annual report 2014 - 2015

JuMBlIeS tHeatre9 Second Street,

toronto on M5J 2a7

jumbliestheatre.org416-203-8428 info@jumbliestheatre.org

Jumblies theatre is a registered not-for-profit charity (Cra #87882-1610-rr-0001)

Train of Thought was the big event of a year that held many adventures - starting with Aanmitaagzi’s Dances of Resistance at Nipissing First Nation, and ending with Talking Treaties Toronto at George Brown’s Lakeshore Campus, with much learning, sharing, travelling and exploring in between. Whether or not we really did help ever so slightly in shifting tracks for our communities and arts practices, those of us who were part of the journey, truly did step back with altered perspectives into a different world.

Jumblies Theatre makes art in everyday and extraordinary places with, for and about the people and stories found there. Our art entwines with and grows out of life’s details and rituals, and our community is open-ended and rooted in people doing something together. We dismantle boundaries and connect disparate elements. We create fleeting utopias and lasting ripples. We say, Everyone is welcome, and grapple with the implications – aesthetic and social – of meaning or trying to mean it.

This was our second year at The Ground Floor, with new young staff members, more micro-grants, mentoring and collaborations with our Offshoots and partners. We were proud to receive our first touring funds, as well as great support from all three levels of government and several private foundations, sponsorship from VIA Rail, and many more generous donations of money, time and other resources.

Sincerest thanks to all who took part and helped make all of this happen!.

Keith McNair Managing Director

photo: A. Leon

photo: L. Coo

photo: L. Coo

Ruth Howard Artistic Director

SUMMERIn Summer, Jumblies artists hit the road, working with partners across Northern Ontario:

• Holding our Oral History and Art Making workshop in Elliot Lake and Serpent River FN, with Thinking Rock Community Arts;

• Joining in Aanmitaagzi’s production of Dances of Resistance at Nipissing First Nation;

• Leading activities with AlgomaTrad and Thinking Rock’s Rivers Speak project, and

Meanwhile at The Ground Floor: Jumblies interns created the Make-a-Lake installation, re-submerging our studio into the depths of Lake Ontario; and Shifra Cooper and Zoe Jenkins curated The Grounding series of workshops, sharing creative work of young artists affiliated with Jumblies.

Aanmitaagzi, photo: L. Lott

Aanmitaagzi, photo: L. Lott

storyteller: Isaac Day” AlgomaTrad Thinking Rock

FALLActivities at The Ground Floor included music, visual and fabric arts. a new choir, life drawing, our Oral History and Art Making group and making a mini Anishinaabek village with Philip Cote.

A new workshop, Composing Community, was delivered at the Canadian Music Centre and The Ground Floor, teaming up composers and other artists in a rapid creation process.

John Fox and Sue Gill (founders of Welfare State International), visited us from the UK with a series of presentations and conversations co-hosted by Shadowland Theatre.

Jumblies’s annual 6-day Artfare Essentials was held in December. Workshops were delivered in Halifax (with Halifax Circus), Kenora (with Kenora Association for Community Living), and Windsor (with Arts Council of Windsor and Region).

photo: P. Cote

photo: L. Coo photo: L. Coo

WInTER Regular activities continued at The Ground Floor, adding weekly workshops in dance and theatre, and sessions with Alpha and Oasis Schools and New College UofT students.

Philip Cote joined our arts drop-in to build a mini Anishinaabek village, as might have existed along the lakeshore and by the creeks buried underneath our building.

We continued work on our giant Turtle Quilt, also designed by Philip Cote, facilitated by Marianne Alas and Rosary Spence and embroidered and beaded by many hands.

We were excited to develop three musical compositions, with Martin van de Ven and Rosary Spence, Norbert Palej and Kyle Brenders,

combining professional and community musicians, with a work-in-progress presentation in March.

Special presentations and workshops were offered at The Ground Floor by Sonja Rainey, Dale Hamilton, Victoria Freeman, Naty Tremblay, Veronika Hackl, Red Dress Productions and Suzanne Keeptwo.

