Mayworks Kjipuktuk-Halifax

Djata: Conversations of the Manden
2023-05-06 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Halifax) | The Bus Stop Theatre Coop, 2203 Gottingen St, Halifax, NS, Canada
By Aly Keita
Presented in partnership with Prismatic Arts Festival in association with Live Art Dance

Friday, May 5th @ 7:00pm
Saturday, May 6th @ 7:00pm
With opening performance of Unfold by Reequal Smith
Location: Bus Stop Theatre Co-op (2203 Gottingen St)
Duration:
Unfold by Reequal Smith – 10 mins
Djata: Conversations of the Manden by Aly Keita – 20 mins
(15 mins intermission between performances)
Tickets: $5/$10/$15/$20 (For both shows – Pay what you can)
BUY TICKETS HERE

To create my piece, I drew inspiration from the Epic of Soundjata, one of the most significant foundational stories from 13th-century African oral tradition. It features Soundjata Keita, whose exploits have been transmitted through song and kora music played by lyrical poets from West Africa, known as griots. I was especially interested in the part of the legend known as “The Awakening of the Lion” to address themes of oppression, courage, metamorphosis, passage and liberation, all explored through rhythm, sound and movement.
Born from an alliance between the buffalo and the lion, Soundjata Keita, the long-awaited child whose birth was foretold by soothsayers, is unable to walk. After years of humiliation, against all odds, he stands up, walks across the village and uproots a baobab. This marks the beginning of his awakening, which will lead him to found the great Mandingo Empire, unifying the regions of West Africa, including Guinea, my home country.
Credits:
Artistic direction, choreography and dance: Aly Keita Music: Lasso Sanou and Aly Keita Rehearsal director and production manager: Raffaela Siniscalchi
Description et synopsis
Pour la réalisation de mon œuvre, je me suis inspiré de l’épopée mandingue, l’un des récits fondateurs les plus marquants des traditions orales africaines (XIIIe siècle), et de son personnage-clé : Soundjata Keita. Entre histoire et légende, les griots – des poètes lyriques de l’Afrique de l’Ouest – nous ont transmis, par le chant et les notes de leurs koras, les exploits de ce personnage emblématique de l’Afrique occidentale. Dans mon processus de création, je me suis surtout intéressé à la partie de la légende connue sous le nom de « Le réveil du lion », pour aborder, tout en rythme et en mouvement, les thèmes de l’oppression, du courage, de la métamorphose, du passage et de la libération.
Engendré par la puissance du buffle et du lion, Soundjata Keita, l’enfant que tous attendaient et dont la naissance avait été prédite par les mages, est incapable de marcher. Le prince, déchu, apprit à mettre un pied devant l’autre et trouva la force de se relever. Sous les regards stupéfaits de son peuple, Soundjata marcha vers un baobab qu’il arracha du sol. Ce fut le début de son éveil qui l’aurait mené à unifier les territoires de l’Afrique de l’Ouest et fonder, ainsi, le grand empire Mandingue.

Unfold
2023-05-06 19:00 - 20:00 | The Bus Stop Theatre Coop, 2203 Gottingen St, Halifax, NS, Canada
By Reequal Smith
Presented in partnership with Prismatic Arts Festival in association with Live Art Dance

Friday, May 5th @ 7:00pm
Saturday, May 6th @ 7:00pm
Followed by Djata: Conversations of the Manden by Aly Keita
Location: Bus Stop Theatre Co-op (2203 Gottingen St)
Duration:
Unfold by Reequal Smith – 10 mins
Djata: Conversations of the Manden by Aly Keita – 20 mins
(15 mins intermission between performances)
Tickets: $5/$10/$15/$20 (For both shows – Pay what you can)
BUY TICKETS HERE

The burden of misty dreams. An assortment of feelings. Of Loss & Love. A deep rooted nostalgia of home in every crevice of being manifested by the full existence and experience of body to land. Land connecting to my soles of souls.
Inspired by the sweet infectious Ghanaian Blues, this performance is fused with the essence of Afro Cuban movement, embodied with a fusion of jazz, African and funk styles. Rooted with the vibrancy of old tropical Caribbean motion, stemming from euphoric connection in the swish in our hips and the fluidity in our strides.
Reequal Smith is the Founder and Artistic Director of Oshun Dance Studios. A dance artist originally from the Bahamas, now based in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

I See You by Lara Lewis
2023-05-10 19:00 - 20:00 | Radstorm, 2177 Gottingen Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Presented in partnership with Radstorm
Wednesday, May 3 @ 7:00pm
Wednesday, May 10 @ 7:00pm
Location: Radstorm (2177 Gottingen St)
Duration: 1 hour
Tickets: $10/$15/$20 (Pay what you can)
BUY TICKETS HERE

I See You is a performance art piece by Lara Lewis about her experiences as a figure drawing life model, exploring the relationship between artist and subject, the body as a means of profit, and the body image and gender feelings the work raises. I See You is part performance, part life drawing session, in which audience members are also artists drawing the performer.
Audience members are invited to bring art supplies to participate in this special life drawing session (this is optional if you’d simply like to be a spectator). A limited amount of art supplies will be available for those who do not have art supplies of their own.
Credits:
Created & performed by Lara Lewis
Facilitated by Rob Cameron
Dramaturgy by Santiago Guzmán & Jena McLean
Movement consultation by Alex Rioux
Music by Peter Sarty
I See You is followed by a regular 1 hour live model art class.

