#Evalyn Parry

[corvus-christi]

hey now that the m9 are officially seafarers there’s a song i think y’all should hear

[walls-to-the-ball]

My painted backdrops for GERTRUDE AND ALICE, SEPTEMBER 15 - OCTOBER 7 2018, at Buddies in Bad Times. Feat. Evalyn Parry + Anna Chatterton <3 

[warumichradfahre]

WarumichRadfahre Playlist Titel N⁰ 77

WarumichRadfahre Playlist Titel N⁰ 77

Wunderschönes kleines Lied! Bicycle bicycle how I love you….. 77She Rides (from SPIN by evalyn parry)https://youtu.be/6gBV85GmFsU Schönen Start in den Tag damit! Zur Playlist

[butterdream]

“Riding the wave of two iconic folk songs ("Northwest Passage" by Canadian folk legend Stan Rogers, and the traditional "Lady Franklin's Lament") evalyn parry's twenty-minute "musical essay" embarks on a sonic journey that travels from Franklin’s doomed 19th century expedition to contemporary Arctic Sovereignty; from climate change to the human nervous system, along the way probing the nature of colonial legacy, tradition, and what happens when old, frozen parts of the world we know – and parts of ourselves - begin to melt.”

[oratorealis]

Dimepiece :: Mary Pinkoski

Why poetry?

because i have not yet burnt the skeleton bare/because the match struck willingly/because the flame/because the flood/

because i have not yet licked the bone dry/because the urgency came from within me/because the thirst/because the satiation/

because i have not yet worried the knot free/because the gnawing is not yet outside of me/because the anxious/because the calm/

because i have not yet dissected the heart clean/because there are still life-making things i know nothing of/because the thump/because the living

because i have not yet told the story whole/because the barren has not yet been filled/because of the loss/because of the divining

because i have not yet journeyed far enough with the stranger /because my body does not yet fully understand/because you/because all of us

because why not poetry?

What are you working on right now?

I have read that the perfectly pruned olive tree is one with enough spaces in between its branches for a sparrow to fly through without hitting its wings. So that is what is I am working on right now: becoming less bramble bush and more olive tree. I am trying to find the moments of quiet and contemplation that allow me to become a place that might house a sparrow, but also one that offers a path through. I guess I am also trying to become the sparrow. The sparrow that pauses long enough to sing a song important enough to the wind before flying back into world. There must, I think, be some undiscovered beauty in being both the sparrow and the olive tree. Once I find it, perhaps I too will be there for the offering.

What is your routine for writing? Do you have one?

1. Find a space that will allow me to suspend my disbelief in my ability for longer than 1.5 hours 2. Close the curtain to the outside world for a moment 3. Chew the pencil (aka bite the hook, aka open the laptop) 4. Remember what brought me to this moment 5. Ask of myself what Anne Waldman asks of outriders, though I am not an outrider: “How much backwards from your own death do you write?” 6.  Dive head first into Rich’s wreck 7. Somehow get your being spiritually to the place of Harjo’s Kitchen Table 8. Round up Oliver’s Wild Geese 9. Light a candle, Write into it 10. Wait patiently until a shore upon which to land safely appears 11. Land on it 12. Twist the knob 13. Open the door 14. Let the ghosts out

What is the best advice you’ve received as a poet?

“Be gentle with yourself.” – Jack McCarthy

Why do you live where you do?

