2022 Heart the Arts Spotlights
In Waterloo Region (and beyond), we have some amazing, and sometimes undiscovered gems in our Arts Community. Whether we are in theatre, dance, music, fine arts, creation or all of the above, we’ve all been extremely challenged by this pandemic in continuing to express our art with tightened restrictions.
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 of and despite the pandemic. We are going to spotlight some of these wonderful examples over the month of February.
Please continue to check back for more spotlights! If you know an organization that should be highlighted, nominate them by clicking here!
Shortcuts to each spotlight:
Week 1:
DiverseWorks Dance Co.
Storybook Events
Week 2:
Whole Tone Music
Amanda Kind
Week 3:
CalúJules
Grand Philharmonic Choir
Week 4:
Pro Music School
Ayr Community Theatre
Week 4: We ❤ Ayr Community Theatre!
WHO IS AYR COMMUNITY THEATRE?
Ayr Community Theatre (ACT) is a group of like-minded, theatre loving individuals who came together with a desire to bring performing arts to the Village of Ayr. The group’s combined skills, knowledge and love of theatre (4 of their Board members are KWMP alumni) has taken them to the next level as they plan two shows for their 2022 season! ACT’s inaugural production of ‘All Together Now’ in November, 2021 was a complete sell out and included cast and crew from Ayr, Kitchener, Waterloo, New Hamburg and Cambridge. One of ACT’s goals is to encourage those who are interested in performing or working backstage to join their enthusiastic group. They are excited to create relationships within Waterloo region and the surrounding communities.
HOW HAS AYR COMMUNITY THEATRE BEEN A CREATIVE LEADER DURING THIS PANDEMIC?
ACT was created during the pandemic and a dream of bringing live theatre to Ayr was the driving factor!
Musical Theatre International offered the rights to ‘All Together Now’, a musical revue featuring classic Broadway tunes celebrating the return of live theatre after a 2 year hiatus due to COVID-19. These rights would be available at no cost to any group with performances being staged all over the world on the same weekend. ACT decided that ‘All Together Now’ was the perfect opportunity to introduce themselves and get the community involved. Within a mere six weeks, the cast and crew worked diligently – rehearsing with masks and agreeing to rapid testing prior to every rehearsal. Performances were held with seating at 70% capacity to ensure our patrons’ safety and peace of mind. ACT is incredibly proud of what they accomplished during the pandemic. Sold out shows and a happy and healthy cast and audience.
ACT would like to thank KWMP and the other theatre groups in our community for their support and for welcoming them with open arms.
WHAT IS AYR COMMUNITY THEATRE MOST EXCITED ABOUT RIGHT NOW?
On Valentine’s Day, ACT announced that they are bringing the classic show ‘Steel Magnolias’ by Robert Harling to the stage! Performances will be from May 26-29 at the Ayr Community Centre. Audition appointments are currently filling up and they encourage you to bring your best Southern accent to your online audition on March 11th or 12th. Find details on their website! Y’all are invited!
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AYR COMMUNITY THEATRE?
Website: www.ayrcommunitytheatre.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AyrCommunityTheatre
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ayrcommunitytheatre/
Email: ayrcommunitytheatre@gmail.com
Stay tuned every Wednesday and Friday in February for another great Heart the Arts Spotlight… and thanks for supporting the Arts!
Week 4: We ❤ Pro Music School!
WHO IS PRO MUSIC SCHOOL?
Pro Music School is a community of teachers who believe that music should always be a part of your family! Whether you are picking up an instrument for fun at 65 or wanting your child to pursue a musical interest, their goal is to help you find the joy in playing your instrument.
HOW HAS PRO MUSIC SCHOOL BEEN A CREATIVE LEADER DURING THIS PANDEMIC?
When times were tough, Pro Music School took the time to renovate their whole space! With some fresh paint, and favorable internal redesigns, the music school is more inviting than ever before. All the while, like other music schools in the area, they had the challenging transition to online lessons, but are happy to provide in-person classes again (when restrictions allow)!
