Ruth Howard
Artist • Consultant • Secular Officiant
this website is still in progress
Train of Thought was a 6-week west-to-east coast journey in Spring 2015, bringing together Indigenous and settler/immigrant artists and communities, for shared learning, with on-board creative activities and stops along the way, with overall 75 travellers, 25 stops along the way, and hundreds of participating community members.
At each stop, a travelling company got off until the next train came through. Some left and others hopped aboard, joining the conversations and art-making en route. Each local partner was asked to host ceremonies/protocols of arrival and departure; a festive meal; exchange of creative activities; regional Indigenous and inter-cultural partners, participants and perspectives; and at least one traveller to send along for at least one more stop, contributing to a growing body of shared art work, and constantly shifting collective.
Taking an intentionally counter-colonial route, the project set out to explore buried histories and imagined landscapes of the place 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 found refuge here over the years and generations.
The journey was guided by questions: What’s not on the map? How can we see the land through new eyes? What protocols should guide arrival, gathering and departure across the territories we pass through? How can we listen, learn, grieve and celebrate across cultures in the shadow of systemic inequities and colonial and genocidal histories?
When train routes weren’t available, the trip shifted to chartered buses and rented cars. Train of Thought was, thus, more about the thought than the train! The tour was an incomplete and imperfect adventure - part of a longer and unending imperative to learn, connect and help to change tracks.
History:
Train of Thought grew from a group of Canadian Community Arts producers seeking to exchange and deepen practices.Beginning in the early 2000’s, a group of Canadian community play artists and producers began an ongoing conversation. Through periodic visits and a series of Canadian Community Play Symposia, held in different regions alongside large-scale community arts productions, they explored how this field might grow and connect across distances.
Ruth Howard and Ted Little hatched the notion of Train of Thought while travelling together from Vancouver to Enderby in 2004. The idea also built on an earlier vision by Dale Hamilton, who had imagined a cross-country community play taking place on a train, although she was not able to realize it. Over the years, the idea expanded to include a widening network of artists, disciplines, and cultural perspectives, asking how community-engaged arts might connect across geography, culture, and history.
As the notion of a cross-country community arts convening grew, Jumblies and partners asked what theme merited such a huge undertaking, leading to a focus on collaborations/alliances between First Nations and settler/immigrants: the m#86C6E5ost challenging and urgent matter with which we were all grappling from our different regional and cultural perspectives.
To bring the project into being, Ruth Howard and Jumblies gained partners and funding for a multi-year national community arts learning endeavor with Train of Thought as the culminating event. In the three years leading up to the 2015 journey, Jumblies delivered workshops with partners across Ontario and Canada, and the route, relationships, and themes of Train of Thought emerged directly from this process.
The resulting route was intentionally limited and idiosyncratic: shaped by existing relationships, resources, and circumstance. It followed a path across a relatively southern Canada, spending significant time in Ontario and inevitably leaving out many places.
The travelling cohort was also fluid and shaped by both desires and practical circumstances. In the spirit of community-engaged practice, the desire to include everyone was both genuine and impossible. And, in the spirit of theatre, as the time approached, the journey moved forward regardless—imperfect, evolving, and alive.
Project Gallery
Timeline
Timeline & Route:
May 6, 2015 - Send-off of first travellers (Ruth Howard and Ange Loft) from Toronto to Victoria.
May 7, 2015 — Victoria, BC
Partners: From the Heart (Will Weigler)
Initial Train of Thought interdisciplinary performance workshop, From the Heart book launch.
May 8–12 — Vancouver, BC
Partners: Vancouver Moving Theatre (Savannah Walling & Terry Hunter), Vancouver Park Board, Round House Community Centre,
Part of Tracks, Canadian Community Play and Arts Symposium; official launch and send-off for the Train of Thought journey.
May 14–16 — Enderby, BC
Partners: Runaway Moon Theatre (Cathy Stubington), Splatsin First Nation
Workshops and gatherings on Secwépemc (Shuswap) Territory.
May 17–18, Edmonton, AB
Partners: Ground Zero Productions (Don Bouzak), Rising Sun Theatre Society, Ground and the Edmonton Community Arts Network
Workshops, food, performances, site visits, conversations.
May 19–20, Saskatoon, SK
Partners: Common Weal Community Arts (Judy Norton), Bruce Sinclair
Workshops, feast, evening showcase with local artists and community members.
May 21–23, Winnipeg, MB
Partners: ACI Manitoba, Urban Indigenous Theatre Co (Columpa Bobb)
Central part of ACI Manitoba’s Community Arts Conference: arrival drumming ceremony at Winnipeg Train Station, feast (Choo Choo!), exhibition, workshops, panels.
May 24, Sioux Lookout, ON
Partner: Municipality of Sioux Lookout
Arrival pancake breakfast at Sioux Looking Train Station, workshop with school children.
