We’ve launched the second annual The Intersection, with fresh new selection of workshops and debate series lead by a Toronto’s very own cutting edge artists. We bring you an experience from our first ever conference below, from Paprika alumnae and Advisory Board member Tijana Spasic.
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Theatre talk. Cool cats. Enlightenment. I had a great time at first ever The Intersection last year. It’s a good way for younger (read:not 40) theatre artists and creators to get together and talk about issues that matter to them. The conference combine both formal opportunities to explore ways of working and informal ways of socializing, or “networking.” It’s a fantastic day organized for young artists by young artists and addresses issues in Toronto’s theatre scene that many of us are facing, in a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere.
The workshops offer a holistic experience — providing ways of managing not only the world of theatre administration and theatre creation but also, how to manage your time and well-being. There was a mindfulness workshop last year led by Guillermo Verdecchia, which offered strategies that helped one find focus while working. I took the grant writing workshop, led by Pat Bradley, and one of my favourite parts was being able to hear what projects people were working on while hearing on the spot feedback from Pat Bradley about what could make those potential proposals stronger.
This year at The Intersection is no different. From Peter Wylde, we have the Welcome Back to Language! workshop; Dr Kate F Hayes brings us Mental Skills for Optimal Performance workshop; Blair Steinbach offers us Leadership: The Power of Conversation workshop; Nicholas Wallace gives us Misdirection — a workshop in magic; Rebecca Burton & Sedina Fiati give us the important #ShareTheStage: Mapping Equity Initiates in Canadian Theatre, Film & Television; and Mitchell Cushman leads A Director’s Approach to Immersive Theatre.
To top it all off, the conference presents a debate series, which I loved last year. We had passionate, intelligent and mindful debaters, including Mel Hague, and Nina Lee Aquino, who were fired up, competing with each other to change the minds of the audience. Afterwards, we had the opportunity to chat with them closely. I was pretty much a debater from birth-so it was perfect for me, but there was opportunity for quiet contemplation afterwards. This year, our debaters include Cole Alvis and Indrit Kasapi of LemonTree Creations, actor & playwright Amelia Sargisson, and Artistic Director of The Amy Project Nikki Shaffeeullah.
The conference is back in full force. You don’t want to miss out. Get your tickets here!
Signing off,
Tijana Spasic
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 15, 2016
The Paprika Festival Announces: The Intersection
Second Annual Conference for the New Generation of Theatre Artists in Toronto
Toronto, ON – February 15, 2016 – The Paprika Festival announces The Intersection, a return of last year’s sold-out conference for the new generation of artists. After fifteen years of presenting theatre created by young artists, Paprika is growing and expanding its newest initiative: a day of education, professional networking, and debate aimed at serving artists under 30. Paprika presents its 2015/16 season in partnership with Native Earth Performing Arts.
The Intersection will focus on what political and artistic goals matter to the new generation, as well as the practical matters of how to make and sustain a life in the arts today. This event will be a space for young artists to voice their experiences in the professional theatre arts and critically discuss what skills or resources they need as they develop their careers as professional artists. This initiative is devoted to supporting the future of Toronto performance.
This year, under the leadership of new Artistic Producer Darwin Lyons, the conference is hosted by Paprika’s Industry partner Theatre Passe Muraille and Lemontree Creations on Sunday March 13 from 2pm until late.
The event is curated by the returning team of Paprika Artistic Programs Manager and Dora award-winning playwright Rosamund Small, with Associate Producers: Anika Johnson (co-creator of the Edinburgh Fringe musical Blood Ties and Toronto Fringe’s Summerland), Jeff Ho (performer of SummerWorks hit Unknown Soldier), and Richard Lam (Soulpepper Academy actor, musician and sound designer). The event was conceived and created by Rosamund Small in 2015 to expand on and continue The Paprika Festival’s tradition of training the next generation of young artists.
The day starts off with a casual meet-and-greet for young artists, with roundtable discussions on pressing artistic and political questions that artists are tackling in the city today. Roundtable topics will include: How do we make exciting live art for the Netflix generation? In today’s environment, are we alienating audiences by asking them to turn off their phones? What will Canadian theatre look like in ten years?
This will be followed by a choice of workshops in both artistic and practical skillsets. In the evening, special guests will take part in a debate series focused on the role of young artists in the city, today and in the future. The evening will end with an after-party at a nearby bar Tequila Bookworm.
