Centre for the Arts

On behalf of all the staff and teachers at the Centre, I want to wish you a very successful coming year and once again express our appreciation for what we have done together in the past year.

As you know, it takes two to tango and our tango is a great one indeed because it has all of us in it together...

Now, as we embark into another year of activities to discover our tango,

all I can say is - see you in the New Year!

Wishing all of you all the best in these difficult times.

I remain, ever yours,

Spring 2008
This is the Centre.

We have received 30 chairs from Bloor West Village Playhouse and new carpet from Paul Lippi and Aptco Inc. These two recent donations are part of what the Centre is—a project that includes everyone.

We began by “striking the first nail” five years ago and that “nail” was struck by many. This project has never been the property of one nor for the purposes of promoting the individual but for the benefit of all. There is a long list of people who have built the Centre by painting, moving, designing the website, contributing material goods, donating money and the space itself is filled with so many things given to us.

The answer to our call for more chairs and the laying of the carpet is another moment in our history showing what we are. People giving real support which shows their real appreciation for the project. All giving proof to it is our space and we are taking our place.

December 15, 2007
5 years in the community.

I am pleased to welcome you here this evening to the

celebration of the fifth anniversary of our Centre for the Arts.

As you know, and as is written on our card, we are emphasizing the theme: 5 Years in the Community. It's your space. Take your place.

All of you here know as well as I what that means -- all of you have contributed to building this space. All of you are a part of it and it has a part of you in it.

On this occasion, I just wanted to make some short comments on what I think it is, what it is we have established here and why we think it is worth our while.

The first thing I want to say is that there is a method of work that we implement here that is being assimilated and this is possibly the main character of the Centre: -- how we as humans work together.

We happen to be cultural workers or people participating in cultural ventures, so we are working together on cultural projects, as actors, as producers, as filmmakers, as teachers, as people in the field.

But what is significant is that we have given rise to a new culture.

Far from taking some established model of community and the culture of community, our community is all of us together bringing forth the quality human, that to flourish we have to create our own conditions for living as dignified persons who as a matter of course -- contribute to the same, amongst our peers.

This is why despite financial and other difficulties, we thrive.

Our project is life giving. It helps us ward off all the negative pressures of the world in which we live in which everything is commodified,beginning with the human person itself -- that is -- all of us.

The entire world plays havoc with the word community, making it the object of all kinds of disinformation to get people to accept that they are in a hopeless and helpless position because of the global village and the fact that the old conceptions of hearth and home no longer exist. Many of these renderings serve to overwhelm us into believing that we are just at the receiving end of what others decide will be our fate. We have no say.

Our entire project is an alternative to that where we ourselves establish the quality human:

Its our space. Take our place!

To conclude, I would like to recite a few lines of a poem written by a dear friend of mine, Hardial Bains in 1994. The poem titled "Lay the Claims," exhorts us:

Lay the claims, oh you human persons

Lay the claims which you must

Lay the claims despite aversion

Lay the claims which must come first

You are born to a modern society

Your claims are more than mighty

You must stand firm on your feet

It is the condition you must meet

Do not be alone and do not be indifferent

To accept fate by a human is not meant

Opening the path to progress you must say

Is a birthright come what may

The world is broad and the world is far

The door to progress must be kept ajar

The world "as is" has no takers

The world "as it should be" has billions of makers

5 Years of the Centre for the Arts

It's Your Space -- Take Your Place!

Thank you very much for being here to share this occasion together -- all of us who think this project is worth our while.

I invite you first to have a group photo which we can add to our collection of trophies on the wall and then drink to our health and the health of our project and then our anniversary cake.

To all of you, my profound gratitude for your contributions without which we would not be here today.

John Boylan, Director

Five Years of the Centre for the Arts

It's Your Space, Take Your Place is what we are all
about. On the occasion of our Five Year Anniversary, I
have chosen the following message to express what I
think we have accomplished:

"There is so much antagonism in the community from the
forces that I don't control that for me it is a fight
every day to keep stable and my feet on the ground.
The Centre and the work I participate in there is the
stabilizing element in my life. It is like an oasis
where I can get refreshed and drink pure water and be
myself."

