Workshops
Canada Council for the Arts - Explore and Create Workshop
Join Deaf Canada Council Program Officer, Tiphanie Girault, and her colleague Esther Desrosiers, as they discuss the Explore and Create granting stream and benefits it has for Deaf artists.
Explore and Create funds Canadian artists, artistic groups and organizations committed to the creation and dissemination of innovative, vibrant and diverse art.
This program advances Canadian artistic practices by encouraging artists to investigate creative processes and take risks that lead to the development of unique works destined to connect with the public.
Explore and Create supports the research, development, creation and production of work, as well as professional development for artists.
The Sector Innovation and Development grant funds projects that aim to grow and improve the arts sector. Grants in this component encourage initiatives that advance and develop practices in the arts, that nurture learnings and continuous improvements of the arts and that facilitate gathering, collaborating and exchanging of the artistic sector.
ASL/English accessible
Date: Saturday, March 8th, 2025, Noon to 1:30 PM
IN PERSON WORKSHOP
Studio B, Fringe Arts Barns
Cost: FREE. (A Free ticket is required to attend this workshop.)
Presenter: Tiphanie Girault and Esther Desrosiers
Theatre without Borders: Building Bridges as a Deaf Director
Canadian artist Stephanie Mündel-Möhr shares her journey into the theatre world as a the first Deaf female theater director in Germany. Come join her as she discusses the ins and out and how to make a successful inclusive theater building bridges between the two worlds: hearing and Deaf.
ASL/English accessible
Date: Saturday, March 8th, 2025, 2 to 3:30 PM MT / 4 to 5:30 PM ET
ONLINE WORKSHOP (ZOOM)
Cost: Pay-What-You-Can
Presenter: Stephanie Mündel-Möhr
In The Mind of Robert Bhola
"In the Mind of Robert Bhola" is a workshop that delves into the intricate thought processes behind Robert's art, which combines sign language with music. The workshop explores various genres of music and the unique signing styles Robert employs to translate songs. It examines his approach to conveying the lyrical meanings of songs and finding a balance between the lyrics' meaning, concepts, and linguistic elements, including classifiers and Visual Vernacular. Participants will learn Robert's techniques for creating visually rich narratives and artistic expressions of music through signs and body movements.
ASL/English accessible
Saturday, March 8th, 2025, 5:15 PM to 6:45 PM
IN-PERSON WORKSHOP
Studio B, Fringe Arts Barns
Cost: Pay-What-You-Can
Presenters: Robert Bhola
Creating and Connecting with Dark Characters
Dive into the art of drawing dark, complex characters in this immersive workshop. Inspired by Phoenix The Fire's play Red Rose Bleeds and the character of Enchante—a Deaf female serial killer who targets child molesters and rapists—this session will teach you to design your own villains, anti-heroes, or serial killers. Explore their emotional depth and motivations, bringing these dark characters to life through art.
What You Will Learn:
Character Design: Create your own dark characters and explore their psychological layers.
Emotional Connection: Understand how to tap into the motivations and emotions of characters like Enchante.
Drawing Techniques: Learn how to capture the intense, dark essence of your characters.
Symbolism & Storytelling: Use visual elements to give your characters depth and backstory.
Morality Exploration: Discuss the complexities of empathizing with characters who blur the lines between justice and villainy.
Who Should Attend:
This workshop is perfect for Deaf participants, whether beginners or experienced artists, interested in exploring dark character creation through drawing.
Why Attend?
This workshop offers a unique opportunity to connect with your darker side, explore hidden emotions, and grow both artistically and emotionally.
Warning: If this workshop may trigger you, please let the facilitator know about it.
ASL/English Accessible
Sunday, March 9th, 2025, Noon to 1:30 PM
IN-PERSON WORKSHOP
Cost: Pay-What-You-Can
Studio B, Fringe Arts Barns
Presenter: Gaitire Persaud
Fringe ASL Project - Postponed
Update: March 9th - Due to illness, this workshop has been postponed
During a period between 2023 and 2024, the Edmonton Fringe embarked on a series of exploration workshops. These workshops focused on Edmonton’s Deaf performance community and the interpreting community, to help find standards, processes and discoveries for best practices for audience accessibility and the integration of Deaf artists on stage.
The long-term goal for the project is to create a publicly accessible resource which freely shares the findings and which can be used as a template and reference guide for mainstream performance companies as well as Deaf-led organizations.
In this new workshop, Fringe Artistic Director Murray Utas will summarize some of the findings from these explorations and discuss the next steps in the creation of this public resource.
This workshop is ideal for both artists and leaders within the mainstream theatre community who are focused on inclusion and accessibility, as well as Deaf artists who want to know more about how this resource can help advance their art.
IN PERSON WORKSHOP
ASL/LSQ/English accessible
Date: Postponed
Cost: FREE (a free ticket is required to access this event)
Studio B, Fringe Arts Barns
Presenters: Murray Utas
Deaf Puppetry
Join Juan and Robert, two seasoned Deaf performers with extensive puppetry experience across Canada, Ontario, the UK, and Colombia, for an interactive workshop. Fresh from their recent workshop in Winnipeg, Juan and Robert bring over five years of expertise in teaching and performing puppetry through sign language.
Juan and Robert have also taught Deaf artists through Juan's play, recognizing the lack of Deaf representation in the puppetry world. This workshop aims to inspire and encourage more Deaf individuals to explore this creative art form.
The session challenges traditional puppetry methods, which often rely on voice and mouth movements, by introducing innovative approaches that engage Deaf children through visual storytelling and sign language. Participants will dive into discussions, receive feedback, andengage in hands-on experiments with puppets.
With a couple of puppets available for participants to play with and test, this workshop offers a unique opportunity to learn, experiment, and create. By the end, participants will be encouraged to develop their own puppet show, fostering creativity and new artistic expression within the Deaf community.
ASL/English accessible
IN-PERSON WORKSHOP
Sunday, March 9th, 2025, 4 PM to 5:30 PM
Studio B, Fringe Arts Barns
Cost: Pay-What-You-Can
Presenters: Juan Jaramillo, Robert Bhola