Scratch the Surface: A Working Class Heritage Tour
2023-05-13 13:00 - 14:30, 2023-06-04 13:00 - 14:30 | Old Halifax Memorial Public Library (Spring Garden), Brunswisk St @ Spring Garden Rd, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Sunday, April 30 @ 1:00pm
Saturday, May 13 @ 1:00pm
Sunday, May 21 @ 1:00pm [POSTPONED due to rain]
Sunday, June 4th, 1:00pm

Start: Old Halifax Memorial Public Library (Spring Garden) Brunswick St @ Spring Garden Rd
End: Hollis and Duke in front of 1801 Hollis St
Duration: 90 mins
Registration: PWYC / By donation
REGISTER HERE

Join Emma Lang for a new interactive working class history tour that explores the industrial past of downtown Halifax. As we move through the city we’ll explore the many types of work that used to take place where today there are offices, shops and restaurants. Pull back the curtain on what it was like to work in the laundries, factories, and food manufacturing plants of Halifax. You’ll never see downtown the same way again.
The tour has been designed with accessibility in mind.
The tour is an easygoing 90 minutes in duration with regular stops for discussion along the way.
Accessible washrooms and parking is available at the beginning of the tour.
The tour begins at the Old Spring Garden Public Library and ends at the waterfront.
The itinerary crosses through intersections with curb cuts and follows sidewalks.
Click here for Additional Accessibility Notes
Emma Lang is a public heritage professional, folklorist and tour guide. She’s been sharing her research and excitement in labour history to anyone interested for more than 20 years.
Top Banner Photo: Nova Scotia Archives: Jean Holder Nova Scotia Archives 1980-195 no. 24 / neg. no.: N-0172

Being Present: Spotlight on Martins Madumere
2023-05-13 16:30 - 17:30 | Museum of Natural History, 1747 Summer Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Presented by AFX – Animation Festival of Halifax

Saturday, May 13th @ 4:30pm
Location: Museum of Natural History (1747 Summer St)
Duration: 60 mins
FREE
Check out the full AFX Schedule
Multidisciplinary artist Martins Madumere practises animation as he practises life – with an inspiring balance of self-discipline and openness. In this artist spotlight, we will see Martins’s animated short films; we will hear about his journey as a self-taught animator and his cultural experiences in his native Nigeria and current home of Epekwitk (colonially known as Prince Edward Island); and we will learn how he flourishes in a full life of visual arts, writing, study, athletics, and community. This event is the world premiere of his new animated short, Being Present, which was commissioned by the Animation Festival of Halifax in Kjipuktuk for the BIPOC Animator Film Commission and Mentoring Program. This project is funded by the Government of Canada.
The screening will be followed by a recorded Q&A between Martins Madumere and Sobaz Benjamin.

Folding Together
2023-05-17 15:30 - 18:00 | The Bus Stop Theatre Coop, 2203 Gottingen St, Halifax, NS, Canada
By the sense archive
Presented in Partnership with Eyelevel Artist-Run Centre

Wednesday, May 17th @ 3:30pm – 6:00pm
Location: Bus Stop Theatre Co-op
Duration: 2 hours and 30 mins
Registration: FREE
Register Here
Do you identify as a mother and/or perform the work of motherhood? The sense archive invites you to join us for a Community Arts Event! We will guide participants through a simple score of folding and unfolding together. During this score you are invited to share stories, memories, and anecdotes about motherhood/mothering in relationship to loss and/or potential. We are interested in hearing/exchanging these stories as part of our research for our performance project titled This Body of Work. Responses will be documented via video, audio and/or text and participants will have the choice to have their stories included as part of our project. We will also present a short artist talk and discussion about our project (in progress).
Refreshments and snacks/light dinner will be served following the event. You will leave with a small gift from us in return for your participation! Child minding is available during the event if needed. This in person event will require masking.
Please bring:
A towel of any kind (tea, hand, bath) that you can donate to our project (this can be an already used towel) felt/embodied short story, anecdote, or memory in relation to mothering/motherhood and LOSS and/or POTENTIAL (this could be many things and is open to interpretation)
Children: Children and families are welcome. Refreshments & child minding available. Let us know if you require child minding in the registration form.
We will have hand-printed project T-Shirts available for purchase in all shapes and sizes!
This Body of Work is an interdisciplinary collaboration that explores critical feminist performance(s) of motherhood and maternal agency through lived bodily/cellular experiences. To find out more about our overall project please visit: www.thisbodyofwork.ca.
We gratefully acknowledge the support of The Canada Council for the Arts, Arts Nova Scotia, Support for Culture, Dancemakers, The Bank Art House, Mayworks, eyelevel Gallery.
To contact us about accessibility needs or other questions please email in advance sensearchive@gmail.com or text us (if needed) on the day of at 647-459-6556.
Please Note:
If you are unable to attend this event but would still like to contribute you can still participate. Please send to sensearchive@gmail.com:
your full name and contact information your personal short story, anecdote, or memory about loss and its relationship to mothering/motherhood. You can type your story via text directly into the email OR use an audio recording platform (example: voice memos) to record and attach to the email as an audio file.

