EC3 Bulletin: Canadian Arts Coalition

March 26, 2026

EC3 advocates for the arts at all levels of government. Our work has included supporting the status of the artist through direct funding, basic income programs, stronger copyright laws, and increased investment in the government programs that support arts organizations and DEI initiatives in the arts. While we continue to advocate at the municipal and provincial levels at the City of Peterborough, the OAC and the provincial Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, we wanted to draw attention to the advocacy work of Canadian Coalition for the Arts, working at the federal level, by sharing their recent newsletter.

EC3 also had an opportunity to meet briefly with MP Emma Harrison to discuss the mission and mandate of the arts council, and the value and importance of funding programs at Canadian
Heritage. Our MP suggested that arts organizations advise her office when they do make an application to the federal government for funding. We look forward to future conversations.

Emma Harrison, Member of Parliament representing Peterborough, Ontario

Picture description: A woman with brunette hair in a tan coloured pea-coat is looking directly at the camera and smiling. She is standing in a snowy field with trees in the background.

Working to strengthen Canadian arts and culture through policies, investment, sustainable practices, and public appreciation.

NEWS IN THE ARTS

Canada Council for the Arts Strategic Planning

Thank you to everyone who attended the most recent all-members meeting on February 9. We discussed the upcoming Canada Council for the Arts strategic planning, inviting input on how the Canadian Arts Coalition could represent its members and communicate their thoughts and recommendations to the Council. The top two recommendations received were to

Submit on the questionnaire on behalf of members
Provide consensus points for members’ submission

We will be moving forward on these two action points in the coming weeks, ensuring our members’ voices are heard in these discussions. We are also looking into the possibility of submitting a brief that outlines all of the concerns and feedback from our members, so please submit your feedback to info@canadianartscoalition.ca.

MORE FOR THIS MONTH

ADVOCACY & POLICY

Provincial budgets are rolling out over the coming weeks, and they will set the tone for arts and culture funding, policy, and priorities across the country. Please take a moment to check when your province or territory will table its budget, and keep an eye on what is proposed for arts, culture, heritage, and related files, including any new investments, freezes, cuts, or shifts in program design. If you spot something with implications for the sector, share it with your networks and with the Coalition.

TAKE ACTION & GET INVOLVED

One of the policy pieces that the Coalition will be focusing on in the next few months, as determined by a member’s survey, is the social safety net for artists and arts workers. Research has been done on this topic in recent years, and we are starting to find and collate the existing work. This is where we would love your assistance!

Please send us any resources, statistics, articles or other information you have encountered around Employment Insurance reform, Universal Basic Income, and other social safety net subjects to info@canadianartscoalition.ca.

FROM THE COALITION

We’ll soon be moving our member communications to our new membership platform. This includes emails, notices about membership meetings, and other important updates.

To continue receiving these messages in March and beyond, you must be listed as a contact in the new platform. If you don’t currently have an account, it’s likely because you’re not one of the designated contacts for your organization.

If that’s the case, please either:

Ask your organization’s main contact to add you as a Delegate in their membership profile, or
Email membership@canadianartscoalition.com, and we’ll be happy to get you set up.

If you’re unsure whether you’re listed, just send us a quick email and we’ll check for you. We want to make sure you continue to receive all our updates!

Read the full bulletin here!

Congratulations to the recipients of the 2025 Grants for Individual Artists!!

EC3’s GRANTS FOR INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS fueled 17 new projects by talented local artists, creating a diverse bounty of new writing, theatre, circus arts, visual arts, dance, music and more for Peterborough audiences.

The Electric City Culture Council (EC3) is proud to announce the 17 local artists who have been awarded a total of $35,250 through the 2025 Grants for Individual Artists program. This multidisciplinary program is funded jointly by the City of Peterborough and EC3, and is designed, delivered, and administered by EC3. This year, 50 artists applied for grants ranging from between $1,500 and $3,500.00. Grants are adjudicated and awarded by a five-person peer assessment jury.The Grants for Individual Artists (GFIA) program is divided into two components.