Beyond Toronto, we held workshops in Thunder Bay (with Creative Arts Heritage and Education Program), Bruce Mines (with Thinking Rock), Peterborough (with Creating Space), Kingston (with Makers and Shakers) and Sudbury (Jumblies first francophone workshop, with Myths and Mirrors).

all photos: L. Coo

SPRIng Train of ThoughtIn May and June Jumblies went on a west-to-east-coast 7-week journey, with 25 stops, 75 travellers, 95 partners, and hundreds of other people along the way, learning about the land’s Indigenous histories and exploring and experiencing how collaborative art-making between Indigenous and settler/immigrant people and communities might help us change tracks.

Other Spring ActivitiesWe produced the first phase of a multi-year project, Talking Treaties, in partnership with First Story Toronto and the Pan Am Path, led by Ange Loft. It included oral history research, an audio gallery and culminating event at George Brown College’s Lakeshore Campus.

We held workshops in Killaloe (with Ottawa Valley Creative Arts Open Studio), Kingston (with Makers and Shakers) and Montreal (with Theatre and Development, Concordia).

TRAIn OF ThOUghT TRAvELLERS & ARTISTS: Krystal Cook ∙ Lina De Guevera ∙ Will Weigler ∙ Beverly Dobrinsky ∙ Rebecca Graham ∙ Eleanor Hendriks ∙ Terry Hunter ∙ Damara Jacobs-Morris ∙ Sharon Kallis ∙ Paula Jardine ∙ Marie Lopez ∙ Kelty McKerracher ∙ Renae Morriseau ∙ Priscillia Tait ∙ Russell Wallace ∙ Savannah Walling ∙ jil weaving ∙ Kristen Kornienko ∙ Aaron Leon ∙ Cathy Stubbington ∙ Rosalind Williams ∙ Don Bouzek ∙ Leah Fontaine ∙ Brooke Leifso ∙ Judy McNaughton ∙ Aaron Paquette ∙ Gerry Potter ∙ Nikki Shaffeeullah ∙ Annie Smith ∙ Diana Chabros ∙ Joseph Naytowhow ∙ Zondra Roy ∙ Bruce Sinclair ∙ Columpa Bobb ∙ Lindsey Bond ∙ Carol Finlay ∙ Jessica Holl ∙ Braiden Houle ∙ René Joshi Sims ∙ Kristina Loreto ∙ Heather Macdonald ∙ Laura Cotton ∙ Meredith Culham ∙ Eleanor Albanese ∙ Pam Cain ∙ Lila Cano ∙ Alana Forslund ∙ Marilyn McIntyre ∙ Sid Bobb ∙ Penny Couchie ∙ Meg Paulin ∙ Lindsay Sarazin ∙ Claydon Windatt ∙ Miranda Bouchard ∙ Jon Cada ∙ Robin Sutherland ∙ Pat O’Gorman ∙ Julie Schryer ∙ Benoit Schryer Lefebvre ∙ Zachary Schryer Lefebvre ∙ Áine Schryer O’Gorman ∙ Joahnna Berti ∙ Nani Gonawabi ∙ Joe Osawabine ∙ Jamie-Lee Oshkabewisens ∙ Blaire Flynn ∙ Sarah King Gold ∙ Marianne Alas ∙ Lisa Bozikovic ∙ Michael Burtt ∙ Fiona Clarke ∙ Darla Contois ∙ Liam Coo ∙ Shifra Cooper ∙ Phil Cote ∙ Chris Cruz ∙ Parker Dirks ∙ Jason Doell ∙ Sam Egan ∙ Victoria Freeman ∙ Beth Helmers ∙ Leah Houston ∙ Eli Howard ∙ Ruth Howard ∙ Julia Hune-Brown ∙ Mackenzie Konecny ∙ Liz Leckie ∙ Lilia Leon ∙ Ange Loft ∙ Adrienne Marcus Raja ∙ Keith McNair ∙ Jackie Omstead ∙ Duke Redbird ∙ Liz Rucker ∙ Miranda Sharp ∙ Rosary Spence ∙ Marilyn Tate ∙ Dylan Tate-Howarth ∙ Sasha Tate-Howarth ∙ Arie van de Ven ∙ Martin van de Ven ∙ Sharada Eswar ∙ Cheryl Stone ∙ Anu Vittal ∙ Carolyn King ∙ Dale Hamilton ∙ Aiyyana Maracle ∙ Tory James ∙ Michelle Le Chien ∙ Charlotte LeFrank ∙ Alex McKay ∙ Nadja Pelkey ∙ Morris Blanchard ∙ Betty Carr-Braint ∙ Clarke Mackey ∙ Kim Renders ∙ Lib Spry ∙ Linda Archibald ∙ Emma Manchester ∙ Andy Trull ∙ Sarah Yankoo ∙ Brenda Leadley ∙ Suzanne Keeptwo ∙ Owen Schellenberger ∙ Rachel Chainey ∙ Iehente Foote ∙ Sherry Guppy ∙ Zoe Jenkins ∙ Edward Little ∙ Rachael Van Fossen ∙ Cassondra Barnaby ∙ Katrina Clair ∙ Ann Pohl ∙ Louise Arsenault ∙ Helene Bergeron ∙ Chenise Hache ∙ Eliza Knockwood ∙ Richard Driedger ∙ Mike

