AUDITION NOTICE - SINGER/PERFORMERS

Quote Unquote Collective is casting for our upcoming new production UNIVERSAL CHILD CARE, a Quote Unquote “Concert.”

 The first workshop will take place Jan 23 - Feb 17 2023 in Toronto. The show will premiere in Toronto February 2024 followed by a US premiere April 2024 at The Broad Stage in Los Angeles. 

 We are searching for seven performers of diverse backgrounds and all genders who are highly experienced singers. This show is largely an eight-part a cappella choir, so expertise with vocal harmony, complex arrangements and a cappella performance is priority. We are also looking for comfort with live performance and movement. This doesn’t necessarily mean formal “acting” experience, but confidence in performance is a must.

 Ideal candidates should have:

- An ability to hear and sing harmonies without instrumentation, master 8-part harmonies

- Physical range/some movement training or experience

- Confidence in performance/stage presence

Note: This is not musical-theatre. You need not be a musical theatre actor, but a talented singer who somewhat understands performance and movement and is willing to take risks. 

Specific roles we are casting for include (but are not limited to):

- Performer with Japanese heritage

- Performer with Mexican heritage, ideally fluent in Spanish 

- We are prioritizing IBPOC performers and performers from the LGBTQIA+ community. All genders and identities are encouraged to apply

- If you have experience with music transposition/musical direction please notify us!

FOR THE AUDITION PLEASE PROVIDE: 

1 - CV, Bio & Short letter about your experience and why you are interested in this project.

2 - Video of you singing a musical piece from Universal Child Care that will be sent to you.

3 - Video of any piece of music that shows off your voice and range. If you are a trained opera singer, sing opera. If you have special vocal skills, make sure they are highlighted. Sing what you feel most confident with! 

If you are interested in auditioning please e-mail: info@quoteunquotecollective.com We’ll send the song for you to learn. Once you have all your material email us with the subject heading “UCC Audition” and your name no later than June 26nd.

 CALLBACKS WILL BE HELD THE WEEK OF AUGUST 15, 2022

In-person in Toronto or via Zoom, Covid dependant. 

ALL BLACK LIVES MATTER

Quote Unquote Collective makes a commitment to hold ourselves accountable to stop supporting white systems of power that allow us to thrive, and Black people, Indigenous people, and people of colour to continue to be harmed, ignored, disrespected, erased and murdered. We mourn the deaths of Regis Korchinski-Paquet, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Ejaz Ahmed Choudry and countless others named and unnamed. We’ve spent the last month learning, listening, and are now committed to make change. This is long overdue. Our silence has caused harm to members of our community.  

Much of the feminism that we know has an ugly history of white-centrism. The activism and labour done by the Black community both past and present, has directly affected the progress that has been possible for gender equity. We acknowledge the work and lives that we directly benefit from. 

As a company run by two straight, cisgendered white women, we acknowledge our history of upholding white supremacy. This has happened in a myriad of large and small ways. Our responsibility as leaders who hold space is to make all people, from all communities, feel welcome and safe. Seen and heard. At all times. We have failed to do this. We have failed our community.

We understand that we cannot name ourselves allies, but can only perform action in solidarity. These are some concrete steps we are taking to change our actions in order to create a better environment for current and future collaborators:

• We are beginning with ourselves, our own education, and our complicity with harmful systems of power. This includes a shared reading list as well as attending formal anti-racist training sessions.

• We are addressing who is making decisions, who is holding the power and how that power is being shared. This includes seeking out BIPOC collaborators and offering positions of leadership within our project-based company to those voices.

• We are committed to finding ways of giving our proximity to power and our platform to marginalized voices. Specifically channeling successful funding into projects led by BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ artists. 

• We commit to paying artists for the cultural and emotional labour that they do in service of Quote Unquote Collective.

• We commit to creating an Anti-Hate/Anti-Discrimination policy that is signed at the beginning of all contracts, making explicit the safety of the space.  This will be co-signed by a third party organization who will have meaningful power to hold us accountable.

• Recognizing that there are inequities that limit participation, we will ensure that scholarships and subsidies are available for all workshops and trainings that QUC runs.

• As we move forward into this period of intense examination of our past and restructuring to move into the future, we ask our community to hold us accountable to these commitments.  This is a beginning, and we will remain open to ongoing dialogue and exchange. 

For links to resources we are relying on, and ways to donate, click HERE

With utmost love and respect,

Artistic Directors Amy Nostbakken & Norah Sadava

QUC Year End News

JANUARY WORKSHOP

A Quote Unquote Collective and Nightwood Theatre Workshop

Saturday 18 – Sunday 19th January 2020 (10am – 4pm)
Toronto, ON (Nightwood Studio, Distillery District
15 Case Goods Lane)

Fusing Music and Physical Theatre - An exciting exploration into a new style of storytelling. This two-day workshop will be an intensive, rigorous exploration of how the performer in an empty space can use the body to create characters, spaces, emotions, poetry, atmospheres, and ultimately tell stories without words. Based on a Lecoq-style method we then translate physical theatre into a new realm enhanced and elevated through song. Using the concepts of harmony, dissonance, tone, resonance, and the composition of many voices working with or against each other, stories are built from sound to stage.

This workshop is open to theatre practitioners who want to bust out of their comfort zones and explore new ways of storytelling. We encourage artists who have an interest in Lecoq-based physical theatre, the devising method, vocal experimentation or who simply have a desire to push themselves beyond what they know.

