Photo by K. Fleitas
Jumblies Theatre is a community arts charitable organization that was founded in 2001 by Ruth Howard. Its mandate is to make high-calibre art with people about where they are, what they’re about and where they want to go. Much more than a theatre-based company, Jumblies explores visuals arts, new media, film, poetry, puppetry, dance, community arts and many cultural traditions. It offers three main components to their work:
Jumblies Ventures takes on multi-year art residencies in diverse communities. Through a multi-disciplinary artistic process, a team of artists research, create and produce a theatrical production while forming community partnerships involving several hundred community residents and dozens of skilled artists while providing hundreds of art workshops and art outreach opportunities.
Jumblies Offshoots maintains relationships with people and communities they have previously worked with by supporting new leadership and sustainable community arts initiatives.
Jumblies Studio trains and mentors artists in community arts practice and provides internships for trainees in community arts organizations. Jumblies is « known for creating wonderful products, having a genuine engagement process and providing unique learning/mentorship/training opportunities », says Keith McNair, Managing Director.
Jumblies is currently in the middle of a four-year residency in Scarborough’s Kingston Galloway-Orton Park area, a « high priority » community. The company was invited by the City of Toronto’s Cultural Services to bring their expertise in art-making and social bridge-building into this neighbourhood. Jumblies focuses on reaching out to people who don’t usually have creative opportunities. Jumblies’ projects are inclusive, diverse, multi-cultural, multi-lingual, accessible and intergenerational. This Scarborough residency, called the “Community Arts Guild, » is based at Cedar Ridge Creative Centre & Gallery, operated by Toronto’s Cultural Services. Participants are often bussed over to the centre to partake in the art activities. Jumblies also conducts art activities in outreach locations, and their roster of professional artists travel all around the neighbourhood.
Through the residency, Jumblies gets to know participants’ stories; runs numerous art workshops, free of charge; and works on the many stages of creating a large-scale theatrical production. For example, Tamil Seniors and First Nations groups each contributed traditional music, movement and dance to the May 2010 work-in-progress presentation of Like An Old Tale, an exploration of the story, poetry, themes and images of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, set against locally-generated material.
Jumblies artistic and social development goals are interlinked. In the third year, there will be a large-scale interdisciplinary production at a non-traditional venue. In the fourth year, emerging arts leaders and partner organizations will work to sustain community arts practice in East Scarborough beyond Jumblies’ residency term.
One of Jumblies’ activity locations in Scarborough is the Lido Motel Arts Suite. This motel houses families in need of temporary residence (the city rents motel space to use for overflow shelter needs). Since February, Jumblies has been conducting drop-in art workshops at the Lido one to two afternoons per week, in collaboration with the City of Toronto’s Family Residence. We have not heard of any art studio like this within our work at ArtBridges! It’s amazingly resourceful!
Jumblies Studio, launched in 2006, is a flexible, integrated and itinerant program for learning, mentorship and exploration in Arts that engage with and create Community. « The Studio’s goals are to ensure artistic vigour, variety, growth and excellence in the field of community arts; bridge the gap between post-secondary or other forms of training and the working world, through hands-on advanced training and mentorship; help artists to combine their expertise and passions with processes of meaningful social inclusion and transformation; maintain and share a body of knowledge in community arts theory and practice; and engage knowledgeable colleagues in the ongoing development of the Studio’s curriculum. » (from web/tcf)
The Studio has run a six-day intensive training course in community arts in Toronto each year since 2006 and in Vancouver in 2009 (in partnership with Vancouver Moving Theatre), with a 2010 session planned in Nipissing First Nation (near North Bay). Students include artists from diverse disciplines and traditions, arts administrators, community workers, art therapists and scholars. Jumblies have also hosted 32 Interns – visual artists, writers, musicians, composers, actors, directors, clowns, puppeteers, designers, producers, administrators, photographers, dances, choreographers and community workers.
Photo by K. Fleitas
Jumblies’ two Offshoot Projects: Arts4All in Davenport West and MABELLEarts in Central Etobicoke have developed from previous residencies. These are independent community arts ventures, under the leadership of former Jumblies Studio interns.
Jumblies’ goals for 2010 include sustainability of the work, especially the training, mentorship and professional development practice. Keith says, « there’s always the question of how we sustain our projects? Who knows how to do it? Can we find and nurture more people who know how to do this or who are drawn to learn? » If Jumblies could find more core-funding, it would expand its mentorship, internship and professional development practice both in and outside of Toronto. Jumblies is always looking for volunteers and would love to hear from anyone who would like to get involved. They could particularly use some support with developing private and earned fundraising areas.
Jumblies’ catchment area is mostly Toronto. However, Jumblies Studio has run activities in Vancouver and North Bay and Jumblies has strong connections across Canada, which it would like to strengthen. The average number of participants is about 500 annually. Office hours are typically 9:00am to 6:00pm, Monday to Friday, September through June. Hours of activity vary depending on the projects. Jumblies has two full-time staff, hosts about seven interns each year, and works with approximately 50 artist/facilitators, designers, production staff (seasonal or on contract) and approximately 450 volunteers per year. This past year, Jumblies offered over 200 workshops with community members (sometimes five or six per week). All of their project work is done in communities, at community-based sites or artistic spaces used in new ways; rent is provided to Jumblies as an in-kind contribution. The current annual budget is about $475,000, and the annual value of donations-in-kind is approximately $54,000. Jumblies Theatre is funded by approximately 40-50% government funding and has a budget for professional development, training, and conferences. Jumblies Theatre is interested in exploring connections with other community arts projects/ programs/ organizations/ resources. Jumblies has received numerous accolades and awards, and most recently, was recognized for its work at the Toronto Community Foundation’s Vital Toronto event, June 2010.
Interview with Keith McNair, Managing Director, Jumblies, June 17th, 2010.
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