Heemin Choi Receives Rare Violin from Canada Council Instrument Bank

Heemin Choi plays his 1768 Januarius Gagliano violin. Photo: Canada Council Instrument Bank

Heemin Choi is one of the 2018 recipients of a rare violin from the Canada Council Instrument Bank.

Two dozen musicians were selected by a peer assessment committee to receive some of the world’s most legendary cellos and violins. 

Over the next three years, Heemin will have the opportunity to play a 1768 Miller Januarius Gagliano violin. Gagliano was an Italian luthier whose father was thought to be a contemporary of the legendary Antonio Stradivari.

Heemin began playing violin at the age of 6. He received a Talent Trust scholarship to assist with his music studies, and completed a bachelor’s degree in music from Dalhousie University's Fountain School of Performing Arts. 

He’s currently a master’s student at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music in Texas.

Heemin won the Canadian Young Artist Competition in 2012, and was the recipient of the Hnatyshyn Developing Artist Grant in 2011. He is the Talent Trust Goodwill Ambassador for 2018.

Heemin has performed throughout North America, Europe and Asia, and recently appeared at the Pond Playhouse in Halifax to perform with cellist and Talent Trust scholarship recipient Ifan Williams for Theatre Arts Guild’s opening of Death and the Maiden.

Jane Archibald, Jennifer Jones in Annelies, presented by the Halifax Camerata Singers

Jane Archibald and Jennifer Jones will perform in the choral Annelies, presented by the Halifax Camerata Singers.

Annelies is based on The Diary of Anne Frank (whose first name was Annelies) by British composer James Whitbourn. 

Jane Archibald will sing the role of Annelies. The full ensemble features Jennifer Jones on violin, Shimon Walt (cello), Graham Lord (clarinet) and Camerata accompanist Lynette Wahlstrom (piano).

The concert takes place at Shaar Shalom Synagogue on Sunday, November 11 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are expected to go quickly — see below for concert details.

Soprano Jane Archibald stars in Annelies on November 11

Jane Archibald received a Talent Trust scholarship to assist with her voice studies. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from Wilfrid Laurier University. She also trained at the Orford Arts Centre and the Tanglewood Music Center. 

She’s performed with Opera Ontario (for Delibes' Lakmé, her professional operatic debut), Toronto Operetta Theatre, Symphony Nova Scotia, the San Frrancisco Opera, and the Vienna State Opera.

The Canadian Opera Company named Jane as their first-ever Artist-in-Residence for their 2017/18 season.

Jennifer Jones performs violin in Annelies on November 11

Jennifer Jones was awarded a Talent Trust scholarship to support her music studies. She trained at the Maritime Conservatory of Music and Dalhousie University, and completed her Master of Music degree in Performance and Pedagogy at Indiana University.

She’s performed as a soloist with the NSYO, Dalhousie Chamber Orchestra, Chebucto Orchestra, Saint John Symphony and Symphony Nova Scotia. She’s currently Assistant Concert Master at Symphony Nova Scotia and first violinist with the Blue Engine String Quartet.

Jennifer is a respected violin teacher, as a faculty member at Acadia University and the Maritime Conservatory of the Performing Arts. She’s taught from her private studio throughout her career, coaching members of the NSYO and serving on the faculty of various summer institutes throughout the Maritimes.

Concert details
Shaar Shalom Synagogue, Halifax
(Pepperell at Oxford Streets)
Sunday, November 11 - 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: purchase online at tickethalifax.com, or 
The Coast offices at 2309 Maynard Street, Halifax

Lux Habrich Selected as Media Arts Scholar for the Centre for Art Tapes Class of 2018-19

Lux Habrich is among the 2018-19 media arts scholars at the Centre for Art Tapes (CFAT). 

Originally from Montréal, Lux moved to Atlantic Canada in 2012 to complete an Interdisciplinary BFA at NSCAD University. She received Talent Trust scholarships in interdisciplinary visual arts to assist with her studies in 2016.

Lux was a participant in Craft Nova Scotia’s Craft LAIR, an eight-week community focused local artist in residence program in 2015, and was a mentee in the 2017-18 Visual Arts Nova Scotia Mentorship Program.

She employs tactile craft processes in her work as she explores their highly political nature as a domestic, feminine and often undervalued form of production.

