Theatre Calgary announced its 2012-13 season today, entitled “Emotional Intelligence.”
Productions include:
Next to Normal
Pride and Prejudice
A Christmas Carol
The Kite Runner
God of Carnage
Anne of Green Gables: The Musical
For more information visit theatrecalgary.com/1213season.
“The Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts”
NOMINEES TO BE ANNOUNCED
Thursday, March 1, 2012 – 10 am, City Room, City Hall
Mayor Stephen Mandel and the Professional Arts Coalition of Edmonton (PACE), together with the sponsors of the 25th Annual Celebration of the Arts, will announce the nominees in the following categories:
CN Youth Artist Award
Northlands Award for an Emerging Artist
TELUS Courage to Innovate Award
DIALOG Award for Excellence in Artistic Direction
ATCO Gas Award for Outstanding Lifetime Achievement
Mayor’s Award for Sustained Support of the Arts
Innovative Support of the Arts by a Business
John Poole Award for Promotion of the Arts
Robert Kroetsch City of Edmonton Book Prize, sponsored by The Edmonton Arts Council and Audreys Books
Performer Sponsor Syncrude
Media sponsors: CTV CKUA CBC
“I invite all Edmontonians to join PACE and me as we celebrate some of the best artistic talents our city has to offer!” said Mayor Stephen Mandel of the Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts to be held on April 2nd at the Winspear Centre.
Enjoy performances by the Rock and Roll Society of Edmonton Centre for Arts and Music a beneficiary of the April 2nd performance.
For more information: SJ Event Management Inc. sjevent@shaw.ca (780)993.4962
The percentage of Canadians participating in most of the 18 activities measured in the report – including art galleries, museums, festivals, historic sites, book reading, and more – reached record levels in 2010, higher than in 1992, 1998 and 2005, when this type of survey was also conducted.|
University of Calgary: New labs for creative performance research
Redesigned theatre and music studios create innovative learning experiences |
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CALGARY, ALBERTA–(Marketwire – Feb. 9, 2012) – University of Calgary drama and music students are polishing their creative skills in the renovated and newly named F.R. Matthews Theatre and rehearsal spaces that allow them to conduct experimental dramatic research and tune a room for acoustical accuracy.
‘Human exploration’ may not be the first words to come to mind when people think of a theatre, but students think of the F.R. Matthews Theatre as their new laboratory. “In drama, our primary research is performance,” says Clem Martini, head of the Drama Department. “Our research involves audience and the human experience. Using the Yale University model, graduate students will operate the Matthews Theatre as their own arena of investigation.” Currently, MA students direct mainstage plays for the Drama department’s annual season of performances. Martini says giving graduate students greater responsibility over programming in the Matthews Theatre will not only benefit them, but the department as a whole. “We can now have the best of both worlds,” he says, “a theatre season in which faculty and guest artists direct, and a graduate season in which undergraduates have opportunity to observe graduate students’ research.” The renovation also resulted in the addition of music rehearsal studios on the lower level. The Percussion Studios are specially configured to house percussion instruments for teaching and practicing. The Instrumental Music Rehearsal Studio was built to mimic the Eckhardt-Gramatte Concert Hall stage in the Rozsa Centre. “The studio is acoustically treated, and can be ‘tuned’ by adjusting fabric panels on the wall and ceiling, similar to what is in place in the Concert Hall,” says William Jordan, head of the Music Department. The near sound-proof space also features storage for equipment and instruments, breakout rehearsal spaces, and a recording studio. The renovations were made possible by a generous donation from F.R. (Dick) Matthews in 2010. The theatre and rehearsal spaces opened to students in fall 2011 and will have their grand opening celebration February 9, 2012. “Mr. Matthews’ gift has given students more than a revitalized space,” says Kevin McQuillan, Dean of the Faculty of Arts. “He has given a commitment to ensuring the university continues to deliver innovative and enhanced student experiences in the performing arts.” The University of Calgary is a leading Canadian university located in the nation’s most enterprising city. The university has a clear strategic direction – “Eyes High” – to become one of Canada’s top five research universities by 2016, grounded in innovative learning and teaching and fully integrated with the community of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca. |
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NEWS RELEASE |
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New Funding Program Announced for Arts Groups |
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(Calgary, AB) – Calgary Arts Development today announced the New Client Induction Grant Program, developed to invest in arts organizations that are eligible, but not currently funded through Calgary Arts Development’s Operating Grant Program. In November 2011, City Council responded to CADA’s request to deal with unprecedented demand from new clients representing diverse and emerging organizations through an increase to CADA’s annual base funding. In 2012, $175,000 will be available through the New Client Induction Program. The New Client Induction Program is open to all eligible arts organizations not currently funded by CADA, with priority given to diverse and emerging organizations. “Calgary is an increasingly diverse city in the midst of dynamic change,” says Terry Rock, President and CEO of Calgary Arts Development. “As the City of Calgary’s designated arts development authority, we need to provide a set