6 Feb 2015

Coming this Feb – 50+ @ Lambton House

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In collaboration with Ryerson and Heritage York, 50+ @ Lambton House – Making Meanings of Memories will set out to explore
what we feel as we age – and then express our thoughts on how to enjoy life. In these six workshops led by MCT’s Simon Malbogat, participants will explore intergenerational challenges, experiences and stories and present it to the public on March 1st.

Workshops @ 2pm
February 10&12
February 17&19
February 24&26

Spaces are limited! For info & registration contact Joy, (416) 766-8679.

Download the flyer – 2015 HY Seniors with MCT-3

 

22 Jan 2015

Mixed Company Theatre Dives into Intergenerational Exploration

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A new community arts project reconnects youth and older adults in three Toronto communities

Beginning this February Mixed Company Theatre, with the support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, will be starting an exciting three year journey towards creating two theatre performances that explore the relationship between generations old and young.

Come join us for our first workshop presentation on March 1st at Historical Lambton House, where community participants showcase scenes that highlight intergenerational issues and take in feedback from the community. Be sure to mark the date on your calendar!

With a growing gap in understanding between our generations, the need for more insightful and inclusive dialogue is becoming more and more apparent.

Collaborating with professional artists, community members will be able to participate in a theatre production that pulls real stories, ideas, and sentiments from communities and weaves them together into an art piece that explores intergenerational discord – and potential for new connections.

The project engages three distinct neighbourhoods and their community centres: Lambton House by the Humber Valley, Urban Arts in Weston Mount-Dennis, and Scadding Court Community Centre in Alexandra Park near Chinatown.

For the past 30 years Mixed Company Theatre has crafted unique forum theatre productions within the community as an interactive art form designed to create dialogue about social issues. This new Inter-Generational Project incorporates engaging and participatory approaches which use community workshops, mentorships, and learning opportunities for project participants.

Stay tuned for developments in the project and a press release for the March 1st presentation.

 

For more information on our community partners:

http://www.lambtonhouse.org

http://www.urbanartstoronto.org

http://www.scaddingcourt.org

http://www.otf.ca/ 

Download the MCT Inter-Gen Press Release

26 Aug 2014

An Open Letter To PTO – Pedagogy and Theatre of the Opressed

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Dear PTO Members,

My name is Simon Malbogat and I have been a PTO board member since 2009. I have been using theatre as a tool for social change since 1989 when I became artistic director of Mixed Company Theatre and especially since we became a centre of Theatre of the Oppressed in 1992 at the request of Augusto Boal. Even though I participated in Theatre of the Oppressed festivals and produced the Ripple Effect Festival I did not feel as connected to others who were doing the work as I would have liked. The connections were short-lived and in the
theatre world we are all scrambling to survive and who has the time!

In 2009 Boal had just passed away and I went to the PTO conference in Minneapolis, I was asked to join the PTO board. I felt a connection to the people attending the conference and I decided to accept my nomination to the PTO Board. This visceral connection made me feel that I belonged with this group and the work they were all doing. The people attending were questioning and observing with an eye for creating best practices in applied theatre to create positive change.

Since 2010, the PTO board has created a strategic plan which has been put into practice by holding telephone meetings once a month where members report on the activities which they are responsible for. Such as a beautiful logo and of course the new by-laws which incorporate where PTO is now and where we want to be in the future.

If you are a PTO member please think about joining a committee, become a regional representative, write for the journal or the zine and become part of the PTO movement.

It has been an absolute pleasure to serve with this hard-working, supportive and committed group of people and I look forward to continuing positive change through theatre.

Yours Sincerely,
Simon Malbogat

We invite you all to learn more about Pedagogy and Theatre of the Opressed.