Coming Home as an Artist-in-Residence
Dear Mom and Dad,
Happy New Year!
2012 is off to a creative start for me. Last week I arrived in my hometown of Melville, Saskatchewan to begin a creation residency at the Anne Portnuff Theatre in the neighbouring community of Yorkton. I’ll be here with collaborators Marie-Josée Chartier, Jef Mallory and Lindsay Zier-Vogel for three weeks to continue developing my new production HOMEbody – an intimate portrait of my prairie roots in rural Saskatchewan.
With support from the Saskatchewan Arts Board ArtsSmarts program, the Good Spirit School Division is hosting me as their first-ever artist-in-residence! In tandem with the development of HOMEbody, my collaborators and I are working with drama teacher Brennan Risling to animate an exciting creative process for Grade 10 and 11 drama students at the Yorkton Regional High School - guiding them through the creation of their own performance pieces that integrate a variety of artistic mediums including dance, theatre, text, and sound.
On January 26th, at the conclusion of the three-week residency, a dance performance and reception will be held at the Yorkton Regional High School Anne Portnuff Theatre. The students and I will present and discuss our work. This event is being made possible by the local arts community through generous contributions from the Yorkton Arts Council, the Yorkton Film Festival and the Godfrey Dean Arts Gallery.
It’s been a pleasure to be home to share this experience with local students. After only the first week they have impressed us with their honesty and candor. They are keen to mine their own unique stories, ideas and experiences of home through a range of creative mediums.
Throughout the three weeks, YRHS students will be video blogging about their experiences to share their thoughts and feelings in this unique project. The videos can be viewed online at www.shannonlitzenberger.com/dance.
Wishing you an inspiring and prosperous 2012!
Sincerely,
Shannon |
The Good Spirit School Division, in partnership with the Yorkton Arts Council, the Yorkton Film Festival, and the Godfrey Dean Art Gallery presents…
HOMEbody:
An Evening with the Artists
Thursday, January 26th, 2012 at 7pm
Anne Portnuff Theatre
$10 adults, $5 students/seniors,
FREE for YRHS students
Reception to follow.
Tickets at the door.
Info – 306-786-5500 (Good Spirit School Division Administration Office)
Join us for an evening of dance performance and discussion with our first-ever group of artists-in-residence – contemporary dancer and choreographer, Shannon Litzenberger, director Marie-Josée Chartier, writer Lindsay Zier-Vogel and actor Jef Mallory. These Toronto-based artists are spending three weeks working at the Anne Portnuff Theatre to develop Litzenberger’s new production – HOMEbody – an intimate portrait of her prairie roots in rural Saskatchewan. HOMEbody will premiere in Toronto in September 2012.
In tandem with the development of HOMEbody, these visiting artists are animating an exciting creative process for YRHS drama students, guiding them through the creation of their own performance pieces that integrate a variety of artistic mediums including dance, theatre, music, and text.
We hope you’ll join us for this unique program where both the students and the artists will present and discuss excerpts of their work. A rare, behind-the scenes look at the practice of contemporary dance making.
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