of programs that can respond to our changing city and enhance the artistic and public impact of Calgary’s arts organizations and artists.” A dedicated program for new clients enables Calgary Arts Development to plan for the future more effectively, while at the same time investing in organizations that often represent the next generation of artistic practice. The program also serves as a knowledge-building exercise for CADA, enhancing the ability to measure and communicate the impact of the arts on the long-term success of Calgary. Applications to the New Client Induction Grant Program will be assessed within the context of the organization’s mission, vision and mandate. An arms-length independent assessment panel comprised of artistic peers and community members will consider the applicant organization’s plan for the year in which they are applying and their achievements during the previous year. Applications and guidelines are available as of February 2, 2012 and the deadline for applications is 4:30pm, March 15, 2012. For more detailed information on the program’s guidelines, application and assessment criteria, please visit CalgaryArtsDevelopment.com/Induction_Grant. For more information about the application process, please contact Calgary Arts Development at grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com or 403-476-2031. |
 Sleep No More Photo courtesy thenytimes.com Theatre Alberta is thrilled to announce that punchdrunk, one of the UK’s most innovative theatre companies, will make its first trip to Canada this summer to lead a featured professional master class at Dramaworks in July 2012. Combining traditional theatrical texts with innovative technology, punchdrunk is a pioneer in immersive theatre: they encourage audiences to participate wholly in the world of the play rather than simply present it to them. Facilitating this exciting master class will be Maxine Doyle, punchdrunk’s co-artistic director and choreographer of their first North American hit, Sleep No More – a Film Noir reimagining of Shakespeare’s MacBeth – which is currently enjoying an extended run in New York. Ms. Doyle and an additional member of the punchdrunk creative team will lead participants through a challenging workshop based upon creating what the New York Times calls, “theatre for the interactive age.” Theatre Alberta’s Dramaworks will be held from July 4 to 8, 2012, in and around the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Further workshop information and applications will be available in March on our website. More information on punchdrunk is available on their website. Read more about Sleep No More here and watch some extra video clips here and here! Click here for more information about Dramaworks |
…from Theatre Alberta
- Keri Mitchell
- Michelle Kennedy |
 All Shook Up courtesy Keyano Theatre Theatre Alberta is proud to announce the launch of a mobile site for The Playbill: the single most comprehensive list of theatre season information from nearly every theatre company in the province. Audiences can now search for live theatre playing anywhere in Alberta using their mobile smartphones or tablets. Users can tailor their search by month, by region, by theatre classification and/or by theatre company. They can also search for weekly improv or for school tours. Plays written by Albertan and Canadian playwrights or collectives are distinguished by icons: a blue icon of our province and a red maple leaf respectively. The 2011-12 Playbill includes information for more than 350 different productions: from professional to community theatres, independent collectives to post-secondary institutions. The mobile site includes links to theatre company websites, box office information, and links to Google Maps – so audiences can use their smart phones to find directions to the theatre. Theatre Alberta’s mobile Playbill is generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. Mobile users can try out our new site at m.theatrealberta.com. If you are using a desktop or laptop computer, please browse to www.theatrealberta.com/playbill. Theatre Alberta will continue to print and distribute The Playbill poster to cultural hubs across Alberta. Click here to view as a PDF: Mobile Playbill Feb3 |
…from Theatre Alberta
- Keri Mitchell
- Aaron Talbot |
Fringe Theatre Adventures Executive Director Julian Mayne will resign from the organization, effective June 30, 2012. Julian served as ED for six years.
In a statement, Sam Jenkins, President and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Fringe Theatre Adventures Society, said:
Julian’s six year tenure with our organization has seen the successful stewardship of new opportunities, new growth and continued theatre evolution. I am proud to have been involved with an organization with such a dynamic and creative executive director, and I am certain that FTA is stronger today for Julian’s influence. [...]
Over the past year, we celebrated our 30th festival where attendance skyrocketed to over 100,000 tickets sold. We re-invented our theatre season to better serve our stakeholders and the community around us. We continued to improve our service delivery for clients of the TransAlta Arts Barns.
For more on this story, check out Liz Nicholls’ article in the Edmonton Journal.
From everybody at Theatre Alberta: we wish Julian good luck and many successes in his future endeavors!
On January 4, 2012 a fire in Nanton destroyed several properties including the home and workshop of Bill Brown, set builder for many community theatre companies. Calgary-ACTS is helping to collect donations for Bill and Kristine Brown to help rebuild.
Ways to donate:
Morpheus Theatre’s website or call their office at (403) 246-2999.
Storybook Theatre’s website or call their office at (403) 216-0808.
Or look for donation options at various community theatres in town. Note, these contributions do not qualify for a tax receipt.
Thank you for your support!
