Join our circle! The “Red Circle” (previously known as “Prelude”) is our series of community events inspired by the shows in our season. Our hope is to provide more context, another perspective, or a deeper look into the themes of our productions. This season our Red Circle events will include karaoke nights, art workshops, scintillating conversations, and more. All of our community events are open to the public and free to attend.
Recordings of our past digital events are below and stay tuned for some exciting announcements about our future programming.
Inclusive Co-creation with Catherine Bourgeois & Andreas Prinz
How do we build an inclusive theatre practice? What makes a creative process accessible to neurodivergent artists and artists with intellectual disabilities? In this one-hour workshop, co-facilitated by Catherine Bourgeois, Artistic Director of Joe Jack & John, and Andreas Prinz, seasoned actor of Sol Express, we will explore these questions and dig into the themes of Cispersonnages en quête d’auteurice. We will be joined at the beginning of the session by the cast of Cispersonnages, who will lead a group warm-up – an opportunity to meet the performers of the play, as well as to warm-up the room.
This workshop will take place on Friday April 25 at 5:30 pm in the Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace (16 Ryerson Avenue). All of our events take place in a Relaxed Environment and there will be free food. All participants will also receive free tickets to a performance of Cispersonnages en quête d’auteurice. This workshop will be facilitated in both English and French.
This event is FREE but space is limited and priority will be given to Deaf and/ or Disabled community members. To sign-up, please email our Community Engagement Manager at outreach@passemuraille.on.ca or leave a message at 416-504-8988 ext. 2140 or fill out the form below!
About The Artists
Catherine Bourgeois
After studying scenography at Option-Théâtre in Ste-Thérèse, Catherine Bourgeois completed a BA in scenography at École Supérieure de Théâtre de l’UQAM, and a Master’s degree in directing at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. In 2003, she co-founded Joe Jack & John, where she has since designed and directed most of their productions. During this time, she has also worked as assistant to choreographer Margie Gillis and Associate Director for Imago Theatre. Her creations have found diverse audiences both nationally and internationally. Catherine has also taught at the National Theatre School of Canada between 2017-2022, where her unique aesthetic and humanist vision have earned her a reputation as a leader within the performing arts community. A member of Women for Equity in Theatre and the Steering Committee of the Feminist Workcamp, she works and actively campaigns for greater recognition of the practice of women and artists with disabilities. Catherine is the recipient of the Mid-Career Artist Award from the Fondation de la Faculté des Arts de l’UQAM (2018), the Amyot Award from the National Theatre School of Canada (2019), a MECCA award (2008), two Cochons d’or (Best Directing 2011, 2014), and she was a finalist for the Jovette-Marchessault Prize awarded by the Conseil des arts de Montréal.
Andreas Prinz
Andreas Prinz is a creator and performer in Toronto. His theatrical credits include numerous original works with Sol Express, including the Fringe Festival Patron’s Pick award-winning Red Knows: A Play on Words. In 2012, he performed in Judith Thompson’s Rare, which earned Best of The Fringe. An advocate for inclusive arts, Andreas has shared his talents internationally as a Drama Team Member with L’Arche gatherings in Montreal and Belfast. Currently, he is developing Anthony’s Journey, a musical about grief and community, which has been supported by both the Ontario Arts Council and Toronto Arts Council. In 2023 several of the songs were performed at Theatre Passe Muraille, accompanied by the Viva Choir. Andreas has since become a choir member.
Curatorial Partners
Special thanks to our Curatorial Partners Théâtre français de Toronto and L’Arche Toronto Sol Express!
Un grand merci à nos partenaires, le Théâtre français de Toronto et Sol Express !
The Digital Prelude Archives
During the 20/21 season, we hosted a series of digital Prelude conversations inspired by the themes of our productions. Check out the recordings of our digital Preludes below!
Prelude Conversation with Nicole Brooks
For our first digital Prelude event, we invited playwright, director, performer, and Sangoma, Nicole Brooks to discuss her unique multidisciplinary practice and how her art honours her ancestral journey. In this uplifting conversation with Associate Artistic Director Indrit Kasapi, they reminisce about the creation of the hit show OBEAH OPERA and what advice Nicole would give emerging artists with big dreams. This event was inspired by our 20/21 digital production of 11:11 by Samson Bonkeabantu Brown.
English captions are available for this video.
Prelude Conversation with Ryan Knighton
For our second Prelude event of the season, acclaimed author Ryan Knighton spoke with TPM Board Member and Accessibility Specialist Darren Cooper on his journey as a writer, what it’s like to write about your own life, and why you should never forcibly grab a Blind person by the elbow during a global pandemic. This event was inspired by our 20/21 digital production of Speculation by Leslie Ting.
The event was a primarily auditory event to improve accessibility for patrons at all levels of sight and/or living with Blindness. English captions are available for this video.