Ruth Howard (artist): Difference between revisions

Ruth worked for many years as a [[Scenic design|theatre designer]], at professional theatretheatres across Canada, as well as with various forms of popular and participatory arts and theatre.

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]]; [[Torquay, England]] and [[Manchester, England]] - and to create interdisciplinary projects that adapted the form to reflect her evolving artistic interests and urban realities. She 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'', the success of which prompted her to found [[Jumblies Theatre]] in 2001.

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

[[Jumblies Theatre|Jumblies]] has since undertaken residencies in five communities and created a series of highly acclaimed productions, including "Once A Shoreline"in Davenport West (2004); "Bridge of One Hair" in Central Etobicoke (2007); "Oy Di Velt Vet Vern Yinger (Oh the world will grow younger)" at the Camp Naivelt (2008) and the Mayworks Festival (2009):; "Like An Old Tale", a Scarborough telling of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale (2011). Each of these productions involves hundreds of community participants, and dozens of professional artists.

Ruth has also mentored and supported many emerging artists and organizations. Jumblies' residencies also resulted in a series of independent "Offshoot" organizations: [https://www.arts4all.ca/ Arts4All] in Davenport West, [http://www.mabellearts.ca/ MABELLEarts] in Etobicoke, the [http://communityartsguild.ca/ Community Arts Guild] in Scarborough, and an "adopted" Offshoot: [https://making-room.org/ Making Room] in Parkdale. RuthOther also initiated into Jumblies in 2006 an intentional strand for learning and mentorship inthriving community-engaged arts (theorganizations Jumbliesoutside Studio). Jumblies moved to a downtownof Toronto Locationmentored (Theby GroundRuth Floor) ininclude 2013[https://www.aanmitaagzi.net/ From hereAanmitaagzi], Ruth[http://www.thinkingrock.ca/ andThinking JumbliesRock] undertookand a[https://ov-caos.org/ multiOV-yearCAOS]. explorationIn of Toronto's Indigenous and colonial histories20016, leadingRuth toinitiated into the 2017Jumblies TouchingStudio, Grounda Festivalstrand of newthe works,company twodedicated nationalto tourslearning (Trainand ofmentorship Thoughtin andcommunity-engaged Four Lands)arts, andincluding Talkingworkshops, Treatiescourses, ainternships, projectmentorship, ledresources byand Associatespecial Artisticprojects Director,and Ange Loftpartnerships.

* a one-year residency at [[Lawrence Heights]], ending with an outdoor production called ''"I’m Tapingi Too!''" (2001);

* "the Toronto Seder", an adapted secular Passover Seder telling an urgent story of Toronto's Indigenous history (2014);

* "Being Margolia", a choral work commissioned and performed by the Toronto Children's Chorus, composed by Martin van de Ven, libretto by Ruth Howard, based on the Camp Naivelt Jewish commune re-enactment project (2010).;

* FixtPoint (Board Member 20012 to present2019)