Finalist: Expect Theatre

Below is a selected list of Expect’s youth engagement activities from within the last few years, many of which have taken place in the high priority neighbourhoods of Jamestown/Rexdale and Weston-Mount Dennis:

urbanNOISE

Designed as a reaction against the violence and negative forces that have been taking place in the Rexdale/Jamestown community, urbanNOISE is a one-of-a -kind youth program that fuses popular hip hop culture with social activism. The overriding objective: to spotlight the immense pool of talent woven within the fabric of the at-risk community of Jamestown/Rexdale.

urbanNOISE is an annual urban arts initiative created to unite communities against violence. Launched in 2006 and now entering its fourth year, the project includes free Youth Training Workshops and a Festival that promotes leadership, unity and social change in the culturally diverse communities of Rexdale/Jamestown, located in North Etobicoke.

A joint venture between Expect Theatre and Arts Etobicoke, urbanNOISE creates a platform for youth to speak out against violence in their communities. The Training Program provides an opportunity to participate in intensive workshops facilitated by top industry professionals. These workshops encourage youth to identify and examine the issues that directly affect them in a supportive environment through various artistic mediums. It also solicits the attention of the general public to take notice of the neighbourhoods that are suffering from racial tension, poverty, gender inequality and lack of resources – all of which can become a potential source for violence. The urbanNOISE Festival is the culmination of the months invested in the workshops by the students and the resident artists. It is an opportunity for participants to showcase their work and share the stage with guest performers such as JUNO Award winner Jully Black, Drake, Jellestone and Dora Award winner d'bi young.

urbanNOISE is a leading example of how arts based programs are a powerful vehicle for change, a tool for leadership and a positive source of community engagement.

Mayor David Miller has applauded urbanNOISE for its efforts in "changing the perception of Rexdale – as the home of the gun, gangs and drug-related crime – to a new home featuring the beauty, artistic talent and inventiveness of its youth."

The Weston-Mount Dennis Theatre Project (2009)

Together with the St. Alban's Boys' and Girls' Club, Expect ran the first arts program within the isolated community of the Humberwood High Rise (in the priority neighborhood of Weston-Mount Dennis).

Expect brought together such high profile artists as d’bi.young, Dwayne Morgan and LAL to work directly with the youth in the community to create a multi-disciplinary theatre piece that was a true expression of their lives. The youth from this program had little to no experience with the arts, and this was the first time they were able to give voice to their experiences.

KIDfusion

For ten days, five thousand kids converged on KIDfusion, an interactive art installation at Harbourfront Centre's Milk International Children's Festival of the Arts. Inspired by the performances seen at Milk, youth were given the chance to let loose by painting on the walls, recording pod-casts, creating a photo gallery, recording their own music, or simply chilling out and taking it all in. KIDfusion provided an imaginative outlet for all the young Milk Festival attendees to leave their mark and contribute to a large-scale art installation that allowed them to engage in their own creativity.

Tunnel Runners

Caught on a videophone, this fictional documentary unveils the universe that lives beneath our feet. The Tunnel Runners is a radio drama that follows the lives of a group of forgotten urban youth while exposing the truth behind the rumours of a secret society that call Toronto's subway tunnels home. It aired on CBC's Radio One and Radio Two in 2006.

Rexdale Voices

The Artistic Directors of Expect Theatre interviewed, audio recorded and photographed over 65 community members in their homes, places of work, schools, and meeting places to make this on-line documentary about Rexdale. The piece covered the history of this community from its first settlers in the 1800's, to the present day. The real story of Rexdale is not only found in the lives of those who call Rexdale home, but also in how those lives interconnect to create one of the world’s truly unique neighbourhoods. Watch the on-line videos: http://www.rexdalevoices.com

Expect also has a rich body of work produced solely for contemporary general audiences. Their theatrical and environmental performance installations have engaged thousands of audiences throughout Canada and the U.S. and have garnered both critical acclaim and national media attention. Their cutting edge work focuses on urban life, and has been described by reviewers and audiences alike as both innovative and bold.

What the critics have said about some of their past work:

"All hail to Laura Mullin and Chris Tolley, the masterminds behind this production. Energy , imagination and style like theirs are always welcome." (Richard Ouzounian, Toronto Star)

"...infectious, tech-rooted joy..." (EYE Magazine)

"The hotest piece of theatre this city has seen in years" (Robert Crew, Toronto Star)

"A perfect blend of social commentary and powerful drama." (Metro Today)

"For everyone who loves Shakespeare and edgy drama." (CBC Radio)

Their most recent piece, STATIC (an interactive exploration of fear) premiered as part of Harbourfront’s 2007 New World Stage festival and won one of Harbourfront Centre’s inaugural Fresh Ground Commissioning Awards.

One of Expect Theatre’s most notable works includes their production, Romeo/Juliet Remixed (Toronto and Philadelphia). This interactive, theatrical piece earned five Dora Award nominations and received international media attention including a feature in the prestigious New York publication, Stage Directions.

Artistic Directors Mullin and Tolley were also recently the creative force behind the International Festival of Authors live performance, One Sleepless Night.

Follow Expect Theatre on Twitter

Expect Theatre on Facebook