Details of work by Lux Habrich from CONVERSATIONS: the VANS Mentorship Program exhibition

The CFAT scholarship program is an intensive six months of education and mentorship for artists who will make a media art piece in a medium where they have little to no experience. Artists will learn new art-making skills during the program, and are responsible to complete their projects by the program deadline.

To learn more about Lux, visit her website at luxhabrich.com.

Charley Young Mentors Emerging Nova Scotia Artist in Visual Arts Nova Scotia Mentorship Program

Charley Young will mentor an emerging Nova Scotia artist in VANS 2018-19 Mentorship Program

Visual Arts Nova Scotia has announced the participants of their 2018-19 Mentorship Program. 

The artists are Carrie Allison, Emily Lawrence, Jenny Yujia Shi, and Katharine Vingoe-Cram. The mentors are Ursula Johnson, Peter Dykhuis, Karin Cope, and Charley Young.

The 10-month program supports four dedicated emerging Nova Scotian artists who are individually paired with established artists and mentors. 

Born in Calgary, Alberta, Charley received a Talent Trust scholarship to help support her studies at NSCAD University as she pursued her BFA. In 2012 she received the Charlotte Wilson-Hammond/Visual Arts Nova Scotia Award and the Lieutenant Governor Award.

She holds an MFA from the Maine College of Art in Portland, Maine.

Installation by Charley Young

Charley has been Artist-in-Residence at the Klondike Institute for Arts and Culture in Dawson City, Yukon, the Vermont Studio Centre in Johnson Vermont, and Spark Box Studios in Picton County, Ontario and The Banff Centre, in Banff, Alberta. In 2014 she participated in the Arctic Circle Program Expedition to Svalbard, Norway.

Charley is an interdisciplinary artist whose work is primarily drawing, sculpture, and public installation. She teaches traditional and non-traditional approaches to drawing and printmaking at NSCAD University and Mount Allison University in New Brunswick.

To learn more about Charley Young and see her work, visit her website at charleyyoung.com.

Karen Wyatt in Concert: Blues Deluxe at Neptune Studio Theatre

Karen Wyatt follows her jam-packed summer concert schedule that included her debut with Symphony Nova Scotia and returns to the stage with Blues Deluxe, a two-night tribute to the genre’s greatest performers.

Tickets are going fast for the September 28 and 29 performances (details below).

Karen received Talent Trust scholarships to help support her studies in voice. She attended the Randolph Academy in Toronto, and is a graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City.

A well-known and accomplished performer, she’s one of the nominees for The Coast magazine's 2018 Best of Halifax Readers' Choice Awards.

Blues Deluxe will feature both classic and contemporary blues artists such as Robert Johnson, LaVern Baker, Muddy Waters, Nina Simone, BB King, Billie Holiday, and Aretha Franklin.

The multi-media performances will also showcase many modern blues artists, including The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and Blues Saraceno.

From Karen: “I have absolutely fallen for the blues. I love the heart and soul of the rhythms and melodies, the gritty vocals, the tremendous history and culture of the music.”

She’ll be backed by an 8-piece band, including a horn section and backup singers.

Blues Deluxe details
Friday, September 28
Saturday, September 29
Neptune Studio Theatre, Halifax

Showtime for both nights is 8:00 p.m.

More information, including ticket details for Blues Deluxe, are available at karenmyatt.net.

NAT chantel Selected as Media Arts Scholar for Centre for art Tapes Class of 2018-19

NAT chantel. Photo: Kate Ward

NAT chantel is a hardworking artist. She's been selected as a Media Arts Scholar for the Centre for Art Tapes (CFAT) class of 2018-19.

The CFAT scholarship program is an intensive six months of education and mentorship for artists who will make a media art piece in a medium where they have little to no experience. 

CFAT scholars will learn new art-making skills during the program, and are responsible to complete their projects by the program deadline.

NAT is a primarily self-taught artist who engages repetitive processes to recall memory and personal history as a way to reclaim the body and voice.

NAT chantel's work from NSCCD residency exhibition, Echoes

She was a participant in the 2017-18 VANS Mentorship Program, and the 2018 Summer Professional Development Residency with the Nova Scotia Centre for Craft and Design. 

