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Megan Folden

Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan Tries Something New

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Even for longstanding arts organizations with sizable profiles, grant funding can help them work on something they’ve rarely tried before. That was the case in 2022 for Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan, who used Creative Saskatchewan’s Live Performing Arts Production Grant to create something a little outside their usual faire.

Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan (SOTS) isn’t new to taking a risk. The non-profit, founded in 1985, has rode the up and down waves of the arts since then, including building a new festival site that was completed in 2020. With that new location came new theatrical opportunities, including premiering a new Canadian play by local playwright Daniel Macdonald called Iago Speaks.

So, where’s the risk? Well, SOTS has traditionally relied on adapting Shakespeare’s canon rather than branching out into Shakespeare-inspired work. Stretching out to different parts of the organisation’s mandate, as general manager Melanie Rogowski puts it, requires a certain amount of faith.

“We know that it will be new territory for our audiences. So relying on box office, at least initially, can be a little risky. So, getting grants to support either new work or the Canadian work just helps us to be able to resource the production at a level that we would one of our mainstage Shakespeare plays.”

Box office instability, given how hard the ongoing pandemic has hit live theatre, was a given. However, Creative Saskatchewan’s support allowed the production team to breathe a little bit easier. Despite the turmoil of the sector, Rogowski says that the play’s reception from near and far has given her team a boost.

“Our work doesn’t tend to go out. So it just felt really good to hear that kind of validation from not only your peers in Saskatoon, but also from some of our peers on the national stage as well.”

That warm response was evident locally as well. Case in point, a third of respondents to the festival’s annual survey said that the festival should continue with what they put forward last season and a sizeable amount also said Iago Speaks was their favourite of the three plays the SOTS team produced. For Rogowski, whose team recently added a new artistic director, the message is clear: keep innovating within your well-established mandate.

“We understand that that heavy hitter Shakespeare play is still what people look to us for and so that’s something we want to continue to be able to provide for people. But we also think it’s very valuable to be a part of a larger national conversation Either about new interpretations on classical work, or just contributing to the artistic landscape of new Canadian theatre.”

The production garnered multiple Saskatoon and Area Theatre Award nominations, including Production Excellence, Excellence in New Work (Daniel Macdonald as the playwright), Artistic Excellent Award (Skye Brandon and Joshua Beaudry as actors), and The Leadership Award for the festivals then interim Co-Artistic Directors Skye Brandon and Yvette Nolan.

And so, with the beautiful inevitability of an annual festival comes the question: what about next year? For Rogowski, as she looks to the first festival led by new artistic director Kayvon Khoshkam, the goal is to continue building on the momentum of Iago Speaks. For the second season in a row SOTS will be staging a world premiere by co-producing The Dark Lady by Jessica B Hill, in collaboration with Winnipeg’s Shakespeare in the Ruin.

“The more we can give our artists an opportunity to work that muscle and to have an opportunity to grow. It’s only going to benefit the whole industry.”

Written by John Loeppky

For more information about Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan, including regarding their recent festival announcement and 2023’s theme (Bringing the Light), you can visit their website.

Sum Theatre Embraces Change with Increased Organizational Capacity

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It’s fair to say that the Saskatchewan art leadership landscape has undergone a sizable shift in the last three years or so. New leadership teams at both the Globe and Persephone, a changing of the guard at organizations like Common Weal, and now a new Artistic Director for Sum Theatre. For the Saskatoon company, founded in 2012, they got a headstart on a new direction. Thanks to a 2020 Creative Saskatchewan’s Business Capacity Grant, Sum was able to hire three artists to help reimagine their decision making structure.

That new team–which included longstanding Saskatchewan artists Mackenzie Dawson, Krystel Pederson, Judith Schulz, Yvette Nolan, and Laura Negraeff– was tasked with looking at how an organization that had previously only had enough funding to provide two staff positions (both part-time) could grow within a new model. In applying for the business capacity grant, founder and Artistic Director Joel Bernbaum sought to answer three questions:

How could Sum make space for a model that allowed enough funding for the leadership team to spend more time on planning and less time on the draining day to day tasks of keeping independent theatre company alive? How could the organization find someone (or some people) dedicated to managing the business aspects of the operation? And, lastly, how could Sum continue to develop and hold onto talented emerging theatre artists that still tend to find themselves working in bigger centres rather than staying home?

One of the artists who was hired with the funding provided by the grant, Mackenzie Dawson, has recently been named Bernbaum’s successor as he moves on to other opportunities. Dawson said in a press release announcing his new role that his history with the organization, starting as an assistant stage manager for the 2019 edition of Theatre in the Park, should serve him well in his new gig.