The workshop will be facilitated by Amy Nostbakken and Norah Sadava. 

Workshop cost: $300 +HST

** Sign up by Dec 23 for Early bird special (no HST) 

** Scholarships available please enquire for further details 

Space is limited so please sign up early

To register or to find out more please contact: info@quoteunquotecollective.com
 

NEW SHOW IN THE WORKS

We are hard at work on a new production entitled UNIVERSAL CHILD CARE - a Quote Unquote "Concert" - set to premiere in 2021/22. 

Watch this space for more details as the show gestates...

STONEBOAT ARTS CENTRE

STONEBOAT FARM IS NOW OPEN FOR RENTALS

StoneBoat Arts Centre is a dreamy wonderland. Situated on 225 acres of land (gardens, hay fields, meadows, woods, ponds and more) in Lanark Country, Ontario. The property includes a farm house, a massive creation studio/barn (with sprung dance floor), three individual cabins, two mid-size barns and a workshop. (1.5 hours from Ottawa, 3.5 from Toronto, 20 mins from Perth or Westport)

Our beautiful farm is frankly, one of a kind. You don’t have to take our word for it. It’s the ideal space for weekend getaways, family reunions, working retreats, yoga retreats, theatre or dance rehearsals, conferences or if you just want a quiet place in nature to decide what you want to be when you grow up.

The list of artists who have made their work here is extensive: albums have been recorded, short films have been shot, novels written, thesis’ completed (!) photo shoots, lookbook shoots, scripts, theatre plays, paintings, quilting, leather work, choreography, yoga-teacher training. There is no shortage of inspiration. It’s got good vibes.
Find us on instagram at @stoneboatartscentre

For more info check out:
http://www.quoteunquotecollective.com/farm-rentals

MOUTHPIECE THE MOVIE

AWARDS AND ACCESS

Going home for the holidays? Get your Mouthpiece fix on Air Canada's in flight entertainment.
OR sit around in a post-turkey haze and cue up Mouthpiece on iTunes or AppleTV.
Need some tunes to set the tone around the tree? Check out the Mouthpiece Soundtrack on Spotify, Apple Music, and BandCamp.
Fun for the whole feminist family! 

We are so proud of our team of collaborators for the recent flood of awards including:
DGC Awards:
Best Picture Editing - Lara Johnston
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Feature Film - Patricia Rozema
CCE Awards:
Best editing in a Feature Film - Lara Johnston
Lost Weekend Film Fest Awards:
Best Screenplay 
Best Actress(es)
Best Film 
Best Director 
Best Narrative Film
& Avant Robot Award

NOW YOU SEE HER

Christmas Gift Alert

Our latest work, Now You See Her, is being published by Coach House Books and is set to come out in April 2020.

Get your pre-orders in now by contacting 
mail@chbooks.com

A FILM RELEASE/A BARN/ SBAR/A TRANSLATION

NORTH AMERICAN RELEASE OF MOUTHPIECE

Mouthpiece the feature film, adapted from stage to screen by Amy Nostbakken, Norah Sadava and Patricia Rozema - who also directs - will be released this spring. After travelling the globe to festivals in Mexico, the UK, the USA and Canada, the official North American release dates are: 

New York City (Village East Cinema) - May 31st
Toronto (TIFF Bell Lightbox) - June 7th
Los Angeles (Monica Film Centre) - June 7th

Other Film Festival dates upcoming:
SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - May 17/18/23

Wider theatrical release dates across North America will be announced soon!

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STONEBOAT FARM - A BRAND NEW BARN

BIG NEWS AT STONEBOAT FARM! 

Thanks to the hard work and generosity of a whole lot of friends and family, there is a new rehearsal space in town. I mean... out of town.

Do you have a project, but you need space and time to let it grow? Maybe it's a group dance piece, or an album, or a play, or a conceptual installation, or even a conference you are hosting. Does it need space for many bodies? Or just a lot of space for one? Away from the hum of the city, this brand new dream-hub is the perfect place for you and your collaborators to think big.

 The new Stoneboat Barn is an open 24x32' space with SPRUNG DANCE FLOOR and big barn doors that open onto 225 acres of land. It will be available for rental starting July 2019.  The space is currently under construction but more information on the property, photos, and rental information will be up on our website in July upon completion. Questions? Email us at info@quoteunquotecollective.com

Our unending gratitude to the Nostbakkens, the Sadavas, Laurie Peters, Jeff Pinto, Anthony Suppa, Kelly Read, Noah Earle, Jonathan Koensgen, Alex Tran, and Nick Chen-Yin, for making our dreams a reality.

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SUMMER SBAR JULY 22-26th 2019

CALL FOR ARTISTS - STONEBOAT ARTISTS RETREAT

SUMMER SBAR JULY 22-26TH, 2019

With the exciting addition of our new barn at Stone Boat Artist’s Retreat we are thrilled to open up applications for our summer session which will take place
July 22-26, 2019.

SBAR is an opportunity to disconnect from the outside world in order to develop your project in a creative and productive environment. A collection of artists of different disciplines living and working side by side in the countryside...what more could you ask for? For more information visit our WEBSITE

TO APPLY

Please send a short summary of your project, a statement of interest and intent, and a brief cv/bio. Specify what size/type of space you are looking for, and why. Applications should be no longer than one page.

