« Tangled Art + Disability –formerly Abilities Arts Festival–is proud to present the 11th annual Tangled Arts Festival set for April and May. Over the course of two months, the festival will showcase exclusive productions from the most cutting edge performing arts companies and artists from the disability community. From hip-hop music, to contemporary dance and avant-garde theatre productions, these performances will challenge, entertain and amaze audiences of all ages! Here is the remaining 2014 Festival line up:
APRIL 11
Building a Worldwide Arts Movement With Leroy F. Moore Jr. (free workshop)
Led by Krip-Hop Nation founder Leroy F. Moore Jr., this leadership-building workshop engages artists and community members in an exploration of Krip-Hop culture and the resources available to hip-hop artists with disabilities. More info.
APRIL 12
KRIP-HOP NATION: TORONTO
Krip-Hop Nation is a global movement of hip-hop artists with disabilities, founded by Leroy F. Moore Jr. This is Canada’s first Krip-Hop Nation event, hosted by Moore himself. Krip-hop giants Kounterclockwise will headline the concert, supported by DJ Rob Da’ Noize Temple and a collection of local Krip-hop musicians. The performance will be entirely accessible including ASL interpretation, wheelchair ramps, captioning, and attendant care. Visit our website for more information and a sneak preview of some of the music: more info.
MAY 2 & 3
THIRD EYE LOOMING
Devised and directed by Ed Roy in collaboration with Workman Artists
A journey into the heart of madness…
Third Eye Looming is multi-disciplinary theatre piece devised and directed by Ed Roy in collaboration with Workman Arts’ artists. Combining imagistic theatre, movement, dance, music, text, and multi-media, Third Eye Looming delves into the mind of a man struggling to piece together the shards of his fragmented life after the onset of mental illness. Third Eye Looming is ultimately a composite of all of the collective artists’ shared experiences with mental illness distilled into the story of one individual. This distillation reveals the universality of every person dealing with a mental illness and their desire and struggle to reclaim their lives. Challenging, dark, and humorous Third Eye Looming explores the precarious nature of the human psyche.
Workman Arts (WA) is the longest-running multidisciplinary arts and mental health organizations in North America. WA facilitates aspiring, emerging and established artists with mental illness and addiction issues to develop and refine their art form through its arts training programs, public performance/exhibit opportunities and partnering with other art organizations. As well, WA promotes a greater public understanding of mental illness and addiction through the creation, presentation and discussion of artistic media. WA is a proud partner of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. More info.
May 9 & 10
RUFF
A Peggy Shaw solo performance, directed by Lois Weaver
After suffering a stroke in 2011, Peggy Shaw’s entire world had to be rebuilt from the bruised, but surprising pieces. RUFF exposes the host of crooners, lounge singers, movie stars, rock and roll bands and eccentric family members who once effortlessly melded to form Shaw’s seductive, captivating personality. Guided by longtime collaborator Lois Weaver, Shaw throws off the stigma of age and embraces the joy—and necessity—of creating new work, post-stroke. Like a skillful striptease, Shaw unashamedly exposes the emotional and technological accommodations she now requires to perform, and in so doing, offers a rare glimpse at the art in ageing and infirmity. RUFF is a tribute to those who have kept Shaw company these past 68 years, a lament for the absence of those who disappeared into the dark holes left behind by the stroke, and a celebration that her brain is still able to fill the blank green-screens with new insights to share with her favorite confidants – the audience. Read more.
MAY 10
Green Screening with Peggy Shaw and Lois Weaver (free workshop)
Theatricality meets practicality. Join the icons of queer and feminist theatre, Peggy Shaw and Lois Weaver in this workshop exploring the innovative use of green screen technology in theatrical performance.
*Pre-registration is required for both workshops. Contact katie@tangledarts.org for information on registration. Read more.
MAY 23
PHARMAKON: A Performance by Les Productions des pieds des mains.
Where do we draw the line between normal and abnormal? Under the direction of award-winning avant garde choreographer Menka Nagrani, this dynamic Montreal-based dance-theatre company dives headfirst into one of the most controversial issues of our time. An explosion of dance, theatre, poetry and stop-motion animation, Pharmakon asks, “What is the right dose for the right emotions, so we aren’t’ too afraid, so we smile just enough, so we don’t cry too much…”
Les Productions des pieds des mains brings “conventional” artists together with artists with intellectual disabilities to engage with and embody these reflections. Read more.
Call for Volunteers!
Interested in volunteering at the 2014 Tangled Arts Festival? We need ushers and front of house volunteers. See the show for free! Email katie@tangledarts.org for more info. »
For date & times, tickets and other information, please visit Tangled Arts Festival website.
-submitted by Tangled Art + Disability
Read Abilities Arts Festival’s profile on ArtBridges’ Community-Engaged Arts Directory and Map.
