Jumblies WORKS 25yrs

https://jumbliestheatre.org/

Jumblies Theatre emerged from Ruth Howard’s long-standing interest in creating art with, for and within communities.

Its roots can be traced to Ruth’s work in large-scale collaborative community plays, beginning with The Spirit of Shivaree in Rockwood, Ontario, in 1990. This form of community theatre, inspired by the work of Anne Jellicoe, Jon Oram and the Colway Theatre Trust in the United Kingdom, brought professional artists and local residents together to create productions shaped by regional history, lived experience and collective imagination.

Throughout the 1990s, Ruth carried these values into school pageants, puppet performances, neighbourhood parades and community celebrations. These projects were designed to include children, families, artists and people with little or no previous performance experience. Productions such as The Seven Ravens, the Camp Naivelt pageants and the Kensington Youth Theatre and Education puppet projects expanded her practice across theatre, visual art, storytelling, movement and music.

A significant turning point came through Ruth’s work with WoodGreen Neighbourhood House in South Riverdale. What began as a series of giant-puppet-making workshops developed into the multi-year South Riverdale Lives and Legends project and the 2000 outdoor community play Twisted Metal and Mermaids Tears. Presented in Jimmy Simpson Park, the production wove together neighbourhood history, oral testimony, several languages, music, puppetry and a Chinese folk tale.

The project also formed lasting relationships with community participants, including Al and Norma Levitt, who became central members of Jumblies’ creative community. Al went on to build puppets and perform in every Jumblies production until his death in 2012, while Norma became a dedicated maker, performer and supporter of the company.

At the same time, Ruth continued developing community-based work in other Toronto neighbourhoods. Through ArtStarts, she led workshops in the St. Clair and Oakwood area and later in Lawrence Heights, culminating in the outdoor production I’m Tapingi Too! in 2001.

Following the success of these projects, Ruth incorporated Jumblies Theatre as a not-for-profit arts organization in February 2001. The company was created to sustain and deepen this collaborative practice: bringing artists and communities together over extended periods of research, creation, production and legacy-building.

Over the following two decades, Jumblies expanded into a network of residencies, productions, learning programs and independent offshoot organizations. Its work continued to explore where art happens, who participates, which stories are told and how artistic processes can create lasting relationships, memories and opportunities within communities.

Project Gallery

Teatro Jumblies.webp

Jumblies_TheMagicFish_2003.jpg

Jumblies_LikeAnOld Tale_Ship_2011.webp

Teatro Jumblies.webp

1/9

Timeline

1990 — The Spirit of ShivareeRuth Howard designs this large-scale outdoor community play in the ruined Harris Woolen Mill in Rockwood, Ontario. Produced by Dale Hamilton and directed by Jon Oram, the project helps introduce the Colway-style community play model to Canada.

1992 — Ka’Ma’Mo’Pi’Cik / Pa’Ko’Pi’Ci’WakRuth co-designs a community play in Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan. The project is remounted in 1994 and contributes to the formation of Common Weal Community Arts.

1993 — Many HandsRuth designs a community play produced by Everyone’s Theatre Company and the Blyth Festival.

1993–1998 — School Pageants and Community PuppetryRuth develops pageants, performances, parades and puppet projects with Toronto schools and community organizations, including The Little Snowgirl, The Spirit of Winter, Alpha Alternative School’s anniversary pageant and The Seven Ravens.

1995 — Torbay TempestRuth designs a community play in the United Kingdom with Claque Theatre.

1996–1998 — Camp Naivelt PageantsRuth collaborates with artists and community members on A Meisheh for the New World and Arum Dem Fayer.

1998 — Kensington and Harbourfront Puppet ProjectsRuth leads mask-making, parade and giant-puppet projects with Kensington Youth Theatre and Education and Harbourfront Centre.

1998 — WoodGreen Giant Puppet WorkshopsRuth is invited to lead puppet-making workshops at WoodGreen Neighbourhood House. The resulting “Spirit of Food” puppet sparks a larger South Riverdale community arts project.

1998–2000 — South Riverdale Lives and LegendsA multi-year collaboration develops through workshops, oral-history research, neighbourhood partnerships and artistic creation.

2000 — Twisted Metal and Mermaids TearsThe outdoor community play is presented in Jimmy Simpson Park. It combines local history, oral testimony, multiple languages, music, dance, puppetry and community performance.

2000–2001 — Lawrence Heights ProjectRuth leads storytelling and arts workshops through ArtStarts, first near Oakwood and St. Clair and later in Lawrence Heights.

2001 — I’m Tapingi Too!The Lawrence Heights project culminates in an outdoor performance inspired by a Haitian folk tale and involving more than 40 community participants.

February 2001 — Jumblies Theatre FoundedFollowing the success of Twisted Metal and Mermaids Tears, Ruth incorporates Jumblies Theatre as a not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to collaborative community arts.

2001–2004 — Arts4All ResidencyJumblies begins a multi-year residency at Davenport Perth Neighbourhood Centre, leading to projects including More or The Magic Fish, The Land of 3 Doors and Once A Shoreline.

2004 — Once A ShorelineThe production culminates three years of workshops, oral-history gathering and collaboration with professional artists and more than 100 community participants.

2005–2009 — New Projects and OffshootsJumblies develops projects in Davenport Perth, Mabelle-Dundas and other Toronto neighbourhoods. Arts4All and MABELLEarts emerge as lasting community arts initiatives.

2006 — Jumblies Studio EstablishedThe company creates a more intentional learning and mentorship program for artists interested in community-engaged practice.

2007 — Bridge of One HairA large-scale original musical production grows from Jumblies’ three-year Etobicoke residency and the poetry and life story of Somali poet Hawa Jibril.

2008–2012 — Community Arts Guild ResidencyJumblies begins a multi-year East Scarborough residency that leads to Like an Old Tale and the formation of the Community Arts Guild.

2015 — Train of ThoughtJumblies undertakes a national, mobile community arts project linking artists, communities and conversations across Canada.

2016–2021 — Touching Ground and Talking TreatiesA series of interdisciplinary projects explores land, history, treaties, memory and relationships through performance, visual art, music and public participation.

2019–2024 — Grounds for GoodnessJumblies develops a multi-year project exploring how people understand, practise and imagine goodness.

2023 onward — New DirectionsJumblies enters a new phase of artistic leadership and organizational development while continuing its commitment to collaborative, community-engaged art.