DEADLINE: July 4, 2019

Questions? info@quoteunquotecollective.com

Photograph by Val Sankar

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MOUTHPIECE EN FRANÇAIS

Mouthpiece (the play) was selected by Festival du Jamais-Lu to be translated and read in French as a part of their 2019 programming. Translated and interpreted by MARIE-ÈVE MILLOT & MARIE-CLAUDE ST-LAURENT (Théâtre de l'Affamée) and featuring Frédérike Bédard at Théâtre Aux Écuries, it was an evening (and a festival) to remember. 

MERCI BEAUCOUP to the team of people who made this happen. We can't wait to see what happens with the French text next.

More exciting translation news to be announced soon...

Photograph by Cannelle Wiechert

NEW YEAR NEW NEWS

MOUTHPIECE THE MOVIE

Mouthpiece the feature film, adapted from stage to screen by Amy Nostbakken, Norah Sadava and Patricia Rozema - who also directs - made its American premiere. Mouthpiece played at the PALM SPRINGS FILM FESTIVAL on January 6 & 7th, 2019.

Thanks to the Palm Springs International Film Festival and Telefilm Canada for making the US premiere such a success.

Further Film Festival dates upcoming:
SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL  Jan 30 - Feb 9th, 2019
VICTORIA FILM FESTIVAL February 4th, 2019
AVAILABLE LIGHT FILM FESTIVAL Whitehorse February 6th, 2019

More exciting announcements about wider releases coming down the pipes, keep your eyes peeled!

Read a review about the film in Sight & Sound here.

Photograph by Andréanne Gauthier

NOW YOU SEE HER

Now You See Her made its world premiere October 18-Nov 4, 2018.
Co-produced by Quote Unquote Collective, Nightwood Theatre & WhyNot Theatre at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre

Thank you to everyone who came out and made the SOLD OUT RUN such a huge success. Some words on Now You See Her:

“...radiates wit, urgency and theatricality” - Now Magazine

“Do these women a favour and see Now You See Her”- Toronto Star

“Embraces diversity” - Globe and Mail

"Stunning" - Stage Door

“Takes the audience somewhere and brings us back changed” - Mooney On Theatre

“An assault on both the mind and the senses.” - Paula Citron


Created and Performed by Lisa Karen Cox, Maggie Huculak, Raha Javanfar, Amy Nostbakken, Norah Sadava & Cheyenne Scott

Keep your eyes on this space for future details about Now You See Her.

Photograph by Dahlia Katz

MOUTHPIECE SWAN SONG

Mouthpiece (the play) is going back on the road one last time. If you missed us before (or even if you didn't), come join us as we celebrate the end of a four year journey with a lap around California. Some performances are already sold out so snap up your tickets NOW!

SANTA BARBARA
Campbell Hall, UC Santa Barbara
January 23/24, 2019

STANFORD
Bing Studio, Stanford Live
January 31-February 2, 2019

LOS ANGELES
Royce Hall, UCLA
February 6-9, 2019

BERKELEY
Zellerbach Playhouse, UC Berkeley
March 22-24, 2019

Photograph by Colin Medley

A QUOTE UNQUOTE AND NIGHTWOOD THEATRE WORKSHOP

Friday 22 – Sunday 24th February 2019
Toronto, ON (Ernest Balmer Studio, Distillery District
15 Case Goods Lane)

Friday 5-7pm/Saturday & Sunday 10am-4pm

Fusing Music and Physical Theatre - An exciting exploration into a new style of storytelling. This three-day workshop will be an intensive, rigorous exploration of how the performer in an empty space can use the body to create characters, spaces, emotions, poetry, atmospheres, and ultimately tell stories without words. Based on a Lecoq-style method we then translate physical theatre into a new realm enhanced and elevated through song. Using the concepts of harmony, dissonance, tone, resonance, and the composition of many voices working with or against each other, stories are built from sound to stage.

This workshop is open to theatre practitioners who want to bust out of their comfort zones and explore new ways of storytelling. For this this master class we encourage those who identify themselves as singers to apply. There are a few spots available to non singers, but music will be a main component of the weekend. Open to artists who have an interest in Lecoq-based physical theatre, the devising method, vocal experimentation or who simply have a desire to push themselves beyond what they know.

The workshop will be facilitated by Amy Nostbakken and Norah Sadava. 

Workshop cost: $300 +HST

** Scholarships available please enquire for further details

** Childcare subsidy available. Please enquire by Jan 31st.

Space is limited so please apply early, deadline is February 14th.

To apply please send your CV and brief cover letter that includes level of singing ability to: info@quoteunquotecollective.com

Photograph by Colin Medley

Spring News

UK/EU TOUR DATES

After an incredible trip to London to perform in WOW Festival at the Southbank Centre and a completely sold-out run at Buddies in Bad Times in Toronto, Mouthpiece is back on the road yet again this May/June. We're making stops in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Germany. Book your tickets and join us for the following dates:

CAMBRIDGE
Cambridge Junction
May 26, 2018

GLASGOW
Take Me Somewhere Festival
May 30/31, 2018

LEEDS
Carriage Works Theatre
June 2, 2018

BERLIN
English Theatre Berlin
June 5-7, 2018

CARLOW
Carlow Arts Festival
June 10, 2018

CARDIFF
Festival of Voice
June 14, 2018

...more dates to be announced soon...

