Workshop Tour

Week Three

2011-10-29T06:51:00.000-07:00

AHHH Yes, the tour continues.

This week we had quite the adventure traveling across the province.
Our first stop was spending two days in Kelvington. Before I begin, I have to tell you all that, as the tour manager, it is my job to organize and co-ordinate places to stay, routes taken, and travel times, etc. The admin part of my job is done partially before the tour begins, and partially on the road. So arriving in Kelvington Sunday night, at our prearranged B&B about 15 min outside town, I was eager to settle in after a long drive, and get to playing cards with my fellow artists and friends. We were greeted by a very friendly dog. From the dark prairie night a truck, from what looked like the main house, came driving up. I will call him Jeb, because I never did catch his name. Jeb crawled out of his beat up farm truck, and just stood there silently with his lights on me. I have a habit of being the first person to break the ice in most conversations, because I have never understood awkwardness in common interaction. So, as I approached and said, with my hand extended, "Good evening, I'm Leon from the Cultural exchange..." , he didn't move. Now, I am one to pick up on body language, and most people have a vibration I can read. Jeb's was hostile. I further said we were "here for the B&B". That's when I noticed the gun. I have never had a gun-to-artist conversation before. I don't know what he thought, our van clearly states 'Art For Everyone', so he must have known he was invited. Perhaps if Michelle could have jumped out of the van, leading us in a perfectly synchronized rendition of Michael Jackson's Thriller, he would have joined in. I then heard the first mumbles from Jeb, something about "not knowin anythin bout it", and "whod ya talk ta". I was concentrating on his gun, and his overly friendly dog. I mentioned his wife's name, and his demeanor changed from hostile, to confused and frustrated. He put the gun away in his truck, and told me to follow him into the house. I learned later, that my friends in the van were wondering if I was being killed, and they were trying to decide who would go in the house, and retrieve the van keys. Jeb showed me around the B&B, and told me that because his wife hadn't cleaned the place, and prepared it for us, that it was not available. I tried to suggest a few linens, and if he could do the dishes we would be fine. I explained the money we were ready to part with, but because his wife was not there it was impossible. I saw he had arms, and a basic understanding of what was missing in his B&B for us to use. He did have a penis though, and maybe that is what stopped him. I always try. Even with strange, uneven farmers, I always try. So we were without a place to stay in rural Kelvington at 8pm on a Sunday night.

I explained to the team what happened and we would try our best back in town. Driving back into Kelvington, I was thinking about all the little big towns I kind-of-know in the area of Kelvington. There really is not very many. Our fortune was with us when we drove into the roadside motel, on the opposite side of town. The owner was able to get us our own rooms, and for the two nights we needed. Kelly was especially segregated from the rest of us for reasons only Kelly knows, but for the most part our little taxidermy mottled motel was perfect. Oh, and as for the workshops, the kids thought we were awesome.

Langham school is just outside of Saskatoon. With a quick jaunt we were there. The staff were easy to talk with, and the students, though "rangy" as Ann likes to say, were good. The community just had a incident of molestation occur, and although charges were laid the wounds were still fresh. There is a lot of this going on, and the more people I meet, the more stories I hear. Perhaps, some of the fundamental Christian groups I met along the way, could put their energy into stopping this kind of behaviour, rather than trying to prevent Halloween. Ninja Turtles vs Molestation. Just a thought.

Balgonie was awesome. The ages and participants were a great, and the staff was cool and collected. I am glad to see some diversity in these schools. In my years doing this tour some of these bedroom communities can get a little bleached. There were some great ideas floating around that school. I felt we just added to their programs, and were able to share some ideas with staff. It was a real exchange.