May 24-25, Kenora, ON
Partner: Kenora Association for Community Living (KACL) and Community Arts Hub
Workshop with mixed ability participants, meal.
May 26–27, Thunder Bay, ON
Partners: CAHEP (Alana Forslund), Baggage Building Arts Centre
Welcoming feast, Workshop with artists and community members.
May 27, Sudbury, ON (Arrival)
Partner: Myths & Mirrors (Sarah King Gold)
Welcoming ceremony with local artists and Elders.
May 28–30, Nipissing First Nation / North Bay, ON
Partner: Aanmitaagzi (Penny Couchie & Sid Bobb)
Story-development, mask-making and rehearsals at Big Medicine Studio, for a performance by Train of Thought travellers of an Anishenaabe tale, performance at North Bay Capital Centre as part of the Dream Big conference.
May 31-June 1, Wikwemikong First Nation, Manitoulin Island, ON
Partner: Debajehmujig Storytellers
Feast, tour, creative activities and storytelling.
June 2–3, Mississauga First Nation / /Blind River, ON
Partners: Thinking Rock Community Arts (Robin Sutherland, Miranda Bouchard), Mississauga First Nation, AlgomaTrad (Julie Schryer, Pat O’Gorman)
Movement and theatre workshop, music-making, Indigenous-led ceremony.
June 4–5, Sudbury, ON (Return)
Partner: Myths & Mirrors (Sarah King Gold)
Art-making with community members, feast, send-off ceremony.
June 6–11, Toronto, ON
Partners: Jumblies (Ruth Howard, Ange Loft), Mabelle Arts (Leah Houston), Community Arts Guild (Beth Helmers), Making Room (Michael Burtt), First Story Toronto.
Major urban gatherings and events including:
Union Station arrival and ceremony
MABELLEarts Park Celebration
Cedar Ridge/Community Arts Guild creative event
First Story Bus Tour
Choral performance of Under the Concrete (by Martin van de Ven) at The Ground
Toronto send-off at Union Station
June 9-10, Windsor & Brantford, ON
Partners: Arts Council Windsor and Region, Six Nations (Ayannah Maracle)
Parallel gatherings, arts workshops and presentations.
June 11, Kingston, ON
Partner: Queens University Stage & Screen Studies (Lib Spry, Clarke Mackey, Julie Salverson)
Welcoming ceremony, presentation, workshop, feast.
June 12–13, Pikwakanagan First Nation & Killaloe, ON
Land-based gatherings, performances, and community celebration,
Partner/Lead Artist: Ottawa Valley Community Arts (OV-CAOS), Andy Trull.
June 13-14, Ottawa, ON
Partner: Magnetic North Festival
Outdoor installation drop-in activities and Runaway Moon giant fabric game, ‘Blanket’ workshop.
June 14–16, Kahnawà:ke & Montreal, QC
Partners: Concordia Theatre and Development (Rachael Van Fossen), Contactivity and NDG Senior Centres, RECCA, Art Hives/ Ruches D'Art
Workshops, feast, conversation, presentations, performance, art-making and conversations - part of Rachael Van Fossen’s ‘Encountering Train of Thought’ undergraduate course, and Rencontres-Encounters theatre project.
June 17, Kahnawà:kel, QC
Partner: Kahnawà:ke First Nation (Ange Loft)
Feast, community play presentation, art-making.
June 18–21, Halifax & Nova Scotia
Partners: Halifax Circus (Mike Hirschbach), The Deanery Project (Kim Thompson), Wonder’neath (Heather Wilkinson, Melissa Marr)
Welcoming ceremony - Aerial silks & stilting (Halifax Circus) and drumming (Eastern Eagles) - at Halifax Train Station, clown and performance workshops culminating in a public Summer Solstice presentation.
June 22–23, Abegweit, PEI
Partners: Abegweit First Nation, Rock Barra Retreat, Eliza StarChild Knockwood
Community lobster feast, final gatherings and reflections, water ceremony.
Collaboration
This program was in collaboration with:
Timeline & Route:
May 6, 2015 - Send-off of first travellers (Ruth Howard and Ange Loft) from Toronto to Victoria.
May 7, 2015 — Victoria, BC
Partners: From the Heart (Will Weigler)
Initial Train of Thought interdisciplinary performance workshop, From the Heart book launch.
May 8–12 — Vancouver, BC
Partners: Vancouver Moving Theatre (Savannah Walling & Terry Hunter), Vancouver Park Board, Round House Community Centre,
Part of Tracks, Canadian Community Play and Arts Symposium; official launch and send-off for the Train of Thought journey.
May 14–16 — Enderby, BC
Partners: Runaway Moon Theatre (Cathy Stubington), Splatsin First Nation
Workshops and gatherings on Secwépemc (Shuswap) Territory.