Besides the renovations, Pro Music School has also undergone another special transition, with a transfer of ownership to young female entrepreneur Klaudia Wojtanowski. Klaudia holds a Business Degree from Wilfrid Laurier University, and after finishing her schooling, moved back to Waterloo to embark on this huge undertaking. Taking over a business during the middle of the Pandemic would be overwhelming to anyone, but with Klaudia’s perseverance and resilience, as well as her entrepreneurial spirit, Pro Music School has emerged from the Pandemic in stride, and with positive changes already in the midst, the whole team is excited to see where the school will go from here!
WHAT IS PRO MUSIC SCHOOL MOST EXCITED ABOUT RIGHT NOW?
Pro Music School is very excited for their Group Piano Classes (6-12yr) which are now in full swing, and their Music Straters program (3-6yr) to begin After March Break, plus even more instructors are joining their studio for private lessons (all ages). Best of all they have their Summer Recital in June, so that they can share what all of the students have been working so hard on the past few months, it’s a great opportunity to check out some of KW’s upcoming talent, plus students get performance experience which can help the most basic beginners, all the way to more experienced performers become comfortable on stage!
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PRO MUSIC SCHOOL?
Website: https://www.promusic.ca
Phone: (519) 575-2953
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/promusicwaterloo/
Week 3: We ❤ The Grand Philharmonic Choir!
WHO IS THE GRAND PHILHARMONIC CHOIR?
The Grand Philharmonic Choir is a family of adult, youth and children’s choirs based in Waterloo Region. They produce 8 to 10 performances a year, featuring the great choral works as well as rarely heard choral gems and innovative new compositions. There are 200 singers in all, and the children and youth singers receive a first-rate music education. They are very excited to celebrate the choir’s 100th anniversary in 2022-23 with some great special events and a wonderful season that celebrates the human voice!
HOW HAS THE GRAND PHILHARMONIC CHOIR BEEN A CREATIVE LEADER DURING THIS PANDEMIC?
Despite the difficulties posed by the pandemic, making it impossible to perform the past two years, they still brought a creative approach. Their entire 2020-21 season was online, with a two-pronged approach for singers:
1) Use the time to build skills and education for each individual. They engaged clinicians and academics to give online seminars on everything from breath control and sight-singing, to “body percussion” and songwriting. They also included for the public, a presentation on Bach’s Christmas Oratorio.
2) Use the internet to reach out and connect with other musicians around the world. The adult choir, led by artistic director Mark Vuorinen, engaged with other choirs in Edmonton, Halifax and Saint-Lambert (near Montreal) to create a Canada-wide project that resulted in a video/audio recording which has been viewed around the world. They commissioned a new work, about the isolation and connection in the pandemic, by B.C. composer Katarina Gimon and Montreal-based poet Lauren Peat. “Take This Thread” was recorded by 160 singers and released online across Canada, which can now be seen on the Grand Philharmonic Choir website.
The children’s choir, led by Andrea deBoer-Jones, engaged in an online songwriting workshop where they wrote their own song with New York-based composer Jim Papoulis, then recorded it. This year, they are engaged in a wonderful consortium of children’s choirs around the world, including India, Scotland, Germany, South Africa and the United States. They meet once a month, perform for one another and engage in friendship activities. In December, children’s choir assistant conductor, Ella Latta Suazo, wrote a round called “Winter Canon” about playing in the snow. She recorded it and all the children in the choirs performed it at the same time using her recording as a guide.
The Grand Philharmonic Youth Choir, led by Tracy Wong, has also engaged with other youth choirs across Canada, which have pooled their resources to bring wonderful seminars from artists around the world including one on electronic music-making from Grammy-award winning artist Jacob Collier from the United Kingdom.
The organization as a whole managed to still have engagement and outreach at the very best possible level during a historic crisis, and carefully returned to in-person rehearsals in September 2021 after a year of being physically apart. They developed robust and multi-layered procedures to protect musicians and singers, some of which were emulated by other choirs.
Finally, the Grand Philharmonic Choir carefully returned to outdoor performances in Fall 2021 including an October “sound walk ” for 200 guests in Waterloo’s Columbia Forest, a recording of Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus for the Christkindl Market in Kitchener, and singing under the Christmas lights in Victoria Park.
And now, they are excited to return to indoor performances in Spring 2022.
WHAT IS THE GRAND PHILHARMONIC CHOIR MOST EXCITED ABOUT RIGHT NOW?
