WELCOME
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The city of Thunder Bay or Anemki Wikwed, resides in the Robinson-Superior Treaty territory and has been built on the traditional lands of the Ojibwe people of Fort William First Nation. We also recognize that the Kitchigami or Lake Superior Region was occupied by Indigenous people carrying their traditions and culture for the last 10,000 years.
For a long time, this region was traditionally used as a summer gathering area, just as we are gathered now and we would like to offer our respect and gratitude to the original caretakers of this land: the elders and ancestors - the Ojibwe people, also known as the Anishinaabe, meaning ‘first or original people’. Miigwetch for allowing us to gather here today.
It is also important to recognize that too often, we are seeing acts of violence inflicted upon the Indigenous people in this city. As we move forward, and as we acknowledge this land we are on and the water that sustains us, we must also ensure that we are doing all we can to end this violence against the people who were sent here to protect it.
written by Yolanda Bonnell; performer and playwright originally from Thunder Bay
WELCOME FROM THE ARTISTIC AND MANAGING DIRECTOR
Superior Theatre Festival is in its fourth year and I’m very excited about what we’ve cooked up for you to see and the workshops that we’ve designed for this summer!
This year we want you to grow with us! This process, this stage, this evolution, this development is an exciting place to be. We invite you to venture into it with us.
If you're between the ages of 12-21 I encourage you to push yourself into new territory by taking a class in puppetry, musical theatre, design, acting or music composition. Help us workshop a play by Alycia Novak (a Thunder Bay playwright) for our youngest STF audience yet - ages 2+ - so that they become life long lovers of theatre!
If your older than 21, I encourage you to reach out and meet with the team - share your hopes for the festival - help us chart our next 4 years! Come out and see our Workshop Production of Alex the Artist on July 27th at 2pm or 7pm and give us feedback.
If you're an artist (performer, creator, playwright, musician, dancer etc.) reach out to pitch a new work or to share your work with us! We want you to grow with us and grow up with us!
This Festival could not happen without the generous support of the Ontario Arts Council, Theatre Ontario and all our local sponsors: Tbaytel, Lakehead Roofing, Iron Range, Gillons Insurance, The Waterfront BIA, Fay Gleeson Dance Centre and Urban Abbey.
On top of that we have an incredibly dedicated team. A huge thank you to the STF Production Team: Jessica Krasnichuk, Aleksa Shermack, Katherine Winter and our board members for continuing to make artists a priority. Thank you to all the artists and creative team members for your dedication to the work - it is because of your work that we exist - thank you for sharing your talents.
Thank you for your support and for seeing LIVE performances. Please know that we value your time and we hope that you’ve enjoyed spending it with us as much as we enjoyed having you here.
-- Donna Marie Baratta