A More Radiant Sphere
2023-05-18 18:30 - 20:00 | The Bus Stop Theatre Coop, 2203 Gottingen St, Halifax, NS, Canada
By Sara Wylie
Presented in partnership with Carbon Arc Cinema

Thursday, May 18th @ 6:30pm
Location: Bus Stop Theatre Co-op (2203 Gottingen St)
Duration: 40 mins followed by a 30 mins Q&A with filmmaker Sara Wylie moderated by MLA Gary Burrill [CC][ASL]
Tickets: $5/$10/$15 (Pay what you can)
BUY TICKETS HERE

[CC] This film will be closed captioned.
[ASL] ASL Interpretation will be provided for the Q&A portion of the event.
A mid-length hybrid documentary about Joe Wallace: Canadian Communist poet, political prisoner, and the filmmaker’’s long lost family member. Shot on 16mm and digital, featuring original songs by award-winning musician Fiver/Simone Schmidt.
“Poetry is of a higher order. It sets bells ringing in the mind of the reader so that he makes his own music …”

Nearly lost in the annals of Canadian history, the writings of Joe Wallace—radical believer in socialist ideals, writer of anti-capitalist verses, and survivor of detainment by the Canadian government—have been revived by his great-great-niece, director Sara Wylie.
Searching through library archives, family records, and footage from the early decades of the Canadian settler state, Wylie assembles the story of Wallace the poet and revolutionary. “The more I began looking for him, the more I began to see parts of myself reflected,” she says. His poems are spirited, forthright and folksy; they recall a time of great political change and opportunity.
Inextricable from Wallace’s life and work is the history of Canada’s labour movement and the increasing involvement of the state in its disruption. A More Radiant Sphere captures a time and a feeling at risk of being erased by Canadian myth, when the possibility of a world beyond capitalism surged forth into poetry. (Written by Sarah Bakke)
The film will be followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Sara Wylie moderated by Gary Burril, MLA for Halifax Chebucto

Film Credits:
Directed, produced and written by Sara Wylie
Featuring Bruce Wallace
Music by Simone Schmidt
With Nick Dourado on piano
Nathan Doucet on percussion
John Showman on fiddle
Cinematography by Suz Friesen and Sara Wylie
Sound recording by Kellen Jackson and Sara Wylie
Sound mix/edit by Michelle Hwu and Tim Atkins
Colour by Sam Gilling

Mayworks South Shore: STAND!
2023-05-20 19:00 - 20:30 | HB Studios Sport Centre, 543 Glen Allan Dr, Bridgwater, Nova Scotia, B4V 0A8, Canada
Presented by the South Shore District Labour Council
Saturday, May 20th @ 7:00pm (doors open at 6:30pm)
Location: HB Studios Sport Centre (543 Glen Allan Dr, Bridgewater, NS)
Cost: FREE
Suitable for Adults and teens, not recommended for under 13 General Seating: A limited number of seats provided or bring your own chair/blanket
Stand! is a 2019 Canadian musical film set during the 1919 Winnipeg general strike that occurred in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Directed by Robert Adetuyi and written by Danny Schur and Rick Chafe, it is based on the 2005 stage musical Strike! by Schur. Running time 1h 50min
For more information contact D Curry at seiu2steward@gmail.com
Sponsored by the South Shore District Labour Council, SEIU Local 2, Canadian Labour Congress, CUPE 8920, NSNU, NSGEU and Higgins Insurance.

The Movements
2023-05-25 20:00 - 21:30, 2023-05-26 20:00 - 21:30, 2023-05-27 20:00 - 21:30, 2023-06-01 20:00 - 21:30, 2023-06-02 20:00 - 21:30, 2023-06-03 20:00 - 21:30, 2023-06-06 20:00 - 21:30 | Alderney Landing Theatre, 2 Ochterloney St, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, B2Y 4W1, Canada
By Zuppa
Presented in partnership with STAGES Theatre Festival

Thursday, May 25th @ 8:00pm
Friday, May 26th @ 8:00pm
Saturday, May 27th @ 8:00pm
Thursday, June 1st @ 8:00pm
Friday, June 2nd @ 8:00pm
Saturday, June 3rd @ 8:00pm
Tuesday, June 6th @ 8:00pm

Location: Alderney Landing Theatre (2 Ochterloney St)
Duration: 90 mins
Tickets: $15/$20/$25 (Pay what you can)
BUY TICKETS HERE

The Movements is a high-octane theatre/dance spectacular and the economics class you never had in school. It’s a show about the global economy in the form of a 90-minute workout routine. Accompanied by a soaring musical score and multi-layered video design, four performers never quit as they transform dry data into aerobic movement before your very eyes. Covering everything from GDP and the WHO to wealth inequality and inflation, The Movements examines the mind-boggling complexity of these hot topics in a way that is accessible and endlessly engaging.
Credits:
Starring (alphabetical):
Stewart Legere
Faly Mevamanana
Liliona Quarmyne
Rebecca Wolfe
Choreographer:
Liliona Quarmyne
Video Designers:
Christian Ludwig Hansen with Anna Shepard
Composer:
Stewart Legere
Lighting Design:
Jessica Lewis
Director:
Alex McLean
Dance Coach:
Rebecca Wolfe
Video Operator:
Christian Ludwig Hansen
Creation Intern: Kate Urquart
Producer: Sophie Schade
Created in partnership with Kinetic Studio and Halifax Dance.
Generously supported by the Craig Foundation and the Black Family Foundation.