MOUTHPIECE THE MOVIE

The rumours are true. MOUTHPIECE is being adapted into a feature film in collaboration with acclaimed director Patricia Rozema. The film stars Amy Nostbakken, Norah Sadava & Maev Beaty, and was adapted for the screen by Sadava, Nostbakken and Rozema.

Keep your eyes and ears open for further information and premiere dates...

Photo by Rafy Photography

FOR ESMÉ - SMALL TALK MUSIC VIDEO

We are thrilled to announce the release of our latest collaboration, "Small Talk". Co-conceived with musician (and star of the video) Martha Meredith,  this For Esmé music video was crafted by a team of extraordinary artists. Co-directed with Chelsea McMullan, choreographed by Orian Michaeli, cinematography by Mike McLaughlin, b-cam by Jared Raab, and produced by Katie Nolan, the video is out on NOWNESS. Check it out HERE

 “It is an exquisitely vulnerable performance shot entirely on 16mm film, showcasing the expressive movement of bodies in public spaces—revealing the mess of desires and emotions that women are so often taught to swallow and contain.”

NOW YOU SEE HER

ANNOUNCEMENT
Our newest project Now You See Her is set to premiere in October 2018.
Co-produced by Nightwood Theatre, WhyNot Theatre, & Quote Unquote Collective at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre

They are the invisible, the vanishing and the disappeared. In an insurrectionary outburst of original music, words and movement, six characters explore some of the diverse ways women fade from sight in our culture. They sing, dance and thrust themselves into the elements as they travel through the seasons of their lives. Their voices are defiant. Their question is simple: why and how do we allow our power to disappear without a fight?

October 16th - November 4th 2018

Created and Performed by Lisa Karen Cox, Maggie Huculak, Raha Javanfar, Amy Nostbakken, Norah Sadava & Cheyenne Scott

More about NOW YOU SEE HER here

Photograph by Brooke Wedlock

2018 TOURING & AUDITION NOTICE

MOUTHPIECE ON TOUR

2018 sees Mouthpiece back on the road here at home and abroad. We are thrilled to be heading back to the UK and to be remounting the show on our home turf. Dates are limited so purchase your tickets now to avoid disappointment.

PETERBOROUGH, ON
Public Energy
February 23, 2018

SHEFFIELD, UK
Enable Us Project
March 3, 2018

LONDON, UK
Women of the World Festival at the Southbank Centre
March 8/9, 2018

VICTORIA, BC
Belfry Theatre as part of Spark Festival
March 13-17, 2018

TORONTO, ON
Nightwood Theatre at Buddies in Bad Times
April 11-22, 2018

...more dates to be announced soon...

AUDITION NOTICE

Quote Unquote Collective is casting for the multi-award winning touring production of MOUTHPIECE.

Auditions will be held in Vancouver on March 18th at The Cultch and in Toronto over the weekend of March 24/25th at The Ernest Balmer Studio (in the Distillery District).

We are scouring the country for two female identifying performers of diverse backgrounds who are up for a major challenge. Mouthpiece demands a high level of physical and vocal skill, an ability to hear and sing harmonies acappella, a strong sense of rigor, and a keen awareness of dance and movement. Ideal candidates should have:

-an ability to hear and sing harmonies without instrumentation
-physical range/movement training
-experience with devising is ideal
-an ability/desire to tour

Note: This is not musical-theatre. You need not be a musical theatre actress or an opera singer, but a talented womxn who understands performance, movement, and music and is willing to take risks. 

We will be collaborating with our selected candidates to slightly adapt Mouthpiece to their own specific experiences, and the cast will be put in rotation in the Spring of 2019.

If you are interested in auditioning please submit a headshot and CV to:  info@quoteunquotecollective.com with the subject heading “Mouthpiece Audition” and your name and city (Toronto or Vancouver) no later than March 5th. Further instructions regarding self-tapes and audio files will then be distributed.

WE ARE HIRING: Stage Manager

Quote Unquote Collective is looking for a Stage Manager for our upcoming production Now You See Her (six woman play set to Premiere in November 2018)

- Do you have: stage managing experience, exceptional organizational skills, a good understanding of technical aspects of theatre production, attention to detail and a sense of humour?

If you feel that you would love to join our team then please submit a CV and brief cover letter addressing why you'd like to be part of QUC to info@quoteunquotecollective.com. Interviews to follow.

This is a non-union position

Details:

You would need to be available to work in Toronto:

Jan 29- Feb 16th 2018 (40hrs/wk full-time) 

3 weeks in July/Aug 2018, TBD (40hrs/wk full-time) 

7 weeks Oct/Nov 2018, TBD (40hrs/wk full-time) 

Responsibilities:

• compiling and operating prompt copy, which notes actors' moves and cues, and the requirements for props, lighting and sound;
• attending studio rehearsals;
• setting up and running rehearsal schedules on-site;
• running rehearsals on-site;
• calling the cues during the performances;
• running the backstage and onstage areas during performances;
• liaising with the director, choreographer, music director, project manager;
• calling actors for rehearsals and performances;
• inspecting props and costumes for maintenance and replacement purposes, as required;
• maintaining quality of show productions;
• liaising between artists and project manager;
• ensuring that all schedules are adhered to by artists and staff;
• ensuring that all artists are in good health to perform, or otherwise, ensure that they receive medical attention, as required;
• attend meetings with the project team and the artistic team;
• perform all other job related duties as requested

We look forward to hearing from you!

