National Arts Centre | STAGING OUR HISTORIES

Acknowledgements

Posted on June 7, 2015 by staginghistories

One week ago, the first-ever Staging Our Histories featured seven extraordinary stories examining the past and its repercussions in the present, performed live to a full house at the National Arts Centre’s Fourth Stage. We are very thankful to the talents of our performers and our superb host, Adrian Harewood, for making the evening enthralling & unforgettable.

There were many people who made Staging Our Histories possible, however, that you didn’t get a chance to see on stage. The co-directors would like to thank the following individuals for their support and their valuable time, as well as all other colleagues and friends who supported and promoted the event:

To our core volunteer team, who have been a vital part of Staging Our Histories from almost the beginning, we owe a huge debt of gratitude for everything they contributed behind-the-scenes during our months of planning, and the huge amount of work they did on May 31st!

Kathryn Boschmann, for taking time out of a busy week to run communications for us on Sunday

Matthew Moore, for learning to be our stage manager in one afternoon and doing a fantastic job

Christina Parsons, for being an mvp & making sure everything was where it was supposed to be, when it was supposed to be there

Tannis Price, our dedicated & talented photographer who tirelessly documented the whole day

Christopher Chaban, for his constant assistance, including crucial door-holding, on May 31st

For their generous help with running errands & being all the places we couldn’t be, and/or clean-up after the reception…

Sujata & Arvind Bajpeyi

Alex Wilkinson

Erin Gurski & Michael Chiarello

Vinayak Bansal, Anusha Jahagirdar, Zahir Bakhari, Saumya Bansal, Fizza Ahmed Sheikh, Leah Teichroeb & Meagan Barnhart

Jenny Srour, for kindly offering to watch the young son of a performer so she could participate in our talk-backs

Marissa Romano, for opening her home to our performers

For donating tickets…

Sharon & Laurie Cox

Siobhan Falconer

For generous donations of food, drinks or gifts…

Bridgehead

David’s Tea

Pure Kitchen

Stella Luna Gelato Cafe

ZaZaZa Pizza

Our caterers…

Kettleman’s Bagels, for our rehearsal lunch

Johnny Farina, for our reception sandwiches

Our Printers…

Merriam Print

David Dean, for his support & the donation of his book History, Memory, Performance

James Opp & John Walsh, for their guidance on behalf of the CCPH

Our Sponsors

Carleton University’s Department of History

The Carleton Centre for Public History

Carleton University’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences-Office of the Dean

The National Arts Centre‘s Fourth Stage

7 Reasons to Experience History off the Page

Posted on May 13, 2015 by staginghistories

Although math is not her strong suit, Co-Director Sinead Cox lists her top seven reasons to snag tickets for History (a)Live:

ONE: THE TALENT

Our performers are multi-talented artists, storytellers, poets and filmmakers, and they actually constitute eight great reasons to be at the National Arts Centre on May 31st. Staging Our Histories brings this group of diverse amateur and professional artists together in the same room for the first (and probably only) time. Their artistic voices and perspectives on history are entirely original and distinct, but their pieces complement each other by asking similar questions about identity, memory and legacy.

TWO: IT’S NOT THE HISTORY YOU READ IN SCHOOL

Our organizers are interested in how stories and memories change across different mediums, and how performance can be a powerful platform for unwritten or unrecorded histories. Each of the seven histories presented on stage on May 31st is personal and revelatory, and interrogates how we share and forget the past on and off the page.

THREE: IT’S A PARTY

Ticket-holders for Staging Our Histories are invited to a reception following the performances. There will be refreshments, snacks, and a chance to mingle with the performers and organizers.

FOUR: YOU CAN BE PART OF HISTORY

Staging Our Histories is a conversation, not a lecture. The evening’s discussion of performative histories will extend beyond the stage, as host Adrian Harewood moderates talkbacks between the artists and the audience. We hope theatre-lovers, students, historians, and just about everyone else, will be inspired by the convergence of history and performance, as we continue to be.

FIVE: THERE’S A CHANCE TO GET IN FOR FREE!

You can win tickets to Staging Our Histories, and a copy of History, Memory, Performance, just by tweeting your favourite history experience to @stagehist with the contest hashtag #mylivehistory.

SIX: RIGHT TIME, RIGHT PLACE

Staging Our Histories happens at ‘Canada’s Stage’, the National Arts Centre, in lovely downtown Ottawa. It’s conveniently close if you’re in town that week to attend the 2015 Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of Ottawa, or you’re taking part in the Walk for Reconciliation, also on May 31st.

SEVEN: THE (HISTORY) A(LIVE) TEAM

Once again, this is six good reasons for the price of one. The Staging Our Histories organizers are volunteers motivated by the desire to expand public access to unconventional and thought-provoking histories. The co-directors and core volunteers are all recent grads or current students of Carleton University’s history program; they’re also keen, passionate about history, and a lot of fun to hang out with– so look for us at the reception after the show.

If you care to join us for a night of extraordinary performances, you can GET TICKETS NOW at the NAC’s box office.

Need another reason? Contact the co-directors with any questions at staginghistories@gmail.com!

#MyLiveHistory: Tweet @StageHist & Win!

Posted on April 28, 2015 by staginghistories

All the world’s a stage. What’s yours?

How do you prefer to experience stories? What captures your imagination and gets you excited about the past? Is it museum programming? Movies? Video games? A family member that tells a great tale? A nice commemorative plaque, maybe? Something a little unconventional? How have you shared your own unique perspective on history with others? Show us! Tweet your photos of history (a)live to @Stagehist.