This Body of Work
2023-05-26 - 2023-06-18 | Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery, 923 Robie St, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 3C3, Canada
Rendering, reassembling, and performing motherworlds
By the sense archive
Presented by Eyelevel Artist-Run Centre in collaboration with Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery

May 26th – June 18th
Opening Reception May 26th, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Regular Visiting Hours: Tuesday – Sunday from 11:00am to 5:00pm
Location: Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery (923 Robie St)
Admission: FREE
This Body of Work is an interdisciplinary exhibition that grew from self-directed Artist Residencies in Motherhood (ARIM). This Body of Work explores critical feminist performance(s) of motherhood and maternal agency through lived bodily/cellular experiences and locates the body as the initial source and archive for the labour/work of the m/other.
We have created works that span photography, sculpture, sound, video, text, new media, and performance that consider themes of care, trauma, loss, lineage, identity, emotional bonds, oral/object histories, and memory.
We expose the labour, performance, and experience of motherhood and have allowed it to inform our work. We use a critical feminist perspective to disrupt cultural and perceptual norms. We make the work and are the work.
the sense archive employs the word “mother’ as a verb in our approach and in considering our inclusive and extended audience—an audience that includes all those who mother.
The exhibition will take place from May 26th – June 18th at SMU Art Gallery with an opening reception and performances by Morgan and Douthwright on May 26th from 6PM to 8PM.
The exhibition will feature live performances by the artists at the opening reception and on the following dates:
Friday May 26 @ 7pm
Sunday May 28 @ 2pm
Sunday June 4 @ 2pm
Friday June 9 @ 7pm
Sunday June 11 @ 2pm
Sunday June 18 @ 2pm
About the Artists:
the sense archive is interested in exploring, reading, and transcribing the body as the site of narratives that shape us as artists/mothers. We believe in activating research and artistic work that challenges patriarchal ideations of motherhood. We are focused on, and committed to, creating socially engaged work that values the body and the embodied experience.
the sense archive, Ruth Douthwright (ON), Sally Morgan (NS), and Jessica Winton (NS), are white, cis-gendered, artists, educators, and mothers, living and working in Kanata/Canada. Our initial collaborative efforts are focussed on developing our first major project in two parts—a live performance work and a gallery exhibition—titled This Body of Work.
About Eyelevel:
Prioritizing treaty, accessibility, and care, Eyelevel supports the production and presentation of socially-engaged artistic practices through arts programming outside of the traditional white-wall gallery.
Project Land Acknowledgement:
We acknowledge, honour, and are thankful for the land we live with and on. Sally and Jessica live in Kjipuktuk/Halifax located in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq. This territory is covered by the Treaties of Peace and Friendship which the Mi’kmaq, Wəlastəkwiyik (Maliseet), and the Passamaquoddy signed in 1726. Ruth lives in London, Ontario, located on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak, and Chonnonton Nations, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum.

Change the Rules!
2023-08-22 16:00 - 20:00 | Wonder’neath, 2482 Maynard St, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3K 3V4, Canada
A zine-making workshop on labour rights and work in the creative industries
with Marie LeBlanc Flanagan | 4:00PM – 6:00PM
In this zine-making workshop aimed at all skill levels, Weird Canada and Drone Day founder Marie Flanagan will guide participants through making a collaborative zine as we explore our own perspectives on labour rights and working in the creative industries. Participants are welcome and encouraged to bring their own text, poems, artwork, collages, and other printed items, but we will be fully supplied with materials needed to create a zine together.
If interested in attending, please complete this registration form. We will strive to include all registrants but will be prioritizing folks from equity-deserving backgrounds. Masks are required. We will have masks on-site in case you forget!

Labour Rights and the Arts: a panel discussion
Hosted by Marie LeBlanc Flanagan | 6:30PM – 8:00PM
Join us for this wide-ranging discussion on the importance of labour organizing in the arts, cultural, and creative industries with Grey Muldoon, Nailah Tataa, and Amanda Leigh-Zeller. Facilitated by Marie LeBlanc Flanagan, founder of Weird Canada and Drone Day, don’t miss this important conversation on sustainable and inclusive work environments, together as artistic and cultural workers and how we can envision better futures for ourselves.
Please register by visiting this link!

Masks are required. We will have masks on-site in case you forget!

Art Fair + Yard Sale
2023-09-02 11:00 - 16:00 | Wonder’neath, 2482 Maynard St, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3K 3V4, Canada
Art prints, CDs, Vinyl, Printed Matter, Furniture, Books, Tickets to Halifax Fringe Fest, Merch and more!
Masks are required.
More details to come!

2024 Call For Submissions!
2023-10-02 | Nova Scotia
Mayworks Kjipuktuk/Halifax is an interdisciplinary arts festival celebrating the connection between the labour movement and art, art making as labour, as well art exploring racial justice, environmental justice, and other aspects of social justice movements. The festival kicks off on or near May 1st, International Workers Day, a celebration of workers and bold declaration that “Captialism isn’t Working for Workers.” For more information about May Day, refer to this digital flyer.
The festival’s interest reaches beyond art that relates directly to labour, work or the workplace, and includes art that speaks to any fight for social, economic or environmental justice.
Click on the link below to access the online submission form. Deadline for submission is Monday, October 2nd, 2023.
SUBMISSION FORM

The Halifax Workers' Action Centre's 2nd Annual Open Mic Night
2023-10-07 18:00 - 21:00 | The Bus Stop Theatre Coop, 2203 Gottingen St, Halifax, NS, Canada
Join us for a night of fun, music, and solidarity at the Halifax Workers’ Action Centre’s Open Mic Night Fundraiser!