HOT OFF THE PRESS

MOUTHPIECE IN PRINT

We are incredibly pleased to announce that Coach House Books, one of Canada's most prominent and beloved independent publishing houses, has put Mouthpiece into print, with an introduction by the incredibly inspiring Michele Landsberg. To get your hands on a copy visit the Coach House website and order one today!

Photo: Val Sankar

CALL FOR APPLICANTS

AUTUMN SBAR OCTOBER 2-6th, 2017

After a hugely inspiring spring session at Stone Boat Artist’s Retreat we have opened up applications for our Fall session which will take place Oct 2-6, 2017.

SBAR is an opportunity to disconnect from the outside world in order to develop your project in a creative and productive environment. A collection of artists of different disciplines living and working side by side in the countryside...what more could you ask for? For more information visit our WEBSITE

TO APPLY

Please send a short summary of your project, a statement of interest and intent, and a brief cv/bio. Applications should be no longer than one page.

DEADLINE: Sept 25 (yay short notice can't think too hard about it!)

Questions? info@quoteunquotecollective.com

MOUTHPIECE RETURNS TO CANADA

After a sold-out run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where we managed to stay sane and pick up a Stage Award for Best performance of the Fringe and a Summerhall Jaw Bone Award, Mouthpiece is coming home! 

PETERBOROUGH - Public Energy Feb 23, 2018

VICTORIA - Belfry Theatre as part of Spark Festival March 13-17, 2018

TORONTO Nightwood Theatre at Buddies in Bad Times April 11-22, 2018

Stay tuned for more International dates...

STEAMY SUMMER UPDATE

MOUTHPIECE IN LOS ANGELES

Mouthpiece has continued to tour, and with the huge generosity and support of Jodie Foster and Alex Hedison, was brought down to Los Angeles for a private 2-night showing in June 2017. You can read all about it HERE in the LA WEEKLY. (Special thanks to Why Not Theatre, Theatre Planners, and Rebecca Vandevelde for making it possible.)

STONE BOAT ARTIST RETREAT

Spring SBAR brought together yet another stunning group of artists this June including: Adam Paolozza, Kari Pederson, Hannah Cheesman, Val Sankar, Talia Shipman and Jeff Pinto. Take a look at just a few of the stunning photos that our resident photographer Val Sankar took during our wonderful week of work and play. For more info please check out our SBAR page HERE. Next SBAR will be in the fall of 2017. Keep your eyes peeled (or sign up for the newsletter!) to be alerted when dates are announced!

AWARDS SEASON- MMVAs, TTCAs & DORAs

We are proud and honoured that Mouthpiece was named the Best Canadian Play 2016/17 by the Toronto Theatre Critics Awards. This year we were also nominated for 3 Dora Mavor Moore Awards in the General Category and won for Best Sound Design/Composition (Amy Nostbakken & James Bunton). Quote Unquote Collective was also nominated for Best Director of a music video in the Rock/Alternative Category at the Much Music Video Awards with collaborator Jared Raab for Beck + Call by July Talk. Thanks to all of our collaborators for your hard work and constant support. 

MOUTHPIECE HEADS TO SCOTLAND

Mouthpiece will be presented at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this summer from August 3-27 as a part of the Canada Hub in King's Hall at Summerhall. In association with Why Not Theatre and Aurora Nova, we are excited to be performing alongside some of the most exciting artists from across Canada and around the world. For more information or to buy tickets visit HERE. We will also be hosting an exciting panel on Feminism in Theatre on August 16th, details on panelists to be announced imminently. 

SPRING SBAR JUNE 19-24th, 2017 - Call for Artists

Video shot, hand-processed, and edited by Mike McLaughlin at SBAR Fall 2016 http://www.mclaughlindp.com/

StoneBoat Artist Retreat (SBAR) is open for applications! 

Do you have a project you are working on, but just can’t find the time or space to really get your hands, heart, and head into it? SBAR (Stone Boat farm Artist Retreat) is an opportunity to disconnect from the outside world in order to develop your project in an extremely creative and productive environment. A collection of artists of different disciplines living and working side by side in the countryside! What more could you ask for?

The farmhouse, set in picturesque Lanark County, Ontario (approx. 3.5 hours from Toronto) sleeps ten and has a variety of different working spaces. From outdoor fields, to a workshop, to the studio (an ideal recording space), the parlour (a rehearsal room) and a variety of other nooks and crannies, there is space for all varieties of art-making. From visual artists, to writers, dancers, theatre makers, crafters, photographers, musicians, video-artists, food artists, there is nothing that is not worthy if you are willing to work. 

The Breakdown

Each day is structured as follows:

9am-1pm – Individual work

1pm-2pm – Group lunch and sharing

2pm-6pm – Individual work

6pm – Mandatory cocktail hour

7pm – Group dinner and goal setting for following day

9pm – Group activities are decided upon based on participants and curiosities (ie. Movies, night-walks, craft projects, showings, etc.)

Photo by Angela Lewis (SBAR Fall 2016)

 The Cost

Participation in SBAR is currently free of charge, apart from a cost-sharing of all food and beverages between participants ($100 for the week).  Ideally you have an independent way to travel to the area, but ride-sharing can be arranged if necessary.

Please send us a short summary of your project, a statement of interest and intent, and a cv (or bio). Applications should be no longer than one page.

