publication - Jumblies Theatre

All the essays in this first issue are rooted in Toronto, and all connect in some way tothese questions. Diana Tso’s journal excerpts record episodes, from her relationshipwith a group of seniors living in Etobicoke public housing, blending diversememories with shared temporary location. Liz Rucker gives an account of whimsicalexperiments she conducted with a literacy class at Davenport Perth NeighbourhoodCentre, in which they notated and performed mundane urban soundscapes. EricSchwindt draws on childhood knowledge, as he learns to approach music creationin ways that embrace his participants’ abilities and limitations. Maggie Hutchesonurges us to remember core community arts values when assessing urban economicagendas such as the Creative City. Michael Burtt observes parallels and complementarydifferences between community arts and his personal experience with meditation andspiritual practice, with examples from a current group he’s leading in Parkdale.A common thread, through all of these writings, is, to borrow Michael’s terminology,awareness of and surrender to the unruly here-and-now of the places where we findourselves and the people we meet there – a placing of ourselves amongst otherelements that are out of place and a striving to create common form and meaning outof place.Ideas, of course, don’t stand still, and, since the first essay drafts were conscientiouslysubmitted, people’s projects, studies and thoughts have progressed: Liz and Eric’sexplorations at Arts4All lead to the production of We Live Here at Pelham ParkGardens in 2009, and the City of Toronto’s Cultural Services, Toronto Arts Counciland Toronto Arts Foundation have launched several new schemes dedicated to makingthe arts more available to all the city’s neighbourhoods and citizens. I believe theseessays to be, nonetheless, of current and enduring interest and relevance. I hope youenjoy reading them and that you will stay tuned for the next issue, which will includeessays by Leah Houston, Lisa Marie DiLiberto and others.Ruth HowardRuth Howard is the founding Artistic Director of Jumblies Theatre. She has created and producedmany original theatre events that combine visual imagery, performance, music, movement, oral historyand community arts practice. She has several decades of professional experience as a set and costumedesigner, and has been a key figure in the Canadian Community Play movement, designing large-scalecollaborative community plays in Rockwood and Blyth Ontario (with Dale Hamilton); Fort Quappelle,Saskatchewan (with Rachael Van Fossen); Enderby, B.C. (with Cathy Stubington); and Torquayand Manchester, England (with Jon Oram and Salford Open Theatre). She has taught and givenpresentations and workshops at many universities, colleges, schools, conferences and community eventsacross Canada and in the U.S. and England, and has won several awards for her work, including a 2005Toronto Community Foundation, “Vital People” award, and a 2007 Dora Nomination for costumedesign for “Bridge of One Hair”.