Arts Health Antigonish (AHA!) is hiring!
Spellbound by Nature Program Facilitator
AHA! is seeking an enthusiastic artist who loves the outdoors, to facilitate ½ day nature-based ‘playshops’ with youth. Taking place at various Antigonish outdoor locations, this position will support 12-18 hours weekly during the summer, with the possibility of more hours later in the summer and into the fall. Based on ‘The Lost Words’, AHA! hopes to foster a love of nature through encouraging keen observation and descriptive reflection to ‘conjure’ the natural world.
This position is supported by AHA! in partnership with the Nova Scotia Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage.
Responsibilities:
Prepare and facilitate about 13-15 ‘playshops’ over the summer of 2019, for youth of all ages and groups of varying sizes
Evaluate the playshops, making adjustments as necessary throughout the summer; coordinate evaluations from participants, parents, volunteers, support staff
Report regularly to AHA!
Coordinate with AHA! a celebration of the artwork created
Available Wednesday afternoons and Thursday mornings throughout the summer, last Tuesday in July and first Tuesday in August. Preparation and evaluation hours will be required and compensated, but can be at applicant’s convenience.
Prepare a final report with best practices learned from this pilot project
Requirements:
Experience working with groups of children from diverse backgrounds, having unique individual needs
Must have Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Check; documentation required
Artist of any genre is preferred for this position
Experience in outdoor education, nature knowledge, biomimicry, indigenous knowledge of the land, other related fields, will be considered assets
Demonstrated oral and written communication skills
Demonstrated excellent interpersonal skills
Ability to maintain accurate reflections of practice and to submit records in a timely manner
Able to work independently and with a team
Responsibility and accountability for actions and decisions
Access to reliable transportation
Email letter of interest, resume and contact information for one reference to: artshealthantigonish@gmail.com by noon on Friday, June 28th.
Arts Canopy Branching Out. A workshop for artists in facilitating arts-based programs for people living with dementia.
Arts Health Antigonish (AHA!) invites artists of all expressions to join us in a FREE afternoon workshop exploring how the arts can be transformative in dementia care.
See poster for dates and locations. Please preregister by June 30 to artshealthantigonish@gmail.com and include details as listed on the poster.
Arts Health Antigonish (AHA!) 2018 Report
February 27, 2019
Early 2018 marked five years of AHA! bringing arts for health programming to the Antigonish Community. When we began in 2013, we decided to stay informal, to explore the need for such a movement in our community. Now six years later, we know there is a need. Our programs have time and again, shown that engagement in the arts can make us healthier, both individually and as a community. Therefore, in 2018, we decided to become more formal and registered as a not for profit society.
In 2018, we hosted 7 different programs, hiring 20 artists for part time or contractual work, reaching 750-1000 folks across the lifespan. About 25-30 volunteers supported our work. We brought $75,000 in grant funding and donations to the community, most of that going directly to our artists.
2018 saw us take our programs farther afield, with Musical Pathways in Richmond County, Sherbrooke and Paq’tnkek, and Arts Canopy in care facilities in New Glasgow as well as locally. We embarked on our first collaborative project with a national organization, The Shoe Project, which is also our first project with immigrant women. We shared our Arts Canopy learnings at the Provincial Alzheimer’s Society Conference in October. John and Dorothy began their own publishing endeavour, HARP publishing, creating and publishing ‘The People’s Photo Album’. Janette wrote an article about AHA! for the Muse Magazine, an interprofessional publication of McMaster University. Our research project with St.F.X. in 2017 led to a publication in 2018 in the Canadian Journal of Adult Education.
We continued to offer Art Care at St Martha’s and created a program of local photographers’ work for televisions at the hospital. Musical Pathways, offering music to youth out of school time, showed the immense value of music to learning, especially to social and emotional skill development. During November, Arts Health Month, we offered a series of AHA! workshops to the community.
Thanks to the Federal Government’s New Horizons for Seniors Grant, we were able to continue and expand Arts Canopy, taking it to different venues and trying new art forms: storytelling, movement, dance, improv. Story booklets were created for participants and an improv show celebrated that program. A sound installation is in development, sharing the joy these programs bring to those living with dementia. We are creating a book for caregivers based on Arts Canopy programs.
Further details of these programs are in the reports of those so effectively created, coordinated and facilitated them. But as you can see, our year was full, rich and rewarding! Read more in the links to individual program reports:
In celebration of Arts Health Month in November, 2018, AHA! hosted a series of participatory workshops, entitled AHA! Tuesdays.