“I had to keep the children from running into the stage area and ‘borrowing’ the props. I thought ‘this is chaos’, it’s stuff you would never see at a regular stage show, but that experience really stuck with me.”

He added that his experience as an Artistic Associate has been integral to his development as both an artist and an arts administrator.

“The past two years have been the most intense professional development I’ve ever had, and for me it all comes down to nurturing relationships through theatre. I’m now in a position where I can take care of people; the ones I work with and the people we can reach with the work.”

For his part, Bernbaum who has led or co-led Sum Theatre—most notably alongside Heather Morrisson— since the company’s inception in 2012, is excited to see how Dawson will continue the mission of Sum Theatre: to bring theatre to audiences that may not typically experience the art form.

“To me art is about creativity, and a big part of creativity is change. I look forward to watching Sum Theatre grow and change with Mackenzie’s capable leadership.”

One of the programs Mackenzie is already helping to lead is the aforementioned Theatre in the Park. Now entering its eleventh season, the yearly program includes selecting or commissioning a play—usually created or adapted by the ensemble—producing and then performing it in Saskatoon and area parks.

This year’s play, Zero Gravity, is described by the company as “a Sci-Fi exploration of climate breakdown and what will happen if we don’t start changing the way we live on Mother Earth.” Over the years, Theatre in the Park has expanded its reach, much like the leadership team has expanded its horizons, and this year’s season now includes dates in Regina, Martensville, Warman, Davidson, Indian Head, Rosetown, Prince Albert, Stanley Mission, and La Ronge.

When he announced that he was moving on from his position, Bernbaum said that, although he was receiving plenty of feedback on his departure, this kind of change was one that would benefit all involved.

“It has been an honour to serve our community as a member of the Sum Theatre team since the beginning. I’ve received a lot of credit for our work, but Sum has always been a team effort. The Sum truly is greater than any one part.”

By John Loeppky

If you’d like to take a closer look at how Sum Theatre breaks down the barriers prospective audience members face, whether it’s by performing in a public space or creating a monthly showcase for new work, you can do so on a variety of platforms. Those include their website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

New Children’s Book Expands Availability of Cree Language for Kids

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Patricia Deiter McArthur has held many roles as a Saskatchewan creative. She’s been a writer, a translator, an editor, an academic writer, and—perhaps most foundationally—an educator. With the support of Creative Saskatchewan’s book publishing grant she was able to bring her latest project, Nēhiyawēwin awāsi-masinahikanis: A Little Plains Cree Language Book for Children, to life.

Partnering with Regina’s Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing, Deiter has also brought on two elders and an illustrator from the Peepeekisis Cree Nation to edit the book and support the project. The book, which is primarily intended for use in educational settings, allows young readers to understand basic words, grammatical rules, and phrases in Plains Cree. The goal is to make the path to fluency a little bit easier while including illustrations alongside multiple formats for the book. For Deiter, it’s all about giving children the tools to succeed in preserving their language and culture.

“Following the themes of the Saskatchewan Curriculum Guide for Kindergarten to Grade 12 on Aboriginal Languages, the content focuses on terms familiar to the First Nations Cree people of Saskatchewan…Our hope is to encourage a basic understanding of the language so that learners are able to converse with Plains Cree speakers. The best path to fluency in the Plains Cree language is immersion, but learning one word at a time is a good place to start!”

Deiter, who teaches on Peepeekisis, originally chose to pursue creating the book because she needed a resource in her own classroom. Alongside her many published works, which include two books published by the Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Centre, she is the executor of her aunt, Eleanor Brass’, literary work. Bringing Brass’ stories, originally published by the Glenbow Museum in 1978, back to print has been the focus of another grant Dieter received from Creative Saskatchewan in 2021.

Nēhiyawēwin awāsi-masinahikanis: A Little Plains Cree Language Book for Children has experienced immediate success with its initial print run close to selling out within a month. Deiter attributes this success to it being the only Plains Cree textbook available for those of elementary school age and also points to the fact that it has been ordered in the hundreds by schools and their districts since its release in late 2022. The book is available in an enhanced ebook format as well as a more traditional printed version. The main selling point of the ebook is that it allows those with access to a computer (no internet required once you have the file) to hear the words spoken, bringing the language to life and off the page.

By John Loeppky

Saskatchewan Artist’s Work Showcased at Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

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Some projects take a long and winding road before they receive their just recognition. For Saskatchewan art jeweller and goldsmith Mary Lynn Podiluk, her piece “Metalanguage” went from her studio, to Chicago, to North Carolina, and now to Montreal. That journey, which began in earnest at the 2015 Sculpture Objects Functional Art and Design Fair (SOFA) in Chicago, was helped along by Creative Saskatchewan’s support so that she could attend.

