BIG NAZO
Rhode Island-based creative collective Big Nazo is an international performance group of visual artists, puppet performers, and masked musicians who unite to create bizarre and hilarious larger-than-life sized characters, environments, and spectacles (the name derives from the Italian for “big nose”. The improv performance group was launched in 1986 by Erminio Pinque, the group’s founder and artistic designer, who envisioned his concept as a puppet show without the stage. Renegade circus family contortionists, a rowdy rodeo horse, a giant three-eyed robot percussionist, break-dancing police officers, Mountain Trolls, blob-like go-go dancers, a charismatic lab rat and his giant man-eating chia pet are just a few of the characters, environments, and spectacles that create an irreverent musical Commedia full of irresolvable conflict, ridiculous dancing and an epic battle with the forces of chaos. Their innovative mask and puppetry techniques combine stand-up comedy, Sci-Fi, go-go dancing, daredevil stunts, soap opera hysterics and professional wrestling with live rock and funk music and audience-interactive improvisation. Big Nazo has recently opened its new downtown storefront Nazo Lab in downtown Providence. The Lab serves as an exhibition space, a creature-building workshop and community interface. Although they’re rooted in the northeastern USA (where they supported Spinal Tap on a Break Like The Wind tour stop), Big Nazo’s surreal extravaganzas have been experienced at prestigious international festivals in such far-flung locales as Quebec (2012 Montreal Just For Laughs), Nova Scotia (Halifax Busker Festival in 1987, where they evolved into a formal performance group, returning three times over the next decade), Japan (Osaka World Performance Fest), Singapore (2000 Chinese New Year), England (2000 Millennium Dome), Scotland (1991 Edinburgh Fringe) and Portugal (representing the United States at the 1998 Lisbon World Expo alongside Up With People).
EMERSON ARTS
Emerson Arts is a local theatre company dedicated to creating quality, original, accessible content in the Hamilton area.
MIKEY GOUGH
Mikey Gough is a beginning theatre artist finishing his undergrad degree in theatre at McMaster University. Through a multitude of mediums (Puppet creation, costume design, writing, directing, and acting) Mikey explores queerness, trans futurism, climate justice, and post-structuralist activism as the central themes of his work. Through his unique perspective on the world around him and his love of storytelling, Mikey hopes to use his works to inspire optimism and a thirst for creation in his audiences in a time when he feels the world’s attitude is becoming quickly grimmer.
JAMES NORTH YOGA
A small, boutique studio offering yoga classes for every body, James North Yoga provides online yoga classes and workshops for all skill levels, with classes in Hatha, Sivananda, Ashtanga, Iyengar, and Kundalini styles, as well as prenatal yoga. Through individualized instruction, the goal is for the student to develop self-awareness, build strength and flexibility, reduce stress, and live in harmony with nature.
HAMILTON AERIAL GROUP
HAG is a circus arts collective specializing in aerial arts and stilt performance with high quality theatrical acts with extraordinary costumes. They produce their own cabaret style and theatrical shows and are available to hire for events. Through their performances and our workshops, HAG we seek to create meaningful experiences to help people feel connected and inspired. The group is made up of 13 core members who bring a diverse range of skills to our collective, but all share a commitment to engaging audiences from all walks of life.
KATE MIOR
Kate Mior is an award winning actor, world class mime artist and clown who has performed across the globe from Canada, Europe, Australia, to the Middle East, Asia and even Africa. Kate recently returned to Toronto from a tour of China with their acclaimed show ‘Madame Guillotine’. A longtime Toronto street performing staple, Kate is known for their unique aesthetics, black comedy, and political and social critique wrapped up in over the top character work.
LISHAI PEEL
Award winning writer, community engaged artist and consultant, Lishai Peel has over a decade of experience working in the arts and culturesector in Toronto. Alongside being a working artist, Lishai has worked with various institutions and youth serving organizations, supporting them to think through matters of access, representation and equity in the arts. Lishai’s approach is fuelled by a recognition that people know what is best for their communities and any work that is carried out, programming or advocacy, must be deeply rooted in local contexts. As a spoken word artist, Lishai has performed in over 300 venues across the country. Her voice and poetry has also been featured in multiple campaigns which were broadcasted nationally on MTV and Bell Media. She was the co-founder of Ink Veins: Young Women’s Writing Collective and the co-author of a graphic novel, Why Birds and Wolves Don’t Trade Stones, illustrated by artist David Brame. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with dancers and musicians through various projects. In 2014, she released an album entitled From Here On, with her long-time collaborator, musician and composer Waleed Abdulhamid. Mentorship plays a central role in Lishai’s artistic practice. Not only has she mentored countless youth and emerging writers, she herself has also been mentored by some of Canada’s greatest writers and performers. In her early days as a performer, Lishai was mentored by Dwayne Morgan, d’bi young anitafrika, Sheri-D Wilson, and Catherine Hernandez. Lishai’s creative nonfiction projects have been supported by Alicia Elliott (through Room Magazine) and Ayelet Tsabari (through the Writers’ Trust of Canada). Alessandra Naccarrato has acted as a poetry editor and mentor. While completing a graduate certificate in creative writing at Humber College, Karen Connelly was Lishai’s mentor and Kyo Maclear was her thesis advisor during her MFA program. Lishai has an MFA in creative writing from Guelph University and currently works as the ED of gritLIT, Hamilton’s literary festival.
SAPPHYRE POISON DRAG XTRAVAGANZA
