Cycling Oriented Puppet Squad
Amira
This user hasn't shared any biographical information
Posts by Amira
Winterizing: CYCLOPS End of Season
Nov 4th
“Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.”
-Henry David Thoreau
The leaves are falling, crisp autumn sun is shining, and CYCLOPS is retiring our trusty blue two-wheeled steeds for the winter. Having closed the season with the most dreadful Night of Dread in Clay & Paper Theatre history, the Puppet Squad is reflecting on the past six months’ hard work and creativity. We did a lot, beginning with the Group Commute and the launch of Bike Month back in May, through to the Herstories Cafe in August, September Pedestrian Sunday in Kensington Market and the frigid mid-October Tweed Ride, with Buskerfest and a little thing called The Pedaler’s Wager in between… what a ride it has been! We hope you saw and enjoyed our work or spotted us on the street. Drop us a line if you wish to support this project in future – stay tuned for 2012!
Tips for the many of us who continue to ride the streets of Toronto during the winter months from Bicycle.net: Winterizing Your Bike!
We’d like to extend our sincerest gratitude to The Trillium Foundation and the many many supporters and volunteers who have worked with us this year. We couldn’t have done it without you!
Cyclops & Amira at the Small World Music Festival
Here’s a fantastic video of the highlight of the Night of Dread 2011:
Night of Dread: Volunteers Wanted!
Sep 22nd
September is whistling past and preparations for this year’s Night of Dread are underway! We have some exciting plans in place for this year’s event and we need your help to bring it all together. This will be the 12th annual yearly festival of facing our fears, to be held on October 29th 2011. We are holding open workshops through September and October, and you’re invited: build a mask, puppet, or shrine, or help us build the effigy of the Year’s Great Fear! OR if you are interested in helping us on the Night itself, WE WANT YOU! Please read below for a variety of volunteer roles we are looking to fill.
Email outreach_claypaper@bell.net to get involved!
Workshop Schedule: (at the Field House and/or Rink House)
Saturday, September 24th —-12 – 4PM
Thursday, September 29th—–5 – 9PM
Friday, September 30th———5 – 9PM
Monday, October 3rd———–5 – 9PM
Tuesday, October 4th————5 – 9PM
October 5th – 28th:
Wednesday – Friday 5 – 9PM
Saturday and Sunday 11AM – 7PM
Wednesday & Thursday September 26 & 27: Volunteer Orientation 6:30pm, Dufferin Grove Park
SATURDAY OCTOBER 29th – NIGHT of DREAD!
VOLUNTEER POSITIONS:
- Technical assistants for sound, lighting, set and stage management
- Puppeteers
- Masked Paraders
- Parade marshals
- Money Catchers (truly important for Clay & Paper Theatre)
- Bread Givers
- Clean Up Crew (everyone’s favorite people)
Join us for the twelfth annual Night of Dread, Clay & Paper Theatre’s invitation to the community to parade our private and collective fears through the darkened streets of Toronto. The hour-long procession returns to Dufferin Grove Park for an evening of ceremonial festivities that compel us to call on, mock and banish the fears that unite and divide us in these tumultuous times.
Night of Dread is an unforgettable evening of pageantry, music and masquerade incorporating towering puppets, stilt dancers, fire-spinners and fearful masks in a daring exploration of dread.This much-beloved community celebration incorporates international folk and theatrical traditions, drawing inspiration from festivals of death and remembrance around the world. Come dance in the streets with our city’s finest musicians, puppeteers, dancers and stilt walkers; together we’ll laugh at our fears, waltz with death, eat the bread of the dead, and remember those who have gone from our midst.
Clay & Paper has many costumes and puppets available for the public to wear in the parade; come early to the Dufferin Rink House to avoid disappointment!
