Community Partners

Veronica Johnny

Veronica Johnny is a Cree-Métis, multidisciplinary, two-spirit artist from the Northwest Territories. A hand drummer and rock singer, she’s also a songwriter, visual artist and writer.

Veronica Johnny is an Indigenous artist, musician and traditional hand drummer facilitating workshops encompassing music, performance, self-esteem and cultural teachings.

Using a synthesis of Indigenous teachings, personal practices and self-improvement techniques, Veronica helps youth and women in focusing their positive intentions to change perspectives on how we see ourselves and each other, connecting us to our communities and to the Earth. Students will receive teachings on Gratitude, Intention and Intuition; Drum Teachings, Smudging, the Four Sacred Medicines, Seven Directions, Seven ways to heal and participate in a Drum Circle.

Jumblies Theatre

Jumblies is a Toronto-based organization with a national and international reach that engages in collaborations between professional artists and diverse people and communities, and equips, mentors and supports others to do so. Jumblies expands where art happens, who gets to be part of it, what form it takes and which stories it tells. This imperative has led us outside of specialized art places, and to place participation and radical inclusion at the core of our projects. We say Everyone is welcome! and grapple with the implications – social and aesthetic – of meaning (or trying to mean) it. ALPHA has participated in a variety of workshops with and through Jumblies and, most recently, completed the Art Exhibit: Walking and Talking Treatise in collaboration with the Gingko Sistas for the Images Festival in 2016.

Itah Sadu and A Different Booklist

When meeting Itah Sadu, the first thing you will see is her smile, the first thing you will notice is her warmth. As a dynamic entrepreneur and community builder, she utilizes creativity, leadership and teamwork to build infrastructure and legacy in communities. Her objective is simple and to the point: To work with organizations that engage in programs for youth with the focus on education, pathways and community economic development. A Different Booklist is an independent, multicultural bookstore specializing in books from the African & Caribbean Diaspora. Itah’s work inspired the play (designed by our own Emily Chan) Itah’s Bookshop – a refreshing look at the Black History of Canada.

Red Pepper Spectacle Theatre

Red Pepper Spectacle Arts is a not for profit community arts organization in the city of Toronto, Canada. Located in the heart of Toronto’s historic Kensington Market, with Gabriella Caruso at its helm, Red Pepper is responsible for organizing The Kensington Market Winter Solstice Parage which beckons the return to light every December 21st. On this longest night, thousands of decorated revellers take part, with hand-made emblematic lanterns, encountering on route, tented-theatrical scenarios of shadow play, rooftop masking antics, roving giant puppets and stilted dancers with eclectic musical accompaniment. All are illuminated by the glow of fire breathers and spinners, a Fire Finale in Alexandra Park, and a community feast for the numerous volunteers harkening the return to light. ALPHA students have attended as the CircleSing! Bringers of Spring! for over 10 years now.

Puppetmongers

Since Ann Powell and David Powell founded Puppetmongers in 1974, the company has become internationally recognized as a leader and innovator in the field of puppetry. So far they have created a dozen new plays for both young and general audiences, which have earned them and their collaborators a mass of awards. They continue to develop new work on our own and also in collaboration with others, and we host an annual conference called Fresh Ideas in Puppetry for established and emerging artists to share their passion and expertise in puppetry. In 1996, they started The Toronto School of Puppetry to share our creative approach and provide a collaborative learning space for the puppetry community, and for multi-disciplinary artists interested in expanding their theatrical palette. We also work with students from elementary school up to the post-graduate level. ALPHA has been fortunate to work with Puppetmongers in preparation their upcoming 2018 Gender Odysseys puppet shows.