Yes indeed! Cheers to us all! We have come this far,
now let's go further! There's lots of space out there
for us to identify and occupy. What are we waiting
for?

Let all the best come forward!

January 2007
On behalf of the Centre, the staff and everyone who participates in the activities here I want to wish you a Happy New Year. In 2006 we deepened our conviction in our ability to keep this project going. The experience of the past four years has provided us the confidence to face new problems as they arise and to solve them. The Centre helps meet the need to have a space in the city where people can have freedom of conscience and expression.
Wishing everyone success in 2007 and a Happy New Year!

October 4, 2006
“Stellar Network UK regularly hosts unrehearsed readings showcasing work in progress by up and coming screenwriters and playwrights. The aim is to give the writers constructive feedback during the critical development stage. As such the actors' contribution, while essential, is rarely the focus. John Boylan inverted this model in an exciting and revelational manner, working closely with the performers to draw out subtleties in the text. Over the course of 3 hours, he engaged fully with, and challenged the actors, and in the process maximised the impact of the writing. All agreed it was both ariveting and deeply informative evening. Many thanks!”

-Claire Geddie, Managing Director, Stellar Network UK www.stellarnetwork.com
The event was held in September, 2006 at The Hospital www.thehospital.co.uk in London, England and John received a travel grant from International Education and Youth Division, Foreign Affairs, Canada.

We all suffer such pressure that it’s great when it can be relieved for a minute or two. That's one of the great things about the Centre we seem to take the edge off and people can catch their breath and think a bit. You know, pause, and reflect on what to do next with the work at hand.

I think it's partially because we accept everyone here at face value and no one feels they have to sell anything to be accepted. We also show appreciation for everyone's work and we take people seriously. That's important.

It is interesting to me how important a seemingly simple thing like having a friendly space is to all of us.

Being able to think more clearly certainly helps us to get by.

Our seventh film camp for teens has ended and it was a big success. Thanks go to the staff who ran the camp and that includes Matt Hilliard-Forde, Sarain Boylan, Troy Miller, Sophia Kolinas and Shannon Barnett. For four years a student from Queen's University, Artist-in-Community Education program has done their practicum at our Camps and this year we had Mariana Diez de Bonilla.

The films the teens made this March were the most complex and the longest of any Camp to date and this higher level of work is due to the expertise and experience the staff has in leading the work. They feel confident in their leadership role and this coupled with the format of the Camp made the youth feel confident.

The Camp's high level is also due to the great job the Guest Professionals do in leading workshops. This camp had Rajiv Makuri, Directing; Daniel Levinson, Stunts; Mark Arcieri, Editing; Pete and Sarah Nelson, Makeup; David Krae, Producing; Marcia Bennett, Acting.

Support from Rancho Relaxo Catering, Precision Transfer, William F. White and Dominion's was much appreciated.

At the closing ceremony the parents watched a screening of the teen's films and saw how proud the youth were with what they had accomplished.

The parents left feeling confident.

At the start of this our fourth year, I want to thank everyone who helped build this project and helped keep it going and growing. So much human effort has been put into making the projects successful and meeting the needs the Centre has had. The Independent Film Screenings and the Film Camps for

Teens; the Summer Theatre Project and the Shakespeare for Teens; the Professional Actor Training and the Shakespeare Project; the Open Forums and Placement Program; the new website and the brochure; the Canadian Comedy at the Centre and the Sponsorship Program--are all events and projects initiated and delivered by people working at the Centre.

It is a great deal of work and a huge accomplishment. Collectively we have a harmonious quality and it is appreciated—these letters of support confirm this. Here are some excerpts from letters I received at the end of the year:

"I appreciate the straightforward nature of the Centre for the Arts e-flyers. In their no-nonsense approach of describing the classes and the teachers they also present the Centre in a very good light, and respect the integrity of those who are receiving them. The effect of such a seemingly small thing as an e-flyer is actually quite large."
- Justin Tensen

" I have found the Centre for the Arts to be a very welcoming environment and I am pleased as always to pledge my support to the Centre for the Arts on an ongoing basis."
- David Krae

" I really do owe a lot to you; small steps were taken but big leaps were made."
- Sedat Talo

" Thank you for the time you spent and the comments you made to help me really tear apart a scene and see why the characters do what they do."
- Liam Card

" You and the Centre have offered me so much and I sincerely thank you for it. You are part of something bigger than I think you will ever know!"
- Zachary Cox

" You want to come back to the CFA to learn, play, and experiment because it is a good place to do so, and that in and of itself - is good!!"
- Jameson Kraemer

Together let’s continue with our plan and fill the space.