4 PM: Parade begins assembling at Dufferin Grove
6 PM: Parade departs
Dress Code: Black & white and dreadful all over
Pay-What-You-Can/ $10 Suggested Donation
Scenic Ride #4: The Don River Valley
Sep 13th
Friends, Neighbors, Countrymen! Lend us your company for another fabulous ride along the Don Valley Trails. Please meet us at Sherbourne and Queen’s Quay between 6:30 and 7:00pm for a 7 o’clock departure. Weather permitting of course; if it’s actually raining, we won’t be there. Please follow us on Twitter to get the latest info! We’ll stop somewhere nice up on the creek for a snack and short rest, and then back along the path. Join us for a beautiful ride and even more beautiful company. And don’t forget your lights because it’ll get dusk around 8 or 8:30!
Don River Valley Route
Up Next for the Puppet Squad:
Aug 16th
Now that the Pedaler’s have cycled off into the sunset – leaving CYCLOPS spinning in their wake – we’d like to take a moment to thank everyone who came together to make our summer show The Pedaler’s Wager such big a hit. Special thanks to all of our many volunteers and supporters. We couldn’t have done it without you!
With a moment to catch our collective breath, CYCLOPS’ fearless four will spring back into action with a feast of fantastic activities lined-up for the next month. Here’s an overview of our plans.
We’re mobile. We’re decorated. We’re bringing the puppetry to the people!
CYCLOPS does "The Greedy FIshers". Photo by Milan Ilnyckyj
August 18: Herstories Cafe
An outdoor “history” salon themed “Women and Bicycles” *Free*
Where: Trinity Bellwoods Park – Southwest corner
When: 6:00pm
What: A history of women and bicycles; “Woman and Cycling in Toronto – Fighting for inclusion since 1869″ with speakers Steve Brearton and Evalyn Parry. See the website for more information. This is a special outdoor event and is free for all to attend. We will meet beside the Trinity Bellwoods Recreation center (which is at 155 Crawford Street.) There is a lovely grove of trees, behind Fresh – off of the Crawford entrance. Please meet us there and bring blankets, drinks and food. They will provide some refreshments as well. Weather permitting.
August 20: Leslie Street Spit Group Ride
Join us for an afternoon cycling trip to the Leslie Street Spit.
Where: Meet at Coronation Park
When: Meet at 3:00pm, ride leaves at 3:30pm
What: Bring a buddy, a blanket, and a smile, and remember to wear a helmet and sunscreen. We’ll have a rest and picnic when we get there, and maybe even a little performance treat from the Squad.
Weather permitting: Follow us on Twitter to catch the latest updates.
August 25: Artspin
A multi-disciplinary art crawl style bicycle tour of galleries (commercial, artist run & public), art performances and visits to artist’s studios throughout various downtown Toronto neighbourhoods. *Free*
Where: Starts in Trinity-Bellwoods Park, CYCLOPS location To Be Determined
When: 6:30pm
What: “Each Art Spin tour will feature a new itinerary featuring some of the city’s most exciting artists. Much of our programing includes interactive events that directly involve our audiences, calling upon their creative participation. Art Spin works closely with different community partners to help capture and share the pulse of this city’s vibrant art scene.
The meeting point is the gate to Trinity Bellwoods Park at Queen St. & Strachan, between 6:30 – 7 pm and ending around 9 pm. Art Spin is a free event, and anyone regardless of age or cycling ability is welcome.”
This will be the last Artspin of 2011, congratulations to the organizers for creating such a sucessful series!
August 25 – 28: Scotiabank Toronto Buskerfest
Toronto’s biggest gathering of street performers all in support of Epilepsy Toronto.
Where: Buskerplay Area next to St. Lawrence Market North. Map Link Here
When: Parade at 2:15pm, Show at 2:30pm
What: St. Lawrence Market area shuts down for this incredible gathering of entertainers, artists, dare-devils, and more for four days. It’s one of the best festivals Toronto offers and it’s CYCLOPS first time there! We’ll be presenting a range of songs, puppetry, pageantry and ruckus-raising!
All gate donations go to Epilepsy Toronto: donations to performers, go to performers. Support both if you can!
September 15: Brampton Indie Arts Festival
Artistic Director Friendly Rich Marsella has rounded up the best-of-the-best in underground and experimental musicians, filmmakers, dancers, poets and visual artists for two nights of celebrations. *Free*
Where: Brampton Downtown, of course! Rose Theatre Brampton: Studio Two, Main Stage (Audience and Acts), Lobby and the Fountain Stage in Garden Square. Weather Permitting.