The Grand Philharmonic Choir is excited to welcome new children (age 7 to 14) and youth (age 14 to 23) singers into their group! Email them at info@grandphilchoir.com to inquire.
And of course they are excited to perform again! They plan:
- A performance of Brahms Eine Deutsches Requiem on April 15 (Good Friday) at Centre In The Square, with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. Tickets will be on sale at the beginning of March!
- A concert from their Youth and Children’s Choirs on April 23, featuring a new work by composer Matthew Emery;
- A concert from the Adult Choir on May 28, featuring two premieres: “Take This Thread” by Katarine Gimon and Lauren Peat, and a new work by composer Aaron Manswell.
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE GRAND PHILHARMONIC CHOIR?
Website: www.grandphilchoir.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grandphilchoir/
Week 3: We ❤ CalúJules!
WHO IS CALÚJULES?
CalúJules is a husband-wife partnership who practice and teach flamenco, perform, and organize local flamenco events.”Calú” teaches the dance component, “Jules” teaches guitar and dance accompaniment classes and, together, they teach singing and how to work collaboratively in a flamenco ensemble. They are also the founders and Artistic Directors of the Grand River Flamenco Fest, previously called the The KW Flamenco Fest.
HOW HAS CALÚJULES BEEN A CREATIVE LEADER DURING THIS PANDEMIC?
Throughout the pandemic, CalúJules has found various ways to keep their local flamenco community engaged and entertained. Through their annual Flamenco Fest, they created a video dance project featuring flamenco dance colleagues from abroad, hosted a virtual dance competition both for their student body and for registrants from as far as Canada’s west coast and Costa Rica, and last summer alone, gave 13 pop-up performances on the streets of KW!
Watch the “Physically Distanced Fiesta” video HERE.
WHAT IS CALÚJULES MOST EXCITED ABOUT RIGHT NOW?
CalúJules is excited about the relaunch of their in-person classes, several of which are at the KWMP building! They are also very excited about this summer’s Fest line-up, which will comprise flamenco music & dance workshops, a Nuevo Flamenco music night, a flamenco movie night, a lecture on flamenco history, and an outdoor concert featuring international guest artists!
Stay tuned for Fest details here: http://www.flamfest.ca/
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CALÚJULES?
Website: https://calujules.com/
Facebook: @FlamencoPlus
Instagram: @CalúJules
Twitter: @FlamencoPlus
Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/calujules
YouTube: CaluJules
Week 2: We ❤ Amanda Kind!
WHO IS AMANDA KIND?
Amanda is a singer, songwriter, and vocal coach who writes and performs in a variety of genres and works with up-and-coming and professional artists to develop their voices at her home studio in Waterloo. She also works with tons of clients across the country via Zoom!
HOW HAS AMANDA KIND BEEN A CREATIVE LEADER DURING THIS PANDEMIC?
Despite the difficult landscape for artists during the pandemic, Amanda has kept busy writing songs and recording music. She’s released four singles in the last nine months including “easier” (pop), “We’re Okay” (country duet with James Downham), “Distant Memory” (country version), and “Hold Me Close” (holiday). Both “We’re Okay” and “Hold Me Close” played on country radio across Canada and beyond.
WHAT IS AMANDA KIND MOST EXCITED ABOUT RIGHT NOW?
Amanda also released a music video in October for her song “easier”. The video is nominated for a Canadian Independent Music Video Award.
Vote for the music video for “easier” in Round 1 of The 4th Annual Canadian Independent Music Video Awards in the pop category!
https://woobox.com/biv74u/gallery/x_UyDXdrypU
Watch the music video here: https://youtu.be/JEH7IqxlLtw
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AMANDA KIND?
Website: http://www.amandakind.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amandakindmusic
Instagram: http://instagram.com/missakind
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/missakind
Week 2: We ❤ Whole Tone Music!
WHO IS WHOLE TONE MUSIC?
Whole Tone Music is an award winning music school that offers fun, private music lessons in Uptown Waterloo! They teach guitar, piano, voice, violin, bass, and ukulele, employing skilled and passionate local musicians and industry professionals.
HOW HAS WHOLE TONE MUSIC BEEN A CREATIVE LEADER DURING THIS PANDEMIC?