Component One: Mini Development Grants for Individual Professional Artists provides up to $1,500 to an artist for research, development, workshopping etc. of original new works and ongoing projects, as well as for professional training and mentorship opportunities to advance their practice. Funding provides a contribution to support artists’ work in writing, rehearsing, scripting, test filming, arranging scores, retraining, workshopping, etc.
Nine artists were awarded grants in Component One (total $12,750) in 2025.

Component Two: Project Creation, Production and Presentation Grants for Individual Professional Artists, provides up to $3,500 for the creation, production, and presentation to audiences of specific projects. Grants support costs such as artist fees, production materials, venue rentals, technical equipment, costumes, printing, etc.
Eight artists were awarded grants in Component Two (total $22,500) in 2025.

In total, the program’s open call received 45 eligible applications, and a five-member peer assessment jury awarded grants to 17 artists (total value of grants awarded: $35,250). Artists working in every discipline, genre and medium were eligible, including those who work in multi-disciplinary or community-based arts practice, and in traditional or contemporary forms. A complete list of grant recipients and their projects can be found below.

“We are particularly grateful to the City of Peterborough for their $25,000 support of this vital program in 2025, and to all of our funders for their ground-breaking contributions to the development of local talent and works of art. These investments in the efforts of our very talented and hardworking artists means more artists can realize their visions, contribute to our cultural, economic, community and social well-being, and make Peterborough a more vital and exciting place to live for all of us. New books, poetry, concerts, plays, exhibitions, albums, and performances of all kinds will touch our hearts, minds, and imaginations.”
–Su Ditta (Executive Director, EC3)

GRANTS FOR INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS 2025 GRANT RECIPIENTS

Component One: Mini Development Grants for Individual Professional Artists

Tia Cavanagh – Indian Jones vs. The Vatican
Research and creation of an alter ego persona – “Indian Jones”, an Indigenized concept inspired by Indiana Jones, for a planned future performance piece about the theft of cultural artifacts.

Marta Chudolinska – Babcia: a papercut graphic novel
Artist fees to continue writing, drawing, and making papercut art for a graphic novel and to present a public artists talk about the artist’s process.

Michael C Duguay – Here I Go Into The Wobbly Yonder
Support for a period of research and experimentation focused on the intersection of music and “processional” art in the contexts of composition, performance and documentation.

Laurie D Graham – What Elements
Completion of a draft of a poetic nonfiction manuscript exploring what “land and home” could mean for the settler subject.

Nicole Malbeuf – Drafting Art/Children’s Book: A Hen Called Freedom
Writing/editing, book design planning and researching self-publishing for art book/children’s book hybrid, based on an original circus arts performance.

Kasonde Mutale – Black Radical Existentialism: an exploration
Research, creation and artist fee for visual and written storytelling exploring Black radical existentialism through African traditional art, revitalizing Black identity, dignity and pride.

Kate Story – Strangeness on Earth (working title)
Paying sensitivity readers, youth readers, and an artist fee for work on a new young adult historical fantasy novel set in 1817 Newfoundland and Orkney.

Lynda Todd – Migration #3: Land, Air & Sea
Purchasing materials to complete a series of tactile portraits of polar bears, penguins, and whales accompanied by braille descriptions, inviting all to experience their journeys.

Gillian Turnham – Indelible Architecture: From The Rubble; Ruined Not
Researching visual records of destroyed Islamic heritage sites in the Eastern Mediterranean, to inform a series of traditional miniature paintings memorializing architecture lost in conflict.

Component Two: Project Production and Development Grants for Individual Artists

Brad Brackenridge – Pinocchio
Creation of an original, family-friendly adaptation of Pinocchio involving puppetry, dance, and mask for a short run of workshop performances at the Market Hall.

Brooklin Holbrough – “Art-Work” (Working title)
Artist fees towards a zine that aims to demystify art and illustration as a career path for emerging creatives.

Thamer Linklater – The Place I Called Home
Editorial costs ( including copy and content editing) and graphic design to submit manuscript for publishing, either traditionally or self-published.

Kayla Mahomed – Kay Silver Debut Album Recording
Recording an album of original material with diverse influences in the pop-rock tradition with local collaborators in the Peterborough region.

