Ruth Howard (artist): Difference between revisions

'''Ruth Howard''' is a Canadian artist who creates large-scale arts and theatre projects with urban communities <ref name="Claire Dimond-Gibson">{{cite news | author= Claire Dimond-Gibson | title=Building the power of community: Jumblies Theatre's Once a Shoreline community play | url=http://creativecity.ca/project-profiles/Toronto-Jumblies-Theatre.html | work=Creative City Network of Canada | date=2005–2006 | accessdate=2010-02-22 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706173932/http://creativecity.ca/project-profiles/Toronto-Jumblies-Theatre.html | archivedate=2011-07-06 }}</ref> and has been called "a key figure in the Canadian Community Play movement".<ref name=artsnetwork>[http://neighbourhoodartsnetwork.org/members/ruth-howard artsnetwork]</ref> She is currentlywas the founding [[artisticArtistic directorDirector]] of [[Jumblies Theatre]], afrom company2001 sheto founded in 20012022.

HowardRuth studied at the [[Eastbourne College of Art and Design]], at the [[University of Toronto]] where she obtained a BA Honours in English Literature and Drama, and at the [[National Theatre School of Canada]] (Design Program).

HowardRuth worked for many years as a professional [[Scenic design|theatre designer]], at professional theatres across Canada, as well as with various forms of popular and participatory arts and theatre. Her family is integral to the work she does for Jumblies. She lives on Wards Island with her partner of thirty years, Steve Cooper, with whom she has three children: Shifra, Helah, and Eli.

In 1991, Ruth was invited by Dale Hamilton to be a designer for the ''Spirit of Shivaree'' in [[Rockwood, Ontario]], a project inspired by the British work of the Colway Theatre Trust with director Jon Oram. This introduction to the [[Community theatre|community play]] form, which combines high-calibre art making on an epic scale with a philosophypractice of wholehearted social inclusion and an astonishing capacity for social change, was a life-changing experience that has inspired the course and nature of her work ever since.

Ruth went on to design community plays in Canada and the U.K., - in locations such as [[Blyth, Ontario]]; [[Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan]]; [[Enderby, British Columbia]]; and [[TorbayTorquay, England]] and [[Manchester, England]] - and to create interdisciplinary projects that adapted the form to reflect her evolving artistic interests and Toronto’surban realities. AtShe the same time Howard began to produceproduced and create her own theatre events: initially in school communities, butand growing in size and complexity. In 2000, she produced a multi-lingual performance piece in [[Riverdale, Toronto|South Riverdale]]’s ''Twisted Metal and Mermaids Tears'', whichthe hadsuccess aof strong impact on Canada’s community arts scene andwhich prompted Ruthher to found [[Jumblies Theatre]] in 2001.

Following the success of these projects, HowardRuth founded [[Jumblies Theatre]] in 2001 to support what had evolved as an approach of establishing multi-year residencies in urban communitiesneighbourhoods leading to large-scale, participatory, performance piecesworks and lasting local legacies. These pieces were adapted from, butand retainingretained many of the guiding principles of the [[Community theatre|Community Play]] model.

[[Jumblies Theatre|Jumblies]] has since undertaken residencies in fivea communitiesseries andof createdcommunities, severalleading to highly acclaimed productions in, including "Once A Shoreline:" in Davenport West (2004); "Bridge of One Hair" in Central Etobicoke (2007); the "Twelfth Jewish Children’s Work Commune Re-enactment" at [[Camp Naivelt]] (2008); and "Oy diDi veltVelt vetVet vernVern yingerYinger (Oh the world will grow younger)" at Camp Naivelt (2008) and the Mayworks Festival in (2009.); Jumblies’"Like mostAn recentOld large-scale productionTale", a Scarborough telling of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, "Like An Old Tale", took take place in Scarborough in December (2011,). with hundreds of community participants, and dozens of professional artists.

* Associated Designers of Canada (Boardboard Membermember, 1990 to 1993)

* Common Weal (Foundingfounding Boardboard Membermember, 1992 to 1994)

* [[Jumblies Theatre]] (Founderfounder and Artisticartistic Directordirector, 2001 to present)

* Community Arts Ontario (Boardboard Membermember, 2003 to 2005)

* Shadowland Theatre (Boardboard Membermember, 2005 to present)

[[Category:Canadian designerswomen theatre directors]]