Hirschbach ∙ Kate Romain ∙ Kim Thompson and others

photo: K. Kornienko Line drawing: ML Sharp

TRAIn OF ThOUghT PARTnERS: From The Heart ∙ Vancouver Moving Theatre ∙ Vancouver Parks Board ∙ Round House Community Centre ∙ Runaway Moon ∙ Splatsin First Nation ∙ Ground Zero Productions ∙ Rising Sun Theatre Society ∙ The Ortona Armoury Arts Building ∙ Common Weal ∙ ACI Manitoba ∙ Urban Indigenous Theatre ∙ Kenora Association For Community Living ∙ CAHEP ∙ Municipality Of Sioux Lookout ∙ Aanmitaagzi ∙ White Water Gallery ∙ Debajehmujig ∙ Thinking Rock ∙ Mississauga First Nation ∙ AlgomaTrad ∙ Myths And Mirrors ∙ Arts4All ∙ MABELLEarts ∙ Making Room ∙ The Community Arts Guild ∙ CityPlace Railway Lands Residents Group ∙ Mississauga Arts Council ∙ Arts Council Windsor And Region ∙ Makers and Shakers ∙ OV-CAOS ∙ Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn First Nation ∙ Canada’s Magnetic North Festival ∙ Kahnawake Mohawk Territory ∙ Concordia Theatre And Development ∙ Contactivity Seniors Centre ∙ NDG Senior Citizens Council ∙ RECCA ∙ Art Hives / Ruches d’Art ∙ alt.theatre ∙ Halifax Circus School ∙ Wonder’neath ∙ The Deanery Project ∙ Rock Barra Retreat ∙ Abegweit First Nation and others

vegetable Ribbons: Runaway Moon photo: A. Leon

Left to right, from top: R. howard, A. Leon (Boots, S. Kallis & R. graham), C. Bobb, L. Lott, R. howard, A. Leon, L. Coo, A. Leon, A. Leon (Treaty Canoe: A. Mckay & T. James), L. Koo, C. Mackay, Logo: Lou-ann neel, L. Coo

photo: L. Coo

photo: A. Leon

photo: T. Quirk

LEARnIng AnD MEnTORShIP Through Jumblies Studio, our learning activities and resources reached dozens of artists:

• An exchange program was piloted between Jumblies (Jackie Omstead, Mackenzie Konecny), Deba jehmujig (Jamie-lee Oshkabewisens, Nani Gonawabi) and Aanmitaagzi (Eric Lariviere) youth interns.

• Jumblies 10th and 11th Metcalf Foundation Performing Arts Interns, Sonja Rainey and Ange Loft, played key leadership roles.