Throughout the pandemic, Whole Tone Music had to shift to a fully virtual setting in order to continue to run lessons. They empowered people to not only learn an instrument remotely, but to get a stronger grasp of how the virtual world can be used to learn and create music. Their weekly lessons, workshops, band performances, recitals, and concerts have all had a chance to run virtually since the beginning of the pandemic, and they don’t think we would have had the same opportunity for success otherwise!
WHAT IS WHOLE TONE MUSIC MOST EXCITED ABOUT RIGHT NOW?
Whole Tone Music is most excited to be back to in person lessons! They also have an upcoming Rock Band program that begins on April 23! It’s a 9 week fun-oriented program that runs on Saturdays and ends with putting on a rock concert for a live audience! Band members learn new skills and concepts from industry professionals and then master their parts so they are prepared for performing live.
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHOLE TONE MUSIC?
Website: wholetone.ca
Instagram: @wholetonemusic
Facebook: /wholetone
Week 1: We ❤ DiverseWorks Dance Co.!
WHO IS DIVERSEWORKS DANCE CO.?
DiverseWorks Dance Co. is Waterloo Region’s Newest Professional Dance Company!
DiverseWorks Dance Co. is a collective of diverse movement artists from racialized and marginalized communities. Under the Artistic Direction of Raechele Lovell, with Artistic Oversight from Associate Producer, Natalie Sebastian – DiverseWorks Dancers are storytellers through a Contemporary lens. As Founding Choreographer, Raechele explores the intersections of Eurocentric Classical & Traditional Afrocentric Diasporas of dance techniques to create vernacularly rooted Contemporary movement, using the lived experiences and stories shared by their Collective of Artists through their Safe Space Rehearsal Processes.
DiverseWorks Co. – presenting Dance Theatre, Workshops and (soon to launch) Dancewear for the BIPOC Community since 2021!
HOW HAS DIVERSEWORKS DANCE CO. BEEN A CREATIVE LEADER DURING THIS PANDEMIC?
They were born in the pandemic! Founded out of frustration and inspired by the social movements and shifts within society in 2020, DiverseWorks is a BIPOC owned and operated company giving racialized artists an opportunity to share space with leadership who share lived experiences with racism and discrimination. Using years of industry experience, carefully honed skills and an advisory circle of qualified experts, they create safe spaces where movement artists can do their best work – free from discrimination, tokenism and misrepresentation. They have created a space where the most marginalized artists can be appreciated for their talents and unique gifts; amongst a like-minded collective founded on principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. Their collective is not only culturally diverse, but inclusive of a range of ages, body types, sexual orientations, gender identities and stages of career development.
DiverseWorks is working to create a number of opportunities to keep local dance artists employed through an ongoing research and development rehearsal process, where they are working to explore the intersections of classical Eurocentric and traditional Afrocentric dance techniques popularized in Western Culture, to develop a vernacularly rooted contemporary movement as a foundation for physical storytelling. They will be bringing high caliber dance performances to the stages, parks, festivals and events of Waterloo Region in 2022 and beyond. Their Apprenticeship Program creates space for Pre-Professional Artists to work alongside respected Industry Professionals with mentorship opportunities. All of their rehearsals run under a collective agreement that Artists are invited to participate in building on a project by project basis, allowing them to evolve and grow as they scale and build relationships with a large network of artists.
Their Workshop Series provides opportunities for the broader community to participate in education and skill building through the Arts, in addition to broadening our cultural landscape in terms of representation. Artistic Director, Raechele Lovell is also a Founder of LiftOff by CCAWR – A Black Business Incubator for Waterloo and Wellington, sponsored by The Government of Canada. Additionally, DiverseWorks will launch DiverseWorks Dancewear this year! DiverseWorks Dancewear is an inclusive line of dance specific apparel that will provide representation for a variety of skin shades and body types.
WHAT IS DIVERSEWORKS DANCE CO. MOST EXCITED ABOUT RIGHT NOW?
They are hosting their Inaugural Workshop on Saturday, February 19th at 2pm!
DiverseWorks Presents: Anti-Black Racism in the Arts – A Panel Discussion for Black Heritage Month
Saturday, February 19th @ 2pm Online → https://www.thediverse.ca/events
Sponsored by: The Guelph Black Heritage Society, MPP Lindo’s Office, The AntiRacism Collective, Kween Co.
