Author Archives: Aanmitaagzi

Landing Workshop on March 29th

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Landing

Free visual and physical creation workshop
March 29, 2025 from 10 am – 1 pm
The Registry Theatre – 122 Frederick St., Kitchener, ON

Join us for this exciting artistic exploration in visual and physical creation, facilitated by Vanguardia Dance Projects and Aanmitaagzi! Get ready to move and tap into a new way of creating, brush up on your existing skills, and develop new abilities in creation.

Landing is a workshop aimed at exploring and investigating the relationship between place, land, and our own landscapes. We will engage in creating small dances inspired by big questions: What are we moved by? How do we celebrate the multidimensionality of who we are and the multitude of ways we express ourselves?

This workshop activity is being hosted as part of the presentation of the dance theatre piece CONVERSATIONS: Hidden Stories, presented by MT Space as part of their 24-25 season. Get the chance to meet the artists behind the work and discover how the work was created.

The world premiere of CONVERSATIONS: Hidden Stories runs from March 27-30, 2025 at The Registry Theatre.

For more information, please contact MT Space or visit the workshop event page on Facebook.

About MT Space:

Founded in 2004 by Lebanese-Canadian director, actor, and dancer Majdi Bou-Matar, MT Space (Multicultural Theatre Space) is a platform for all artists that have felt marginalized, racialized, and displaced. Centralizing marginalized and racialized artists and stories, it was created to fill what seems to be a great void in a community of many different peoples.

For the past seventeen years, MT Space has been fulfilling its mandate by creating, producing, touring, and presenting artistic work that reflects Canada’s cultural diversity. Since 2004, MT Space has become a conduit for internationally trained immigrants and newcomer professionals across all disciplines. It has grown from being a company that produces one show every year to an organization that brings culturally and socially relevant work from across the country and around the world to our community of Kitchener-Waterloo. MT Space challenges the preconceptions of theatre to create, produce, and present work that is accessible and affordable to low-income families while creating a space for Indigenous, immigrant, refugee, and marginalized voices to be heard.

CONVERSATIONS: Hidden Stories World Premiere

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CONVERSATIONS: Hidden Stories

WORLD PREMIERE – MARCH 27th at MT Space in Kitchener, ON

CONVERSATIONS: Hidden Stories is a dialogue of bodies extended in various latitudes of the Americas. Starting from the investigation of “body and territory” by the Colombian-Canadian choreographer Olga Barrios, this work seeks a conversation between women through the Americas, seeking a South-North echo.

Barrios’ research/creation explores the traces of Indigenous heritage that have been erased in her journey, as has happened with many people in various places in America and the planet. This work is based on the woman of many colours that she experiences in herself and with the many other voices in the world that seek connection with ideas of traces erased from history.

Production Credits

Dancers & Text Creators: Norma Araiza, Olga Barrios, Penny Couchie, Animikiikwe Couchie-Waukey, Lilia León

Composer & Sound Designer: Edgardo Moreno

Projection Artist: Alejandra Higuera in collaboration with Olga Barrios

Costumes: Jennifer Kelly

Lighting Design: Trevor Schwellnus

Installation Artists: Aanmitaagzi with Sherry Guppy (lead), Sid Bobb, & Penny Couchie

Director & Choreographer: Olga Barrios

Stage Manager: Kelsey Ruhl

On stage canvas installation developed by Aanmitaagzi artists in collaboration with the participants of the 2023 Aanmitaagzi Summer Arts Program at Big Medicine Studio in Nipissing First Nation.

Production Details

About the Companies

Vanguardia Dance Projects, is a collective focused on creating, presenting, promoting and supporting works of dance artists with Latin American and Indigenous backgrounds living in Canada. We intend to promote an ongoing exchange and collaboration with international dance organizations and artists. We are interested in the dissemination of contemporary artistic practices of dance artists with Latin American background in Canada, maintaining conversations with the rest of the country and the world. We support innovative artists that include other art disciplines pushing the boundaries of what is called “contemporary” as well as works that, having dance as the core, reflect a permanent search of expression through different languages.