My heartfelt gratitude to all those who participated in AHA! programs in any way: participants, facilitators, coordinators, volunteers. And a sincere thank you to the AHA! team, who behind the scenes helped with logistics, payroll, grant writing, communications, and the myriad of other ways you supported this vital movement. I am deeply grateful to you all.
Artist facilitator: Olivia Rossong, 10 participants, 1 site staff person and 2 volunteers
Music at Parkland
Artist facilitator: Tom Curry, 11 participants, 1 site staff person
Story writing at RK MacDonald Nursing Home
Artist facilitator: Susan Walsh, 10 participants, I staff person and 2 volunteers
Music at Valley View Villa
Artist facilitator: Heather Leeder, 8 participants, 1 staff and 1 volunteer
Summer 2018
Story writing at RK MacDonald Nursing Home
Artist facilitator: Susan Walsh, 10 participants, I staff person and 1 volunteer
Fall 2018
Story writing at RK MacDonald Nursing Home
Artist facilitator: Susan Walsh, 9 participants, I staff person and 2 volunteers
Story writing at Highland Crest Home
Artist facilitator: Susan Walsh, 14 participants, I staff person and 1 volunteer
Poetry at Parkland
Artist Facilitator: Janette Fecteau, 5 participants, 1 staff person and 2 volunteers
Improv Theatre at RK MacDonald Nursing Home
Artist facilitator: Justin Gregg, 10 participants, 1 staff, 5 volunteers
Winter 2019
Music at Parkland
Artist facilitator: Heather Leeder, 8 participants, 1 staff and 1 volunteer
Music at High Crest – New Glasgow
Artist facilitator: Heather Leeder, 8-10 participants, 1 staff and 1 volunteer
Arts Canopy 2018 offered 11 10-week programs in story, improv, music, poetry and mixed media at 5 different sites in Antigonish and New Glasgow, facilitated by 6 different artists. Staff at all 4 sites provide support during programming. Volunteer support by both community volunteers and StFX students (including StFX Service Learning students) was present in each program. Student comments on the value of volunteering with Arts Canopy have included: being their favourite day of the week, a great learning experience and influencing their plans for future studies.
The multimedia program at Highland Crest was celebrated with a booklet of the art created during their time together. The story writing program at the RK culminated in a book launch, at which all participants received a copy of the collected stories composed over the course of the programs held there. A copy of the book was donated to the library at the participants’ request. The improv program at the RK finished with a performance where residents, staff, families and community members were invited to participate.
The music program at Valley View Villa was the first Arts Canopy program held outside the Antigonish area. Heather, the music therapist facilitating the program, had facilitated programs at three Antigonish sites previously. The program was well received by residents, staff, and families. Heather is facilitating another New Glasgow program at High Crest this winter.
As a celebration of all programs, AHA! embarked on the creation of a sound installation during late 2018- early 2019. The intent is to capture the joy, the social engagement, the laughter, the stories, the poems and songs of participants during Arts Canopy sessions. Although still in draft form, we are excited to share it with you in the coming months!
In October of 2018, AHA! was invited to share our Arts Canopy program with the Alzheimer’s Society of NS at their annual conference. We were thrilled with the excitement our presentation generated and realized that what we are doing is new and exciting! As a result of this, we are in the process of crafting a book for caregivers that outlines our approach to using the arts in dementia care. This, too, should be available later this spring.
AHA! would like to extend our gratitude to the New Horizons for Seniors Program and the RK Foundation for funding Arts Canopy 2018. Many thanks to all artist facilitators, volunteers and staff supporting this program.
The Shoe Project Antigonish Immigrant Women Tell Their Stories
Press Release Antigonish—January 16, 2019
Something amazing is afoot in Antigonish! Immigrant women are telling their stories and letting us walk a mile in their shoes. This group of women, led by Anne Simpson and Laura Teasdale, are joining in a movement that is sweeping across Canada, called The Shoe Project. But what is it?
Initiated by novelist Katherine Govier, the Shoe Project began in Toronto as a way to assist immigrant women in telling their stories. It started with Katherine facilitating ten-week writing workshops followed by a drama expert organizing and leading the women in a performance at the Bata Shoe Museum. Since then, immigrant women across Canada – from Vancouver to Halifax – have been involved in Shoe Projects in their communities, with professional writers and drama specialists helping to bring the stories to the stage.
The Shoe Project Antigonish, funded by the Shoe Project and Nova Scotia’s Culture Innovation Fund, marks the first time the project has been offered in a small, rural community, yet immigrant women have inspiring stories to tell here, too. Locally sponsored by Arts Health Antigonish, in partnership with Theatre Antigonish and Antigonish County Adult Learning Association, The Shoe Project Antigonish began with a small group of women who came together for writing workshops with Simpson throughout the fall of 2018 and it will culminate in a performance at the Bauer Theatre on February 8 & 9, 2019.