>> Get tickets HERE
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This in-person event will take place on Saturday, October 7, 2023 at 2203 Gottingen St, Halifax, NS B3K 3B5.
Enjoy labour-minded performances by local artists, prizes, and a silent auction – all for a good cause!
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The Halifax Workers’ Action Centre is a non-for-profit, dedicated to advocating for the rights and well-being of workers in our community.
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So mark your calendars, gather your friends, and come on down to support the Halifax Workers’ Action Centre!
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Tickets are on a sliding scale of $25-$50
All funds raised will directly support workers in their fight against workplace injustice.

Accessibility notes:
For information about venue accessibily, including an accessibility video tour (with captions of the Lobby and Theatre), a floor plan, and information on parking and Halifax transit information, please visit: https://busstoptheatre.coop/accessibility/
You can also email info@busstoptheatre.coop or call 888-639-1169 ext. 2.
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If you wish to speak to a Halifax WAC organizer about event accessibility, or have any other questions, please email us at halifaxwac@gmail.com or call 902 221 0755 ext. 2

Canadian Labour International Film Festival
2023-11-10 19:30 - 21:30 | The Bus Stop Theatre Coop, 2203 Gottingen St, Halifax, NS, Canada
Mayworks Kjipuktuk/Halifax Festival of Working People in the Arts is proud to partner once again with the Canadian Labour International Film Festival for a satellite screening of films from their 15th annual festival.

The screening takes place November 10, 7:30 PM, at the Bus Stop Theatre Co-op.

This year, we will be screening Bergie (South Africa) by Dian Weys, Shiringa: Amazon White Gold (Peru) by Oscar Akamine, Lentejas (Spain) by José A. Campos, HongKongers:A Re-Collection – My Destiny or My Choice? (UK) by Green Bean Media, Allegory (Spain) by Tino Fernández, Puanum (Dream) (Canada) by Josée Benjamin, and Serigne (Spain) by Rodrigo Hernandez Tejero, Adriana Cardoso Navarro, & Edu Marin.
All films are translated as needed through subtitles in English.

Total run time: 87 minutes. The screening will be followed by a moderated discussion for those interested.

Admission is by donation.

THE FILMS:

Bergie (South Africa) by Dian Weys (7 min)
The term “bergie” is a South Africanism that refers to people that are homeless. This short film presents the viewer with a problem – a law enforcement officer has to remove homeless people sleeping on a path in the city in order to make way for a 10km fun-run. To do this, he has to wrestle with fundamental questions about the dignity of human life. Language: English & Afrikaans.

Shiringa: Amazon White Gold (Peru) by Oscar Akamine (9 min)
This documentary follows Jorge Escompani, a “Shiringa” master, as he shows us how he extracts natural latex from the Shiringa tree. The extraction of latex from the Shiringa tree has led to the death of thousands of indigenous people due to slavery during “the fever of latex” in the 19th century. Current practices reflect a respectful relationship between the trees and those who depend on it for survival. Language: English & Spanish.

Lentejas (Spain) by José A. Campos (8 min)
A humorous look at the gig economy and what work is like right now for many white collar workers who have to hustle for every contract and need multiple contracts to make a living. Workers can be anywhere – it just depends on the backdrop, and how long you can hold the illusion together. “Lentils (Lentejas): if you want, eat them; if you don’t, leave them.” Language: Spanish.

HongKongers:A Re-Collection – My Destiny or My Choice? (UK) by Green Bean Media (18 min)
This documentary follows the experience of Siu Tat MUNG, who was a leader in the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU), as he recounts his experiences during the last few years it was in existence. HKCTU members voted to disband the union on October 3, 2021, following pro-democracy protests in 2019-2020. At least 29 Hong Kong trade unions were dissolved throughout 2021. Siu Tat Mung explains the conditions in Hong Kong and the reasons for asking his family to relocate to Great Britain. Through his story we are able to experience the difficult situation evolving for Trade Unionists and others working in Hong Kong in 2021. Language: Cantonese.

Allegory (Spain) by Tino Fernández (13 min)
Ten participants are about to start a race in which the most important thing is not to win, but to arrive, in the race of their lives. This film is an allegory for the working class about class struggle and life. It raises good questions through its poetic approach about what life is all about. Language: Spanish.

Puanum (Dream) (Canada) by Josée Benjamin (5 min)
This short documentary, directed by an Innu filmmaker, features Jordan, a young french speaking, indigenous fisherman. As we spend a typical day on his boat fishing for whelk, he tells us the story of his journey towards becoming the captain of a fishing boat. Language: French.

Serigne (Spain) by Rodrigo Hernandez Tejero, Adriana Cardoso Navarro, & Edu Marin. (27 min)
In this extraordinary documentary, we follow Serigne Mbay, a politician, and his inspirational story, as he works to educate his fellow citizens and politicians about the effects of current European fishing trade agreements on his home country of Senegal. The landscapes and the portraits of the people in this film are breathtakingly beautiful. Language: Spanish.

NEW DATE: Possibilities of Dialogue
2023-12-13 20:00 - 21:00 | The Bus Stop Theatre Coop, 2203 Gottingen St, Halifax, NS, Canada
NEW DATE! – December 13th

Inspired by the parallels between making a dance and having a conversation, Possibilities of Dialogue is an abstraction of a collaborative creative process; with moments of listening, curiosity, disagreement and spontaneity unfolding through movement and text. The work is a participatory, experimental dance performance rooted in lineages of western contemporary dance and is co-choreographed and performed by David Norsworthy and Marielis Garcia.
Presented in collaboration with Kinetic, Live Art Dance and Votive Dance with support from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council.

