Local arts and entertainment news
Onelight Theatre and the Prismatic Arts Festival have been the resident companies at Alderney Landing since 2013. We are fortunate to work with artists from our region and across the country. Through our new column, Onelight’s founders Shahin Sayadi and Maggie Stewart, will bring news about the work of local artists, discuss issues in the local culture scene and pull back the curtain on the operations of Onelight and Prismatic.
There is great theatre coming to the stage soon: I M Possible, written and directed by Juanita Peters, starring the incomparable Walter Borden, Cory Bowles, Sean Koppel and Gilbert Downey (Alderney Landing, March 5-8); a dark thriller, The Pillowman, staring Jackie Torrens, Theo Pitsiavas, Mary-Colin Chisholm and Matthew Lumley (The Bus Stop Theatre, March 5-15); Zuppa Circus’ new show, Pop Up Love Party, a multi-sensory feast of dance, theatre, and thought (Lion and Bright, March 19-29).
The Craig Gallery, at Alderney Landing, a hidden gem that makes great art accessible, will be exhibiting Femininsight, by local artist Barbara Schmeisser, with an artist illustrated talk on March 15 at 1:30 p.m. (March 5-29). Just up the street, at 127A Portland Street, the Dart Gallery, will fill its walls with tributes to Pokemon, Sailor Moon and all the big eyes and bright colours found in Anime of the 90s (Feb 26-March 8).
The Maritime Museum has a great Flagship Series of innovative, free performances. Coming up next, Flamenco Across the Atlantic, an artistic collaboration between painter Maria Valverde, and local dance company, Flamenco En Rouge, explores the influences of Cuban rhythms, sounds, colours and style on flamenco music and dance (March 7 at 7:30pm and 9pm).
In local arts news, on Feb. 23, HRM Council approved the first arts grants for professional arts organizations in the municipality; $298,000 has been awarded in project and operating grants. These are the first arts grants from the municipality that companies are able to spend on their core artistic programming. The grants are an important step towards supporting our vibrant professional arts community.
As for us? Onelight Theatre has finished its Winter / Spring productions and we are now getting ready for the Onelight summer theatre camps in July and the Prismatic Arts Festival in August. Artistic Director, Shahin Sayadi has just returned from Vancouver’s Talking Stick Festival, featuring the work of leading contemporary Aboriginal artists and a memorial for our friend and colleague, spoken word artist Zaccheus Jackson. Through festivals like this, Shahin is able to select works and meet artists to bring to the Prismatic Arts Festival.
It may be cold and icy out there, but there are hot shows to take in throughout the city. And when you’ve had your fill of arts, be sure to catch a Halifax Rainmen playoff game — kids under 12 are free!
Maggie Stewart and Shahin Sayadi are the founders of Onelight Theatre and the Prismatic Arts Festival, the resident companies at Alderney Landing. For more than a decade they have been producing original theatre shows, presenting the works of artists from across Canada, and supporting the professional development of local artists.