I Come Home

In spite of all the magic and the adventure I come home I come home so I can remember the way the sun Never quits on us here I learn to meditate to its rising in the morning And settle with its fall in the evening I come home to brush heavy with the promise of Saskatoon berries And the hardy comfort of rosehips I come home to a river valley that grows green Until it doesn’t And then I watch it shake itself empty of yellow and orange I come home to a white paper, blank slate landscape Threatening to blind my eyes with its cold snowy glare Still it makes me want to write a story across this cityscape I come home to shovels and snowflakes To radio advertisements of winter escapes I come home to collaboration and creativity To this city’s song bridges that reach from bank to bank Joining our verses and our choruses in diverse melody I come home to potholes and pavement To fields of fire, dancing flames of wheat To the last days of a garden Watching the earth close itself up for hibernation I come home to roots and sprouts To sink my feet and my fingers deep into the soil Until I know again where I am from I come home to ground myself To remind myself of the stories that have made me who I am To acknowledge the sagas of the ones that have made us who we are I come home to recognition and honour I come home to meeting place river banks Water lapping my arrival, Moving in the same spirit of welcoming that it has moved for centuries I come to history and harvest I come home to the wanting and pleading To the challenges and the turmoil I come home to hurt and also to healing I come home to learn how compassion can sit in the Body of a city, in its people I come home ready to recognize pain and strength I come home to endurance and survival I come home to learning To sharing I come home to teach and be taught I come home to tenacity To my heart thick with the desire to make a difference in this city I come home to understand that we in this city are not much different than the endurance of the sun I come home to remember we are a city that does not quit on itself I come home to watch us rise in each morning And to see how we give praise for each of us, For this place, For our role in it I come how to know once again How to give a praise that lights up this home every day

Where is the wildest place poetry has taken you?

To myself. It is both a welcoming and a returning every time.

What artists most inspire you, and why?

I am inspired by the ones who don’t just hold narratives between their teeth and only let us see it when they open their mouths. No, I am inspired by the ones who embody narratives in all ways. The midnight suns and the dark dawns. The creative and the clever. And most of all, they are by the grace of the universe, the ones who have held me and mentored me and guided me through my own poetic journey. I am proud to call them inspirations, but I am honoured to call them my friends. Lighting up this prairie girl’s heart, they are: Sheri-D Wilson, Regie Cabico, Jack McCarthy, Brendan McLeod, CR Avery, Evalyn Parry, Tanya Davis, Eva Foote (who forms the other half of my poetry-music project called The Low Down Self-Esteems), and Thomas Trofimuk.

(With fangirl shout-outs – don’t be judging on any of these - to Dolly Parton, Marina Abramovic, Sandra Bullock, and Julia Child).

I spend a lot of my life immersed deeply within an academic pool and while I know that we don’t often view academics as artists, I think we should begin to. I know that within the academy we can find those lighthouse people that Joan Didion speaks about, who provide these harbours of creativity. They stand aside, but a part of, because they make space for new ways of thinking, for beautiful ways to name how we make meaning of the world, and they articulate the very living we do in profound ways. I think there is an artistry in that. I would be negligent to not mention that I am inspired by these academics and the work they do/have done: Dr. Sara Carpenter, Dr. Jean Clandinin, Dr. Tammy Iftody, Dr. TL Cowan, Dr. Dia da Costa, and, of course without fail: Mr. Myles Horton.

What was the last book you finished reading?

Claudia Rankine - Don’t Let Me Be Lonely The Long Haul – Myles Horton

What has been one of your favourite moments on stage?

One of my most memorable moments was participating in the Underground Indies at the CFSW in Montreal. I somehow squeaked into the final three accompanied by the much more deserving Andre Prefontaine and Sabrina Benaim and, as the venue demanded we leave because they were closing, we performed our poems packed into a back alley. There was something magical about that, despite the fact that I tried to escape and go to bed.

I would be remiss to let this question go by without mentioning that I was also blessed to perform with Jack McCarthy at one of his final shows. I will forever hold on to that day as an inexplicable moment of grace that continues to smooth me around the rough times.

What would you like to be doing five years from now?

Making a fantastic loaf of bread and serving a wonderful soup. Tending a garden. Keeping myself open to world so that I might continue to do the hard work. Doing the hard work. With those who’ve chosen to work with me.

Mary Pinkoski, 5th Poet Laureate of the City of Edmonton (2013-2015), is an internationally recognized poet. She has performed on stages across North American and at the 2015 Winter Lights Festival in Reykjavik, Iceland. Her work has appeared in multiple anthologies. She is the 2011 Canadian National Spoken Word Champion and a winner of the 2008 CBC National Poetry Face-off. In 2015, Mary was recognized as an Edmonton Top 40 Under 40 and also awarded a University of Alberta Alumni Horizon Award for her poetry work in the Edmonton community, in particular for facilitating poetry workshops and her creation of the City of Edmonton’s Youth Poet Laureate role which she continues to help coordinate.