Ell Parker – Heartbreakers | Dream Makers Volume 3: Servin’ [C*ntry]
Artist fees and venue costs to mount a multidisciplinary, country themed drag concert at Sadleir House. Featuring local artists, drag queens, and projectionists, the event seeks to deconstruct the heteronormative ideologies of country music, and provide a fun and inclusive space for queer individuals.

Benj Rowland – new peasant marching band
Artist fees and production costs for a marching band offering lively, themed performances at community events to engage audiences and celebrate local culture.

Esther Vincent – Are We Sleeping, A one-act play
Artist fees, venue rental, and actor fees to present a staged reading of a one-act script about a family facing dementia.

Ziysah von Bieberstein – Before the Tymbals Sound
Editorial and artist fees to prepare manuscript for submission to traditional publishers.

Read the full bulletin here!

Chet Singh joins the EC3 Board of Directors

February 21st, 2026

EC3 is honoured to welcome artist, educator and cultural activist Chet Singh to the EC3 Board of Directors. An accomplished artist and educator, Chet brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our work as a municipal arts council in Peterborough. His deep community connections, capacity to work in institutional and grassroots environments, and passion for the arts and artists will provide an enormous asset to our organization and our work for the arts in Peterborough.

Chet Singh

Dub poet, educator and social activist Chet Singh emerged with the first wave of Caribbean dub poets in the early 1980’s. He fronted the punk, reggae band One Mind, comprised of Trent students. After returning to Nogojiwanong two decades later, he’s released 6 albums. A founding member of Canada’s Dub Poets Collective, he also served on the board of the Ontario Arts Council. His work advancing diversity, equity, decolonizing and critical education has been recognized with awards for teaching excellence and educational leadership.

Read the full bulletin here!

EC3 Bulletin: Black History Month

February 18th, 2026

February is Black History Month and EC3 wants to recognize and celebrate the many great events happening in our community, and the people who make them happen.

Each February, people across Canada participate in Black History Month events and celebrations that honour the legacy and contributions of Black people all across Canada, and in their particular local communities.

The 2026 theme for Black History Month is: “30 Years of Black History Month: Honouring Black Brilliance Across Generations — From Nation Builders to Tomorrow’s Visionaries.”

This month is an important opportunity to learn about and acknowledge these people and their often hidden histories and stories.

We invite all Canadians to learn more about Black Canadian communities, and how they continue to contribute to and help shape Canada.

Along with the celebrations, Black History Month is a call to recognize the things that have been lost, the stories that have been suppressed and the racism that has haunted many of these people and the communities that they live in. Much of the programming outlined below provides us with the unique opportunity to learn more, to experience more and to build our capacity as anti-racist allies. It’s a chance to read great books, learn new dances, listen to fabulous music, enjoy the artists and their work and learn more about our friends and neighbours.

Read the full bulletin here!

EC3 is hiring an operations and administration coordinator – deadline to apply February 27, 2026

February 13, 2026

Working for the Electric City Culture Council is a unique opportunity to be a part of developing and advancing support for the arts in Peterborough. As EC3 has grown, our need for more efficient operations and better systems management has increased. Join our team delivering grants and awards, residencies, professional development and more! Feel free to call for more information.

JOB POSTING
OPERATIONS AND ADMINISTRATION COORDINATOR
Electric City Culture Council (EC3)
Posting date: February 10, 2026
Deadline for applications: February 27, 2026
Compensation: $28 per hour, 25 hours per week
Location: Hybrid workspace including home office and EC3 satellite office in downtown Peterborough.
Term: Position has no fixed term. This is a salaried position with all statutory benefits plus sick/personal days.

ABOUT EC3
A municipal arts council, the Electric City Culture Council (EC3) is a not-for-profit arts service organization supporting the development of individual artists and arts and culture organizations in Peterborough and Peterborough County. Our programs and services provide opportunities for artists to create, produce, and present work, and for audiences to experience and appreciate the arts. Our work builds and strengthens the foundations and infrastructure of arts and culture in our area, while contributing to the social, economic and community well- being of our city.

DEI EC3 is committed to diversity and inclusiveness. We encourage qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

Our organizational impact has expanded and so have our professional management needs as we engage with more and more artists, arts organizations and other community partners and sponsors. Accurate information, easy access to well organized records and other material, and the capacity to produce events quickly and effectively is essential to our success – all on a low budget. This job plays a crucial role in strengthening our ability to provide arts funding, professional development and advocacy.