The 2016 Intersection Workshop Leaders
Rebecca Burton and Sedina Fiati lead #ShareTheStage: Mapping Equity Initiatives in Canadian Theatre, Film, and Television
Sedina Fiati is a multidisciplinary performer, creator, producer, facilitator and activist for stage and screen. CAEA Councillor & 2nd Vice President. Rebecca Burton is an editor, educator, researcher, theatre practitioner, and arts administrator who works for PGC and co-leads the Equity in Theatre (EIT) project.
Mitchell Cushman leads A Director’s Approach to Immersive Theatre
Mitchell Cushman is a director, playwright, producer, educator and Artistic Director of Outside the March, one of Canada’s leading immersive theatre companies.
Dr Kate F. Hays leads Mental Skills for Optimal Performance
Dr. Kate Hays is a psychologist specializing in the mental aspects of peak performance through her Toronto-based consulting practice, The Performing Edge.
Nick Wallace leads Misdirection
Nick Wallace is an illusionist, consultant and theatre creator.
Peter Wylde leads Welcome Back To Language!
Peter Wylde has taught acting, history and English courses for thirty years at the National Theatre School of Canada, George Brown Theatre School and Ryerson Theatre School, and at the Stratford Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre.
Blair Steinbach leads Leadership: The Power of Conversations
As co-founder of GreenLine Conversations, Blair has trained senior executives around the globe in Australia, Europe, Saudi Arabia, Jamaica, Brazil, Singapore and North America.
TICKETS: Tickets for the full day conference can be purchased for $15 on the Paprika Festival website at paprikafestival.com. The evening debate series will also be open to the public as a separate Pay What You Can event.
The Paprika Festival gratefully acknowledges annual operating and project support from the Ontario Arts Council, and annual operating support from the Toronto Arts Council. This project is also made possible, in part, by the Youth Theatre Training Program of Theatre Ontario, funded by the Ontario Arts Council.
The Paprika Festival is a youth-led performing arts organization focused on providing professional training and mentorship programs to emerging artists across Toronto. Now in its 15th year, Paprika presents year-round programming including an annual festival of new work, a conference for the next generation of theatre artists, a diverse group of productions, playwrights-in-residence, a Creators’ Unit, a Regent Park Collective, a youth advisory board, ongoing mentorship, training days and a vibrant connection to the professional arts community. Paprika’s programming is delivered at no cost to the participants and culminates in a week-long festival May 23 to 29, 2016 at Native Earth’s Aki Studio in the Daniels Spectrum, in partnership with Native Earth Performing Arts.
A mid-semester stress-buster!
Looking to satisfy your hedonistic cravings? Well, you’re in luck! For $5 ($2.50 for 2016 Paprika Festival artists), you and yours will have unlimited access to a variety of board games. You can win prizes! You can devour a variety of baked goods! You can guzzle fresh coffee, and hot chocolate – all freshly made in-house with love! And if you get a craving for a little more creativity, we’ve got you covered. Our fundraiser, organized by the 2016 Advisory Board, features a $2 used book sale.
Join us on Saturday February 6, 2016, at the Helen Gardner Playhouse Lobby (79 George St) 4pm-8pm, dressed in your best homage to your favourite fantastic character. Fellow nerds, artists and story-lovers will keep you in warm company.
All proceeds go to support the Paprika Festival, including our second annual artist conference The Intersection.
Come hibernate with us!
~Sukaina Ibraheem
Advisory Board Member 2016
Announcing the 2015/2016 Paprika Festival Artists
We are incredibly excited to announce the artists who will be part of the 15th Paprika Festival! Full programming, ticket information and the festival schedule will be available in Spring 2016. The 15th annual Paprika Festival lands May 23rd to 29th 2016, at the Aki Studio in Regent Park, in partnership with Native Earth Performing Arts.
WHO WILL BE THE TRIVIA CHAMPION?
Please join us for the Paprika Festival’s second annual 90s TRIVIA NIGHT fundraiser!
With your help, we are raising funds to support the free-of-charge training, mentorship and creative work of the young artists participating in the 15th annual Paprika Festival.
Join us on Monday, November 30th at 7pm at The Duke of York, 39 Prince Arthur Ave, Toronto.