[Photo: Curtis Trent]

[luminatofestival]

Kiinalik: These Sharp Tools is a multimedia performance, concert, dialogue, and symbolic convergence between the North and the South of Canada. Inuk artist Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory and queer theatre-maker Evalyn Parry, accompanied by cellist Cris Derksen, map new territory together in a work that gives voice and body to the lived histories, culture, and climate we have inherited, challenges the audience to confront their lack of knowledge, and then asks how we reckon with these sharp tools.

Kiinalik: These Sharp Tools will be presented June 12-16, 2019 at the Berkeley Street Theatre in downtown Toronto. 

[youtheldersproject-blog]

The Youth/Elders Project

A collaboration between Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, The 519, and The Senior Pride Network

Directed by Evalyn Parry with LeeLee Davis + Vanessa Dunn

Performers + Creators

Jordan Campbell, Daniel Carter, Brian Cope, Monica Garrido, Genady Gavleshov, Riley Kelk, Bella Larsen, LeZlie Lee Kam, Neila Lem, Lila Pine, Russell Powell, Shauna Sloan + Ty Sloane

Buddies, The 519, and Senior Pride Network want to say a huge thank you and congratulations to everyone who participated in Phase One of The Youth/Elders Project. Our fall workshop series was a huge success, with over 50 participants coming out to learn, share, and explore our queer lives and histories together. From this group, we selected an intergenerational ensemble of 13 people who will be part of the next phase of development and final presentation.

In 2017, we move into the next phase of the project and start gearing up for our mainstage presentation May 31-June 4. And if you can’t wait until then to see what we’re up to, we will be doing a public presentation on our work in progress on February 23 as part of Buddies’ annual Rhubarb Festival.

What is the Youth/Elders Project?

In an exciting new partnership between Buddies, The 519, and the Senior Pride Network, The Youth / Elders Project brings together young and old to create a living document of our personal queer histories. Integrating text, movement, music, and design, a group of queer youth and elders embark on an oral history of queer lives. This intergenerational ensemble will offer a snapshot of queer life as a way to preserve personal histories and engage a new generation with the possibilities of queer identity.

How do I stay informed about this project?

You can join our Youth / Elders Project Facebook group to get the latest info on upcoming events and connect with your fellow participants.

Or, you can email Kate Hazell Specialist, Education and Training with your questions.

What is the schedule of activities?

During Phase 1 of the Project (September – November, 2016) workshops were offered weekly, with Youth meeting on Mondays from 6-9pm at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre and Elders meeting on Saturdays from 2-5pm at The 519. In addition, there were workshops where both groups worked together on Sept 26, Oct 22, Nov 5 & Nov 7.

What happens after that?

Following the fall workshop series, a smaller group of youth and elders (drawn from workshop participants) have been selected to take part in the next phase of the project. This smaller group will create and perform an original piece of theatre on Buddies Mainstage, directed by Evalyn Parry, May 30-Jun 4 2017. Rehearsals will take place on Monday evenings. There will be a three week, full time, paid rehearsal period in May leading up to the production.

The Youth / Elders Project is supported by the Community Collaborations Program at the Canada Council for the Arts

[sprocketblog]

2020 Totally Spoke'd podcast with Sprocket App Founder #7 is out now 6/15 on @smithers_community_radio Link in their bio. Learn about the #SprocketApp, #bikeadvocacy and #biketouring! Song credit: She Rides by Evalyn Parry Sell your bicycles & parts on the Sprocket app. Link in bio www.sprocket.bike #podcast #radio #bikelife #bikeapp (at Tucson, Arizona) https://www.instagram.com/p/CB9DKLIFtuO/?igshid=1n8fw8cunv8qa

[cineparlour]

Let’s Talk About Race, Space and Other Dirty Things

LET’S TALK ABOUT RACE, SPACE AND OTHER DIRTY THINGS workshop

MANO Mornings at COLD WATERS Media Arts Symposium + Festival North Bay, Ontario Saturday 15 June 2019, 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Facilitated by Indu Vashist and Scott Miller Berry Description Using real-life case studies, ranging from dealing with online call-out culture, to the generation gap in political understanding, to institutions taking public accountability for their missteps, this workshop will troubleshoot, problem solve and envision creative and sustainable ways to work through interpersonal conflicts stemming from systemic issues.