ISRAELISM film screening
2024-02-08 18:30 - 20:30 | The Bus Stop Theatre Coop, 2203 Gottingen St, Halifax, NS, Canada
**Postponed due to weather – NEW Date & Time**
**Thursday, February 8th – 6:30PM**
Presented by
Independent Jewish Voices, Atlantic Canadian Palestinian Society, Mayworks Kjipuktuk/Halifax and the Bus Stop Theatre Co-op.

FILM WEBSITE: https://www.israelismfilm.com/
When two young American Jews raised to unconditionally love Israel witness the brutal way Israel treats Palestinians, their lives take sharp left turns.
They join a movement of young American Jews battling the old guard to redefine Judaism’s relationship with Israel, revealing a deepening generational divide over modern Jewish identity.
After this screening, you will meet some of the filmmakers and you can participate in Q & A with them.

Masking is strongly encouraged.
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/screening-of-the-film-israelism-tickets-801927826717

For more information, contact jjv-halifax@ijvcanada.org,
902-240-2782

Bread & Roses: Can You See Us?
2024-05-01 19:00 - 20:30 | The Bus Stop Theatre Coop, 2203 Gottingen St, Halifax, NS, Canada
English & French bilingual performance | Performance bilingue anglais-français
>>Register Here for FREE Childcare
ASL interpretation will be available

“Bread and Roses: Can you see us?” is an original performance created by visual artist and labour organizer Tricia Robinson Illustration (she/her) and poet and social justice activist Laura Doyle Péan (they/them). This collaborative performance tackles topics of invisibilized labour, union work, collective liberation and the importance of solidarity in the face of intersecting social crises. Building on their decade of community organizing experience within the labour, racial, social and climate justice movements, the two tiohtià:ke/mooniyang (Montréal) based artists attempt to shine light on forms of labour that are too often hidden and devalued.
Live on stage, Tricia will create original visual artwork in several mediums as Laura Doyle Péan recites some of their moving poetry with themes of domestic and care labour, activism, unions, and freedom. The conception of Tricia’s art pieces will be projected onto a screen, allowing the audience to witness her creation process live and close up. The projection of her work will serve to honour the labour and care that goes into creating illustrations, embroideries and linocuts, hence putting emphasis on our understanding of art as labour, as well as pridefully using mediums that have such a rich history within liberation and activist movements. Unapologetically feminist and pro-worker, Tricia and Laura, with care and devotion, are using this performance as a way to open conversations about the labour movement and unionism as a whole, and the importance of recognizing forms of labour that have historically been undervalued, criminalized, and disregarded.

Bios:
Tricia
Tricia Robinson is an illustrator, photographer and labour organizer located in Montréal, Canada. She has been working creatively in whatever she can get her hands on since the early 2000s and has been a freelancer since 2013. Initially shying away from having personal politics and social issues merging with her work, these themes are now what completely encompass her creative work. Her work often adds elements of humour and hope to important topics like workers’ rights, labour activism, the perils of capitalism on our well-being, and the importance, value, and future liberation of the working class. She is a music college drop out with self taught skills and a very strong determination to be her own boss. She also absorbed skills and experience from the abundance of love, support, and skill sharing from her community. Her illustration career coincides with her work within labour unions in Canada, and her drive and desire to educate and authentically empower workers to collectively fight for their rights. She is part of the founding of Syndicat General in Montreal, a new trade labour union that helps workers organize and build combative and durable unions, whether their workplace has 2-2000 employees.
Instagram: @triciarobinsonillustration
Facebook: www.facebook.com/triciarobinsonillustration
Website: www.triciamakes.com

Laura:
Laura Doyle Péan (they/them) is a 24-year-old queer Haitian-Quebecois multidisciplinaryartist, poet and activist whose practice focuses on the role of art in social movements. Laura published their first book, Cœur Yoyo, in 2020. The English translation of their book, Yo-yo Heart, came out in 2021 with the 87 press. Laura holds a column in the literary magazine Lettres Québécoises, and has published poems and short stories in many others. They are also a member of the editorial committee of the literary magazine Moebius, and have sat on many literary prize juries, including, most recently the jury for Radio-Canada’s poetry prize. Born in Nionwentsïo (Quebec city), where they first got involved in intersectional feminist, LGBTQIA2S+, migrant justice and racial justice organizing, they moved to Tiohtià:ke/Mooniyang (Montreal) in 2019, to attend university. There, they joined the fossil fuel divestment movement, and made their first steps in union organizing to fight for a better collective agreement for their coworkers and themselves. These experiences led them to gain a renewed understanding of the inextricability of the struggles for workers’ rights and the struggles for climate justice.
Instagram: @esmeralda_dpxx
Credit for the photo of Laura: Amélie Marcil – https://www.facebook.com/ameliemarcilgraphiste

Portrait of the Artist as an Essential Worker
2024-05-03 17:00 - 19:00 | The Bus Stop Theatre Coop, 2203 Gottingen St, Halifax, NS, Canada
NEW: ASL interpretation will be available

