Deer Crossing The Art Farm

Discipline: Interdisciplinary
Homebase: Sunshine Coast
Regions Available: Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley &, Howe Sound, Vancouver Island Lower, Vancouver Island Mid, Vancouver Island North, Interior, North, Remote, Kootenays, Virtual
Languages: English
Themes: First Nations, Inuit, and/or Metis Art, Anti-Bullying, Climate Change and/or Environmentalism

The Art Farm is a non-profit community engaged arts organization of creative community builders based on the Sunshine Coast, BC, the unceded traditional lands and waters of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and shíshálh peoples. The Art Farm believes that creative engagement outside traditional art spaces—on farms or in forests, in hospitals and homes—and across traditional boundaries—between one discipline and another, between audience and artist, between arts and the environment—fosters a stronger sense of belonging for all involved. The more people feel they belong, the more they invest in their community. This is what we mean by creative community building. We build community creatively by building creative communities. We envision a world where people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities can engage in creative projects that reconnect us with the land, our indigenous roots, and each other. Our mission is to hold space for the mess of creativity and honour this practice through ceremony and celebration. We embrace, welcome, and champion under-represented cultures, ages, abilities, bodies, genders, and people, and we celebrate the joy of this experience. We create space—sanctuary—where new voices and ideas can mingle, collaborate and emerge. We amplify and showcase this work and seek avenues to share it with our wider community. We aim to gently shift our audiences from a place of separation and fear to a place of connection and wonder.

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Workshop(s)

Holding Space for the Mess of Creativity

School Year: 23-24
Discipline: Theatre, Storytelling, Interdisciplinary, Visual Arts, Land-based Artmaking
Offered Languages: English
Grade Suitability: K - 12
Duration: 2.5 hours
Capacity: 30
Tech Requirements: No tech requirements
Available Formats: In Person, Virtual

Being creative is messy! If we are doing it fully, with our whole being and all of our senses, then can we truly explore and learn. Using the tools of puppetry, this workshop will explore how we tell stories. Sandy Buck, a Metis Artist brings with her the dreamtime dance. This is a practice inherited from her ancestors. In the world of modern technology it is called storytelling, but it has a much deeper meaning, as it also draws from the people in the room. Sandy will share the importance of storytelling through the many techniques taught to her by Indigenous Knowledge Keepers and her many years of performing in front of audiences. She brings with her the Thunder Buffalo drum as an important tool of holding space by honouring all the ancestors of the land and classroom. Sandy (along with an Art Farm assistant) will come with examples of storytelling through puppetry using shadow boxes and/or the creation of 3D sculpture puppetry. Sandy will introduce different shadow play methods, which can include the building of a story box and shadow puppets, either individually or as a group, using household items, such as cereal boxes, tape, cloth, cardboard, sticks and a light source. 3D sculpture puppet-making uses newspaper and masking tape in order to build a character quickly. The class will be introduced to puppets made by Sandy using this method and she will teach the class how to build their own. The participants can work individually or in a group.

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Testimonials & Reviews

It has been fabulous to have Sandy in my classroom over the past five weeks using shadow and puppets to bring story to life. Sandy brings with her a captivating energy. Students are encouraged to find their own voice and use their creativity to explore and express themselves through play. Crystal Bouer, Art Teacher, Sunshine Coast Alternative School | ProjectSPIDER | SPIDER Secondary | Continuing Education, SD46

Joah's art, insight and perspective are so very heartfelt, important and creative. After his time with Joah our son spoke about his/ our connection to the earth and how amazing it was to hear the energy of the plants that live around us. Just wonderful having our son so engaged and inspired! Jon Izen, Parent of Grade 5 student,

Joah worked with our elementary Spider Home Learner groups of 10-20 students to provide a hands on experiential workshop on circuits. She beautifully engaged the childrens' imaginations, their creativity and their senses of wonder in her workshop while also teaching them about the science of circuits and also mindfully bringing the She Shashishalhem names of local animals to us. Jane Mead, Teacher Consultant and Inclusion Support Teacher, SPIDER Elementary (K-6), SD46

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