In small breakout sessions, participants will be given four case studies of recent examples of frictions within artist-run culture. Participants will choose two of the four case studies to discuss in smaller groups and come up potential solutions; alternative ways the orgs could have approached the issues or any other creative interventions. Rather than just presenting critique, the goal of this workshop is to work towards possible, tangible solutions and recommendations toward the future. We’ve provided links below for further reading; feel free to do your own research as well!

Case Study One: Buddies in Bad Times Theatre Toronto 

LGBTQ+ theatre Buddies in Bad Times planned a staged reading of co-founder Sky Gilbert’s 1986 play “Drag Queens in Outer Space” in fall 2018 as part of their 40th anniversary programs. This reading was cast with artists of colour and trans-identified artists. On October 19, 2018 playwright and Buddies co-founder Sky Gilbert published the following blog post, entitled "An Open Letter to Vivek Shraya" (first link below). The following week, Buddies announced they were cancelling a staged reading of Gilbert's 1986 play "Drag Queens in Outer Space" due to his letter; this is the venues statement regarding the "change of programming plans" (second link below).

Instead, in the place of this reading they held a "Long Table" open community discussion and offered this quote to ponder: "…but we implore you not to lose sight of the larger conversation, which tonight is "In these increasingly polarized times, how can we, as an intergenerational queer community cherish all that makes us different and conquer all that makes us afraid”?” (quote by Vivek Shraya) - from Evalyn Parry's introduction to the long table at Buddies, November 19, 2018 (third link below).

Links: http://skygilbert.blogspot.com/2018/10/an-open-letter-to-vivek-shraya.html

https://www.facebook.com/buddiesinbadtimes/posts/10155981531735773

http://buddiesinbadtimes.com/blog/long-table-opening-remarks/

Interview with Buddies AD Evalyn Parry about the decision http://buddiesinbadtimes.com/blog/a-post-long-tabble-update/

Recent reflection by Sky Gilbert https://quillette.com/2019/06/01/watching-my-own-excommunication-on-a-facebook-video/

Guiding Questions: -When (if ever) is censorship appropriate when critique of an artist/artwork is brought forward?

-Who makes decisions? (Where is the power in the room?)

-How should an institution react to online callout culture?

-How do we react to new information about an artist to judge their past work?

-- Case Study Two: Cinecycle This venue was approached in August 2018 for a possible rental for a mental health and art event for racialized communities. The original post and the only response to date are included (and linked) below. While there has been considerable responses on both "sides" to date there has been no direct public acknowledgement of what actually happened by Cinecycle nor any public disavowal from any organizations that use/have used the venue. While the venue does not receive public funding it is supported by many organizations that do receive public funding.

ORIGINAL POST Taja Nicholle | August 16, 2018 · I don't rant like this on Facebook a lot anyway but I had experienced discrimination and stereotyping first hand today. Today I called CineCycle, a small theatre and event space in Toronto because I am curating an art show called 'Transparency" in October alongside six other artists and teaming with two organizations which will shine a light and bring education and awareness on mental health and self-care in the black and brown communities since it is still such a taboo topic in our own communities. I was looking to possibly hold the event there since it was recommended to me.

I called and spoke with a man by the name of Martin Heath, who is in charge of events there. I told him who I was and what I do, and information about the event. He proceeded to tell me that "is there going to be hip-hop music? and smoking?" and I was very confused. I said "...no?" and he's like "Well you know that's all those people do. Pull up in large crowds and blare hip-hop music and smoke and cause a scene" So I said to him "So since we're black, that's what you think we are going to do?" and he said, "...well yeah?"

