7-8PM Transference: A performance by Vanessa Godden

Transference is a performance by RBC Emerging Artist in Residence Vanessa Godden. Throughout the performance, Godden will submerge their body in containers of different sizes filled with salt water. The artist’s movement, and the resulting sounds, will interact with a sound composition produced in collaboration with Markham-based Visual and Sonic artist, James Knott. The composition includes audio collected by Godden during their residency at the RMG, field recordings from Trinidad and Tobago, experimental steel pan recordings, and a choir of sounds collected from Queer and Trans loved ones. The performance serves as a bridge between Godden’s Non-Binary Queer diasporic existence in the West and the lineages of movement instigated by colonization of South Asia and the Caribbean.

The RBC Emerging Artist Residency Program is generously sponsored by the RBC Foundation’s Emerging Artist Project.

The artist thanks the Canada Council for the Arts for their support of this work.

Our Hearts as Planets” sets out to explore the deep comfort that can come from finding connectivity and community amidst a world that can often feel incredibly overwhelming. The weight of our struggles can cause us to feel isolated, alone or misunderstood, yet letting others in and finding common ground often leads to a lightening of our mental loads and we are often reminded that we are not alone. We explored gestures and movement phrases in isolation from one another eventually, slowly and sometimes sporadically finding their way into unison and harmony. Whatever is going on in our lives today, we strive to find gratitude to be where we are right now, with these people, dancing together, in this incredible space, for you. Welcome to our journey. I am grateful to dancers for their open hearts and minds, and for all of their beautiful contributions to the work. 

Megan Nadain (she/her) is a Toronto-based dancer, choreographer and dance educator originally from North Vancouver, BC. She is a graduate of The School of Toronto Dance Theatre and was the recipient of the The Hnatyshyn Foundation Developing Artist Grant. She was a company member with Dancetheatre David Earle and has worked independently with Darryl Tracy, Nicole Nigro, inDANCE, Toronto Heritage Dance and Miranda Abbott. She has the pleasure of being a faculty member at The School of Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre teaching Creative Movement and Modern and has directed CCDT’s Core Apprentice Program for the past 8 years; she is thrilled to take on the directorship of the Accelerated Training Program this year. Megan is also on faculty at Dance Arts Institute (formerly the School of Toronto Dance Theatre) teaching in The Professional Program and Adult Contemporary Dance. She has also worked as a dance educator at York University and The National Ballet of Canada’s In Studio program and facilitates the dance programs at several elementary and secondary schools in Toronto. Two projects that she has been involved with that she is exceptionally passionate about are Bridging Generations Through Dance with Dancing with Parkinson’s and Moving together: Choreographic mappings of children with diverse dis/abilities and their neurological responses to a dance-play event with Coralee McLaren.

Cale Crowe has been fueled by music since he was a toddler in the back of his dad’s Ford Bronco and has been taking audiences on an emotional journey since he first picked up a guitar at 12 years old. His performance started with an acoustic guitar and a loop pedal and has evolved to implement powerful melodies and moving rhythms for a deep, emotional experience.

Cale describes the songs that make up his discography as “Moments of vulnerability & (sometimes painful) honesty, captured and thinly veiled by upbeat tempos and textured sounds.” These moments have shown his increasing potential and have granted him stages from Nova Scotia to New Mexico and opportunities including sharing stages with Ron Sexsmith, Scott Helman, cleopatrick, Cinzia & The Eclipse, and countless others.

Gathering inspiration from Dermot Kennedy, City & Colour, Ed Sheeran, and the rolling hills of his home territory of Alderville First Nation, Cale seeks to connect listeners to a sense of boundless sincerity and authenticity; “I’ve always wanted my music to be a place in time where & when people might allow themselves to truly feel free.”

Guest artist Judith Grace Vijaysenan will be joining us in the backyard. Try your hand at henna art on wood and take home your finished product. No experience required!

About The Artist

Judith Grace Vijayasenan is an Indian-born, Toronto-based visual artist. Her medium styles incorporate oils, acrylics, ink and henna on Wood. Judith likes to base her pieces on memory, land, and small connections that she has to her past and present land (India and Canada).

She is graduated in June 2023 with a BFA in Drawing and Painting and minoring in Social Science from OCAD University. Judith’s work has been exhibited in Ada Slaight Gallery: Gathering Divergence (2022), OCAD University’s GRADEX 103 (2023) and The Clarke Center for the Arts in “Marinating in our Surrealistic Land” (2024) group exhibition.