Sign up with a team or individually to compete. There will be prizes for the winners of each round and a special prize for the ultimate winners.
$25 in advance
$30 at the door
In addition to participating in trivia, all ticket-buyers will receive one free drink ticket and a tax receipt, and will be entered into a draw to win a door prize!
Buy your tickets online HERE or at the door (cash only) and RSVP at create@paprikafestival.com! Teams are encouraged!
The Paprika Festival is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization.
The Paprika Festival runs May 23-29, 2016 at the Daniels Spectrum Cultural Hub in Regent Park, in partnership with Native Earth Performing Arts.
Want to work with members of your community?
Want to create a collaborative piece of artwork?
Want to explore theatre, spoken word, visual arts, dance, playwriting and more?
Paprika’s Residency Program is for you!
The residency program is a multidisciplinary arts program, designed for members of the Regent Park community for the 2015/16 year. We welcome Regent Park artists who have varied interests and artistic backgrounds. The residency program culminates in a collaboratively devised theatre performance, created by you as part of the Paprika Festival.
The Paprika Festival is currently seeking applications for our 2015/2016 artistic programs. Whether you’re starting your first project and don’t know where it could end up or you have the perfect vision for an exciting new play, Paprika can help to take your work to the next level.
We run year round professional training and mentorship programs that culminate in a performing arts festival of new work by young artists. This year, our programs will begin in November 2015 and lead up to a showcase at the Paprika Festival in May 2016. The Festival will take place at the Daniels Spectrum cultural hub in Regent Park, in partnership with Native Earth Performing Arts.
Through our diverse artistic training programs, Paprika provides the following:
- We connect you with leading professional artists for personalized mentorships
- We provide a space to experiment, develop your work and take creative risks
- We help to prepare you for a career in the arts through professional development workshops
- All of our programs are free-of-charge to participants
Paprika is committed to accessibility. If you need assistance with your application in any way please don’t hesitate to contact us. We strive to be a barriers free organization and we want to make this as easy as possible for you! We offer interviews to every applicant, so if a written application poses any challenges to you we can easily go through the questions in your interview.
2015/2016 PROGRAMS
PAPRIKA PRODUCTIONS
Independently stage an original script or performance project of your choosing. We provide the mentorship and resources and you bring the company to make it happen. Read more about Paprika Productions here.
CREATORS’ UNIT
The Creators’ Unit is a weekly, facilitated program where you can meet other creative thinkers, experiment with new ideas and collaborate on an original, devised performance project to be presented at the festival. Read more about Creators’ Unit here.
RESIDENT COMPANY
The Resident Company is a multidisciplinary arts program with drop-in sessions and weekly artistic workshops in the Regent Park community. We welcome Regent Park artists of all interests and artistic backgrounds looking to get involved with the performing arts. Read more about Resident Company here.
PLAYWRITING
Whether you’re just beginning to write or have been writing for years, the Playwriting program at Paprika can help you take your work to the next stage under professional artistic mentorship. Read more about Playwrighting programs here.
ADVISORY BOARD
Join a team of aspiring arts leaders, producers, artists and art-enthusiasts and help guide the Festival through programming and planning decisions. Read more about Advisory Board here.
DIRECTOR’S LAB
The director’s lab is a new program geared at emerging directors looking to develop their craft. In partnership with Theatre Passe Muraille and Native Earth Performing Arts, participants will receive mentorship from a professional theatre company, participate in master classes with a professional director, and have their work showcased at the festival. Read more about Director’s Lab here.
More information about all our programs and how to apply can be found here:
APPLY NOW
ALL APPLICATIONS ARE DUE OCTOBER 14, 2015 (11:59PM EST)
If you have questions about any of the programs, feel free to write to Artistic Producer Darwin Lyons at darwin@paprikafestival.com.
The Paprika Festival’s Project Original is returning to the stage as part of Ontario’s Celebration Zone during the 2015 PanAm Games! If you missed this fantastic show during our May festival, you have 5 more chances to catch it (new and improved) before it’s gone! Project Original explores a compilation of ideas, thoughts and stories from Toronto’s diverse Alexandra Park community. How do we identify with our communities? What does it feel like to fit in, versus not? What happens when outsiders want to change that community? What does “revitalization” really mean? Join us in our search to answer these beautiful, complicated questions, spray painting blank walls, jumping fences, and encountering the powers that be.
