Even More Evenings of Creativity in Community
Building on the success of the very first After Hours Arts series in the Spring, the adventure continues this Autumn with eight more Wednesday evenings!
Come eat soup with us and enjoy one of three creative workshops, plus one new opportunity:
Sessions will be held on Wednesday evenings: Sept 12, 19, Oct 3, 10, 17, Nov 7, 14, 21. Check the schedule below to see which workshops will be held on which dates.
Cost: Pay what you can (suggested $10-$20/evening).
Register ahead of time by calling 250-598-2212 (M-Th, 8:30am-1:30pm, or leave a message) or email aha@stmarysoakbay.ca, or use the handy contact form at the bottom of this page. Or drop in on the night!
Note the new timings for each Wednesday evening (based on our experience and feedback from the Spring sessions):
6:00-7:00 Soup and Conversation: Anyone welcome, come whenever
7:00-8:15 Workshops in session
8:15-8:30 Wrap up: Sharing of stories, poetry and song
In a culture in which relationships are increasingly virtual or physically distant, After Hours Arts offers an inviting and welcoming space in which to learn, heighten and hone artistic skills, and participate within a wider community. Each participant is invited to enroll in one of the workshop streams offered by our experienced facilitators. Each session is designed with novice as well as experienced participants in mind, because we believe in the value of learning from one another. Separate workshops in poetry, music and storytelling will run simultaneously each evening.
After Hours Arts evenings will begin around the table, as participants are invited to share a supper of homemade soup and bread before the workshops begin, and afterward the groups will come together again for a short, multi-disciplinary wrap-up—to share new work and/or stories about the evening’s experience. Everyone has a part to play, so come find your part!
Field Trips into Poetry
September 12 & 19 and October 3, 10, 17
Facilitated by Anita Lahey
In each “Field Trip into Poetry” we will collectively tease apart the workings of a poem or type of poem. We’ll discuss and practice arts at the heart of poem-making, including: deep inquiry grounded in the senses and a vigorous engagement with the possibilities of language and form (or the breaking down of form). We’ll investigate the things in our midst, from objects we encounter everyday to the broader urban wilderness we inhabit. We’ll experience how poem-making arises from, engages with, and can even alter our experience of daily reality. We’ll come away from this intense, fun workshop with fresh reading and seeing eyes. We may, through engaging with poems as both readers and writers, enliven our relationship with our own environments and communities. This workshop welcomes all, from newcomers to poetry to seasoned practitioners. Expect some light outdoor walking, and homework.
Creative Community Music Ensemble
September 12 & 19 and October 3, 10, 17
Facilitated by Steph Khoury
Do you have some musical chops that yearn to be exercised? Are you tired of playing music only from the page? Do you wish you could play more easily in a group? Come join the Creative Community Music Ensemble and gain some practical skills and experience playing music in a group setting. We will learn to accompany each other by playing chords and simple melodic lines. The experience will include practicing your instrument at home with an iPad or tablet to help you build confidence and musical chops. (If you don’t have a tablet, we will lend you one.) We will work towards a final performance on the last session, with an opportunity for mini performances throughout the session if you choose. Most importantly, we will have fun playing music every week! All instruments and skill levels are welcome in this inclusive and laid-back group.
Story Swap
September 12 & 19 and November 7, 14, 21
Facilitated by Anne Glover
We all have stories: folk tales, myths, family stories, and of course the stories that pop up in everyday life. Facilitator Anne Glover guides this mini-series in which we can share our stories and listen to others. Anne will establish guidelines and themes so that everyone who wants to speak will have a chance. Along the way, this professional storyteller will share insights on the art and craft of telling tales. These sessions are open to everyone, and there's no obligation to talk - you can just come listen.
NEW: Our Stories, Our Story
November 7, 14, 21
Facilitated by Craig Hiebert
So often the strength and health of our communities is held back by a sense of ‘other’-ness—the idea that people who are different from me are unknown quantity, and possibly a threat to my own way of seeing the world. Or that the other party doesn’t truly understand me. In this short series of sessions we will explore the art of listening for understanding. In the process, we hope to cultivate skills that reveal our common story, and strengthen our community and world in the process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to stick to one workshop stream each week?
No, you don’t! You can choose a different topic each week. However, the facilitators do suggest that you consider sticking with one stream, in order to build confidence and momentum—and you’ll get to know the others in that stream better over time, too!
Register Here
Let us know if you’re coming—it helps us make enough soup! Please indicate which dates you're planning to attend, any dietary restrictions (we try to accommodate all needs!) and if you know it, which workshop(s) you are interested in for each date.