Finally there was Punnichy, about an hour north east of Regina. I drive pretty quick. This is first school anywhere that I have visited, that says dinner instead of lunch. I will explain. When asking about a pre-arranged, pot-luck lunch the staff said, "oh yes! We will have dinner for you in the staff room". I said, "sorry?" She said, "Dinner is in the staff room". I happen to have a published writer in my motley crew of artists, and she happened be the author of 'The Saskatchewan Book Of Everything' which does document this phenomenon. I have never heard of this before. Neither had the rest of my team, with the exception of Kelly. I said with great enthusiasm, "Oh! You say dinner instead of lunch! That is awesome, what do you say for dinner?...I mean supper?" Supper, one of them said, dryly. They are very serious in Punnichy. I apologized immediately, and explained I was not making fun, but I had never heard anyone use dinner in place of lunch. They said that they have always heard it that way. Maybe that's where the word 'Diner' comes from. As in, I'm going to have lunch at the Diner. Anyway, we rounded off our week there with some great teachers, and smart students.

Thanks Punnichy. Hope to see you for dinner again.

Week 2

2011-10-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

First day we found ourselves well rested after a great Thanksgiving weekend, and raring to go. Montmartre is a french name meaning "mountain of the martyr". It even has an Eiffel Tower. We found out rather quickly that the school had a great staff, and the students were very eager. The Cultural Exchange has been to Montmartre every year for 15+ years, and the kids really look forward to us. I noticed as well, with the proximity to Regina, that most of the kids had a broader understanding of the different art forms. They asked questions, had innovative ideas, and were generally creative students.

Next we went to Bethune, another early morning for us. This school was a real treat for me, I had never been, and many of the students had never been exposed to our brand of art. I was greeted by the principal, and was welcomed into the staff room by all the teachers. We had a fun time there and the students were filled with questions about what we do. Two stories that I will share, that came out of Bethune, were The Tale Of The Evil Doers and The Lost Cable. The first time the Exchange came to Bethune, there was no recognizable, emblem-plastered artist van. As a result, the artists that year were in a dark blank van. Driving through the town looking at sights, waving at children, many Bethunians grew suspicious. Gossip rustled through the small conservative town like a bad wind. Strangers were in town. From the whisperers and lookie loos, a sinister rumour was created. Police were called, the school was shut down, parents were notified, and the evil doers were going to be apprehended. Luckily the principal, realizing the panic was unfounded, called off the watch dogs, and let the authorities know that these were artists on a tour from the city, and they were not stealing children, but showing them the free expressions of art.

The second story arose when our film artist forgot a small, but essential cord at a school. I had to go and pick it up a few days later in the north end of Regina. The fun started when I was told that my courier was going to a bachelorette party, and that is where I should meet her. When I arrived, my liaison was not there yet, and being an outgoing person, I introduced myself, and asked if this was the Bachelorette party. I suppose I could have asked a different question, or worded things differently, because the smiles that came across the faces of those women had me feeling like a piece of chocolate. I have been in many productions where I have taken my clothes off, so I......... just kidding. I have to say though, the person I was meeting came just in time.

The last 2 days of the week were in Moose Jaw. Two different schools with very different needs. Lindale School has a great academic program with some extra curricular dance offered, but no substantial art program. I feel the Acting, Film and Writing was the biggest hit for the students. I also feel we gave Lindale some cross over ideas to implement these art forms in the classroom setting. Again, the staff and students were fantastic. Empire School is the oldest continuous school in Saskatchewan. Meaning it has never been anything else. The students were diverse in ethnicity and background. This did sometimes present a higher energy class, and did require a special focus on our part, but over all that school has come a long way from its rougher past. I have met a lot of teachers, and I always find that out of say 100, there are always a couple of teachers that should not be there. This is hard to say because I love teaching, and the teachers that I have met from across Canada work tirelessly to shape and inspire people of all ages. There is a teacher at Empire that should not be there. That class was the most unfocused, undisciplined, and ultimately underachieving class I have seen. It is always fascinating to hear students say "I wish we had more structure because I'm not learning anything". I hope the students can keep their heads up and learn from the other teachers, because they are outstanding.

