Sidoo Family Giving is delighted to share a partnership with KSF that brings focus and opportunity to emerging Canadian artists in film, theatre, dance or musical theatre.
The 2016 award winners were recently announced in the following joint press release.
Congratulations to all recipients!
The KSF announces the winners of the: KSF Artists of Choice Award CANADA 2016.
The KSF has announced the winning recipients for its KSF Artists of Choice award – a pioneering funding and mentoring initiative for UK, US and Canadian emerging artists working in film, theatre, dance or musical theatre.
Epitomizing KSF’s aim of ‘sending the elevator back down’ it provides funding, year-round support and mentoring by established industry heavyweights. Made possible in Canada through a partnership with Sidoo Family Giving.
Recipients of the KSF Artists of Choice – Canada will each receive $10,000 (CAD) in funding, year-round in kind support from the Foundation and an industry mentor. Applications were taken from emerging artists from Canada across film, theatre, dance and musical theatre. Shortlisted applicants were then interviewed by a panel of industry experts including actors Jason Priestley and Amanda Tapping, Choreographer Navid Charkhi, Ballet BC’s Emily Molnar and Da Costa Talent’s Melissa Panton and musical theatre actress Jennifer Copping.
In the CANADA FILM category, Mary Galloway of Bright Shadow Productions. Unintentional Mother, tells the story of Anna, a young Aboriginal nanny, who must choose between running from her abusive father or staying as a devoted nanny. Family is all about perspective.
In the CANADA THEATRE category, Ted Witzel of The Red Light District. Lulu, is about a young woman with an innocent appetite for pleasure. This piece explores what it is about sexuality, especially female sexuality, that has the ability to terrify people, to make them want to label, control, categorize and condemn it.
In the CANADA DANCE category, Julia Taffe of Aeriosa Company. Pseudotsuga – Earth to Sky is an interspecies collaboration between vertical dancers, live musicians and a grove of old-growth trees in Vancouver’s Stanley Park. Calling attention to the oldest trees in the park as living witnesses connecting dances of the past, present and future.
In the CANADA MUSICAL THEATRE category, Britt Small of Atomic Vaudeville. Action Revue: Feel the Fight, set in a boxing ring with the ring master narrating a series of bouts, the show explores the question of how masculine archetypes are both created and destroyed.
Founder of KSF said:
“I am proud that we can usher these worthy artists in as KSF Artists of Choice, to help support the development of their projects and their creative career.”
David Sidoo, Sidoo Family Giving said:
“We are proud to partner with KSF and support the development of Canadian artists”
Steve Winter, Executive/Creative Director of KSF, said:
“It’s been inspiring to see the range of talent and projects from this year’s recipients, we are looking forward to working closely with them over the next year to take their projects to forward.”
Film Recipient
Bright Shadow Productions from actor, director and producer Mary Galloway. The company’s first film, Ariel Unravelling, was an awarded bravo FACT and Creative BC award with Mary both producing and starring in the film.
“Making my directorial debut with KSF’s support and mentorship is a dream come true! It is a true honour. Though I feel these words may not suffice–thank you. I am forever grateful.”
Theatre Recipient
The Red Light District is a Toronto-based theatre-making company dedicated to exploring sexual ethics. Artistic Director Ted Witzel is a multi-disciplinary theatre maker whose work is primarily focused on making post-dramatic deconstructions of canonical texts and putting them back together into new works with lots of saturated colour, multidimensional live video, lush soundtracks, and athletic contemporary performance.
“I am honoured and thrilled to receive the support of the KSF for this project. The recognition, mentorship, and support they bring to the project will be invaluable in creating space for us to experiment and explore as we move Lulu towards completion.”
Dance Recipient
Aeriosa Company transforms neighbourhoods into theatres and explores wild environments as dramatic stages for live dance. Artistic Director Julia Taffe combines art, environment and adventure, making dances on buildings, in mountains, in nature and on stage. Creating unexpected dance in untraditional surroundings, proposing unusual performance scenarios to artists and audiences alike.
“I am honoured to be selected as a 2016 KSF Artist of Choice and I am thrilled that over the coming year Aeriosa will benefit from the funding and skilled mentorship that comes with a KSF grant. This award directly invests in my new creation Pseudotsuga – Earth to Sky, and as such, it supports the company’s artistic growth through an evolutionary phase in our history.”
Musical Theatre Recipient
Atomic Vaudeville is an award wining performance company founded by Britt Small and Jacob Richmond with the production of a monthly cabaret show that has become a cult hit in Victoria BC. Since it’s inception in 2004, they have produced over 60 cabaret shows in Victoria, Vancouver, Toronto and Bellingham and worked with over 200 local and visiting artists. They have toured plays and musicals across Canada including the Dora Award-winning Ride the Cyclone by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell, which premieres in NY in 2016.
“Organizations like the KSF enable companies such as ourselves to reach a little further and expand our creative exploration. Most importantly, they reaffirm the sense that as artists we are important and valued members of our local and world communities. Deep thanks.”
Artists of Choice Canada Recipient film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnnTqQjbmMA
ABOUT
The KSF: ‘Sending the elevator back down’.
We identify emerging artists who have a unique voice and artistic vision and give them the training and resources they need to fully express themselves. By sending the elevator back down to the next generation of artists we build a broader community of people who are empowered to give voice to ideas and concepts that enlighten and enhance the human experience. At present we work in three ways:
- KSF LEARNING – Creating bespoke education projects for at-risk youth, encouraging aspiration and best-practice teaching techniques for educators to learn from.
- KSF GRANTS -– Enabling the creation of new work by emerging artists, offering them the financial means and mentoring needed to succeed as our KSF Artists of Choice.
- KSF SCHOLARSHIPS – Offering financial assistance to those unable to afford a university education partnering them with world-class universities for the duration of their study.
Sidoo Family Giving
‘Supporting Our Communities Through Time, Talent and Treasure’
Sidoo Family Giving was borne from the belief that within each of us lie the gifts of time, talent and treasure, and that those gifts can make a difference in the lives of others in our community. We actively participate in and contribute to a number of local endeavors in the Lower Mainland area as well as certain projects outside this community we call home.
Press Contact:
Steve Winter, Creative Director
The full list of Canadian industry panel members were:
Film: TV and film director Gary Harvey, Thunderbird TV’s Nicola Pender, director and actor Jason Priestley, writer and director Jonas Quastel and Amanda Tapping.
Theatre: Actress and playwright Carmen Aguirre, actress and director Sarah Rodgers, University of British Columbia’s Jerry Wasserman and casting director Maureen Webb.
Dance: Choreographer Navid Charkhi, Ballet BC’s Emily Molnar and Da Costa Talent’s Melissa Panton.
Musical Theatre: Actress Jennifer Copping, actress Janet Gigliotti and Arts Club Theatre’s Stephanie Hargreaves