OVERVIEW
This position provides a unique opportunity to work in the arts community supporting EC3’s activities across all arts disciplines and genres, delivering a broad cross section of programs from grants and awards – to festivals and artist residencies, while providing administrative support and some event support for EC3’s operating and programming activities. The position reports to the Executive Director and works with other staff and contract employees to advance and reinforce EC3’s administrative and management capacity. This includes building information systems and data collection and retention, as well as production support and day to day administrative support.

This person is expected to know and understand the organization’s mission and vision, follow EC3’s policies and protocols, respect confidentiality and conflict of interest guidelines, and conduct themselves in the best interest of the organization and the community it serves. Knowledge of the arts and of the local arts sector, and the professional role of an arm’s length arts council, is an asset.

JOB DUTIES

Maintain and advance administrative and operating systems, including communications (mailing lists, media lists, fundraising contacts, applicants data bases etc.)
Respond to general public telephone and email enquiries, maintain office hours
Maintain operations manuals, archives and records (grant results, media coverage, process documents etc.)
Maintenance of social media tools, and an up to date and accurate website
Maintenance of event and meeting calendars, deadlines and undertake related research on same
Provide support in grant writing and delivering programming as needed

QUALIFICATIONS

Post-secondary experience in not-for-profit administration
Excellent organizational, written and oral communications skills
Familiarity with computer technology, web site (Word Press) and social media including Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, Mail Chimp, Word and Excel
Demonstrated ability to set and meet goals, and priorities, clear objectives and deadlines
Driver’s licence and regular access to a car are an asset
Passion for the arts and organizing details

HOW TO APPLY Please forward covering Letter and Resume with subject heading “EC3 Operating and Administration Coordinator Position” to: electriccitycc@gmail.com. Your covering letter should outline why you would like to work with EC3 serving the arts community, and how your education and professional experience would make you a good candidate for the job. Please review our web site @ https://www.ecthree.org/ .

For additional information or questions:
Su Ditta (she/her), Executive Director
electriccitycc@gmail.com
705-749-9101
Currently living and working in Nogojiwanong, on the territory of the Michi Saagig Anishinaabeg, in the lands covered by the Williams Treaties.

For the full announcement see the EC3 Bulletin: EC3 is Hiring!

Ontario Provincial Cultural Strategy – July 2016

June 18th, 2019

Ontario Provincial Cultural Strategy – July 2016
Link HERE.

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Vision 2025 – City of Peterborough Progress Update May 2016

June 18th, 2019

Vision 2025 – City of Peterborough Progress Update May 2016
Link HERE.

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STATS ON ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF THE ARTS

June 18th, 2019

The full report is here: Provincial and Territorial Culture Indicators, 2010 to 2014

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Appearance before the Standing Committee

June 18th, 2019

Appearance before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage Study on Cultural Hubs and Cultural Districts – read the report Here

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Artsweek 2016

November 8th, 2016

Electric City Culture Council (EC3)
Vol. 1 Issue 2 2016

YOU
ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO ATTEND THE ARTSWEEK 2016 OPENING

Please join us to celebrate the city's artistic bounty at the Artsweek 2016 Launch
Opening Ceremonies!

Friday September 23, 2016 at 12 Noon
N.E. Corner of Queen and Simcoe Streets
(Help Paralegal Services, 114 Simcoe St. parking lot).

Artsweek and the Electric City Culture Council (EC3) invite you to join us for the opening ceremonies for Artsweek and the unveiling of Alex Bierk’s mural “Passing Cloud” (2016).

This will be the first opportunity to view the spectacular Bierk mural and to get a sneak peek at some incredible Artsweek 2016 events. It’s also a perfect opportunity to meet some of the wonderful Artsweek artists, partners, and sponsors over light refreshments. We want to say thank you and recognize all of you.

Opening ceremonies will include:

The official Artsweek proclamation by Mayor Daryl Bennett
The spectacular reveal of the Alex Bierk mural
A dramatic reading from the Following the White Whale project by Fourth Line Theatre director and actor Robert Winslow
The first sharing of the ecitylit
The arrival of the Artsweek 2016 Artscart
And many other surprises!