• Other young artists and staff learning and interning with Jumblies included Julia Hune-Brown, Jackie Omstead, Miranda Sharp, Mackenzie Konecny, Parker Dirks, Fiona Clarke, Lisa Bozikovic, Molly McGregor, Zoe Jenkins, Sasha Tate-Howarth, Liam Coo, Sam Egan, Shifra Cooper and Kaitlynn Rodgers.

• We hosted a University of Toronto practicum student: Catherine MacMillan - and an international student: Veronika Hackl from Vienna.

• Thanks to funds from the Inspirit Foundation, we were able to include 24 young artists, aged 18 to 30, as travelling interns in the Train of Thought national tour.

• We delivered professional development workshops in 12 provincial and national locations, involving over 300 participating artists, in addition to all of those who were part of Train of Thought.

We provided consultancy and support to several arts organization and productions, including:

• Red Dress Productions’ Promise in the Park Project

• Thinking Rock Community Arts’ The Rivers Speak Project, Algoma Region

• Aanmitaagzi’s Dances of Resistance, Nipissing First Nation

• Ange Loft’s After The Fire, at The Ground Floor

photo: L. Coophoto: L. Coophoto: L. Coo

photo: Red Dress Productions

AUDITOR’S REPORT

JUMBLIES OFFShOOTSWe continue to support and enjoy collegial and collaborative relationships with our Toronto Offshoots, all now flourishing, distinctive and independently-incorporated community-based arts organizations:

Arts4All Davenport West Artistic Director, Liz Rucker arts4all.net

MABELLEarts Etobicoke Artistic Director, Leah Houston mabellearts.ca

Making Room Parkdale Artistic Director, Michael Burtt making-room.org

The Community Arts guildScarborough Artistic Director, Beth Helmers communityartsguild.ca

PLATFORM AThis was our 2nd year of Platform A: a special initiative of the Toronto Arts Council, with Jumblies, Art Starts, SKETCH and VIBEarts, for mentorship, micro-grants and partnerships.

The annual A-Show, a showcase of the work of over 50 Platform grantees, was hosted by SKETCH at Artscape Youngplace in June, in partnership with all 4 Platform A partners.

JUMBLIES AT LARgEThanks to one stream of Platform A funds and a 3-year grant from the Metcalf Foundation’s Creative Strategies Incubator Program, we have been exploring new collaborations with arts organizations interested in our community-engaged practices, including this year: Tapestry Opera, the Canadian Music Centre and (with the Community Arts Guild) Young People’s Theatre.

photo: K. Fleitas

photo: Annick MF

REvEnUES 2015 2014Earned: 60,538 61,379Private: 273,089 154,716Government: 590,227 412,938In-kind contributions: 129,172 50,786 Total revenues 1,053,026 679,819EXPEnSESArtistic Expenses:Artistic fees 119,057 89,143Artistic salaries 231,891 178,787Collaborative partnership 71,462 58,000Production salaries/fees 54,358 45,172Project & production costs 130,376 33,392Travelling Youth Interns 36,888 –Documentation 7,189 10,458Other 17,440 12,540 668,661 427,492

Operating Expenses:Administrative salaries and fees 135,967 132,002Facilities 64,050 27,003Fundraising and Development 31,616 5,903Office & Administration 23,324 28,401 254,957 193,309

In-kind expenses: 129,172 50,786

Total expenses 1,052,790 671,587

EXCESS OF REvEnUES OvER EXPEnSES 236 8,232Accumulated Surplus, beginning of the year 36,518 28,286Accumulated Surplus, end of the year 36,754 36,518

photo: L. Coo

Prepared by Marinucci & Co. Chartered Accountants, Licensed Public Accountants - December 30, 2014

REMEMBERIng KIT CURRIE Kit Currie was part of Jumblies before we were officially Jumblies. She joined the production team of Twisted Metal and Mermaids Tears in 2000, and outfitted most of our puppets, often in collaboration with Al Levitt, as well as creating many other beautifully-made props for our shows and projects from then until 2014. She was a lovely person and artist with an amazing talent and patience for tiny and exquisite details. She is greatly missed and fondly remembered by all of us at Jumblies who knew and worked with her.