Aanmitaagzi is an Indigenous multi-disciplinary artist-run company based in Nipissing First Nation. Linked to provincial, national and international networks, we are committed to fostering a vibrant arts community through community-engaged projects that promote well-being, strengthen relationships with the land, and incorporate intergenerational approaches and methodologies. We combines art-making, education, professional development & social activism through contemporary and customary arts, nurturing historic Indigenous arts practices and exploring how these practices can be carried forward in a meaningful contemporary context.

Production Tickets

THE REGISTRY THEATRE
122 Frederick St, Kitchener, ON

WORLD PREMIERE | WORLD THEATRE DAY 
Mar 27 . . . . . . . 7:30 PM 

MORE SHOWTIMES: 
Mar 28 . . . . . . . 7:30 PM
Mar 29 . . . . . . . 7:30 PM
Mar 30 . . . . . . . 2:00 PM 

Click Here To Buy Tickets

No Fee for Indigenous Patrons

Use promo code WILLOW when booking tickets online. Reserve now or get tickets at the venue pre-show. If you have any questions, call or email MT Space’s box office.

Phone: 519-585-7783 / Email: tickets@mtspace.ca

Sponsors and Acknowledgements

Locations of work development: Big Medicine Studio (Nipissing First Nation), Arcadia Artists Co-op & National Ballet of Canada (Toronto)

Aanmitaagzi wishes to acknowledge the funding support of the Ontario Arts Council and the Government of Ontario, as well as the Canada Council for the Arts, for this project and our ongoing operations.

Ice Follies 2025 Recap

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Last month we wrapped up another amazing edition of Ice Follies. For this year’s festival, we developed three installation structures in collaboration with our artists and community members: a wigwam, an A-frame tent, and an ice shack. Textile pieces and stories developed through our fall and winter community-engaged workshops and Elders’ Storytelling Luncheons were incorporated into the installation structures and each was activated with performances and presentations during the opening night ceremonies on February 7th. Christine Friday of Friday Creeations and JP Longboat of Circadia Indigena, travelled to Big Medicine Studio to participate in the festival’s opening with us, and JP also presented his Spirit Canoes. Opening night performers in addition to Christine Friday and JP Longboat included Penny Couchie, Sid Bobb, Sherry Guppy, Animikiikwe Couchie-Waukey, Katie Couchie, Megan Paulin, Bonnie Couchie, Darren Nakogee, Gerry McComb, Liam Culhane, Ouske Couchie-Bobb, William McGrath, Doreen Bellaire, and Cindy Spence.

The day after the festival opening, lead artist Sherry Guppy and youth artist William McGrath presented an artist talk at the Capitol Centre on behalf of Aanmitaagzi. They provided information and insights into the All My R(el)ations project and shared their experiences working with Aanmitaagzi over the years. Additional presentations and activations took place on Lake Nipissing on Family Day (February 17th), including drumming and dancing.

Aanmitaagzi wishes to thank the other artists and support staff that helped us with Ice Follies this year: Michaela Washburn, Suzanna Rice, Kelsey Ruhl, Clayton Windatt, Olivia Shortt, Jennifer Kelly, Kayos Jones, Prism Arcobaleno, Chris Couchie, Daniel Couchie, Ulysses Trudeau, Nathan Pamajewon, Gayle Weston, and Tara Windatt. We also want to thank everyone that came out to our weekly workshops over the last few months and the amazing group of storytelling Elders that come to have lunch with us each week.

Many thanks also go out to the staff of the Near North Mobile Media Lab and the White Water Gallery for co-coordinating Ice Follies with us; the artists and arts orgs that participated this year; and the businesses, funders, and sponsors that supported Ice Follies 2025. And we would like to acknowledge funding support from the Ontario Arts Council and the Government of Ontario, as well as the Canada Council for the Arts, for this project and our ongoing operations.

Photo Documentation by Stephanie McGinn.

New Weekly Workshop Schedule leading up to Ice Follies

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Winter workshop schedule
January 21 – February 6, 2025

Aanmitaagzi is continuing to host weekly drop-in workshops in the weeks leading up to the opening of Ice Follies on February 7, 2025. Through these workshops, Aanmitaagzi’s artists and community participants will develop stories and pieces that explore the themes of All My R(el)ations and Ice Follies’ theme of “Ozhaashikwaa” (The Ice is Slippery). The workshops will take place at Big Medicine Studio – 161 Couchie Memorial Drive. They are free to attend and newcomers are welcome.

