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Thinking Rock Community Arts
 

Early Spring Updates from
Thinking Rock Community Arts
 
 

We’ve got Spring in our steps and great things growing as the seasons change! Read on for details about:

  • Creative programming

  • Volunteering @ TRCA

  • Annual reports

  • Recent & upcoming activities

  • A very special shout-out
 
 

Creative programming

We’ve been artmaking around the clock and throughout the Winter with three streams of programming:

  • Making Nights: a hybrid space (online + in-person) for social creativity and connection

  • Drop-Ins: in-person spaces for spontaneous creativity

  • Social Fabric Labs: focussed spaces for creative experimentation and exploration building on project themes

Senior Programming Assistant, Emily Oskaboose-Meawasige, shares: β€œMaking Night is a social space I look forward to. Each session is truly unique: some nights, folks may want to chat and catch up more, others are hard at work on their making projects. But something always present is the sense of connection. Supporting one another through our shares, even when we’re not in the same place, and the sense of gathering with friends, always fills the room. It’s exciting to see a new style of art, or to listen to participants discuss hobbies or even life events.”

We love to show AND tell about this sense of connected creativity in our work! There’s loads of programming scheduled for Spring, Summer and beyond - please visit our programming calendar, newsletter and social posts for more details. We look forward to seeing you soon!

ID: An image of intergenerational participants gathered around a table, and Thinking Rock’s Gathering Quilt, at a Fall Social Fabric Drop-In at the Northern Community Centre.

Volunteer @ TRCA!

Building on increased interest from the community to be part of Thinking Rock’s work, we’ve launched a formal volunteer program! With the help of a wonderful student in Centennial College’s Arts Education and Community Engagement Graduate Certificate Program, we identified a variety of opportunities for volunteers to get involved across the organization, refreshed our paperwork with thoughtful intake questions, and framed our work around the key question, β€œHow can we best support and value volunteers in our shared work, as they generously support Thinking Rock and our communities?”

Our new volunteer intake form is live on our website, here! Please share widely, and if you or someone you know is interested in becoming a volunteer Thinking Rocker, reach out to us at info@thinkingrock.ca!

ID: An image of intergenerational participants at the TRHQ work table, finishing the Patchwork of Place at a summertime Communi-Bee.

Our Annual Reports are here!

In recent weeks and months, the Thinking Rockers have been reflecting on the activities of the past three years. We’ve enjoyed this intentional chance to look back on and celebrate the connections and impacts created through our co-creative, collaborative community-engaged arts work.

We’re elated to share that our first-ever Annual Reports for 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 have been published on our website!

None of this work would have been possible without the hearts, hands and contributions of many community members, participants, partners, volunteers, artistic team members, funders and staff. We extend our gratitude to each of you, Friends of Thinking Rock, as we celebrate these achievements and the release of the reports!

ID: A grouping of spoon puppets, created by intergenerational participants, sits on the TRHQ work table ahead of our March Break Social Fabric Lab.
 

Recent happenings

We’ve also been working on:

  • In Service of our Stories, a community-based research project in partnership with NORDIK Institute that explores potential organizational models for a community-engaged arts-specific Arts Service Organization (ASO);

  • Animating our socials with thoughtful, seasonal campaigns (find them here and here!);

  • Speaking about our work at Fridays by the Fire and in Algoma University’s Community Economic & Social Development (CESD) Program;

  • Making the local news (twice!); and

  • Offering our consultancy services to community.

ID: A wintry exterior photo of TRHQ at 199 Main Street, Thessalon, showing our seasonal brown paper lunch bag window decorations, co-created with community participants.

Upcoming activities

We’re getting ready for:

  • …Our presentation at the 2024 Supporting Performing Arts in Rural Communities (SPARC) symposium in May!

  • …Outreach Booth Season: catch us at the Sustain Algoma Expo on June 15th, and watch for us at community events throughout Spring and Summer!

  • …Future programming: stay tuned for some exciting news!

ID: A youth participant shows off their work on the UFO Project during a Drop-In at the Ermatinger-Clergue National Historic Site.

A very special shout-out

For the past two years, Emily-Jane Oskaboose-Meawasige has contributed to Thinking Rock’s work as Senior Programming Assistant. A creative, caring community member of Genaabaajing, Emily has devoted much time and energy to developing, delivering and evaluating programs and outreach, strategic planning and organizational development efforts. Though Emily’s contract officially ends this March, we say β€œBaa-Maa-Pii”, knowing our paths will surely cross again! Chi miigwetch, Emily!

ID: Emily-Jane Oskaboose-Meawasige poses with her dog, Penny, at TRHQ.
 
 

ID: Images from Summer/Fall/Winter 2023-24 activities, from left to right - Top row: a heARTful paper window display created by participants at TRHQ; volunteers Gracie & Betsy working on the UFO project; an embroidered block print created by a participant. Middle row: participants at our Spoon Puppet Social Fabric Lab; participants holding paper strawberries made at Ojibway Park; participants at a recent Drop-In @ the Old Stone House. Bottom row: a block print created by a participant; Artistic Director, Miranda visits with a student at the Algoma University Community Career Fair; a close-up of the heARTful paper chains created by participants for the TRHQ window display.
 
 
 Donate 

Your support helps us to grow and thrive!
We accept donations through our website or by cheque. 

Though we’re not able to offer charitable receipts at this time,
we offer huge amounts of gratitude and love to all of our donors!

 

Miigwetch, Merci & Thank You
to our Funders, Supporters and Partners!

For a full listing of funders, supporters and partners past and present,
please visit our website here.
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Thinking Rock Community Arts, 199 Main Street, Thessalon, ON - Visits by Appointment or by Chance, Mailing Address: P.O. Box 29, Thessalon, ON P0R 1L0, Email: info@thinkingrock.ca, Phone: (705) 542-1100

Thinking Rock Community Arts

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