Our First Week

2011-10-10T08:43:00.000-07:00

So our tour begins. This week we went up North to Buffalo Narrows, to start our teaching. I have never been there. I have to say that the landscape is unique. Sand dunes and fresh water lakes dot the landscape, and with the poplar trees in their mid autumn turn, the colours are beautiful. The school staff was generous, and many of them were very proud of their school. It is a sad note to say that the elementary schools are busting at the seams up north, but by the time the students get to high school the drop-out rate is more than 60%. It is not for lack of trying, these teachers are at times everything to their students; mentor, friend, sometimes parent. I am not sure how much of an impact we made on them as Artists in their community, but they were intrigued and asked a lot of questions. I get the impression, that for many students, professional artists, are something so outside their day to day life, that to make a living at it, we come from some kind of privilege that they don't have. I hope they got from us that the voice of the North is beautiful, and asked for, and needed. That this Art thing we do is not for others it is for them.

Next, we then traveled to Ile A La Crosse. I can say that the students and teachers there are such a strong force in the community. The way this school is run is outstanding. The students have excellent facilities and now all they need are more teachers. As funding budgets are tightened arts programming is usually the first to go. Art has a less tangible impact on the life of a student and so the justification moves along. The elementary students have enthusiasm and are very eager to see us, our presence is like a breath of air in a tight space. They have a room full of instruments, with no one to teach them.

Off to La Ronge next, and after a 4 hour drive through the winding dirt roads, we arrived. I have always liked La Ronge. It is a bigger centre with more opportunities for the whole community. The social problems are less apparent, and the Drop-out rates are a little less. I asked some of the kids why they dropped out and their answers were surprising. The normal answers were to work to help support my family. When they said because they really didn't need it to make money I was surprised. It reminded me of the old west, farm kids, ranchers, it was as though the need to be educated, past some basic level, was inapplicable. Money was the focus and jobs were there for the taking. I found it very helpful for myself to be forced to explain the practical applications of Art in the working world. The dialogue was useful for everyone. I feel sometimes we as artists can become insulated in our own bubble, and forget, that 90% of people out in the world, are not artists and have no idea what we do. I think this kind of perspective forces us to articulate, in a concise manner, why what we do is important or relevant at all.

I am thrilled for this next coming week.

2011-08-31T21:06:00.000-07:00

Here are this years Artists.

Ann Verrall

Leon Willey

Michelle Fisher

Kelly-Anne Riess

Tour 2011

2011-08-21T23:54:00.000-07:00

Hello all, and welcome to another exciting tour in beautiful Saskatchewan.
Workshop tour artists for tour 2011

Adam Willey - singer/songwriter on tour, leading the Music Workshop. Adam performs, is a sound engineer and a music teacher. His workshop will allow youth to explore the use of poetic language while developing songs through a group process.

Kelly-Anne Riess - best known for her authorship of the "Saskatchewan Book of Everything" writer Kelly-Anne has just completed her first feature film script and returns to the WorkshopTouras Writer on Tour. Kelly-Anne's workshop will allow students to use narrative to envision and set life goals for themselves. This workshop is adaptable to all grades.

Ann Verrall - an award winning short film-maker (www.shortworksproductions.ca) splits her time between the east coast and the Saskatchewan plains. Ann's workshop will provide the students with an opportunity to develop a script, block a scene and for the older students shoot the scene. The Cultural Exchange is pleased to offer Saskatchewan schools this opportunity to work with a film -maker. Ann joins the tour after an intense two weeks in Sandy Bay and Hall Lake, creating community based video.

Leon Willey - Fresh from an exciting season with Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan Leon is Workshop Tour Manager, and Theatre leader. Leon will use his workshop to bring to the students "the joy that is theatre". Depending on the age of the students he will explore the use of movement and voices to depict a story. The use of emotional context, motivation, objectives and relationships will be taught as techniques to tell the story and get to the heart of a scene. www.leonwilley.com

Michelle Fisher -brings her enthusiasm for all types of dance to the Workshop Tour as the Dancer on Tour. Students will experience a variety of dance styles ranging from square dance to hip hop. Watch as your students become animals or hunters and express the excitement of the hunt through dance. Students will try the traditional steps of the square dance and then move on to the non traditional moves of hip hop.

I will be adding photos and info as the tour begins. So until then see you in Oct.