Staging Our Histories spotlights the ways histories are talked about, embodied, represented, remembered and forgotten off the page and outside of the classroom. Before our performers take the stage at the National Arts Centre on May 31st to express their thought-provoking histories through theatre, storytelling, film and poetry, we want to hear from you!

WIN by sharing your favourite experiences of history off the page!

Become a #twitterstorian and tweet original photos or video links of your favourite way to experience history a(live) to @StageHist with the contest hashtag #mylivehistory, before May 29th.

On performance night, participants with the most retweets* win two FREE tickets to Staging Our Histories and a copy of History, Memory, Performance, generously donated by editor David Dean, to be presented at the reception following the night’s performances on May 31st. The runner-up will also receive a pair of tickets (kindly sponsored by individual donors).

Contest Details

Eligible tweets will include a photo or linked video of an activity, performance, artwork, location, person etc that inspired you to experience or reflect upon the past and/or its legacy in the present. Everything from playing a video game that takes place in an alternate past, to a selfie on a historic walking tour is welcome. Tweets may be in French or English.

To be considered for prizes, all tweets must include Staging Our Histories’ twitter handle (@stagehist) and the contest hashtag #mylivehistory. If you are tweeting about the work of another individual or cultural/heritage organization, we encourage you to tag them as well. Entrants are welcome to submit multiple tweets. The contest ends midnight on the night of May 28th.

@Stagehist will retweet all eligible tweets. The two tweets to receive the most total retweets** before May 29th will be the winners!*

Our first prize winner receives a copy of History, Memory , Performance, edited by Prof. David Dean (value $90) and two FREE tickets to Staging Our Histories (value $30+ tax). The runner-up receives two free tickets (value $30+ tax). These prizes can be collected on Staging Our Histories’ performance night, May 31st at the National Arts Centre.***

The histories you tweet can be untold, unofficial and unexpected, but please make sure they are also sensitive, thoughtful and respectful. Any tweets of a graphic nature or those deemed offensive, hateful or inappropriate by the co-directors of Staging Our Histories are disqualified from consideration for the contest and will not be retweeted by @stagehist.

* In the event of a tie, Staging Our Histories’ organizing team will act as judges to vote for the winning tweet and the runner-up. The organizers’ and performers’ tweets are not eligible to win the prizes.

** For the purposes of this contest, we will count only RTs, not quoted tweets, MTs or favourites.

*** The winner must provide a full name & contact information by private message/email to collect his/her prize on May 31st.

The Box Office is Open!

Posted on April 6, 2015 by staginghistories

On May 31st, the National Arts Centre`s Fourth Stage welcomes theatre-lovers, film buffs, students, historians, twitterstorians, and anyone who has shared or appreciated history and memory off the page.

Staging Our Histories tickets are officially on sale at the National Arts Centre’s box office! Get yours today, and be part of history a(live). A $15 ticket includes seven performances, talk-backs with host Adrian Harewood, and a reception.

Staging Our Histories is a not-for-profit event organized by three volunteer co-directors, and supported by the Carleton Centre for Public History, Carleton University’s History Department and Carleton University’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences-Office of the Dean.

Staging Our Histories at the National Arts Centre Box Office

Posted on April 3, 2015 by staginghistories

Does the way we tell the story change our understanding of history?

Join the performers of Staging our Histories May 31st at the National Arts Centre to witness seven performances that bring new perspectives to the past and invite the audience to interact with history. Check out Staging Our Histories on the NAC’s website in English and French.

Eight powerful stories told via film, theatre, poetry and oral storytelling will illuminate the past and its impact on the present for one evening in Ottawa. At Staging Our Histories, creative storytelling will bring the origins of a local landmark to life, film and theatre will investigate the memories contained in a grandmother’s home remedies, and poetry will express the lived experience of colonial legacies, among other performances.

And mark your calendars! Tickets for Staging Our Histories are officially on sale at the National Arts Centre’s box office on April 6th at 10 am!

Tickets on Sale NOW!

Posted on March 24, 2015 by staginghistories

Get tickets for the first-ever Staging Our Histories today!

May 31st, 7:30 pm National Arts Centre, Fourth Stage

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS via Ticketmaster

We’re pleased to announce that you can now reserve your seat at the National Arts Centre’s Fourth stage to experience ten talented artists embodying the past and its implications in the present through storytelling, film, theatre and poetry. The evening will additionally feature talk-backs between audience and artists moderated by host Adrian Harewood.

Be a part of our first year and participate in a dialogue regarding how history is told and how it is received. Our audience is a significant and valued part of an interactive, one-of-a-kind evening of live performances and conversation. A ticket to Staging Our Histories grants you the chance to see eight extraordinary works, an opportunity to address the artists, and an invitation to an end-of-the-night reception at the National Arts Centre.

Staging Our Histories’ Venue & a First Glimpse at our Poster!

Posted on March 24, 2015 by staginghistories

Our co-directors are pleased to announce that the very first Staging Our Histories will take place at the National Arts Centre‘s Fourth Stage, 53 Elgin St, Ottawa at 7:30pm. After the evening’s performances and interactive talk-backs with the audience moderated by host Adrian Harewood a short reception will follow in the same location.

We’d like to extend our gratitude to Tannis Price for collaborating with co-director Arpita Bajpeyi on our eye-catching poster.