NEW WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

Tuesdays

All Ages Multi-Arts with Sherry Guppy & Sid Bobb
3:30 – 5:30 pm  
A multi-arts drop-in class for artists of all ages. Activities will include drawing, painting, storytelling, crafts, dance, textile work, and more as we develop installation pieces for Ice Follies! Materials will be provided.

Choreographic Exploration & Story Creation with Penny Couchie
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Contemporary dance and movement explorations, and guided written and visual activities to explore the stories and themes of All My R(el)ations to develop performance pieces for Ice Follies.

Wednesdays

Choreographic Exploration & Story Creation with Penny Couchie
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Contemporary dance and movement explorations, and guided written and visual activities to explore the stories and themes of All My R(el)ations to develop performance pieces for Ice Follies.

Thursdays

Community Dinner
5:15 pm – 6:00 pm
A time to gather and share a meal with our artists, workshop participants, and community members each week.

Pow Wow Making & Jam Night with Sid Bobb & invited guest artists
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Weekly drop-in making & jam sessions for all things pow wow. Bring your regalia, beadwork, or other unfinished projects to work on or bring your voice and/or an instrument for singing, drumming, and dancing! Sid Bobb and other invited guest artists will be on hand to help out and join in the fun.

For more information, please call Sid or Penny at 705-474-2227 or email aanmitaagzi@gmail.com.

Ice Follies 2025

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Ice Follies Celebrates Local Creativity in Honor of North Bay’s Centennial | February 7 – 21, 2025

For Immediate Release:

[North Bay, ON, January 8, 2025] – Ice Follies, Northern Ontario’s premier biennial festival of contemporary and community-engaged art, returns to the frozen expanse of Lake Nipissing from February 7 to 21, 2025. This 11th edition of the festival highlights local artists as part of a special celebration of North Bay’s Centennial, showcasing the area’s deep cultural roots and artistic talent.

In addition to its signature on-ice installations at Shabogesic Beach, this year’s festival expands its footprint to include Olmstead Beach on Trout Lake, with special events designed to bring the festival closer to more of the city’s residents.

Under the theme “Ozhaashikwaa” (The Ice is Slippery), Ice Follies 2025 reflects on the resilience and adaptability required to navigate the shifting landscapes of our community and environment. This year’s installations explore themes of connection, collaboration, and history, offering a uniquely Northern perspective.

Reflecting on the origins of Ice Follies and its enduring legacy, festival founder and participating artist Dermot Wilson remarked: “In 2003, when I first stepped out onto the ice of Lake Nipissing, I thought ‘this is like a blank canvas…white cloud-filled sky and equally white plain of snow stretching out to an almost invisible horizon’. Over 20 years later, this icy site still helps artists and audiences alike to discover the freedom and expansive embrace of the Canadian winter.”

Not-to-Be-Missed Festival Highlights:

  • Opening Night Performance by Aanmitaagzi (February 7): A powerful community event to kick off the festival at Shabogesic Beach.
  • Family Day Activities on Shabogesic Beach (February 17): Free community engagement for all ages.
  • Listening Party Events (February 15 & 16): Hosted at Olmstead Beach on Trout Lake, these intimate evening gatherings will feature sound-based art and storytelling, creating a unique and immersive festival experience.

As always, Ice Follies is free to attend and open 24/7, offering visitors the opportunity to experience the installations in the unique interplay of light and ice, whether during the day or under the stars.

About Ice Follies:

Founded in 2004, Ice Follies transforms the frozen shores of Lake Nipissing into a dynamic gallery of contemporary art every two years. Co-presented by local arts organizations Aanmitaagzi, Near North Mobile Media Lab and White Water Gallery, the festival creates space for audiences to engage with contemporary works that reflect upon Northern Ontario’s unique cultural and environmental identity.

For more information on Ice Follies 2025, visit: icefollies.ca.

Ice Follies is made possible thanks to the generous support of our funders, sponsors and community partners. We gratefully acknowledge our 2025 funders: Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Canadian Heritage, NOHFC, FedNor, City of North Bay and Tourism North Bay.

Media Contact:

Jameson Toye
Ice Follies Communication Officer
705-476-6402
medialabnorthbay@gmail.com