When: Roaming performances from 7 – 9pm
- Don River Valley Route
September 16: Scenic Ride #4: Don River Valley
Join us for a scenic evening ride on the river valley trails.
Where: Meet at Sherbourne & Queen’s Quay
When: Meet at 6:30pm, ride leaves at 7pm
What: Join us on this warm summer evening for a casual group excursion to one of Toronto’s most beautiful scenic locations, seen from the most beautiful mode of transportation we know: the bicycle.
Hope to see you out there!
September 17: The Walk & Roll Caravan
A walking, strolling and cycling event to show the viability and vibrancy of active (muscle-powered) transport in Toronto neighbourhoods. The event passes through two neighbourhood street parties and ends at Dufferin Grove Park.
Where: North End of Dufferin Grove Park.
When: 2:oopm September 17
What: The parade will make its way through the Delaware and Havelock St. festivals and back to the park. Why 3km? The average car is used for 2,000 trips each year that are 3 km or less. It’s just as easy to walk, cycle, rollerblade or skateboard those distances! Imagine how much cleaner, safer, and healthier our community would be if we left our cars at home.
September 18: The Bicycle Musical Festival
“Toronto’s second annual pedal-powered, mobile music festival featuring Jeremy Fisher, The Strumbellas, Lenni Jabour, Abigail Lapell, Amélie & Les Singes Blues and more! This is a roaming event that involves a series of outdoor, pedal-powered concerts in three west-end parks on Sunday, September 18th. It all starts at the south end of Trinity Bellwoods Park, where we make a special appearance as part of the Queen West Art Crawl. Audience members will be powering our portable PA system by mounting generator bikes and pedaling away! We then load all our gear and instruments onto bikes and ride as a group to our other two beautiful stops.”
Where: Trinity Bellwoods Park, Fred Hamilton Park, & Dufferin Grove Park. Hey those are the same parks we did The Pedaler’s Wager in!
When: 2:00 – 7:30pm September 18th
What: See the map on their Schedule page for more details. CYCLOPS will be doing 2 short pieces during the afternoon.
◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊
If you are interested in bringing CYCLOPS to your festival, protest, party, or gallery please get in touch with Larissa at development_claypaper@bell.ca or call 416 708 3332. Follow us on twitter for regular updates.
If you missed The Pedaler’s Wager don’t fret – we will be posting some video highlights soon. Here’s what people have said about the show:
The Globe and Mail
The Grid
NOW Magazine (scroll down)
Mooney on Theatre
August 18: Hersto
Silly CYCLOPS, the spit’s closed on Fridays!
Aug 4th
August 20th Saturday Group ride to the Leslie Street Spit:
Since the Leslie Street Spit (also Tommy Thompson Park) is closed on weekdays, we have changed the date & time of our next group ride. We’ll still be meeting at Coronation Park, but at 3:00pm on August 20th instead of 6:30 August 19th. We’ll ride together out on the spit, have a little rest, picnic, kite-flying, cavorting, and then a leisurely return inland. We might just present a little performance treat for you to enjoy with us in the park. Everybody cross your fingers for good weather!
Here’s a link to the Friends of the Spit website:
http://www.friendsofthespit.ca/spit_directions_map.htm
And our route map:
Coronation Park to Leslie Spit -12km
We would like to apologize to the fine folks who came out to our cancelled ride on July 8th. We are very sorry for our absence. Unexpected circumstances in creating The Pedaler’s Wager interfered with the ride. Please let us know if you are joining us on this ride and if you have any suggestions for next time!
The Pedaler’s Wager: Now Playing!
Jul 27th
The Pedaler’s Wager, Clay & Paper Theatre’s brand new show for 2011, is now playing in Dufferin Grove Park, and more! This show features the CYCLOPS troupe with a host of supporting pedalers and cycling-oriented puppets, props, and sets. This is our second week of performances and the show is only getting better; it plays until August 14, so get yourself to the park for 7pm on a Wednesday through Sunday, or 2pm on a Friday. Now here is an exciting bit; bring your bike on Saturday & Sunday afternoons for the Mobile Matinees. Starting at 2, audience members will see Part 1 in Dufferin Grove Park, then bike to Fred Hamilton Park with the cast for Part 3, and finally to Trinity-Bellwoods Park for Part 3.
