Jumblies Theatre

Jumblies Theatre
Type Non Profit
Industry Entertainment: Community Art
Founded 2001
Founder(s) Ruth Howard
Headquarters Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Area served Toronto
Key people Ruth Howard, Founder
Website www.jumbliestheatre.org

Jumblies Theatre is a Community Arts Theatre Company with the over all concept of social inclusion.

Contents

Origins

Jumblies Theatre was founded in 2001 by its Artistic Director, Ruth Howard. Ruth’s work is inspired by the British Community Play form, pioneered by the Colway Theatre Trust, and brought to Canada in the 1990s by Dale Hamilton.

In bringing the community play to Toronto, Ruth Howard and Jumblies Theatre, created the necessity to adapt the form to an urban community. The new format focus’s on multiculturalism, engaging newcomers, and working with public housing residents. The company also maintains community arts’ guiding principles of inclusive community engagement, a value that ‘everyone is welcome’, along with a focus on artistic quality and respect for process and product.

Residencies

Jumblies Theatre creates residency projects, which typically involve over 300 community participants from each community it works in, along with 20 to 30 professional artists from a range of disciplines and cultural traditions. Toronto residency neighbourhoods to date include South Riverdale, Lawrence Heights, Davenport-Perth and Central Etobicoke, Scarborough.

Projects

South Riverdale (2001) Project Partners: South Riverdale Community Health Centre, WoodGreen Community Centre, Ralph Thornton Centre, Jimmie Simpson Recreation Centre and Park, Queen Street East Presbyterian Church, Riverdale Community Business Centre, WoodGreen United Church

Arts4All (2001-2009) Offshoot project 2007-current) Project Partners: Davenport Perth Neighbourhood Centre, the STOP Community Food Centre, Pelham Park (TCHC), Davenport Perth United Church

MABELLE arts (2004-2008) Off shoot company (2008- current) Project Partners: Montgomery's Inn (City of Toronto Culture Division), Toronto Community Housing Corporation, Madbakh, Islington Junior Middle School, Mabelle Community Action Committee

Naivelt (2006- 2009) Project Partners: United Jewish Peoples Order, Morris Winchevsky Centre

Jumblies Studio (2007-2009) Project Partners: Davenport Perth Neighbourhood Centre, Ontario Trillium Foundation, George Cedric Metcalf Charitable Foundation

Scarborough Project (2008- present) Project Partners: Cedar Ridge Studio Gallery, East Scarborough Storefront, Toronto Community Housing Corporation, Ontario Trillium Foundation, George Cedric Metcalf Charitable Foundation,

Productions

Awards and honors

2000 Our Millennium Award for South Riverdale Lives and Legends

2000 South Riverdale CHC, Citizen of the Year (Ruth Howard)

2002 Community Arts Ontario, Best Practices for More or the Magic Fish

2004 Toronto Urban Institute, Urban Leadership Award Nomination

2005 Toronto Community Foundation, Vital People Award (Ruth Howard)

2005 Fresh Ground Commission, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto

2007 Great Grants Award, Ontario Trillium Foundation

2007 nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Costume Design for Bridge of One Hair

2007 participant in the New World Stage Festival, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto

2008 Toronto Community Foundation, Vital Ideas Grant

Further reading

See also

References

External links