DEADLINE: May 1, 2017

For more information or questions, please email info@quoteunquotecollective.com

Photo by Talia Shipman (SBAR Fall 2015)

Western Winter Wonder Tour

We had such a wonderful time with Mouthpiece at High Performance Rodeo in Calgary and the PuSh Festival at The Cultch in Vancouver over the last couple of weeks. We would like to thank all of the organizers, programmers, presenters, volunteers, and audience members for making the tour such a big success! And particularly André Du Toit (LD extraordinaire) and WhyNot Theatre for being road warriors with us. More Mouthpiece tour dates will be announced in the coming months...stay tuned. 

JANUARY WORKSHOP

Start off the new year by jumping in with both feet!

Saturday 14 – Sunday 15th January 2017 (10am – 4pm)
Toronto, ON (Nightwood Studio, Distillery District
15 Case Goods Lane)

Fusing Music and Physical Theatre - An exciting exploration into a new style of storytelling. This two-day workshop will be an intensive, rigorous exploration of how the performer in an empty space can use the body to create characters, spaces, emotions, poetry, atmospheres, and ultimately tell stories without words. Based on a Lecoq-style method we then translate physical theatre into a new realm enhanced and elevated through song. Using the concepts of harmony, dissonance, tone, resonance, and the composition of many voices working with or against each other, stories are built from sound to stage.

This workshop is open to theatre practitioners who want to bust out of their comfort zones and explore new ways of storytelling. We encourage artists who have an interest in Lecoq-based physical theatre, the devising method, vocal experimentation or who simply have a desire to push themselves beyond what they know.

The workshop will be facilitated by Amy Nostbakken and Norah Sadava. 

Workshop cost: $100 +HST

** Sign up by Dec 23 for Early bird special (no HST) 

** Scholarships available please enquire for further details

** Free childcare is provided. Please enquire by Dec 20

Space is limited so please sign up early

To register or to find out more please contact: info@quoteunquotecollective.com

Brooke Wedlock's 'She Is Water'

We collaborated with our favourite photographer, Brooke Wedlock, to create a series of portraits of womyn sharing bathwater and lounging in our tub. Inspired by Mouthpiece and the special nature of intimacy in female relationships, be they Mother-Daughter, Friends, Grandmother-Granddaughter, Lovers, Sisters...each portrait is a unique expression of the bond shared by the couple.  The series is up at Stole My Heart for the month of November, go by and check them out or purchase one to enhance your walls! 

Brooke Wedlock is a Toronto-based photographer. You can find her work at www.brookewedlock.com or on Instagram @brookewedlock

A SBAR Reflection by Angela Lewis (Fall 2016)

We casually drive several hours north in Lucy’s red volvo (my dream road trip car), a week before fall hits, while Stoneboat waits patiently for another week of artists to arrive. The white wooden porch with a roof overhead is the first place I sit after meeting the seven other folks taking part in the retreat. Its colder than I’ve felt in a while, and rain drops are falling all around me. I sit and write in my journal about this very experience; thrilled at the setting I’m in and the clarity I’m feeling. This moment was very impactful and I carried it with me through my entire time at SBAR, as well as when I got back to the city. 

During the days I spent most of my time wandering, observing, listening and being alone in the landscape with my camera. Sometimes I felt nervous when I was alone with the expectations to create something, but since leaving SBAR and reflecting on my time there, I've felt very appreciative, focused and motivated to take what I learned in that time and apply it to my process and my self.

Being present in the outdoors and documenting in peacefulness was very necessary to clear my head and move forward. Thanks Stoneboat for the memories, the warm people and meals, and providing a place where I could discover nature’s mysterious ways.
 

Angela is a Toronto-based photographer. Her work can be found at www.AngelaLewis.com or on Instagram at @theangelalewis.

THE MERRY MONTH OF MAY: QUC Workshop at Theatre Centre & SBAR spring session

QUOTE UNQUOTE WORKSHOP

Saturday 7 – Sunday 8th May 2016 (10am – 4pm both days)
The Theatre Centre Main Space 1115 Queen St W, Toronto

**Free childcare provided**

Fusing Music and Physical Theatre - An exciting exploration into a new style of storytelling. This two-day workshop will be an intensive, rigorous exploration of how the performer in an empty space can use the body to create characters, spaces, emotions, poetry, atmospheres, and ultimately tell stories without words. Based on a Lecoq-style method we then translate physical theatre into a new realm enhanced and elevated through song. Using the concepts of harmony, dissonance, tone, resonance, and the composition of many voices working with or against each other, stories are built from sound to stage.

This workshop is open to theatre practitioners who wants to bust out of their comfort zone to explore new ways of storytelling. We encourage artists who have an interest in Lecoq-based physical theatre, the devising method, vocal experimentation or who simply have a desire to push themselves beyond what they know.

The workshop will be facilitated by Amy Nostbakken and Norah Sadava. 

Workshop cost: $100 +HST

** Full scholarships available please enquire for further details. 

** Sign up before April 10th and receive an early bird discount

** Free childcare is provided. For participants in need please enquire by April 23

Space is limited so please sign up early

To register or to find out more please contact: info@quoteunquotecollective.com

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SBAR CALL FOR ARTISTS

Quote Unquote Collective is hosting our Spring Artist Retreat May 9-13 2016

Do you have a project you are working on, but just can’t find the time or space to really get your hands, heart, and head into it? SBAR (Stone Boat farm Artist Retreat) is an opportunity to disconnect from the outside world in order to develop your project in a creative and productive environment. A collection of artists of different disciplines living and working side by side in the countryside...what more could you ask for?