Additionally this year in the last two weeks of the run we’ll be integrating accessibility tools for those with low vision or hearing or blindness/deafness. Please join us for this unique and fun use of our public parks! All shows are Pay What You Can. We strive to be accessible to all; and we need your support.
Caitie Graham & Maria Wodzinska with puppets in The Pedaler's Wager
Mobile Matinee Route Map for The Pedaler's Wager
Coming Soon: The Pedaler’s Wager
Jun 30th
Hear ye Hear ye! In a few short weeks we will be presenting our new feature-length summer show, The Pedaler’s Wager. We’ve been working with the intensity of a one-eyed puppeteering monster, creating the puppets and ingenious bicycle-based theatrical elements this show calls for.
Irena working on the River
Development for The Pedaler's Wager
CYCLOPS troupe: Ellen, Anna, Maria, & Rebecca
Amira here. I’m excited to share with you these photos from our development process. Right now we are in the midst of implementing the action, music and imagery into a narrative, the story David Anderson (Artistic Director) and I have been developing since February. Our amazing Cyclops troupe joined on May 2, and our team of five fantastic students joined us Mid-June. It is highly visual, with a lot of unique puppetry, and it’s going to be really fun. Please enjoy and come to the show if you can!
July 20 – August 14 in Dufferin Grove Park & More
Weds – Sun 7pm & Friday 2pm
Weekend Mobile Matinees, 2pm:
Part 1 Dufferin Grove Park
Part 2 Fred Hamilton Park
Part 3 Trinity-Bellwoods Park
PWYC Suggested $10
Volunteers Wanted
Everybody Making "Baron Boots" Faces (with 3 of our student team)
Work In Progress: Lady Grabsome
Work In Progress: River/Ghost
The Pedaler's Wager: Route Map
CYCLOPS? What’s That?
Jun 1st
Clay & Paper Theatre’s bicycle-based theatre project Cyclops: Cycling Oriented Puppet Squad animates and energizes environmental and cycling events across Toronto from May to October, bringing theatre and cycling enthusiasm to the unsuspecting public. Here on our blog you can find out the latest news, plans and adventures from this mobile performance squad.
As we take our unique brand of theatre to the streets, we develop new performance venues and enliven Toronto’s public spaces while drawing attention to urban environmental issues and promoting active living. Thanks to funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Cyclops has been bringing the bicycle revolution to the city since 2009, and continues through 2011. This year’s squad comprises Anna Sapershteyn, Rebecca Bruton, Ellen Hurley, and (returning) Maria Wodzinksa, with support from Amira Emma Routledge.
Do you have a coming event that could use some Cyclops? Interested in volunteering or donating goods or services? Want to find out more? Contact Larissa Koniuk at (416) 708 -3332, development_claypaper@bell.net
People For Bikes: Bikes Make Life Better
May 29th
http://peopleforbikes.org/ posted this on their Youtube channel and we think it’s quite charming.
“We all know that when people ride bikes, life is better. In this short video, we bring this idea to life as riders trigger projectors throughout a city, transforming an urban environment into a vibrant, colorful world. A world made better, by bikes.”
Puppets & Props Nights
May 14th
Interested in volunteering with Cyclops and Clay & Paper Theatre? We have begun the process of building the giant puppets for our upcoming summer show: you too can help out! We are building armatures right now and pretty soon we’ll need help with a whole lot of paper mache!
Please contact us at 416 708 3332 or clayandpaper@sympatico.ca to get involved.
Check out this page for updates on our process – finally, a chance to see behind the veil! These things don’t just magically appear, but rather are produced by a lot of hard work by a lot of good people.
Baron Boots' Head: the Beginning
David instructs Irena and Jerry on his armature technique learned at Dragon Dance Theatre last winter.
Naila & Melissa paper mache-ing foam "bones"
Matt has been building "Otto" the monster baby.