Community Arts

This is a tittle that encompasses many things and crosses over with the performance and visual art elements. As I try to dissect and present my self i become more aware of how entangled this journey of mine as been, and how each element feeds or is feed by the others…..

This thread  begun with Mahony Keily, who I met through Neil Cameron.

She created gathered together 4 woman, each with their bag of skills, and together we created “Burning Sensations. In common we had a training with John Bolton Theatre

school, worked with Neil Cameron,  a shared a passion for engaging community, a station wagon and an ability to drive long distances.

From 1996 – till about 2005 We created outdoor ritual theatre, parades and celebrations
We used the elements of puppetry, lanterns, movement, music, song and fire to create an event in response to the community we were in.

I started on the North Richmond Moon Lantern Festival with Mahony as an apprentice, and by 2005 I was Directing and facilitating some of the  projects.

I continue to do this work, but not under the umbrella of “Burning Sensations” and as i get older i become more interested in creating smaller more intimate events, installations and find I am much less interested in playing with Fire.

I still find myself creating parades,  and in a class room of children making lanterns. Currently I’m working once again with Mahony beginning to imagine (along with the community) Into the Light 2.

Burning Sensations…. an  abbreviated history