Most of you know that I teach acting for the camera.

This recent period of work in class has been rewarding and interesting for me because in three classes actors have made breakthroughs. That's unusual. It doesn’t often happen—actors in different classes making breakthroughs at the same time.

I know two reasons that make it more than a coincidence.

One is that after a period of steady and hard work a change will take place. And second if the atmosphere is positive humans develop. It is important to note that today’s popular idea of ‘a quick fix’ does not produce breakthrough experiences and if the atmosphere is negative the human factor won’t be released. I am still grappling with how we learn but I know that if we keep constant pressure on solving a problem in a good atmosphere life will move forward.

This is the end of our third year of operating the Centre.It is also one year since we have been in this space and it feels like this is our first year.It feels like that because of the difficulties we had in the first year on College Street and then the migratory period over the second year and so this is really our first stable year. It is also ten years since I began teaching acting for camera. It was in October, 1995, while working with some graduates from the drama school at Memorial University, Cornerbrook, who had expressed their fears about entering the film acting world in Toronto that I offered to assist them with some courses. The weekend courses held at York University began a vocation for me and I continue to coach some of those Cornerbrook actors today. Soon after that I met with Neil Dainard who was running the ACTRAWORKS program at ACTRA Toronto and he immediately offered me an opportunity to teach.My involvement with ACTRAWORKS grew and Neil chose me to deliver the Training the Trainer sessions in Vancouver, Winnipeg and Halifax.That seems like a long time ago. It’s interesting for me to reflect back on the ten year’s time that has passed since I began teachingand the three year’s since we opened the space and our one year here.

Yes, it is an old carpet.

When you set having a permanent space as a prerequisite for having a condition to assist people then certain issues immediately arise. Such as: what are your needs; what are your resources; what kinds of spaces are available and more.

Full of enthusiasm we opened our first space on College Street. This enthusiasm affected our dealings with the landlord and our understanding of the lease. It was our first real experience in leasing an arts space.

The story, briefly, is that the landlord reneged on his agreement to insulate our space so that other tenants wouldn't be bothered by noise generated from our activities. We lost that battle and were forced to leave.

With enthusiasm in tact, but now tempered, a gathering of hard-core supporter's clinked glasses at the Brass Taps and vowed to keep going until we found our new permanent space.

Our space on Adelaide Street is that permanent space. In the spirit of co-operation with our neighbours and the landlord we agreed to carpet the floor to help deaden the noise. . A team of volunteers laid this used carpet and it's all part of our efforts to keep the space open.

We have 250 plastic spoons here at the Centre.

One thing you can say about the Centre for the Arts is that we are still going. More and more as I do my work here people say to me how great it is that we have kept this independent project alive and growing. It is difficult to build something. We have a plan of self-reliance and from the beginning we have done our best to follow it by building income-generating ventures for the Centre. Following the plan includes making orders from Office Depot.

I consider myself competent as an actor and an acting coach but when it comes to running a space like the Centre this is all new to me and a real voyage of discovery. So, when making our order for paper, bottled water and plastic spoons for coffee the woman asked me did I want a box of 25 or 250---a fairly long pause as I weighed up this question---(as of late I have been ordering in bulk and that is financially better for the Centre sooo...) I'll take the box of 250.

It's too many plastic spoons--- but the Centre is still running and we are doing our best.

This summer is a lively time at the Centre. We are assisting three independent theatre projects which will perform in the space, the teens in the Youth Association are creating a new theatre piece and we are getting some grant applications in. The space has been a bee-hive of rehearsal activity as companies in the Fringe and Summerworks Festivals worked out at the Centre. But, right now, as you read this you are looking at Our New Website! Congratulations to all of us who have built the Centre and in particular a round of applause to the team who designed and built this new site. These accomplishments are big for us and we are truly proud. If you have any feedback about the site don’t hesitate to email us.