Creative Team:
Directed by: Bilal Baig
Written and performed by: Jeremy Urbina Abrazado, Celia Green & Savannah Lavallée
Stage manager: Jules Mendoza
Dates:
Sunday, July 19th – 7:30pm
Monday, July 20th – 8:00pm
Tuesday, July 21st – 7:30pm
Wednesday, July 22nd – 7:30pm
Thursday, July 23rd – 5:00pm
Venue:
Harbourfront Centre Theatre, 231 Queens Quay West
Admission:
All of the shows are FREE, non-ticketed performances
Show Length:
60 mins
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS:
We are seeking an enthusiastic, organized and ambitious young person to join our Festival staff as Festival Associate and Advisory Board Leader.
The Advisory Board is a hands-on leadership training program for young people, led by young people. For each member it is a way to connect with the Festival as a creative thinker and to help us imagine our next steps. The Advisory Board plans creative projects, executes fundraising activities, and programs parts of the Festival.
The Festival Associate will be the head of the Advisory Board for the 2015/16 season. They will be in charge of organizing and leading meetings, spearheading Advisory Board initiatives, and steering the direction of the Advisory Board program itself. Furthermore, the Festival Associate will have opportunities to shadow Paprika Festival staff in aspects of arts management, programming or administration that interest them; a desire for mentorship and hands-on experience is essential.
The Advisory Board meets monthly to take on projects that support the Paprika Festival as a whole. This is a great way to learn about how a charitable non-profit arts organization works. You will be designing your own portfolio of events and activities as you assist the Festival to expand its programming, connect with new audiences, engage participants with each other and the arts, manage logistics, and talk about the way that new work is encouraged and created.
More information about the Paprika Festival’s mandate and values can be found here.
This is an active learning opportunity with ongoing mentorship. A small honorarium is provided.
Please note this is a year-long position, beginning August 2015 and ending June 2016.
The ideal candidate will have:
- An investment in the well-being of the festival and festival events
- Strong leadership and organizational skills
- Strong initiative and a willingness to learn
- An enthusiasm for the arts, theatre and youth engagement
- Experience in arts production, management or advocacy is an asset. Volunteer experience counts!
- Strong preference will be given to previous members of the Paprika Advisory Board and/or previous participants of the Paprika Festival.
Festival Associate duties:
- Participating in Paprika’s bi-weekly staff meetings and taking meeting minutes
- Interviewing applicants and selecting the Advisory Board members of the 2015/16 season
- Organizing monthly Advisory Board meetings, beginning October 30, 2015
- Liaising between the Advisory Board and the staff
- Full participation in Festival events (May 2016) and all Festival Training Days.
- Participation and assistance in the execution of The Intersection (a conference for emerging artists)
- Planning and executing two fundraising events, under the supervision and direct mentorship of Festival Staff
- Responsible for the participation and commitment of all Advisory Board members at mandatory events
- Assistance with outreach to schools, community groups and through social media to recruit Advisory Board Members.
- Additional artistic and administrative duties as required by the Artistic Producer and General Manager
- Commitment to creating a fun, engaging and motivating environment for Advisory Board Members is the role’s most important duty! People skills are a must-have.
TO APPLY:
Please send resume and cover letter to create@paprikafestival.com with “Festival Associate – Applicant Name” as the subject line. The cover letter should address the following questions:
- What is it about this program and the Paprika Festival that interests you? Include a summary of your previous experience with Paprika and/or the Advisory Board if applicable
- What experience and/or skills do believe you can bring to the Advisory Board as Leader?
- What skills do you hope to gain from this position?
- How will you make time in your life to meet the time commitment of this program?
- Tell us about one time you used your leadership skills in the arts
- To help us schedule your interview, please include detailed availability for August 7th, 2015 and August 8th, 2015
SEND E-SUBMISSIONS TO:
SEND MAIL SUBMISSIONS TO:
Paprika Festival
16 Ryerson Avenue
Toronto, Ontario, M5T 2P3
DEADLINE IS July 27th AT 11:59PM
Please feel free to contact Artistic Producer, Darwin Lyons, with any questions or concerns via darwin@paprikafestival.com
All applicants will be invited to an entrance interview. Interviews will be conducted on the evenings August 7th and daytime of August 8th.