There will be great food and drink and we hope to see you all there.

Artsweek launch day will continue into the evening with three more interactive events: BLINK on Charlotte, The Gallery Hop, and the ecitylit kick off.

Join a guided tour of the BLINK on Charlotte storefront exhibitions, or make your own journey to exhibitions at participating art galleries during the Hop, in and around the downtown:

7:00 pm and 8:00 pm: BLINK Opening Tours

Guided tours of the 8 BLINK on Charlotte storefront visual arts installations. Meet at The Charlotte Mews tunnel (next to The Art School of Peterborough,

7:00 pm - 10:00 pm: Gallery Hopping:

Evans Contemporary, 129½ Hunter St. W., 3rd Floor
ACME, 129½ ,Hunter St. W., 3rd Floor
Artspace, 378 Aylmer St N.
Christensen Fine Art, 432 George N.
Gallery in the Attic, 140 1/2 Hunter St W.
The Monocle Centre for the Arts, 140 Simcoe St.
Art Gallery of Peterborough, 250 Crescent St.

8:30 pm - 9:30 pm: ecitylit at Black Honey

Join us for readings and the unveiling of literary coffee cup sleeves featuring local micro-fiction and poems commissioned just for Artsweek and appearing on coffee sleeves all around town. These literary sleeves will be available throughout Artsweek at participating cafés: BE Catering, Black Honey, Dreams of Beans, the Silver Bean Cafe, Natas, the Planet, the Planet North, BE at the Trend, In a Nuttshell, Amusé Coffee Co., Caffeina, Simply Delicious, the Turnbull Cafe and the Whistle Stop Cafe.

Artsweek 2016
Artsweek 2016 features 30 projects involving almost 100 outstanding artists in a celebration of original, home-grown artworks showcased in five exciting Artsweek Signature Programs. http://www.artsweekptbo.com/
See you soon!
ARTSWEEK IS…
BOLD quiet INTENSE playful SERIOUS mysterious
INTELLIGENT delirious MAGICAL practical EMOTIONAL
curious DEMANDING rewarding…
ARTSWEEK IS a thought-provoking, soul-evoking, journey
into the heart and soul of Peterborough.

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Hello ArtCity!

November 8th, 2016

Hello ArtCity!
ArtCity is the name of the Calendar section of the Artsweek 2016 web site, the place where all the arts, culture and heritage activities taking place in Peterborough during Artsweek (September 23 – October 2) are listed. It is incredibly bountiful and reminds us once again what a truly creative community we live in! More on Artsweek 2016 coming up…

Welcome Executive Director Su Ditta
EC3 welcomed a new Executive Director, Su Ditta, in May of this year. You can see the Media Release about Su’s appointment on our web site at www.ecthree.org. We are thrilled to have someone with Su’s experience and knowledge leading our team. She has been busy pushing the management limits at EC3 and organizing Artsweek 2016, that’s why you haven’t heard from us for a while. Thanks Su, for going the distance with us.

Artsweek 2016: SAVE THE DATE
September 23 – October 2, 2016 – Launch and Opening Ceremonies
September 23rd @ 12 Noon, NE corner of Queen and Simcoe

Artsweek 2016 is shaping up to be one of the best ever thanks to the nearly 100 artists who are participating in some 30 projects this year. Don’t miss the Launch on September 23 @
12 Noon, on the NE corner of Queen and Simcoe, featuring the unveiling of Alex Bierk’s spectacular mural project Passing Cloud (2016). There will be food and drink and a sneak peek at some Artsweek events. Artsweek 2016 features 5 Signature Programs:

Blink
Words
Porchapalooza
Pop Up Arts
New Moon Afternoon

Artsweek 2016 events are organized by our intrepid Program Director Laurel Paluck, who describes Artsweek 2016 this way:

ARTSWEEK IS…
BOLD quiet INTENSE playful SERIOUS mysterious INTELLIGENT delirious
MAGICAL practical EMOTIONAL curious DEMANDING rewarding…
ARTSWEEK IS a thought-provoking, soul-evoking journey into the heart and soul of Peterborough.
It’s all true and it wouldn’t be possible without the Artsweek Team, dozens of individuals and the 85 collaborating businesses and organizations that we are calling Planet Artsweek. You can find out more about Artsweek 2016 at artsweekptbo.com or check out the Artsweek Facebook page. The web site is live now and the Program will be the centre spread in ECMagazine’s September issue, available at all the usual spots on September 7th.