Work by Sarah Mosher and Hannah Genosko
In collaboration, Mosher and Genosko use printmaking and textile processes to illustrate their experiences as essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. They are both professional artists who were employed in ‘casual’ day jobs in sectors that were labeled essential and became full-time during the COVID-19 pandemic: the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation and Canada Post, respectively. With their similar experiences they dig deeper into the ‘essential’ label where art and work don’t often intersect. They explore the repetitive nature of labour through the repetitive nature of printmaking, and create images relevant to their experience; the images are printed on the uniforms they and their coworkers wore during their time of essential sector work. Folk quilting traditionally uses old clothes and other found materials for utility, and the shape of the garments inform the geometry of the quilt. The uniforms are sewn into quilted banners that do not follow a traditional repeating pattern or conform to a rectangle, but rather use patchwork and appliqué techniques to create an uncertain feeling. This method reflects the ever-changing and disjointed nature of the pandemic.
Sarah’s instagram is @realpzzazz
Two large quilts on display at the Bus Stop Theatre, April 1st to June 30th
Reception and Artist Talk, May 3rd 5:00PM – 7:00PM

Working Class Heritage Tour: By Choice Or By Force
2024-05-04 13:00 - 14:30 | Peace and Friendship Park, 1170 Hollis St, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 2P6, Canada
3rd edition tour with a new itinerary!
The 2024 Working Class Heritage Tour will focus on the story of immigrants and migrants to Halifax, both those who came by choice, force or a lack of other options. It will shed light on how these people shaped the physical landscape of the city, the lives of those who lived here and how their stories have been largely erased. Engaging the public through stories they may have some familiarity with, such as the story of Black sleeping car porters and the Acadian Expulsion, this tour will also introduce lesser known stories, like the story of who built the forts in the harbour, the Chinese community who found a home in Halifax, and the Lebanese and Syrian immigrants who worked as peddlers and the enslaved people who were sold on the Halifax waterfront. We will also talk about the lost community of Greenbank, located in the South End and the nearby foundries that employed people in dangerous work that kept the province running. This tour will be of particular interest to those from racialized and migrant communities who do not always see themselves reflected in the stories about the province’s history.
With Labour folklorist, Emma Lang
Emma Lang is a public heritage professional, folklorist and tour guide. She’s been sharing her research and excitement in labour history to anyone interested for more than 20 years.

>> Click here for detailed Accessibility Notes

ASL interpretation will be available on May 11.

Green Bank area, 1953 – HRM Archives
Charlie Wah laundry back room – Photo: J.J. Lee
Grain dock 1987 – W.R. MacAskill NS Archives

Hip Hop: The Next Gen
2024-05-04 21:00 - 23:30 | The Seahorse Tavern, 2037 Gottingen St, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3K 3B1, Canada
Calling all rap lovers old school and new!
Next Gen is about renewing Hip Hop‘s legacy by respecting the past and making space for the future. Can legacies evolve? Are legacies shared? Can you bop to boom bap and trap back to back? Join us on May 4th at the Seahorse to find out.
Presented by General Khan and Feat. Special Guest DJ OKAY TK
Hip Hop: The Next Gen is a musical experience that focuses on the next generation of rap legacies.
Chieffy | J u í c e | BASYL | LXVNDR | Yohvn Blvck

Left to right: BASYL, Chieffy, J u í c e, General Khan, LXVNDR, Yohvn Blvvk, OKAY TK

General Khan
General Khan is a local artist and community organizer, born and raised in Kjipuktuk, Mi’kma’ki (Halifax, Nova Scotia). General Khan’s art style is influenced by her lived experiences with oppression such as white supremacy, colonialism, displacement, racism, Islamophobia, ableism, and more.
General Khan is also a local community organizer. She is known for her overwhelming passion and commitment to dismantling systems of oppression. At most actions, you’ll find her on the megaphone chanting. Those closest to her know her for her big smile and an even bigger heart.
To learn more about General Khan, follow her @iamgeneralkhan

Okay TK
OKAY TK is a DJ based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. TK has won multiple awards and DJ competitions over the years. Continues to perform on the national stages. His performances are about connecting with the listener through his song selection, technical ability, and stage presence.
@heyokaytk

Chieffy
Cheiffy is an Afro – Indigenous Hip Hop artist hailing from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, whose music explores the topics of race, poverty, mental health, and spiritual growth. Sonically his music lives in the traditions of hip hop blues and rock and roll his music is a unique blend of boom bap, trap, and abstract hip hop. Cheiffy is known for a laid back delivery allowing his lyrics to sink in and be digested by the listener, while also having an ear for melody and a taste for hooks.
@chieffybear

J u í c e
J u í c e brings a unique blend of raw lyricism and infectious beats to the forefront of Canadian music. Hailing from Halifax, his music reflects personal experiences and societal observations. With a magnetic stage presence and unwavering dedication, J u í c e is leaving an indelible mark on the hip hop landscape, captivating audiences far beyond the streets of Halifax.
@Schwalen_

BASYL
For BASYL, music is more than just a career; it serves as a profound avenue for self-expression. Hailing from the heart of the Middle East, BASYL; a Palestinian rapper crafts a unique style that blends the melodic vibes of R&B with meticulously crafted lyrics and an infectious, rhythmic flow. BASYL delves into themes such as freedom of speech, oppression, personal growth, and love through his music. His latest single, “As Of Late,” offers a tantalizing glimpse of his forthcoming EP, “Love Bombers,” currently in the works.
@baselsabri

LXVDR
LXVNDR is an east-coast Hip Hop artist based out of Halifax. Her flow bounces around from hardcore, to lofi and even R & B! In the recent past she has been nominated for multiple music ns awards and ECMA’s.
Her music has been spun on DJ Premier’s radio station “Live From HeadqCourtez” 3 weeks in a row, with recent cameos in Maestro Fresh Wes’ TV series as well as appearing in Classified and Masta Ace’s “Sure Enough” music video !
Recognized by Chuck D as “the Canadian Queen of Hip Hop” she is very focused on advancing her musical career! Truly never knowing exactly what you’re going to get with LXVNDR, the only thing that can be guaranteed is : A VIBE!
@missslxv