While her artistic work may be well travelled, so is Podiluk. She started her post secondary education at the University of Saskatchewan before moving to the east coast to attend Halifax’s Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. While there, she studied in their jewellery program, spending her last year or so in the program exploring language, a theme that is still prevalent in her work today. Having graduated, Podiluk moved back to Saskatoon in 2012 and, three years later, was part of a group of Saskatchewan artists, supported by both the Saskatchewan Craft Council and Creative Saskatchewan to attend SOFA, which has since been renamed intersect Chicago.

Also forming part of that delegation was a representative from Slate Gallery who knew some of the other companies attending. It was that connection that led Podiluk to sell Metalanguage to the Kamm Teapot Foundation, which holds the world’s largest collection of teapots. Podiluk says that, once she started chatting with the person who would end up acquiring the teapot, connections were easy to make.

“They were so friendly. And he was so excited, because they collect all sorts of tea pots…he was wearing a custom made gold ring that was shaped like a teapot. And because I’m a goldsmith and metalsmith of course, he had to show me his gold ring and we were chatting about that. So it was really, I don’t know if I’d call it nerve wracking, but in a way, it was like, ‘Oh, I really hope they come. I really hope.’ Because they seem so interested.” One trip to the Saskatchewan contingent’s booth later that day and off Metalanguage went to North Carolina, where the collection is held. That is, until a curator at the Montreal Museum of Fine Art became interested in it for an upcoming exhibition entitled “Parall(elles): A History of Women in Design”. The show, which runs until May 28, is a good place for Podiluk’s work because, in the words of curator Jennifer Laurent via a recent press release, “Today, women designer-makers are working in a multitude of fields and using a wide variety of materials and techniques, often combining the traditional with the avant-garde. The line between design and fine art becomes increasingly blurred as many women creators incorporate a conceptual approach to the creation of functional objects. The Metalanguage Teapot…is a remarkable example of these 21st century developments in women’s design.”

Early critical acclaim, Mary Lynn won the National Student Jewelry competition and was invited to show her work in Ottawa, created a sizable amount of momentum as she moved back westward, she says.

“When Creative Saskatchewan started coming into the picture, and I started applying for some production grants with them, I was able to bolster up a lot of the work that sells a little bit more easily than some of these highly conceptual and also quite expensive one of a kind pieces.”

With a career that has now reached its ten-year mark, Podiluk says she focused on not only the fine art work but also on production-style work, leaning into her influences surrounding language and the botanical, as well as creating custom jewellery like wedding bands and engagement bands. It’s this combination that allows her to have a fulfilling commercial and creative practice.

Still, Podiluk says that she’s doing her part, alongside her fellow artists, to make it clear that this kind of work can and should succeed in Saskatchewan.

“I continue to try my best as one person to just continue to raise awareness about my craft and the tradition and where it can sit in a contemporary space that can blur the lines between art and craft.”

By John Loeppky

If you’d like to read more about the exhibition you can do so here. To see more of Podiluk’s work, including what custom services she has available, you can visit her website.

25th Street Theatre Makes Triumphant Return to Producing New Work

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Over the last 34 years, Saskatoon’s 25th Street Theatre Company has become synonymous with the Saskatoon Fringe. Held each August, the event has become an integral part of the Canadian fringe circuit, welcoming artists from across the continent for a creative and collaborative few days. However, the organization’s history, dating back to its founding in 1972, has been about producing new work as well. Tough financial times just before the turn of the century meant that the company had to focus exclusively on the Fringe. However, with the support of Creative Saskatchewan’s Live Production Grant Program, the organization has made a triumphant return to producing new Saskatchewan plays.

Those two plays, Fruitcake and Breaking the Curse, received multiple nominations and wins at the Saskatoon and Area Theatre Awards. Breaking the Curse, which was co-produced with another local company, Ferre Play Theatre, tackles the topic of menstruation. Stemming from playwright Rachel Walliser, a University of Regina grad’s, realization that she was one of the few people in her life willing to talk about periods–a reality that was true for her as early as in high school–the play moved from a monologue, to being informed by a series of interviewees, to the full-on production that hit the Roxy Theatre’s stage in May of 2022.

Fruitcake, meanwhile, is described as a comedic family drama that discusses family heirlooms, family expectations surrounding identity, identity, and inheritance. The play, penned by local playwright, journalist, public speaker, and former arts administrator Heather Morrison garnered three SATA nominations having first been created in 2017. Just like Breaking the Curse, Fruit Cake received developmental support from other local organizations like the Saskatchewan Playwright’s Centre. Fruitcake ran at Persephone Theatre/the Remai Arts Centre’s Backstage Stage in December of 2021.

