All in Behind the Scenes

Artists of Arts Commons - Part four

Artists of Arts Commons - Part four

Alex Bonyun
Artist Perspectives, Behind the Scenes, Visual and Media Arts

On stage at Arts Commons there’s no doubt that you’ll see amazingly talented people. Whether they’re bringing a script to life on stage, making you laugh till your sides ache, or energizing you with a night of amazing music, Arts Commons is a building filled to the brim with talent. Few people think about the individuals behind the scenes that make it all happen.

In part four of this multi-part series, we’ll introduce you to some of our staff who have been secretly (some much less secretively) practicing their art in their off-hours including a painter, a felt artist, and a dance instructor. For some it’s a hobby, and for others it’s a separate career fueled by their passion.

Rodeo Song: One Yellow Rabbit Takes a New Approach to the Beloved Theatre Festival

Rodeo Song: One Yellow Rabbit Takes a New Approach to the Beloved Theatre Festival

Stephen Hunt
One Yellow Rabbit, Inspiring Stories, Behind the Scenes, Arts Essentials

Prior to every new work they created over the past four decades - and there have been a lot of them - the company members of One Yellow Rabbit asked a very existential question.

“Who are we now?” says Rabbit Blake Brooker. “It’s a question we always ask of ourselves. So, when we sit down as a group, we always ask who are we now?

“And then that [question] starts to bake and gently move into other questions: Who do you want to be? Who were you? Who are you this moment?”

They may have started asking those questions back in the mid-1980s when Reagan was president, a Mulroney was the prime minister, and phones hung on walls in kitchens - when they launched a performing arts festival called the High Performance Rodeo - but 35 years later, as 2020 turned into a year unlike any other for performing artists around the world, the question seemed more relevant and more poignant than ever.

Visual Arts Goes Virtual: A look inside the creation of the 360 tours

Visual Arts Goes Virtual: A look inside the creation of the 360 tours

Celina Vides
AC@Home, Behind the Scenes, Visual and Media Arts

During the pandemic, we have seen the temporary closure of museums, galleries, and exhibition spaces. For these entities, the work to keep audiences engaged could be said to be relatively easy as they work with highly visual pieces that can be shared online. But as an avid museum attendee, I know there is more to the experience of art than just flipping through pictures on a website.

In our current world, what can cultural organizations do to bring back these immersive experiences? The answer is not as simple as you might think.

Flex Ave and the Art of Flexn

Flex Ave and the Art of Flexn

Josh Dalledonne
AC@Home, Arts Commons Presents, Artist Perspectives, Behind the Scenes, Inspiring Stories

There may be a few reasons that the dance style Flexn could seem familiar to you. Maybe you’re a culture-vulture that took note when New York City’s newest performance venues, The Shed, invited Flexn artists in residence for its inaugural season; or perhaps you caught Flexn as part of Beyonce’s 2018 Coachella performance. Regardless of whether you’ve seen or heard about Flexn before, what becomes clear when you witness this dance is that it’s a powerful grassroots form of movement that connects performers and audiences through kinetic stories and characters that are both deeply personal and wholly universal.

Behind the Scenes of Calgary Phil's Virtual Concert Series

Behind the Scenes of Calgary Phil's Virtual Concert Series

Maureen McNamee
Calgary Philharmonic, Behind the Scenes, AC@Home

Not long after COVID-19 shut down live performances last spring, it became clear the Calgary Philharmonic would not be able to present its 2020/2021 Season to live audiences as planned. The focus quickly shifted to creating the quality musical experiences people from our community and beyond were seeking online. Fortunately, due to the live-stream initiative launched by the Orchestra in 2017, all the people and pieces needed to record virtual concerts were already in place — and the musicians were eager to start playing again.

Transforming a Tradition

Transforming a Tradition

Chris Loach
Theatre Calgary, Artist Perspectives, Behind the Scenes

For Theatre Calgary, A Christmas Carol is a one of the most anticipated and cherished family events in our city every year. For 33 years, Charles Dickens’ ghost story of the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge has made it’s way from the old QR Centre, to the Arts Commons Max Bell Theatre. This year however, it has made another move…into the homes of audiences near and far with a filmed digital production.

A Glimpse Behind the Curtain with Alberta Theatre Projects’ The Wizard of Oz

A Glimpse Behind the Curtain with Alberta Theatre Projects’ The Wizard of Oz

Alex Bonyun
AC@Home, Alberta Theatre Projects, Behind the Scenes

This December, Alberta Theatre Projects embarks on the first event of their reimagined 2020-2021 season with a virtual behind-the-scenes glimpse into the workshopping process of a new play. This livestream reading of The Wizard of Oz, adapted by Andrew Scanlon, will take place live on the Martha Cohen Theatre stage as actors read through its draft format.

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