On the Advocacy Front
City of Peterborough
EC3 made a presentation to the City of Peterborough’s Budget Committee in July this summer. We were fortunate to work with Katherine Carleton of Orchestras Canada (headquartered here in Peterborough) and Blair MacKenzie, (Peterborough Symphony Orchestra). After consultation with a number of groups and individuals, we focused our “ask” on a 10% increase to the Community Investment Grants Program. Follow up will continue this fall.

Federal Government
EC3 represents the local arts, culture and heritage community on MP Maryam Monseff’s innovative Social, Cultural and Arts Development Council. This is an advisory group and EC3 has been in touch with numerous organizations in the City to get information and ideas to inform the work of this committee. It’s a unique opportunity to speak to our MP, who is a Cabinet Minister, about what federal programs and policies are crucial to our sector and what direction we would like to see the Government of Canada take.

Professional Development
We are currently putting the finishing touches on the Professional Development program for the fall and are planning an in-depth marketing seminar with Jennifer Murray of Porchlight Consulting. Watch for further details coming soon from EC3.

New Subscribers
This will be the first time some of you are receiving a missive from EC3. If you want to continue to hear from us and stay in the loop, do nothing and if you don’t want to, please Unsubscribe.

See you all at Artsweek!

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Artsweek 2016

July 15th, 2016

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ED Appointment – EC3

June 30th, 2016

Electric City Culture Council (EC3)
For Immediate Release: May 9, 2016

ARTS VETERAN TO LEAD ELECTRIC CITY CULTURE COUNCIL

Peterborough, ON –The Board of Directors of the Electric City Culture Council (EC3) is very pleased to announce that Su Ditta has been hired as Executive Director of this important arts service organization. Su has been an effective and important leader in arts management nationally and locally and was recently named to Peterborough’s Pathway of Fame for her outstanding contribution to the arts in Peterborough.

Su has previously held positions as Executive Director of the Canadian Images Film and Video Festival, Associate Curator at the National Gallery of Canada, Head of the Media Arts Section of the Canada Council for the Arts and Adjunct Curator, Media Arts at the Oakville Galleries. She also previously managed the Media, Visual and Interarts component of the Flying Squad Program, an organizational and management capacity building program at the Canada Council for the Arts. She has worked as manager of numerous non-profit arts organizations, including Toronto Independent Dance Enterprise, the Mayworks Festival of Working People and the Arts, Canadian Images Film and Video Festival and locally for Arbor Theatre and Artspace. An award winning Media Arts curator, she has worked with dozens of art galleries across Canada and served as an advisor to multiple federal, provincial and municipal agencies and arts councils.

Ms. Ditta graduated from Trent University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Studies and Canadian Studies. Originally from Toronto, she has lived in Peterborough for many years and freely contributed her expertise to the community through her Board involvement with Artspace, the Art Gallery of Peterborough, the Arts, Culture, Heritage and Advisory Committee, the Community Grants Committee, and as co-founder of Peterborough’s Artsweek and Benchmarks, a major public art project celebrating Peterborough’s 100th anniversary. Su was a founding director and served as Vice Chair of the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough.

Su Ditta has developed and delivered multiple grant and awards programs and led or been a member of more than 60 juries. She has taken an advocacy leadership role for the benefit of many arts organizations and other cultural projects and supported numerous efforts to advance the recognition of women artists and achieve racial equality and cultural diversity in the arts in Canada. Her work as private management consultant at Wild Ideas further extends her knowledge, expertise and specialized skills to assist community-based organizations in achieving growth and stability.
The Electric City Culture Council, more commonly known as EC3, is proud to have Su Ditta at the helm as Executive Director, knowing that her knowledge, her expertise, her past passionate advocacy for artists and arts organizations will provide strong and effective leadership, helping to make EC3 a dynamic and essential part of the Peterborough community.
For Further Information:
Call: 705 749 9101 or electriccitycc@gmail.com