The return to producing new plays is something that Anita Smith, the organization’s Artistic and Executive Director, and her team are excited to have back as part of the province’s theatre ecology. As they proudly write on their website, “As the first professional theatre company in Saskatoon, it is a great honour to be able to use theatre to amplify the voices of those who are underrepresented in our community while supporting the development of new Saskatchewan works…25th Street Theatre is elated to be back, bringing engaging artistic opportunities to the community in and around Saskatoon, from professional theatre productions to workshops and everything in between.”

Alongside the Fringe Festival, which runs from August 3 to 12 this year, the organization is also hosting workshops for kids interested in theatre, named collaboration station. The program, which is described as, “a free, drop-in, theatre-centered program where children (aimed at ages five to twelve) can work with professional artists to engage in hands-on art creation with a focus on theatre” will be an integral portion of the Fringe this year.

Being able to provide professional creative opportunities by producing new work, alongside holding the spectacle that is the Saskatoon Fringe, and doing so while also coordinating youth-based programs mean that 25th Street Theatre is positioned to continue on with the mandate they’ve held since starting out as an artist collective more than fifty years ago: to bring theatre to Saskatoon’s audiences that opens up their understandings of the world.

By John Loeppky

To learn more about 25th Street Theatre, you can visit their website or follow them on Instagram or Facebook.

Saskatchewan Archaeological Society Charts Province’s Indigenous History Through New Guide

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When people start to look at the Saskatchewan landscape, when they look beyond the preconceived notions of a flat province that you wave at as you fly to Vancouver, they can find many items and places of interest. From an archaeological perspective, one of the first things they might find once they dive in and start learning is an arrow head—also known as a projectile point. Now, thanks to funding from Creative Saskatchewan’s Book Publishing Grant, the Saskatchewan Archaeological Society (SAS) has published a book, entitled Points of View: A Guide on Saskatchewan Projectile Points with Indigenous Perspectives, that archives and shares this knowledge.

Tomasin Playford, the organization’s Executive Director, says that right from the project’s early stages it was clear that Indigenous voices needed to be included.

“We also know, in this time of reconciliation and recognition of Indigenous culture, that we couldn’t do something like that about Indigenous artefacts without including Indigenous voices in the book. And so, right from the start, we knew it couldn’t just be an identification guide like you can get with birds, or fossils or plants. There had to be those voices.”

The SAS isn’t new to publishing work, they regularly produce a newsletter and have a digital storefront called the Den of Antiquity. Still, Playford says that Creative Saskatchewan’s funding allowed them to bring in more Indigenous writers and artists throughout the process of creating the book as well as broadening out the organization’s skillset when it came to content creation.

“We wanted to do something that was really a higher caliber, really professional, we wanted a product that people would be attracted to that they would, they would, that it would get out there. And I think that’s really why we look to creative Saskatchewan is because they have the funding, but they also have the expertise. And so going through that funding process helped us think about things that we don’t normally think about as a small organization.”

Those new areas of exploration included thinking more about promotion as well as about the book’s market. Because the SAS is usually catering to academics and archeological science-minded people, this book was a new and exciting way for the organization to help tell the province’s history through the lens of Indigenous knowledge and traditions. While there were broader lessons to be learned, it was foundational steps—like creating contract-based resources that can be reused—that Playford says were especially helpful to her team.

“It’s a tiny little bit of a learning curve, but now that we have contracts, and we learned that process, we don’t have to relearn it, we can just adapt what we already have for anything new going forward…And especially with the marketing and promotion, we also have a better idea of different promotional tools.”

Playford’s advice to other organizations looking to replicate their success? Learn as you go and work with an “open heart, open mind”.

“We weren’t successful in our first application, so we did go back and redo it and took their [Creative Saskatchewan’s] advice and that helped… so don’t get discouraged.”

The SAS has used the momentum from the project to build relationship and to do a series of book launches through their newfound connections. While creating the guidebook they were able to hire a videographer, an editor, and grow closer to their membership by holding a fundraising campaign. According to Playford all these additional aspects of the project helped solidify the main goal of the book.

“It was in response to a need that we identified. It wasn’t just ‘Oh, we want to write a book, and we want to put a product out there.’ This was something that we didn’t have in our province.”

Sales of the book have been strong, and it has won two awards recently; the 2023 Canadian Archaeological Association Award for Public Communication and the 2023 Museums Association of Saskatchewan – Certificate of Excellence.

By John Loeppky

If you’re interested in purchasing Points of View: A Guide on Saskatchewan Projectile Points with Indigenous Perspectives you can do so on the Saskatchewan Archaeological Society’s website. While there, you will also find more information about the organization’s programs and services. You can also find them on Facebook.

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