Train of Thought (Community Arts Tour)

History

Train of Thought was hatched by a group of artists sharing community engagement practices and projects across the country. Its focus is collaborations and alliances between First Nations and settler/immigrant artists and communities.

Themes

In developing the idea for Train of Thought, Jumblies Theatre and partners asked what theme merited such a huge cross-country undertaking, a question that led to a focus on collaborations and alliances between First Nations and settler/immigrant artists and communities: the most challenging and urgent matter that all of us are grappling with and learning about from our different regional and cultural perspectives. Thus, Train of Thought takes a counter-colonial route to collect and share stories, buried histories and imagined landscapes of the land where we live: as it might have been, as it is, as it could be: drawing on perception, memory, history and imagination; merging whimsy and serious intent, bringing together artists and community members, the land’s first people and all those who have found refuge here over the years and generations.

Production

Train of Thought is an evolving community arts journey from west to east coast, with on-board activities and over stops along the way. At each stop, a travelling company will get off until the next train comes through. Local arts organizations will host interactive events, and add to creative tasks. Additional travellers will hop aboard to join in conversations and art-making en route.

Purpose

Train of Thought is less about trains than about the relationships and discoveries that the journey will enable. The tour is an imperfect and incomplete adventure - part of a longer and unending imperative to learn, connect and help to change tracks.

Route

British Columbia

Prairie Provinces

Ontario

Quebec

Maritime Provinces