ARTS EAST

Among the bays, inlets, and communities of the province, Newfoundland author Gary Collins has earned a seat at the head of the table as Newfoundland and Labrador's favourite storyteller. Now, with six books under his belt, the “Story Man” from Hare Bay is ready to tell you a little bit about himself. The 22 tales that make up this volume are pockets of memories taken from diary entries he recorded during the forty years he spent as a woodsman. What motivated you to tell this story? I was actually asked by my publisher Flanker Press to write about my years in the Logging/sawmill industry in Newfoundland. Did the work come together quickly or did you really need to work at it? I was aided in my writing of this book by a journal, which I have kept for forty years. When I got started the stories came easily. What was the most challenging aspect of the process? I was reluctant to write about myself at first. I am a very private person. It was the only thing I found...

The Nova Scotia Talent Trust (NSTT) will recognize the 2012 Scholarship and Special Award recipients at 2:00pm on Monday, December 17 th at Government House in a ceremony hosted by His Honour Brigadier-General the Honourable J.J. Grant, CMM, ONS, CD (Ret’d), Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia. Created to support the career of contralto Portia White more than 65 years ago, the NSTT has continued to support emerging Nova Scotian artists as they pursue their studies toward establishing professional careers in the arts. One such gifted artist is visual artist Charley Young, who will receive the $1,500 Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Artistic Achievement, the NSTT’s highest honour for a student in any discipline. She is also the recipient of the $1,000 Charlotte Wilson-Hammond/Visual Arts Nova Scotia Award. Young, from Halifax, is currently studying for her Master’s in Fine Arts at the Maine College of Art, in Maine, USA. As well, two new Special Awards will be given out for the...

Backward Music Volume 1 Forward Music Group What do you get when you combine a New York ensemble of sensual sounds, a multi-instrumental, musical guru based out of Toronto and an audiovisual master, aka Halifax’s Paper Beat Scissors frontman? The answer is “Backward Music Volume 1” – the first of a series of cutting-edge, instrumental compilations being released by Fredericton/Halifax’s Forward Music Group. It features distinctive compositions and deliveries by Bing & Ruth, Joshua Van Tassel and Tim Crabtree. If Volume 1 were a meteorological event, it would be an all-inclusive rainstorm, beginning with gently falling beads of water, climaxing into bold thunder claps and receding to leave a shimmering rainbow. And if this album were a CBC radio show, it would certainly be The Signal. In fact, its Radio 2 host, Laurie Brown, has included at least one of the songs in her roster— the energizing “Sneaky Beard” by Van Tassel, which showcases a fusion of musical genres and the ...

Most people in Newfoundland and Labrador have someone in their family who has worked “in the woods.” Some of these workers were employed seasonally—they fished in the summer and headed to the lumber camps in the winter—while others were full-time loggers who worked year-round. Camp 13: Working in the Lumber Woods captures a time and place in this province’s not-too-distant past, illustrating in fine, well-researched detail the day-to-day friendships, struggles, triumphs, and tragedies of a hard-working people employed in a way of life that is long gone but never forgotten. Recently AE spoke with the book’s author Byron White. What inspired/motivated you to tell this story? I’ve always loved history. I’ve always thought it important to know your heritage, your roots, and your past. I have a strong belief that if we don’t know where we come from then we don’t know where we’re going. This book, Camp 13: Working in the Lumber Woods , is based on historical fact; it serves as a window...

‘Tis the season to be sexy, sultry, sassy & saucy as comedic compatriots Stuart Hiseler and Karen Myatt bring their hilarious take on the holidays to Casino Nova Scotia in Halifax on December 10 & 17. Recently we quizzed the quirky couple on the show. What inspired you to put this show together? KM: Stuart and I had a ball presenting “A Wild Abandon Christmas” last year in Halifax. It was a one night only event and we knew by the end of the evening that it would not be its only hurrah! The possibilities are endless for a holiday cabaret…and we could not wait to put our own special spin on the season. SH: As in our other performances, we draw from our own lives and experiences. We felt like we had something unique to say about the Holiday season that maybe a little different than the usual, traditional take on Christmas. How has it evolved since that first performance? KM; As with all of our material, the show is constantly being work-shopped and improved upon. ...

Theatre-goers in Halifax are likely more than familiar with Jeremy Webb. The multi-disciplinary thespian has been a mainstay on local and regional stages for more than a decade. Each holiday season, Webb performs a one-man take on Dickens’ A Christmas Carol . Starting this weekend, he brings Scrooge & Co. to a variety of venues across the Atlantic region, Recently AE spoke with Webb about his annual role. AE: How long have you lived in Halifax? JW: I moved to Halifax back in 1998 from the UK. I was cast in two summer shows at Neptune Theatre (Blood Brothers and Rumors) and was lucky enough to step off the plane, into work and into a great new life in Atlantic Canada. Haven't really wanted to leave since! AE: What do you like best about living and working here? JW: I find the city to be exactly the right size for me, the pace of life is great, the ocean is close by and the arts community is so supportive and creative. I love being part of the professional theatr...

Live Art Dance Productions presents the Halifax premiere of Gravity of Centre by RUBBERBANDance, one of Canada’s most groundbreaking dance groups. Fusing hip hop with the refinement of classical dance, choreographer Victor Quijada presents a ferocious choreography that will make this Holiday Season anything but dull! Gravity of Centre is the eighth creation of RUBBERBANDance created by choreographer Victor Quijada. It features an original score and stunning aesthetic design that mirror the fluidity of the dancers’ movements. Five dancers offer the audience a raw experience with dynamic rhythms and physical prowess. Founded in 2002, RUBBERBANDance is now at the forefront of Montreal’s contemporary dance community and is recognized internationally for its new and unique vision of contemporary dance theatre. RBDB has created and presented nine dance works and four short films to date, including Hasta La Proxima, a finalist in the short film category at the American Choreography Awa...

Colourful characters, larger-than-life puppets, breathtaking live music, a fairy tale ballet; Symphony Nova Scotia is proud to present its 22nd-anniversary production of The Nutcracker, a holiday treat for all ages! Running from December 7-15 at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, this annual production by Symphony Nova Scotia, Halifax Dance, and Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia is unmatched by any other in the province. Combining the talents of over 100 musicians, dancers, and production staff, The Nutcracker entertains thousands of Nova Scotians each year. It’s the story of a young girl who falls asleep in a dormitory and wakes up in a fantasy world with her beloved Nutcracker. Together, they fight the vicious Mouse Queen and travel through an enchanting Land of Snow to the Palace of the Rag Doll Queen, where flowers, dolls, and toys come to life. “It’s the fairy tale of the ages,” says Leica Hardy, The Nutcracker’s choreographer and artistic director. “Like all great stories, it...

Susan Chalker Browne is a writer living in St. John's, Newfoundland. The Secret Life of a Funny Girl is her tenth book for children and her first young adult novel. Her other works include Goodness Gracious, Gulliver Mulligan; The Land of a Thousand Whales; and Freddy's Day at the Races. Susan has won writing awards from the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts and Letters Awards, the Cuffer Prize, and the Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia Atlantic Writing Competition. Recently she opened up to AE about her latest literary effort. On the Book I was inspired to write The Secret Life of a Funny Girl because I wanted to write about the time in which I went to school, which is a type of schooling that doesn’t exist anymore.   I wondered if young girls today might be interested in reading about that.   There is a particular dynamic that exists in a class of 42 girls, and the social mores of the early 1970s were quite different than those of today.    So that was the ...