"A Jokers' International Day of Action on Global Warming"

This idea was brought to us by Headline’s Theatre in Vancouver after Adam Ward, a Joker* from Fairhaven, Washington, USA attended some of Headline’s global warming events in November called: 2º of Fear and Desire.  These events were "an intimate evening of theatre (without a play) that investigate our fears, desires and challenges to change our behaviours that hurt the planet".  

What would happen if Jokers* from around the world all created local events on climate issues on the same day? What kind of energy could be created on this issue to, even in a small way, move responses to global warming forward?

Sheatre responded with events that were held on March 16, 2008.

OFF THE PAGE AND ON TO THE STAGE! (Spring 2005)
Song Choral workshops led by David Sereda

Participants worked with composer and singer David Sereda on brand new arrangements of original songs, and tried new vocal ideas in this five-part workshop. They played with and learned about using their voice applying techniques from both music and theatre. The workshops were presented by Sheatre and the Georgian Bay Folk Society.

The workshops were designed to give participants the chance to:

• Learn and work on new material with local resonance;
• Meet and sing with new people;
• Sing material from a variety of contemporary styles including folksong, popular song, hymns, ballads and rounds;
• Use your voice in new ways; and help bring a music-theatre score off the page and on to the stage.

In a relaxed and fun environment, each song session began with a good vocal and physical warmup and a mini-class on aspects of the voice, singing and performing. There were varying levels of difficulty. We welcomed all who enjoy singing and have an appetite for music! The sessions took place at the Courtroom Theatre in the Old Courthouse Arts Building.

For more information, call Sheatre (519) 534 3039, or the Georgian Bay Folk Society (GBFS) at (519) 371 2995; or email,   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; or drop by the Georgian Bay Folk Society office at the Old Courthouse Arts Building, 1235  3rd Ave. E, Suite 112 in Owen Sound.

Note: Included in the price of the series was a membership to the Georgian Bay Folk Society. 
Some of the benefits:

• All Members are entitled to have their name on the Volunteer List. If you would like to be a Volunteer (limited number required) please ask for a Volunteer Package.
• All members have access to Courthouse Activities (admission charges may apply).
• All members have access to Youth Activities (must be 13 to 18 years old).
• All members are entitled to receive e-mail notification when our quarterly publication "Sound Waves" is posted to www.summerfolk.org

Sponsored by Sheatre, the Georgian Bay Folk Society and the Laidlaw Foundation.

About David Sereda
David's work in the performing arts spans both music and theatre. He is a singer, composer, music director, actor, vocal coach, producer and teacher. His work as a singer and songwriter includes concert and festival performances from coast to coast (including performances at the Glenn Gould Studio and Harbourfront in Toronto and the Vancouver, Winnipeg and Edmonton Folk Music Festivals), performances and commissions for choirs and choruses (Montreal Jubilation Choir, Vancouver Men's Chorus, Denver Women's Chorus, Youth Outreach Mass Choir and the Nova Scotia Mass Choir) and three full-length recordings of his own material. He is putting the finishing touches on his new CD.

In theatre, he specializes in new Canadian productions: plays, music theatre works, performance poetry and cabarets. He has been nominated for two Dora Awards and has written or music directed for over a dozen shows from Vancouver to Montreal including the Tarragon Theatre, Public Dreams Co. and Buddies in Bad Times.

From his studio near Owen Sound, David is currently working on new arrangements for the music and songs of 'Brush', an original production of Sheatre based on the life and art of Tom Thomson. He's begun teaching in area schools with theatre artist Joan Chandler in week-long music-theatre workshops. Last fall he was music director for the Canadian musical 'The Destruction of Eve' with music by Connie Kaldor and Rufus Wainwright (School of the Arts, McMaster University, Hamilton). In September he helped lead a music-theatre workshop in Algonquin Park and in August led a two-week intensive choral workshop for the Erin Gilmour Arts Workshops (Toronto). He developed a songwriting workshop held at the Ginger Press in Owen Sound and gave a voice class to young songwriters this summer through the GBFS. He wrote music for four voices and piano for a poem by Liz Zetlin, performed in November 2004 during the opening of the Limestone Barrens Project at the Tom Thomson Gallery. He co-produced a series of songwriters in concert with Keira McArthur entitled Cafe Lyrica in Owen Sound. He has also taught voice and composition through special projects for young people under the auspices of Opera Hamilton and the National Ballet of Canada.

A unique four day writers' retreat workshop in the art of writing, presenting and performing poetry is happening in Owen Sound from July 7 -11.

Led by Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm and David Sereda, each person will create their own unique work, and participate in composing with others and developing their relationships to ideas, words and content.

This workshop is for participants over the age of 13, including adults.

They will take place from July 7 – 11 from 10:00 – 4:00 daily at
The United Way building, 380 9th St. E., Owen Sound.

Supported generously by Theatre Ontario, there is no registration fee; donations are gratefully accepted.

The themes of this workshop celebrate community today and the history of the Metis. Select passages of these new works will be included in wall murals within the United way building. Poets will have the opportunity to read selected poems aloud to an audience on August 2nd.

In this workshop you will:  focus on developing your own voice, originate seed ideas and your own concept and cultivate it into a polished work of art,  write individually and collectively, and share in a dialogue about digging into the creative core and other topics of interest to writers.

Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm is an Anishnaabe writer, collaborator, publisher, Indigenous arts advocate, and communications consultant from the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation. Her writing has been published in the collection my heart is a stray bullet, a chapbook bloodriver woman, and in anthologies, journals, & magazines in Canada, the U.S., Aotearoa/New Zealand, Australia, France, Italy, Germany & Ireland. Her spoken word CD standing ground, was released in 2004. In 2005-2006 Kateri was featured in a segment of the tv series, Heart of a Poet. In 2007 she was featured in the documentary Words from the Edge. She compiled and edited Without Reservation, an anthology of erotica by Indigenous writers, which was released in Canada & Aotearoa in 2003.

BRUSH Workshop Performance 2004:
(click image to enlarge)

David Sereda, Talia Azzano, Parris Greaves, Sam Murray, Julie Vidacs and Joan Chandler
Photo: Michael McLuhan

M’Wik Survival
(click image to enlarge)

Workshop at M’Wikwedong Native Cultural Centre