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EC3’s Cultural Incubator Series presentsCopyright, Social Media, & Internet Law

May 20th, 2016

Tuesday, March 29, 2016, 8:30 am to 12.00
Peterborough Pubic Library Auditorium, 345 Aylmer St. N.
Continental Breakfast Included
Tickets: Adults $35 Student / Senior / Artspace Member / EC3 Member / 2016 SPARK Exhibitor $25

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CRIPCUTS: Short Films Exploring Disability and Difference

May 20th, 2016

Thursday, March 17 at 2 PM – 4 PM

For the first time in Peterborough, a showcase of short films by filmmakers with disabilities will be screened at Trent University, entitled CRIPCUTS. Presented by Tangled Art + Disability in collaboration with The Electric City Culture Council and ReFrame Film Festival, with community partners Trent Accessibility Services and Trent Active Minds, CRIPCUTS highlights films from across the globe exploring themes of discrimination, institutionalization, accessibility, mental health, and why it’s okay to own many, many cats.

The filmmakers, and content of the films span across experiences of disability, race culture, gender, sexuality, and nationality, as CRIPCUTS: Short Films Exploring Disability and Difference is as diverse as the global disability community itself.

The short films of CRIP CUTS will be followed by a fantastic panel of filmmakers from the screening, moderated by jes sasche, long time contributor to Disability Arts in Peterborough!

CRIP CUTS Panel:

ALI SAEEDI – Tokens of Exclusions
Ali Saeedi – I am a Deaf Iranian-Canadian actor and film maker aspiring to one day start my own media company. I have written, acted and been an assistant director in many films and theatre productions, and I have taken courses in motion picture production and cinematography at Ryerson University. I know the fundamentals of editing and I have a diploma in make-up and special effects. I am eager to take advantage of other learning opportunities, especially since it has been difficult for me to participate in workshops and gain mainstream volunteering, because people have been unwilling to accommodate my language needs (ASL-English interpretation). I am passionate about media and dedicated to my craft. I very interested in people and culture. I would greatly appreciate this opportunity as I have so many creative ideas and talents to share with the world.

CANDICE LEIGHA – Tokens of Exclusion
Candice Leigha is an emerging artist with 10 years of experience working in the disability rights movement. Candice made several short films in 2011, when she was supporting local disability organizations in southern Africa through her work with the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL). However, Tokens of Exclusion is her first publically screened film. She is currently working on an short animated film about the experience of being put on psychotropic medication as an adolescent, which speaks to the pathologization of people and the importance of having person centred indicators of success in the mental health systems.

ROMEO PIERRE – In the Dark Night
Romeo is a multidisciplinary artist, musician and performer passionate about the performing arts and trans-activism. He uses his experiences of growing up with an intellectual disability and being a trans man to inform activism around issues of intimacy and disability. He is a co-researcher in the Reimagining Parenting Possibilities project, and has presented work in national and international contexts.

JES SACHSE – Panel Moderator
jes sachse is a genderqueer visual artist, writer and curator obsessed with disability culture, public art, the post-industrial malaise of twenty-somethings living and breathing in toronto, and puns. Foremost a storyteller, they use sarcasm and contradiction to juxtapose disability archetypes with self-representations, to pervade public and private spaces and present audiences with the invitation to look.
Through the use of an interdisciplinary array of media, sachse has presented work on the international stage, including their recent curating of a unique disability arts program Kriptonite for Peterborough’s Artsweek in 2012, and 2011. They have also been working closely with other Toronto-based disabled artists, facilitating a CHIR funded digital story-telling initiative, Project ReVision, since 2011. sachse’s work has been featured in publications such as WORN Fashion Journal, The Toronto Tempest, Ryerson Free Press, The Toronto Star, Abilities Magazine, NOW Magazine, Xtra, Eye Weekly, and the 40th Anniversary edition of Our Bodies, Ourselves.

This event will be held in an accessible location. ASL interpretation and attendant care provided. Audio description provided for visual art exhibition and film. Film also includes captions. We request that you assist us in making a scent-free space.

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