The farmhouse, set in picturesque Lanark County, Ontario (approx. 3.5 hours from Toronto) has a variety of different working spaces. From outdoor fields, to a workshop, to the studio (an ideal recording space), the parlour (a rehearsal room) and a variety of other nooks and crannies, there is space for all varieties of art-making. Visual artists, writers, dancers, theatre makers, crafters, photographers, musicians, video-artists, food artists, there is nothing that is not worthy if you are willing to work. 

The Breakdown

Each day is structured as follows:

9am-1pm – Individual work

1pm-2pm – Group lunch and sharing

2pm-6pm – Individual work

6pm – Mandatory cocktail hour

7pm – Group dinner and goal setting for following day

9pm – Group activities are decided upon based on participants and curiosities (ie. Movies, night-walks, craft projects, showings, etc.)

(Photos by Talia Shipman from SBAR Autumn 2015)

The Cost

Participation in SBAR is currently free of charge, apart from a cost-sharing of all food and beverages between participants.  Ideally you have an independent way to travel to the area, but ride-sharing can be arranged if necessary.

Join the ranks of SBAR alumni

Amanda Acorn (dance) - http://dancemakers.org/amanda-acorn/

Sandy Carson (film) - http://northcountrycinema.com

Gursky (music) - http://www.gur5ky.com/

Jonathan Koensgen (theatre) - http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0462883/

Talia Shipman (photographer/visual artist) - http://taliashipman.tumblr.com/

Liz Peterson & Wildlife (performance art) - http://www.eventsinrealtime.org/

July Talk (music) – www.julytalk.com

Theatre Ad-Infinitum (theatre) - http://www.theatreadinfinitum.co.uk/

Erin Simkin (photographer) – www.erinsimkin.com

Robin Love (visual artist), Russel Banx (visual artist) - http://russellbanx.com/

(A humorous promotional video for SBAR starring the mysterious Balaclava Twins.)

TO APPLY

Please send us a short summary of your project, a statement of interest and intent, and a brief cv/bio. Applications should be no longer than one page.

DEADLINE: April 25, 2016

For more information or questions, please email info@quoteunquotecollective.com

Extra! Extra! Responses to Mouthpiece from the Road

Here's what audiences and critics were saying about Mouthpiece on the first leg of our 2016 National Tour...

 *"Mouthpiece a Masterpiece. Provocative and relevant, funny and horrifying, universal yet highly individualized, and deals beautifully with ugly issues. One of the strongest performances I’ve seen in Ottawa."

- New Ottawa Critics 

 *"It is superbly written and performed and cuts to the heart of the confusions inherent in being. It is an exploration of the mind, and of what “being a woman” means in our current context. It is entertaining and provocative. It deserves attention."

- Apt 613 Ottawa

*"The show speaks and moves on its own merit, and hardly needs my approval to stand as a magnificent piece of theatre.This story needs to be told, and Mouthpiece tells it with spectacular and vivid power."

- New Ottawa Critics (Wes Babcock) 

*"What Nostbakken and Sadava have created and performed is a sophisticated, nuanced, complex portrait of the woman's voice. It offers an incisive, humorous, thoughtful, afflictive telling of a narrative that is undeniably true, yet criminally underrepresented."

- Espace Musique

*"A pulsing, energetic and physical piece of theatre that is thoroughly absorbing and entertaining."

-Ottawa Tonight

*"It hurtled along lightly at top speed, and never stopped being engaging, skeptical, self-critical."

-  Edmonton Journal (Liz Nicholls)

*"...Wrenchingly beautiful and painful...This show says important things."

- Ottawa Citizen

*"The best piece of theatre I've seen to date. I'm floored, & eyes are red."

- Chelsea Young (Hymns in Hearse Theatre)

*"Mouthpiece is one of the most impressive shows I've seen in an age. Must-see stuff from killer performers."

- Kevin Reid (Visitorium)

 *"Easily one of the most powerful shows I've seen TO DATE."

- Brie Mcfarlane (New Ottawa Critics)

*"Mouthpiece is an absolutely astonishing piece of art."

- Matt Hertendy (Sock ‘n’ Buskin Theatre)

*"Mouthpiece is the top selling show in Undercurrents 6 year history. It roused the loudest response from critics and audiences alike. "

- Undercurrents festival, Ottawa

*"Mouthpiece is maybe the most important piece of theatre I've seen in years"

- Elijah Cullen

*"Quote Unquote made the most important piece of theatre I've ever seen. Theatre like that just makes me want to change the fucking world."

- Ottawa U Theatre student

*"Mouthpiece was STUNNING. What an incredible piece of theatre. Wow wow wow. Inspiring. Inspiring."