Our Video collage

2010-11-09T01:18:00.001-08:00

The End

2010-11-08T23:56:00.000-08:00

AAAAH, the end!

This 2010 tour was a success. Five great artists, that all got along without incident, taught over 375 workshops in 15 towns over the course of 26 days. With 6000 kilometers travelled in our SCES Tour Van, and well over 5000 students and faculty affected, the most important aspect of the Cultural Exchange was met.

I had the pleasure of getting to know the four terrific artists on this tour - Melissa Nygren, Carol Morin, Kelly- Anne Riess and Evans Bamwesigye- and was thrilled to see how each of them grew as artists. I feel very fortunate to have spent the six weeks with them, and now consider them my friends.

I think it's safe to say that every one of us will walk away with our own special memories - weather bombs and Kandahar included. We each had a favourite school, class, community or incident, and will take these memories with us into the future.

Below is one of MY favourite memories:

So long everybody, until next year.

Learning through the Arts

2010-10-24T15:59:00.000-07:00

As a tour, we have come into the middle regions of Saskatchewan, and dove deep into their farming communities.

This time around we had a visit in Cudworth , Rosetown, Melfort and Outlook. Spending a few days in each place allowed us to really get to know the community. I would say that the townsfolk got to know us as well.

As a habit of curiosity we spend our off-time exploring, walking, chatting, and shopping in these places we visit. There is a fantastic antique shop in Rosetown filled with music and trinkets. There is also a great pizza place to have lunch, and my favourite coffee place that I've been to on this tour, all found on Main Street.

The city of Melfort was very friendly and outgoing. The people there were eager to tell me all the things that were happening in their community. We had the privilege of staying at a farmhouse just outside of town with the leaves in their most colourful phases. Our homestead was breathtaking and quiet and the family there treated us to a spectacular dinner. Thank you to Desirae and Craig for their open home.

The town of Cudworth is found in amongst lakes and fields. The school and staff are friendly and we were a hit. I think the Exchange will be coming back to this town for years to come.

Downtown Cudworth is full of hardworking people and little kids running to the candy store. It really is like another time.

Lastly, Outlook is a town with a big treasure—the Sky Bridge. It spans the South Saskatchewan River and takes about 20 minutes to walk across. One of the teachers at the elementary school showed us this treasure and we got a couple of great shots.

Some communities never get too exposed to the arts, and, for many, professional artists are a myth. As we spend time with these people, the myth gets debunked, and the importance of art is shown and felt. In a world where intolerance and repression of emotional expression can run rampant, especially in insular communities, the pure unguarded enjoyment of art is essential. I am so proud to be with these artists as we show people that art is not only important to one’s growth, but is an important part of our human experience.

Kandahar and back.

2010-10-13T19:11:00.000-07:00

I have to tell you all that, as a tour, we really have been to a lot of random places in Saskatchewan.

We have traveled through Turtleford, Sagehill, Prince Albert, Shellbrook, Shell Lake, Eldon, and Ruddell. We have seen sights and people of Saskatchewan spread across vast dipping valleys, patchwork plains and snaking rivers.

We have crossed the North and South Saskatchewan River, stopped alongside Canada's largest saline lake, big quill lake and even a giant turtle.

As I continue my artistic trek around Saskatchewan from Alvena to Zealandia, I have only one question how many of you have been to Kandahar Saskatchewan?

Hello World!

2010-10-12T10:20:00.000-07:00

Hello world,

Ah yes, I wanted to look back at our previous week, as it was our longest. We started back on the road, with our first stop in Kelvington.

Kelvington is a beautiful town with a lot going for it. Beside the usual industry and farming the landscape and surrounding lakes make it an ideal place to raise a family. If they could find a way to clean up the lake that is situated in the townsite, they would have a year-round resource for fun and relaxation. We were very privileged to stay at a bed&breakfast in the community. The school was welcoming and eager for us to take over - we were obviously a treat for the kids - and staff that said they look forward to our visit every year.

Here is the place we stayed at.

For the rest of the week was spent within about 40min of Regina. Our first stop was Balgonie.