To all my up and coming and established visual artists This establishment is not for all people what so ever. Do not bring any of your business there. Unfortunately in the U.S. racism and discrimination are still alive and well, unfortunately, but I didn't think ART SPACES in Toronto would be the same way.

RESPONSE CineCycle | August 26, 2018 · Since its inception 27 years ago, CineCycle has been dedicated to enabling and supporting a diverse range of voices from alternative arts and cultural communities on an inclusive and non-discriminatory basis. CineCycle is, always has been, and always will be opposed to prejudice of any kind, and as a community space has always endeavoured to be welcoming and available to all. What happened last week was an unfortunate misunderstanding, which was understandably caused by an inappropriate line of questioning on Martin's part, due to his misperception of the nature of the proposed event. CineCycle recognizes that this incident has prompted a great deal of concern and upset across a number of communities. We hope that these communities will recognize, as we do, that a mistake was made, which we regret. CineCycle wishes to apologize for this error in judgement on Martin's part and for any offence or hurt it has caused.

Guiding Questions: 

-How do we give and take criticism when conversation is mediated by online social media platforms?

-How can we move from online call out culture / shaming critiques toward off line dialogues and mediation?

-Can we hold colleagues accountable when missteps are made?

-- Case Study Three: Mercer Union The exhibition Nep Sidhu: Medicine for a Nightmare (they called, we responded), opened at Mercer Union in Toronto on 9 February 2019. Members of Toronto’s visual arts community expressed grave concerns with how the project’s guest curator represented a charged history within the framing of the exhibition, specifically in her accompanying essay. Their concerns highlighted how the guest curator’s framing simplified and obfuscated the breadth of violence that unfolded in India in 1984 and the trauma and violence experienced since. Over the duration of the exhibition, Mercer Union participated in a number of private conversations regarding the framing of the exhibition, the relationship among artist, guest curator and host venue, and larger discussions regarding curatorial responsibility and institutional accountability. Since the initial concerns were expressed, the organization and guest curator removed the accompanying exhibition essay from the space. In its place was an annotated bibliography that gathered texts that address the broader historical context of the events of 1984, their ongoing repercussions, and the machinations of memory, memorialization and trauma that might be at play in how the events of 1984 persist in the present day. The exhibition is now traveling – with revised texts and discursive programs – to SFU Galleries, Vancouver and Esker Foundation, Calgary. - provided by Mercer Union.

Links: http://www.mercerunion.org/exhibitions/nep-sidhu-medicine-for-a-nightmare-they-called-we-responded/

http://www.mercerunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/MercerUnion_NepSidhu_Exhibition_Bibliography-1.pdf

Guiding Questions: -What are the responsibilities of a host organization in responding to or holding space for criticisms from racialized communities?

-Is an artist run centre responsible for the supporting of an artist’s vision even if its controversial?

-What is the role of an external curator in maintaining relationships/communication between the host institution/ artist/ publics?

-- Case Study Four: Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) Museums today are struggling with what to do when artists represented in their galleries are accused of sexual harassment or when artworks in their collections are viewed as problematic. #MeToo & the Arts offers audiences a series of public engagements that explore the intersection of #MeToo and the arts, with a focus on museums. Prompted by the ROM’s presentation of Modernism on the Ganges: Raghubir Singh Photographs, and an allegation of sexual misconduct made against the deceased artist, #MeToo & the Arts seeks to encourage a larger conversation about how museums, and the public, are engaging with art within the context of the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements. Located at the entrance to the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal in the Thorsell Spirit House and open free to the public, the display examines how museums are engaging with issues raised since October 2017 when the #MeToo movement gained momentum in the wake of allegations made against a number of powerful men in the film industry. The display invites audiences to learn, reflect and consider their own questions and answers on the issues. -Text from Royal Ontario Museum website

Links: https://www.rom.on.ca/en/exhibitions-galleries/exhibitions/metoo-the-arts-0

https://canadianart.ca/features/metoo-and-museums/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/rom-metoo-singh-photographs-1.4719383

https://nowtoronto.com/culture/art-and-design/raghubir-singh-rom-metoo/

Guiding Questions: -How do we program artists (living or dead) who have committed sexualized violence and/or harassment?