-Monica Bradford Lee 

MOUTHPIECE ON TOUR - Dawson, Whitehorse & Edmonton

So many thanks and so much gratitude to all of the wonderful people who have supported Mouthpiece on this tour so far, including the Klondike Institute for Arts and Culture (KIAC), The Pivot Festival, Nakai Theatre, The Yukon Arts Centre, Workshop West Playwrights Theatre, The Chinook Series, Victoria School of the Arts, and all of the generous audience members who have come to see the show and spread the word far and wide! Up next, Undercurrents Festival in Ottawa Feb 10-13. http://www.undercurrentsfestival.ca/mouthpiece/

Listen to an interview with CBC North (Whitehorse) here: https://soundcloud.com/cbcyukon/two-sides-to-every-story

LIsten to a panel discussion with What It Is Podcast (Edmonton) here: http://chinookseries.ca/salon-podcasts/ (Drama & Dying)

A SBAR Reflection by Alexander Carson

And rather like a dream, five days at the Stone Boat Artist Retreat drift together in my memory. A hazy mosaic, an oneiric collage. An unstructured meditation on the pastoral, and the possibilities of new friendship... Seated at the kitchen table, a warm stove at my back. Outside, the sound of chopping wood. In the next room, faint laughter. The house itself, a reliquary of souvenirs and family heirlooms, a curious museum that feels both carefully curated and utterly effortless. The walls of each room, lined with elegantly disused collections—guitars, baseball gloves, dusty books—remind me of the cruel beauty of time itself, and the irresistible guile of nostalgia. Upstairs, the VHS tapes of Hollywood movies beside my bed offer to unevenly chronicle a history of American cinema, while pointing opaquely at mythologies that have formed a family ethos—the Nostbakken family—a family I do not know, yet feel some propinquity with. Like them, my family hails from Ottawa, bastion of the federation. I’m reminded of the upcoming election. I’m reading Gore Vidal. Across the room a buzzing fly is throwing itself against a windowpane. I watch without compassion. I’m feeling political.

Another day slices together like an imagist poem. Alternating moments, crisp and languid—the wedding of opposites. My fingers thumb through pages in a magazine. My body ambles through a maze of wooded pathways that surround the farm. I’m a somnambulant protagonist, a willing subject to perpetual reverie. I look upon the valleys of Lanark County and I think about the likelihood that I will one day be buried somewhere in Eastern Ontario, this gentle and unassuming part of Canada from whence I came. All places are distant from heaven alike (I have been told). I glance around: the leaves are brown and brittle here. Autumn is arriving. I tend on mortal thoughts.

Evening approaches and whiskey is poured. The smells of cooking and wood smoke dance together in the kitchen. Amy is chopping large cloves of farmgrown garlic. I open my computer and issue a few perfunctory keystrokes—the sudden compulsion to salvage an hour of good work before dinner. As the sun sets the other residents drift in from various stations—the woodshop, the field, the porch, the parlour. The din of laughter beckons and I turn myself outward. Labour done and revelry begun, we trade stories from the day. We eat and drink and share work. We live out a Decameron tale. It is a tribute to the nourishing powers of communion and narrative. But will it be enough, considering what’s coming? 

Sandy is a Film and Media Artist with North Country Cinema who came up this past Autumn to the Stone Boat Artist Retreat to work on a new screenplay and series of essays. 'O Brazen Age', his most recent release, may be playing at a film festival near you in the coming year. For more on his work, visit http://www.northcountrycinema.com/ 

Keep checking here for announcements about our next retreat, set for Spring 2016...

CALL FOR ARTISTS

CALL FOR ARTISTS

Quote Unquote Collective is hosting their Autumn Artist Retreat on Oct. 4-9, 2015

Do you have a project you are working on, but just can’t find the time or space to really get your hands, heart, and head into it? SBAR (Stone Boat farm Artist Retreat) is an opportunity to disconnect from the outside world in order to develop your project in an extremely creative and productive environment. A collection of artists of different disciplines living and working side by side in the countryside! What more could you ask for?

The farmhouse, set in picturesque Lanark County, Ontario (approx. 3.5 hours from Toronto) sleeps ten and has a variety of different working spaces. From outdoor fields, to a workshop, to the studio (an ideal recording space), the parlour (a rehearsal room) and a variety of other nooks and crannies, there is space for all varieties of art-making. From visual artists, to writers, dancers, theatre makers, crafters, photographers, musicians, video-artists, food artists, there is nothing that is not worthy if you are willing to work. 

The Breakdown

Each day is structured as follows:

9am-1pm – Individual work

1pm-2pm – Group lunch and sharing

2pm-6pm – Individual work

6pm – Mandatory cocktail hour

7pm – Group dinner and goal setting for following day

9pm – Group activities are decided upon based on participants and curiosities (ie. Movies, night-walks, craft projects, showings, etc.)

 The Cost

Participation in SBAR is currently free of charge, apart from a cost-sharing of all food and beverages between participants.  Ideally you have an independent way to travel to the area, but ride-sharing can be arranged if necessary.

Previous participants include:

Quote Unquote Collective (theatre)  - www.quoteunquotecollective.com

Gursky (music) - http://www.gur5ky.com/

Talia Shipman (photographer/visual artist) - http://taliashipman.tumblr.com/

Liz Peterson & Wildlife (performance art) - http://www.eventsinrealtime.org/

July Talk (music) – www.julytalk.com

Theatre Ad-Infinitum (theatre) - http://www.theatreadinfinitum.co.uk/

Erin Simkin (photographer) – www.erinsimkin.com

(A humorous promotional video for SBAR starring the mysterious Balaclava Twins.)

Please send us a short summary of your project, a statement of interest and intent, and a cv (or bio). Applications should be no longer than one page.

DEADLINE: September 25th, 2015

For more information or questions, please email info@quoteunquotecollective.co