Being so close to Regina, similar to White City beside it, Balgonie is busting at the seams. The School is beautiful and the students/staff are outstanding to teach and work with.

The population in this area has grown so much and so fast that our classes were huge.

I was in the main hallway and Carol was in the Cafeteria.

The same thing happened where I grew up. We had to have portables brought in until a more permanent structure was built.

I can see why people want to move into this community.
The state of the art equipment, the obvious money spent on

resources, and the modern townsite make this an attractive place to live.

We spent two days in Balgonie.

The last place we went for our long week was Lumsden. Like Balgonie, Lumsden is just outside Regina and it is also a very popular place to live.

Aesthetically beautiful with its community nestled in a picturesque valley, it has all the modern conveniences without losing its small town charm. It is, in my mind, one of the most beautiful places on our tour. Lumsden has two schools in their town. A highschool and an elementary. We taught for the little one this time around.

Population is growing at an alarming rate for this community, and we, again, had large classes.

We had a long week this week, not so much in terms of just travel, but cumulative days teaching. I had dental surgery in the midst of this week as well so, needless to say, we have all enjoyed the much needed Thanksgiving weekend.

Next week Cudworth and Rosetown!

The Juice

2010-09-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

Here we are in my current hometown of Moose Jaw. I am so happy with the school and our fantastic artists. There has been an indelible mark left by the Cultural Exchange in this community.

We have a short week this week, with just 2 schools in the southern region of Saskatchewan. Lindale School, which is in Moose Jaw, and Milestone School in Milestone, SK.

I have a natural bias toward the Arts. Being a professional artist myself, and teaching these kinds of workshops, I get to see first hand the impact we have on the students and faculty. Every teaching day, I have students that approach me asking questions about how they can learn more. This proves to me that this exposure to arts, for these students, has given them another world to explore. With so many great artists coming from Saskatchewan, I only feel blessed to know that I have been able to share in those precious first steps.

The Arts Board of Saskatchewan is a real champion, to have provided the opportunity for us artists to get into these schools. Some communities on this tour don't even have arts programs available to their students, so we are the only experience many of these students will have with Drama, Dance, Writing, Song Writing, and Visual Arts.

The Artist Van

2010-09-23T07:59:00.000-07:00

Don't worry. We're artists.

I wanted to tell you about our van we are traveling around in, it’s tailor-made. With the logos on the side, our bold artist faces through the windows, the loud proud beeping coming from the underbelly, signaling to everyone that we are reversing; we've been turning heads.

I think our van should be equipped with some kind of cape.

As it is now, a white 15 passenger van, with multicoloured graphics, is our chariot. The lettering on the van is placed in a way that only artists could justify.It is our lair, our bubble, and our highway retreat.

I will upload some photos of things we have seen as the tour unfolds.

For now if you see us coming, or hear us reversing, don't worry, we're artists, we mean you no harm.

Our tour so far!

2010-09-22T08:44:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are--the first week of our tour. As the artists, we were picked up in Moose Jaw, Regina and Saskatoon. We all had a deep curiosity about how this first week would go.

We have been very impressed with the generosity of the schools and the communities we've visited. I personally love the landscape of Paradise Hill with the deciduous trees changing colour, the winding roads and the beauty of the North.

The first night we were all split up and taken to separate billets and fed a home-cooked meal.

The people I stayed with had fresh fish and garden vegetables. I am sure the sentiment is universal when I say that, after such a long drive ( 7.5 hours ), we appreciated it.

The kids on our first day were from Paradise Hill. From what I saw, everyone had a great time.

There was a local reporter that came and took some photos for her publication as well as interviewed some of the artists.

On our second day we arrived in Spiritwood, a very charming community with a great burgeoning arts program in their school.

I had some of the funniest Grade 7-8s. We spent most of our workshop laughing.

Next, the artists were teaching high school students. This shift in gears was handled with ease by our professional

artists. The kids impressed us all with their creativity and ability to express themselves.

We have now arrived in La Ronge, and we are staying at the Waterbase Inn on the lake.

Churchill School is a school that I have taught in before and really enjoyed.

