“Robin Sutherland is an emerging arts manager and community artist who has recently moved from Toronto to her home community of Algoma, Northern Ontario, to establish Thinking Rock Community Arts, a new organization that will seek to engage and build community along the North Shore of Lake Huron. This blog will follow her journey along that path.

Robin overseeing a mini performance at Jumblies Artfare Essentials Training (photo: Katherine Fleitas)

After reading my first blog post, a friend of mine asked a pretty obvious question: why did I decide to move back to Northern Ontario to start a community arts organization? I thought hey – that’s a fairly basic question that I should probably answer! So, here is my best attempt at doing that.

I have always known I wanted to return to Algoma. This is an incredibly beautiful area of the world, and I’ve always considered it to be my home. My life partner and family are also here, which adds to the appeal. At the same time, my life work is also very important to me. Since leaving Algoma to pursue a degree in Arts Management and Theatre at the University of Toronto at Scarborough, my personal passion, academic background and professional career have brought me to the intersection of the arts, community development and social change. This work is a hugely important to who I am, and plays a central role in my life. I’m lucky to be part of a community of practice where I’m surrounded by artists, organizers, activists – young and old – who are doing amazing, important work in building communities, and who inspire me daily.

Many of these colleagues are using the arts to build communities, break down personal and societal barriers, confront tough issues, and foster understanding and empathy between communities of people. From them I have learned just how important a role community-engaged creative projects play in bringing people together to dream, celebrate and explore. I’ve also learned how quietly the political and social ramifications can seep through this work, saturating it with deeper meaning. Through storytelling, spectacle, performance and celebration, this work sweetly and surreptitiously brings about positive social change by first planting the seeds of self-love, understanding and empathy and then creating the conditions within which they can grow and flourish.

I have long dreamt of bringing this important work to the beautiful communities of Northern Ontario, and have been encouraged by other groups that are already doing so, such as Aanmitaagzi in North Bay, Debajehmujig Theatre, 4elements Living Arts and Rue Studio on Manitoulin Island, Myths and Mirrors in Sudbury, and the Sioux Lookout Creative Arts Circle. In experimenting with this idea through my thesis work for my Masters, I also connected with many wonderful artists and community organizers along the North Shore of Lake Huron who expressed interest in collaborating on this kind of work.

Of course, when I decided to actually take the leap of faith and move my life and career from Toronto back to Northern Ontario, I was filled with all kinds of self-doubts and hesitations. Am I enough of an artist to play this role? How will it be perceived in these communities? How will I be able to sustain this work financially? And above all, how do I actually get started?

It was serendipitous that just as I was undertaking a personal transition that was filling my head with cotton balls of doubt, I reconnected with Ruth Howard, Artistic Director of Jumblies Theatre, and Phyllis Novak, Artistic Director of Sketch Working Arts. I told them of my plans, and found them to be more than supportive and encouraging. Each separately offered their support in helping me develop my capacity to engage in this work. The mentorship and guidance these two knowledgeable and giving women have so generously offered over the past few months has been crucial in allowing me to hold on to and believe in this idea. Just knowing they are there keeps me going on a daily basis.

Robin (right) creating shadow puppets at Jumblies Theatre’s drop-in exhibition and art space
at the Lido Motel in East Scarborough (photo: Katherine Fleitas)

Thanks to Theatre Ontario’s Professional Theatre Training program, I was able to secure some funding that has allowed me to spend the last six months taking part in training, workshop and mentorship with Ruth Howard and the rest of the Jumblies artists, offshoots and sister organizations.  Through this I’ve met with artists from across Canada from amazing organizations such as Mabelle Arts, Arts4All, Making Room, Aanmitaagzi, Myths and Mirrors, and Common Wheel Arts.

Through the Jumblies Studio I’ve taken part in workshops in Oral History and Artmaking, Directing for Performance, and Arts for All Essentials. I’ve also been part of the creative team for the Four Lands of Nipissing (a community arts residency in partnership with Ruth Howard, Aanmitaagzi, Whitewater Gallery and the North Bay Public Library), I Was A Brave Child (a community play by Arts4All), and When Will You Rage, a dance piece based on personal stories of women from Nipissing First Nation by Penny Couchie.

This blog will explore these experiences in greater depth, and also follow me as I navigate the ups and downs of starting a new creative venture in Algoma: Thinking Rock Community Arts.

Stay tuned and wish me luck!

– Robin Sutherland, Founder and Artistic Director, Thinking Rock Community Arts
All photos courtesy of Robin Sutherland
robin.a.sutherland@gmail.com

Previous posts from Robin:
04/05/13 – Inspiration and Trepidation: Starting a Community Arts Organization (Algoma, ON)
01/16/13 – Thesis: Community Arts and Social Change in Rural Northern Ontario

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