In honour of Black Heritage Month, they are discussing and dissecting how anti-black racism continues to affect the arts sectors from Waterloo Region & Wellington and across Canada as a whole. Their Panel will share personal experiences with racism, speak to the work they are doing to dismantle oppressive systems and offer suggestions of how everybody can engage in the necessary work of bringing equity, safety and prosperity for Black Folks into our mainstream arts culture as Canadians.
Moderated by: Raechele Lovell – Executive Artistic Director @ DiverseWorks Dance Co.
Featured Panelists:
Laura Mae Lindo – MPP for Kitchener Centre, Anti-Racism Critic, Colleges and Universities Critic, Chair for the ONDP Black Caucus
Selam Debs – Co-Founder & Managing Director @ The Antiracism Community Collective, Owner & Director @ Juici Yoga
Kween – Executive Director and Community Engagement Coordinator @ Guelph Black Heritage Society, CEO @ The Kween Company
Kevin A. Ormsby – Artistic Director @ KasheDance & Program Manager @ Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario (CPAMO) / Independent Arts Marketing Consultant
Natalie Sebastian – Owner/Founder @ En Pointe & Just Dance Competition, Associate Producer @ DiverseWorks Dance Co.
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Also on February 19th, DiverseWorks Dance Collective will film their Inaugural Choreography to be turned into a short film for Screen Dances by Guelph Dance for Ontario Presents.
DiverseWorks can’t wait for Pat the Dog Theatre Creation’s Femme Folk Festival where their company will be in Residency for 2022!
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DIVERSEWORKS DANCE CO.?
Website: www.thediverse.ca
Facebook & Instagram & Twitter: @diverseworksco
Anti-Black Racism in the Arts Panel:
EventBrite
Facebook Event
They are supported by:
The Region of Waterloo Arts Fund
The Ontario Arts Council
Pat the Dog Theatre Creation
Ontario Presents – Guelph Screen Dances
DiverseWorks are the proud receipts of 4 OAC Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators (to date) as recommended by:
Cahoots Theatre
A Thousand Islands Playhouse
Workman Arts
Theatre Passe Muraille
Week 1: We ❤ Storybook Events!
WHO IS STORYBOOK EVENTS?
Storybook Events is an event and entertainment company based out of Waterloo Region, focusing primarily on children’s entertainment. They work with high-quality local artists, performers, and planners to provide the most magical party experience possible – straight out of a fairytale!
HOW HAS STORYBOOK EVENTS BEEN A CREATIVE LEADER DURING THIS PANDEMIC?
Storybook Events actually LAUNCHED during this pandemic! It’s difficult to start a business during such uncertain times, but between providing entertaining and engaging virtual parties for birthdays, classrooms, or workshops, along with modifying face painting designs to go above a mask, porch/outdoor visits, and finding other ways to spread joy, they’ve really started out this new venture with a bang. In particular, the owner of Storybook Events, Katie Neeb, is proud of their holiday-themed Launch Party hosted in the KWMP building just before Christmas. With an overwhelming amount of support from the community they were able to put on a successful and SAFE family event, which has been met with nothing but positive feedback.
WHAT IS STORYBOOK EVENTS MOST EXCITED ABOUT RIGHT NOW?
Currently Storybook Events is excited about their new costume arrivals. With new custom handmade outfits and wigs from small-business artisans, each of their characters are one-of-a-kind.
In addition to these gorgeous new costumes, they can’t wait to show them off at their upcoming Easter Egg Hunt (details will be announced on their social media in March). They look forward to putting on many more community events when it’s deemed safe to do so, and have a lot of future plans up their sleeves for exciting ways to make magic happen for kids and families in Waterloo Region.
Perhaps one of the things Storybook Events is most excited for is that they will soon be casting for summer events, specifically looking to hire male identifying performers, as well as any BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) individuals comfortable with portraying all of the characters. Storybook Events strongly believes in transcendent casting in order to provide meaningful work in the arts & entertainment industry for people of colour, as well as allowing the younger generation to see themselves in their favourite heroes and fairytale characters. Representation matters!
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT STORYBOOK EVENTS?