We spend two days in La Ronge so we all have a chance to explore the area over the next day.

I will tell more tomorrow.

Introducing the SCES Workshop Tour Artists for 2010

2010-08-20T10:54:00.000-07:00

Melissa Nygren - Music Facilitator

Melissa Nygren has been playing the guitar since 1996 and has been teaching since 2005. As a singer/songwriter she has had the pleasure of touring across Canada and overseas. She has released 4 albums with her two bands and continues to write, record and perform. Melissa now runs her own company, Prairie Songstress Music, which delivers her own brand of guitar, voice, and songwriting training. This intelligent and experienced prairie songstress has never hesitated to spread her music in a journey that’s taken her from the back porch to big stages in more than a decade of writing, performing, and collaborating.

Kelly-Anne Riess - Writer Facilitator

Kelly-Anne Riess is a poet based in Regina. She is the author of the poetry collection To End a Conversation, which has been featured on CBC Radio and on The Writer’s Almanac with Garrison Keillor. Her work has been published in literary journals across Canada, and, recently, she was shortlisted for a Saskatchewan Lieutenant Governor’s Arts Award, a YWCA Young Woman of Distinction Award, and a Regina Mayor’s Art Award. Riess also works as a freelance journalist, having written for many newspapers and magazines, including the Globe and Mail and Canadian Geographic. She has traveled across North America, working on documentaries that have aired worldwide on networks such as the A&E Biography Channel, History Television, and CBC. Riess was the lead writer on the bestselling Saskatchewan Book of Everything.

Leon Willey was born in Vancouver, BC, and is now living in Mortlach, Saskatchewan. Leon has performed throughout Canada. Credits include Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan, Persephone Theatre, Arts Club Theatre, Gateway Theatre, Chemainus Theatre, and many more. Leon’s favourites are: The Full Monty in Vancouver and Saskatoon, Ain’t We Got Fun in Moose Jaw, Billy Crocker in Anything Goes and William Smith in Murder on the Nile on Vancouver Island, Bobby Strong in Urinetown, Jessie Award winner for Best Production in Vancouver, Johnny in Johnny Zed: The Musical (Saskatchewan Playwrights Festival). Most recently Leon performed alongside his wife Krista in a school show for children in Saskatchewan, Who is Mrs. Wilson?, as Mickey. Leon has toured twice with the Cultural Exchange Workshop Tours.

Evans Bamwesigye - Dance Facilitator

Evans brings with him a rich heritage of East African traditional dances fused with a glaze of hip-hop. Born in the undulating hills of western Uganda, Evans has enamoured both small and large audiences. With a charisma that never dims, he teaches not only the melange of dances but combines it with drumming lessons and cascading clapping native to the East African region. He has taught students from Japan, Europe, North America, and Southern Africa. His workshop sessions are rife with enthusiasm and the effect lives on long long after the sessions. He currently lives in Saskatoon where he takes part in a multiplicity of cultural events.

Carol Morin - Visual Arts Facilitator

Carol is currently employed at the CBC as a broadcaster but is looking forward to touring the province sharing her creative excitement with Saskatchewan youth. Her workshop will incorporate both the visual arts and the art of storytelling, depending on the age of the students involved. She plans to use the mediums of paint, paper, and found objects to show how texture can be incorporated into visual arts. Carol comes to the troupe with a broad experience in the arts, most recently she was selected to receive a Saskatchewan Arts Board grant to develop illustrations for one of her children’s books.

Workshop Tour Blog 2010

2010-08-20T10:43:00.000-07:00

The Cultural Exchange is proud to present this year's Workshop Tour Troupe to schools across Saskatchewan. The troupe features multi-talented, multi-skilled Saskatchewan artists. They will be focusing on specific skills as they present their workshops to the youth of Saskatchewan. Participating schools and students will be invited to describe their responses to the various workshops presented in their schools on the blog. For more information on this program please contact Margaret Fry at 306.780.9494, email mfry@sasktel.net, or go to www.sces.ca and click on Workshop Tour.
Here's to another exciting year!