Yohvn Blvck
“As the blistering Antiguan heat cools with the sunset, a teenage Edwin Yohance Hull is setting up mics and PAs on the docks. His birthplace is home to anything but a thriving rap scene. He, and the same fifteen faces, are the scene. Darkness overtakes the Caribbean oasis, and another Rap Night is underway. He performs to a small audience of supportive rap groups–people who helped him get his start. The moment is fleeting, as conversations about Hull and his family moving to Canada are becoming much more serious. He would have to leave the rap community he helped build behind, or at least for now. On the plane to Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2013, Hull is unknowingly being launched into a new phase of his identity. He will become known as Yohvn Blvck, and usher in a new era of Canadian rap.”
@yohvnblvck

Resting Space
2024-05-05 13:00 - 16:00 | The Bus Stop Theatre Coop, 2203 Gottingen St, Halifax, NS, Canada
A Workshop by Becoming Old Growth
What is your relationship with rest? Our personal experiences with burnout led us to global rest movements and the anti-capitalist rest manifesto of “Nap Bishop” Tricia Hersey. What changes when we recognize exhaustion as a collective issue rather than a personal one? In this three-hour workshop, we invite participants into a guided, communal resting space. Through gentle, unstructured opportunities to listen, write, draw, move, and make sound—or simply rest—the artists will guide participants to reflect on these questions, emphasizing the role of rest as a natural and necessary balance to labour.
Participants will be invited to share their ideas and experiences with the artists following the workshop session. Cushions and blankets will be available and you are welcome to bring your own comfort items to use during the workshop.
Registration Details
Please register in advance via this registration form:
>>REGISTER HERE
Age:
Workshop geared for adults and mature youth. No arts experience required.
Accessibility:
Please indicate accessibility needs in the registration form by Monday, April 29th.
Note:
We will try to accommodate accessibility requests, however we cannot guarantee as all requests can be met. We will email you if we cannot fulfill your request.
Childcare:
On site childcare available upon request, please fill out child care info in the registration form above and submit by Monday, April 29th.

About Becoming Old Growth:
Becoming Old Growth is a multidisciplinary, participatory trio that uses sound, listening, movement and poetry to encourage a deeper inhabitation of place, awakening our selves and senses to the future already enfolded within past and present. BOG’s kinetic name, inspired by a provocative article by Dan Longboat and Joe Sheridan, reflects our shared desires to learn, evolve, and deepen our understandings, as non-Indigenous residents of Mi’kma’ki, of “the relationship between where one is and what one thinks”. In their article, Longboat and Sheridan write that “Old growth minds…build an ecology of mind that stands in the middle of the temporal arc to see future and past synchronically in equal bending horizons.” Contemplating the rhythms and cycles of the living earth through our work, the histories of this place and its possible futures, we take the first steps along a path to Becoming Old Growth—shifting away from disconnection and placelessness towards “recovering the necessary relationship between healthy ecologies of land and human minds.”

Left: Susanne Chui (Photo credit: Béatrice Schuler-Mojon)
Centre: Erin Donovan (Photo credit: Courtney Mac Photography)
Right: Basma Kavanagh (Photo credit: James Arthur MacLean)
Social Media Tags:
@BOG_collective
@chui.susanne
@hearhereproductions
@basma.kavanagh

Crafters Resistance
2024-05-08 17:30 - 20:00 | Every One Every Day, 2169 Gottingen St, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3K 3B5, Canada
*Time Change!*
May 8th, 5:30pm to 8:00pm
Think of the Worst Theatre Presents:
Learn crafting history and the importance of quilting in community resistance. Help develop three quilts which all represent buildings in Halifax that could be housing. To be presented together at the end of the workshops over a great community meal.
Community Quilting Workshops

Work together to share stories and histories while learning how to quilt! All levels of quilting are welcome, materials will be provided! Come make a square, enjoy company, and learn crafting history.
Quilting will be taught by Think of the Worst members as well as other community members. The quilting squares will be assembled into three large quilts that resemble local buildings that should be affordable housing. The designs are based off of 2277 Maitland St (formerly St.Patrick’s-Alexandra school), 5381 Spring Garden Rd (formerly Halifax Memorial Library), and 2786 Agricola St (formerly The Bloomfield Centre). The quilts will be acts of protests and will be done through guided instruction as well as a place to host community conversation about craft and the labour movement.
These sessions are completely free of charge as we work on small pieces over a durational performance art piece to create something big together!

Drop in Quilting Dates:
Friday March 15, 11:00-12:30
Friday April 5, 11:00-12:30
Saturday April, 13 11:00-12:00
Friday April 19, 11:00-12:30
Presentation of Quilts and Community Meal:
To celebrate the completion of 3 quilted art pieces you’re invited from 5:30pm-8:00pm Wednesday May 8 at EveryOne EveryDay
There will be a cooking session happening from 6:00pm-8:00pm.
Vegan Soup, Snacks, Dessert, and Bread will be provided.
We look forward to seeing you there, celebrating a wonderful space in our community, and sharing a meal. Feel free to bring a dish to share if you are so inclined.

Poster credit: @classicgraphic.co