May 17–18, Edmonton, AB
Partners: Ground Zero Productions (Don Bouzak), Rising Sun Theatre Society, Ground and the Edmonton Community Arts Network
Workshops, food, performances, site visits, conversations.
May 19–20, Saskatoon, SK
Partners: Common Weal Community Arts (Judy Norton), Bruce Sinclair
Workshops, feast, evening showcase with local artists and community members.
May 21–23, Winnipeg, MB
Partners: ACI Manitoba, Urban Indigenous Theatre Co (Columpa Bobb)
Central part of ACI Manitoba’s Community Arts Conference: arrival drumming ceremony at Winnipeg Train Station, feast (Choo Choo!), exhibition, workshops, panels.
May 24, Sioux Lookout, ON
Partner: Municipality of Sioux Lookout
Arrival pancake breakfast at Sioux Looking Train Station, workshop with school children.
May 24-25, Kenora, ON
Partner: Kenora Association for Community Living (KACL) and Community Arts Hub
Workshop with mixed ability participants, meal.
May 26–27, Thunder Bay, ON
Partners: CAHEP (Alana Forslund), Baggage Building Arts Centre
Welcoming feast, Workshop with artists and community members.
May 27, Sudbury, ON (Arrival)
Partner: Myths & Mirrors (Sarah King Gold)
Welcoming ceremony with local artists and Elders.
May 28–30, Nipissing First Nation / North Bay, ON
Partner: Aanmitaagzi (Penny Couchie & Sid Bobb)
Story-development, mask-making and rehearsals at Big Medicine Studio, for a performance by Train of Thought travellers of an Anishenaabe tale, performance at North Bay Capital Centre as part of the Dream Big conference.
May 31-June 1, Wikwemikong First Nation, Manitoulin Island, ON
Partner: Debajehmujig Storytellers
Feast, tour, creative activities and storytelling.
June 2–3, Mississauga First Nation / /Blind River, ON
Partners: Thinking Rock Community Arts (Robin Sutherland, Miranda Bouchard), Mississauga First Nation, AlgomaTrad (Julie Schryer, Pat O’Gorman)
Movement and theatre workshop, music-making, Indigenous-led ceremony.
June 4–5, Sudbury, ON (Return)
Partner: Myths & Mirrors (Sarah King Gold)
Art-making with community members, feast, send-off ceremony.
June 6–11, Toronto, ON
Partners: Jumblies (Ruth Howard, Ange Loft), Mabelle Arts (Leah Houston), Community Arts Guild (Beth Helmers), Making Room (Michael Burtt), First Story Toronto.
Major urban gatherings and events including:
Union Station arrival and ceremony
MABELLEarts Park Celebration
Cedar Ridge/Community Arts Guild creative event
First Story Bus Tour
Choral performance of Under the Concrete (by Martin van de Ven) at The Ground
Toronto send-off at Union Station
June 9-10, Windsor & Brantford, ON
Partners: Arts Council Windsor and Region, Six Nations (Ayannah Maracle)
Parallel gatherings, arts workshops and presentations.
June 11, Kingston, ON
Partner: Queens University Stage & Screen Studies (Lib Spry, Clarke Mackey, Julie Salverson)
Welcoming ceremony, presentation, workshop, feast.
June 12–13, Pikwakanagan First Nation & Killaloe, ON
Land-based gatherings, performances, and community celebration,
Partner/Lead Artist: Ottawa Valley Community Arts (OV-CAOS), Andy Trull.
June 13-14, Ottawa, ON
Partner: Magnetic North Festival
Outdoor installation drop-in activities and Runaway Moon giant fabric game, ‘Blanket’ workshop.
June 14–16, Kahnawà:ke & Montreal, QC
Partners: Concordia Theatre and Development (Rachael Van Fossen), Contactivity and NDG Senior Centres, RECCA, Art Hives/ Ruches D'Art
Workshops, feast, conversation, presentations, performance, art-making and conversations - part of Rachael Van Fossen’s ‘Encountering Train of Thought’ undergraduate course, and Rencontres-Encounters theatre project.
June 17, Kahnawà:kel, QC
Partner: Kahnawà:ke First Nation (Ange Loft)
Feast, community play presentation, art-making.
June 18–21, Halifax & Nova Scotia
Partners: Halifax Circus (Mike Hirschbach), The Deanery Project (Kim Thompson), Wonder’neath (Heather Wilkinson, Melissa Marr)
Welcoming ceremony - Aerial silks & stilting (Halifax Circus) and drumming (Eastern Eagles) - at Halifax Train Station, clown and performance workshops culminating in a public Summer Solstice presentation.
June 22–23, Abegweit, PEI
Partners: Abegweit First Nation, Rock Barra Retreat, Eliza StarChild Knockwood
Community lobster feast, final gatherings and reflections, water ceremony.