When asked about the impact of the project, local coordinator and writing facilitator Simpson says, “When I went to see the Shoe Project performance in Fredericton last spring, I watched, entranced, as the women told their stories. I knew it could be done in Antigonish. It has been great: AHA! has been a wonderful sponsor and ACALA has been supportive from the beginning. We also have a theatre that brings really good community projects to the stage—Theatre Antigonish. Most of all, at the heart of this project is a group of women who wanted to explore their own stories. They’ve told me they don’t want it to end.”
It was not easy to find people brave enough to want to write and present their stories in front of an audience, but with much help from Jyotsna Jain at ACALA, a perfect group was formed. Diverse in age, experience, and native land, they were united in their trust of Simpson, a writer herself. Together they explored their voice and style of writing, while having fun and really supporting each other. The resulting stories to be presented on the Theatre Antigonish stage are touching, wise, funny and smart. Their immigration is a central theme, and each chose a pair of shoes as a jumping off point in their writing, but that is where the similarities end. The narratives are as diverse as this group of women.
To highlight the stories of these fascinating women, Laura Teasdale was brought on board as a theatre consultant. She was tasked with putting the stories together in a creative way and coaching the participants in feeling comfortable on stage and allowing their personality to shine through. Thanks to partners at Theatre Antigonish, the show will be a visual feast as well.
Andrea Boyd, Artistic Director for Theatre Antigonish says, “We are so happy to be able to include The Shoe Project in this year’s Theatre Antigonish season. This project is a powerful symbol of what community theatre is all about, and it is also a wonderful chance to celebrate and embrace our rich diversity. When Anne brought this project to our attention, I knew right away that it would be the perfect fit for us. I cannot wait to watch the show and hear all the stories by these amazing women. The show is being presented free of charge, so I hope we have a packed theatre. Come early to get your seat – It will be worth it!”
Teasdale adds, “The women range in age from 25 to 75 and hail from India, South Korea, Germany, Spain, Vietnam, the Philippines, and the Netherlands. These eight women have a unique perspective on life in Canada and why they love to call it home.” The participants are Karen Bissonnette, Renée Romero Brown, Willie Duykers, Almudena Garcia-Garcia, Anu Joshi, Jyotsna Jain, Soo Kyeong Lee, and Yen Ngoc Nguyen. And as a special treat, Simpson also engaged dancer and choreographer Liliona Quarmyne, whose dance will be her way of telling her own story of immigration from Ghana.
Yen Ngoc Nguyen, one of the participants, points out, “The project has given me an opportunity to pause, look back and re-think my whole journey to Canada. It serves as a point of reflection, enabling me to appreciate more of my effort, my growth, and my appreciation for the beauty of living in this country. I treasure the time I spent with other immigrants in this project as it has widened my understanding and perspective.”
The Shoe Project Antigonish takes place on Friday, February 8 and Saturday, February 9 at 7:30 pm at the Bauer Theatre. Admission is free. The line up will begin at 6:30, doors open at 7. Seating will be on a first come, first served basis. For information call (902) 867-3333 or email tickets@stfx.ca.
As many of you know, we are undergoing some changes in how Arts Health Antigonish (AHA!) is organized. It was a team decision over a year ago to pursue charitable status for AHA!, with the hope that we could become more sustainable through hiring staff and attracting donors to sustain our work.
We reached our first goal in 2018, that of becoming a registered not-for-profit. I am most grateful to those of you who let your names stand as our inaugural council. Moving forward, we will continue to formalize this council, creating a team of strategic and creative thinkers who are passionate about AHA!’s mission.
As our year end is December 31, I would like to invite any who are passionate about AHA!, who have participated in AHA! in any way, and who are interested in helping to lead the team through 2019, to please let me know. Anyone who has regular paid work through AHA! isn’t eligible to be on the leadership council while working for us.
AHA! will continue to host open meetings, though perhaps not quite as frequently as previously, and will continue to value your input at meetings. Please save the date of Feb. 27, 5 pm to attend our inaugural AGM!
Your name will remain on our contact list for the open meetings unless we are told otherwise. Please feel free to connect with us at any time through email or social media.
Many thanks for your interest in, and support for, AHA! We are anticipating an exciting year!
“Art has the power to inspire, the power to heal, the power to transform, to rehabilitate, to bear witness, and to make us believe that there are better days ahead.”
Michaelle Jean, former Governor General of Canada
