todd’ and more!

 

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PENNY & POUND THEATRE PRODUCTIONS?

INSTAGRAM: @pennypoundtheatre

FACEBOOK: @PennyAndPoundTheatreProductions

WEBSITE: www.pennyandpoundtheatre.com

SHOWTIX4U LINK: https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/48173

 

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Week 2: We ❤ Lisa Collins from Dance Safe Canada and In.Motion Dance

During this month, and week of International Women’s Day, it seems natural to choose a woman in our community who has made exceptional contributions to the Arts during this pandemic (and prior) in this Region and all across Ontario.

Lisa Collins most definitely fits that bill.

 

Who is Lisa Collins?

Lisa Collins, who grew up in Waterloo Region, had a successful professional dance career on stage, as a choreographer and instructor internationally and throughout Canada. In 2008, she returned to Waterloo to start In.Motion and help guide young dancers on their own dance journeys.

In.Motion started as a small studio with 60 dancers, and is now a dynamic studio with over 300 dancers, a successful competitive and recreational program, and instruction in all dance styles. Lisa was the winner of the Woman of the Year Award for Arts and Culture as well as a nominee for a KW Arts Award for her contributions to the Kitchener-Waterloo Area, and multiple Readers’ Choice Awards for Best Studio in Waterloo Region.

Lisa’s In.Motion students and graduates can be found dancing around the world on multiple cruise lines, Drayton Entertainment, Stratford Festival, Mirvish Productions, Toronto Dance Theatre, as well as on film and television. Many have become studio directors themselves, teachers and choreographers thanks to her teaching assistant training program.

Lisa is most proud and passionate about not only developing great dancers, but well-rounded young adults that can leave In.Motion with the confidence to follow their own paths as adults…where ever they lead.

 

How has Lisa Collins been a creative leader during this pandemic?

Dance does not have a governing body like hockey or gymnastics. This has not been a huge issue, until Covid-19. Without a governing body, this meant that each dance studio would have to individually submit their Covid-19 protocols in order to get government approval to reopen. It also meant there was no one advocating for this large industry at the Government level. For those who know Lisa, she is someone who doesn’t stand by when something needs to be done. And that’s exactly what she did.

Initially, Lisa worked with nine other studio directors to create dance protocols for all Ontario dance studios as well as dance programs offered through school systems. They got agreement from all studios and submitted the protocols to the government on their behalf.

From there, the Dance Safe Ontario Association was formed with five other studio owners. The Association has grown into over 300 dance studio members and continues to advocate on behalf of all nearly 750 dance studios in Ontario.  

Over the past year, Dance Safe Ontario has been working hard to support and provide a voice for all Ontario dance studios as it relates to the pandemic. Key initiatives include developing safety guidelines working directly with the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, petitioning the federal government to classify dance as ‘educational’ so that HST could be remove, as well as many other initiatives to help studio owners across the province survive the economic impact of the pandemic.  

Dance Safe continues to advocate on behalf of all Ontario Studios. Dance Safe brings Studios across Ontario together to positively change the landscape of the dance industry. Working together with all the dance studios involved has brought incredible results and there is so much more to be done.

 

What is Lisa Collins most excited about right now?

Lisa is excited to see her own dancers back in the studio both on the competitive and recreational level. Her competitive students are preparing for competition routines in this new Covid-19 world which has involved rechoreographing all numbers to restrict touch, remove lifts and limit the number of dancers in a space. They are hopeful to get back on stage in the summer.

She is also excited to be able to offer a full summer dance program available to any dancer age 5 and up. There are programs for recreational classes for all, intensives for competitive-level dancers and adult evening classes. And of course, all with the strictest of Covid protocols in place! Dance safe!  For more information, click here.

 

Want to learn more?

Learn more about Dance Safe Ontario:

Facebook: dancesafeontario

Twitter: @DanceSafeON

 

Learn more about In.Motion Dance:

https://www.inmotionschool.com/

Facebook: InmotionSchoolOfThePerformingArts

Instagram: @inmotionschool

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Week 1: We ❤ Pat the Dog Theatre Creation

Who is Pat the Dog?

Pat the Dog is a Canadian theatre catalyst dedicated to the support and advocacy of regional theatre creators and their plays – and they’re located right here in Waterloo Region (as well as in Sudbury, Ontario)! 

They started in Waterloo in 2006, and also set up shop in Sudbury in 2010. This cross-province presence lets them capture the true essence of Ontario.

In Waterloo Region, they created and run Regional Women+ Lead, a national grassroots economic strategy for gender parity. In addition, they founded and run  Femme Folks Fest which runs annual in March.

Up in Sudbury, they developed the Annual PlaySmelter Northern New Works Festival which presents new works of Canadian theatre by Northern Ontarian artists, while also offering workshops with celebrated Canadian theatre makers to develop the next generation of Northern theatre creators. 

Since their inception in 2006, individuals whose work was developed at Pat the Dog have received over 275 artistic awards!

 

How has Pat the Dog been a creative leader during this pandemic?

Mentorship, Ingenuity and seeing things from different perspectives has been a staple of the success of Pat the Dog. So it is no surprise that in this pandemic time, they have risen to the challenge. Over the course of the pandemic, they have offered dozens of virtual workshops, and in fact have been able to reach an even broader audience, empowering artists Canada-wide.

 

What is Pat the Dog most excited about right now?

March is International Women’s Month, and with that in mind Pat The Dog is excited to present Femme Folks Fest 2021 – At Home. It is an all-virtual festival dedicated to, and in celebration of female* creators.

The festival will take place from March 8 to 20, and will include productions, panels, pop-ups and professional development opportunities. Of course, all work presented has been created, developed and, in many cases, performed by women* artists.

They are especially excited by their special workshop –Book and Lyrics: Creating Musical Theatre – led by award-winning Canadian lyricist and librettist Molly Reisman which will take place on March 12 from 6pm–9pm. There are so many other great workshops as well, so please check them out!

*both identifying and presenting

 

Want to learn more?

Learn more about Pat The Dog at https://patthedog.org/ 

Learn more about Femme Folks Fest at https://femmefolksfest.ca/

Facebook: @PatTheDog.Playwright

Instagram: @patthedogpdc 

Twitter: @PatTheDogPDC           

 

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Stay tuned next week for another great Heart the Arts Spotlight.

And thanks for supporting the Arts!