The Losing Art of Plating: Drag Aesthetics, Food Security, and Harm Reduction with Mikiki

7:30-9:30pm

In this hands-on workshop, participants will build extravagant plates of highly processed (“junk”) food. Performance Artist and Queer Community Activist Mikiki will lead the workshop, facilitating conversations about the politics of food as it intersects with concepts of beauty, gender representation, drag, food security, and harm reduction. Unpacking the language of “junk food” through creativity and play, this drop-in program is welcoming to people of all ages.

This workshop is offered alongside an installation by Hannah Jickling and Reed H. Reed in the exhibition Contemporary Kids, on view at the RMG from June 1 to October 6, 2024. Their installation After Wrappers, explores collaborative learning, the politics of food and of the potential of garbage.

Please note: Various food products will be available in the workshop space, so please take the necessary precautions if you have a food allergy.

If there is something we can do to support your participation, or if you have any questions about the program, please contact Hannah Keating at [email protected].

Dank Sinatra is a non-binary drag thing, librarian, and Dora-nominated theater artist who got their start performing on Coast Salish Territories in 2018. As part of the House of Faith, they took home second place in Absolut Empire’s Ball 2023. Boasting the same record collection as your Dad, Dank draws on influences from cabaret to classic rock, burlesque to big band, delivering thrills, chills, and live vocal skills with a heavy dose of stupidity and an old school sensibility.

Vital! Contemporary Circus is a small, local circus company founded in 2022 by Oshawa resident Jackie Houghton. Jackie has spent close to 15 years in the circus community as a performer, producer and writer. After moving to Oshawa in 2020, she realized that there was an opportunity to develop a local circus community where there was none. Since then she has performed for local businesses, Canada Day at Lakeview Park, and the inaugural Convergence Festival. In addition to performing, Jackie also produces circus cabarets locally under the banner of Vital! Circus Cabaret. Jackie continues to work towards her goal of sharing her love of circus with Durham Region and she’s very excited to be working with the Robert McLaughlin Gallery!

Simmone Mariah is a Toronto-born and-raised singer/songwriter who has been captivating audiences with her powerful voice and emotive lyrics. Raised in church Simmone discovered her love for music at a young age and has been honing her craft ever since. Simmone’s music is both fresh and timeless exploring love, heartbreak and self-discovery. In 2018 Simmone released her debut single; Miles Between which showcased her signature sound and has set the tone for her future success. Since then she has continued to write and record music that speaks to the heart of her listeners. As she continues to pursue her passion for music, Simmone Mariah is poised to make a lasting impact on the North American music scene and beyond.

In the studio, create your very own D.I.Y. planter pot stake using polymer clay! No art experience required.

Ages 12+

As the Director of The Everyday Yogi Inc., Kimmel Alcide curates unique wellness experiences with the primary goal of cultivating peace.  She is deeply committed to guiding individuals, teams and communities toward self-discovery through yoga and mindfulness practices. Additionally, she serves as a lead Yoga Trainer for LifePower Yoga, offering 100hr and 200hr trainings in Durham region. With over 10 000 hours in the wellness industry, she has collaborated with notable brands such as lululemon, Team Canada, Hershey’s Chocolate, Canada Goose and Uber Canada integrating yoga and mindfulness into their work and professional environments.

Her core values are centered around personal responsibility, connection, inclusivity and contribution. Beyond her practice and profession, Kimmel enjoys connecting people, hiking in nature, and playing scrabble.

Liz Oke designs and implements marketing/sales plans and creative strategy for businesses that want to change direction, optimize their digital presence and brand, and align their marketing efforts with their revenue goals. She has over 20+ years of experience in delivering successful projects for clients in various industries, including e-commerce, financial services, food services, manufacturing, education, retail, music, insurance, law, consulting, banking, real estate, and cultural institutions. She is currently following the ever-changing opportunities with AI.

The Fading | 15 mins

Directed by Rafaël Beauchamp

French, with English subtitles

In the heart of a foggy and rural Quebec winter, Luce, a grieving mother faced with the disappearance of her son, is taken aback when three local hunters track down the alleged killer, a seemingly harmless young man. When it is proposed to her to take revenge on the latter, the spirit of the masses slowly takes possession of her tragedy as the group sinks into the forest. “Les battues” (The Fading) blurs the line between victim and persecutor in a dreamlike and anxiety-inducing thriller.

We will be making wearable art led by Farah! Make marbled polymer clay beads, strung together to make a necklace or keychain.