On the evenings of September 10 and 11, 2022, from 7:15 – 9:00 pm, the atrium of the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts was transformed into a larger-than-life projection screen, accompanied by live music and dance performances. This notable piece of architecture in Kingston became a playground for a myriad of giant swimmers exploring Kingston’s relationship with water. Aqua Nova created a conceptual platform and physical venue where Kingston multi-media artists Josh Lyon, Don Maynard, Kay Kenney, and Sadaf Amini explored the language of water, how we move in it, and the physical and spiritual connections it has with our community. Aqua Nova invited viewers of all ages and from all backgrounds to be entertained and mesmerized as the Isabel was transformed into a unique and stunning art experience. The audience was invited to move freely through the space and experience the show from both within the atrium and outside of the Isabel. This free event invited all members of our community and visitors to Kingston to experience a unique and site-specific multimedia artwork.
Created with support from: The Kingston Arts Council, The Ontario Arts Council, The City of Kingston, The Ballytobin Foundation
This short puppet activation film was created on the final day of a 10 day puppet building intensive (BRINGING LIFE TO A PUPPET, Sep-Oct 2023) with Matt Jackson (US/NL) at Nordland Visual Theatre / Figurteatret I Nordland in Stamsund, Norway. Matt taught puppet creation from his unique style inspired in part by Japanese Noh Theatre and the Bunraku tradition.
This activation was inspired both by the puppet as well as the landscape of the Lofoten Islands where the workshop was situated. I filmed, performed, edited, and improvised a score in a few hours and then we showcased our films together as the culminating celebration of the workshop. Each of the participants (10) created a similar short activation film with their puppet in the location of their choosing around the theatre.
Conceived by Heidi Latsky / Directed by by Heidi Latsky and Josh Lyon
* Official Selection: Kingston Canadian Film Festival 2022 & People’s Choice Award Winner *
* Official Selection: Tokyo International Short Film Festival 2021 *
* Official Selection: Toronto Indie Filmmakers Festival 2021 *
Choreographed by Heidi Latsky in collaboration with Erin Ball
Performed by Erin Ball at Kingston Circus Arts – http://www.kingstoncircusarts.com/
Cinematography and Editing by Josh Lyon, AKAFLK Productions – https://joshlyon.ca/
Music: “Cascade” written and performed by David Parker (used by permission) – http://slowmantofu.com/
Produced by Heidi Latsky Dance – https://heidilatskydance.org/
with support from the Canada Council for the Arts, 2021
Josh is one of the founding members of Calliope Collective, and has taken on the roles of Technical Director, Puppet Builder, Musician, Show Director, as well as many other hats! Learn more about Calliope Collective at https://calliopecollective.com/
Who Is Bruce Kauffman? is an anthology film that explores and celebrates Kingston, Ontario’s vibrant poetic community through the eyes of a poet impresario who manages to be both ubiquitous and elusive. Kauffman’s influence is broad and longstanding – if one proceeds from any given place on an imagined map of Kingston’s poetry scene, then Bruce will show up somewhere along the trail, humbly and unassumingly encouraging all local writers.
Limestone is an excerpt from the feature length documentary, created from the vision of filmmaker Josh Lyon, in collaboration with the Kingston Stilters, and based on a poem of the same name by former Kingston Poet Laureate Helen Humphries.
Credits:
Poem & Voice: Helen Humphries
Directed, Cinematography, Editing and Post-Production: Josh Lyon
Featuring the Kingston Stilters: Meredith Dault, Tracey Guptill, Marney McDiarmid, Corcoran Peppley, Sarah Wiseman, with Greg Tilson
Music Composed by John Burge
Chromatic Fantasy, from Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue, 1996, and Limestone Original Soundtrack, 2018
Poem Audio Recording and Final Audio Mix: Matt Rogalsky
Production Assistant: Tricia Knowles
Production Still Photographer: Liz Cooper Photography
Makeup Artists: Christine Harvey, Tricia Knowles, Josh Lyon
Thanks to: Gordon Darrell & Daphne Hand at The Night Pasture, Brent Nurse & Steven Spencer, Hannah, Molly, Ezra & Oscar, Angela Wiseman