Donors$1000+ Sue Hesse

$250-999 Stephen Cooper Lisa Marie DiLiberto Caroline Kolompar Adrienne Marcus Raja Clayton Windatt

$100-249 Rod Archer Paul Bennett Irum Bhatti Nadya Burton Emily Chan Ella Cooper Lisa Freeman Rachel Hollis Neil Howard Yonah Lewis Laurie McGauley Michaela Otto Robin Pacific Ester Reiter Marilyn Tate Rachael Van Fossen Dan Watson Lisa Weintraub

$50-99 Veronica Albanese Liza Balkan Michael Barkley Jon Cada Sharada Eswar J Lynne Earls Zsuzsa Kelemen Richard Lecours Nancy K-Saltzstein Julie Schryer

MembershipsArtBridges, ARCCO, CARFAC, Neighbourhood Arts Network, TAPA, Theatre Ontario

Artists, Interns Lisa Bozikovic Julia Hune Brown2

Fiona Clarke Helah Cooper Shifra Cooper Phil Cote Isaac Day Parker Dirks3

Victoria Freeman Eli Howard Zoe Jenkins6

Rosina Kazi Mackenzie Konecny3

Lilia Leon Adrienne Marcus Raja Molly McGregor3

Catharine McMillan7

Jacqueline Omstead4

Sonja Rainey1

Kaitlynn Rodgers Nikki Shaffeeullah Miranda Sharp Mindy Stricke Sasha Tate-Howarth5

1 Metcalf Foundation Intern

2 Theatre Ontario PTTP3 Employment Ontario

& St. Stephen’s 4 Cultural Human

Resources Council 5 Canada Summer

Jobs6 Ontario Summer

Experience7 UofT New College

Composers, Musicians Allison Au William Beauvais Lisa Bozikovic Kyle Brenders Vania Chan Kevin Chin Jason Doell Richard Driedger Christine Duncan

Gabe Gaudet Carla Huhtanen Britta Johnson Brian Katz Adrian Kramer Norbert Palej Victoria Peter Kate Romain Ryan Scott Rosary Spence Martin van de Ven Arie van de Ven Young Creek Singers Ilana Zarankin Making Room Choir The Ground Floor Choir

Micrograntees Miranda SharpJulia Hune BrownMackenzie KonecnyJunyee WangToronto Wordsmiths Nirven ArmoogumVeronica DiazRobin SutherlandKatherine FleitasFaeghan WilliamsTristan Castro-PozoKristine WhiteJonathan ValellyMarissa Zinni

Annual Report Design & Layout

Venetia Butler

Photographers Columpa Bobb Liam Coo Phillip Cote Katherine Fleitas Aaron Leon Liz Lott Annick MF and others

An agency of the Government of OntarioUn organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario

StaffRuth Howard, Artistic Director Keith McNair, Managing Director Ange Loft, Assistant Artistic Director (Metcalf)Sam Egan, Operations Coordinator Liam Coo, Media Coordinator Michael Burtt, Jumblies Studio Coordinator Liz Rucker, Intern/Mentorship Coordinator Marianne Alas, Food & Fabric Coordinator Michaela Otto, Bookkeeper Liz McCarthy, Cleaner

Board Marilyn Tate (Chair) Susanne Burkhardt (Treasurer) Yonah Lewis (Secretary) Emily Chan Sharada K. Eswar Maggie Hutcheson Esther Pflug Duke Redbird Ester Reiter

Toronto PartnersTapestry Opera Young People’s Theatre Canadian Music Centre First Story Toronto Native Canadian Centre of Toronto Toronto Community Housing CityPlace Railway Lands Residents Group Raucous Caucus

Thank YouThanks to all our partners, artists & contributors for Artfare Workshops, Train of Thought, Talking Treaties and other collaborative projects.

Thanks to the hundreds of participants and supporters in Toronto and across the country.

Thanks to all our anonymous donors and the many who contributed smaller amounts.