-Can you separate the art from the artist?

-- Contact Indu Vashist / indu@savac.net 

Scott Miller Berry / cineparlour@gmail.com

[ttcas]

Toronto Theatre Critics Awards: 2016 winners

Best Production of a Play: Butcher by Nicolas Billon, directed by Weyni Mengesha (Butcher’s Block Collective and Why Not Theatre, Theatre Centre)

Best New Canadian Play: Sunday in Sodom and Botticelli in the Fire by Jordan Tannahill, directed by Matjash Mrozewski and Estelle Shook (Canadian Stage)

Best Director of a Play: Ravi Jain, Salt Water Moon by David French (Factory Theatre)

Best Design (tie): Betroffenheit by Crystal Pite and Jonathon Young - Owen Belton & Alessandro Juliani & Meg Roe (composition and sound), Jay Gower Taylor (set), Tom Visser (lighting), Nancy Bryant (costumes), directed by Jonathon Young (Kidd Pivot and The Electric Theatre Company, Canadian Stage); and Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl - Lorenzo Savoini (set and costumes), Kimberly Purtell (lighting), Debashis Sinha (sound), directed by Alan Dilworth (Soulpepper Theatre)

Best Actor in a Play: Kawa Ada, Bombay Black by Anosh Irani, directed by Peter Hinton (Factory Theatre)

Best Actress in a Play: Laura Condlln, Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen, adapted by Florian Borchmeyer, directed by Richard Rose (Tarragon Theatre)

Best Supporting Actor in a Play: Danny Ghantous, Line in the Sand by Guillermo Verdecchia and Marcus Youssef, directed by Nigel Shawn Williams (Factory Theatre)

Best Supporting Actress in a Play: Anna Chatterton, Gertrude and Alice by Evalyn Parry and Anna Chatterton, directed by Karin Randoja (Independent Aunties, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre)

Best New Musical: The Chasse-Galerie by the company, composed by James Smith, directed by Tyrone Savage (Red One Theatre Collective, Storefront Theatre)

Best Production of a Musical: Kinky Boots by Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper, directed by Jerry Mitchell (Mirvish Productions)

Best Director of a Musical: Tyrone Savage, The Chasse-Galerie

Best Actor in a Musical: Alan Mingo Jr., Kinky Boots

Best Actress in a Musical: Carly Heffernan, One Night Only by Alan Kliffer and the company, directed by Melody Johnson (Kliffer Entertainment and Golden Ages Productions, Factory Theatre)

Best Supporting Actor in a Musical: Justin Bott, The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, Harold Arlen, and E.Y. Harburg, directed by Joey Tremblay (Young People’s Theatre)

Best Supporting Actress in a Musical: AJ Bridel, Kinky Boots

Special Citation: Videofag (William Ellis and Jordan Tannahill)

[thisisnotlegaladvice]

"She who succeeds in gaining mastery of the bicycle, gains mastery of life." Miss Francis Willard, 1895

Let Evalyn Parry be your guide as you begin your 30 days of biking.

[medicalreflections-blog]

"The Heart is the Engine" - Evalyn Parry

In her brilliant performance "Spin" Evalyn Parry says this about the bicycle and about the physical heart. But in art, especially her art, the open heart is the emotional engine.  It is the engine that delivers the rich meaning that comes of seeing the world through the prism of her  brain.

I loved everything this performance, the rich intricacy, the history lesson, the political stance, the personal reveals, the deeply felt emotion and connection across time and space between strangers. We in medicine have so much to learn and I think some of it was being taught by her tonight:

- The value is in the doing

- There is meaning and connection everywhere and the more disparate the elements the more unique the light they cast on one another.

We need to keep an open heart and approach the richness of the human stories we are surrounded by with wonder and reverence - there is meaning waiting for us everywhere.  In our work too, the heart is the engine. How much more texture and meaning there would be if we could keep our hearts open and allow our emotional hearts to be our engines.