During the summer of 2018 NAT studied with artist Kate Ward, where she deepened her exploration into textiles.

NAT holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Literature, and received Talent Trust scholarships to assist with her studies in painting and mixed media art. She’s an active member in the Black Artists Network of Nova Scotia, Visual Arts Nova Scotia, and Nova Scotia Basketry Guild.

During her time at CFAT, NAT will incorporate sound and visual art, and will present a performance piece during Nocturne, Halifax’s art at night festival.

To see more of NAT’s work, visit natchantel.com. 

Introducing the Talent Trust and Nova Scotia Arts Endowment Fund 2018 Scholarship Recipients

We're happy to announce the Talent Trust has recently awarded scholarships to 65 emerging Nova Scotian artists in the fields of dance, music, theatre, film, new media, literary arts, and visual arts.

This is a significant increase over the 49 emerging artists who received scholarships in 2017.

The 65 successful scholarship recipients were chosen from a field of 141 applications over two submission periods, March 1 and May 1, 2018. 

Five of the 65 scholarships are supported by the Nova Scotia Arts Endowment Fund at $2,000 each. Talent Trust scholarships totalled $80,000 in 2018.

Applications were received from across the province, from Port Medway to New Glasgow, Antigonish to Prospect Bay. 

An independent, volunteer Scholarship Selection Committee, made up of twelve professional artists, two from each discipline, met in April and again in June to adjudicate the applications and determine scholarship amounts.

Scholarships make a significant difference in the lives of these emerging artists. From India Yeshe Gailey:

“Looking back on the musician I was before beginning music school, I dreamed, but I’m not sure I would have believed, that I could actually accomplish some of the things I can report from the past year. Last winter I published an album of contemporary cello music, in May I toured with the chamber jazz quartet New Hermitage, in June I worked with Philip Glass, I recently found myself in a string quartet with three truly excellent musicians, and now I’m halfway through my master’s study at McGill. It’s all very surreal, especially viewing my life condensed into a pithy list of accomplishments.”

India is currently pursuing her master’s degree in cello performance at McGill University. She received the Talent Trust Yue Lih and Marion Kuo Award in 2017.

Since we were founded in 1944, the Talent Trust has awarded scholarships to over 1,000 recipients.

The Talent Trust is supported by Code+Mortar, the 2011 Canada Games Legacy Fund, The Craig Foundation, RBC Foundation, Craft Nova Scotia, Music Nova Scotia, Visual Arts Nova Scotia, Theatre Nova Scotia, Debut Atlantic, ImmediaC, Pavia Cafe, Allan Carver Creative Partners, the Creative Nova Scotia Leadership Council, Support4Culture, Halifax, Dalhousie Music in Medicine Program and Arts Nova Scotia, as well as many private donors. 

We're pleased to work in partnership with the province to develop and promote our cultural resources for all Nova Scotians.

Congratulations to the Talent Trust and Nova Scotia Arts Endowment Fund Scholarship Recipients

Dance — Ballet

• Julia Barkhouse, Dartmouth 
• Olivia MacLean, Dartmouth
• Katherine McDonald, Halifax
• Mollie Oates-Johnson, Dartmouth
• Maggie Oates-Johnson, Dartmouth
• Aidan Vaudreuil, Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia Arts Endowment Fund Scholarship

Dance — Ballet/Contemporary

• Chloe Bruce, Dartmouth
• Claire Campbell, Head of St. Margaret’s Bay, Nova Scotia Arts Endowment Fund Scholarship
• Carrigan MacDonald, Hammonds Plains
• Stan Tonin, Windsor Junction

Dance — Modern/Contemporary

• Gabrielle Kachan, Halifax
• Lucie Schmidt, Lakeview
• Denver Scott, Halifax

Dance — Choreography

• Aliah Schwartz, Canning

Music — Keyboard (Piano)

• Devin Huang, Bedford
• Lala Lee, Halifax
• Chantal Peng, Wolfville
• Dakota Scott-Digout, Barrington
• Andrew Son, Halifax
• Cindy Thong, Halifax
• Alex (Zixuan) Yang, Bedford

Music — Strings (Cello)

• India Yeshe Gailey, Wolfville

Music — Strings (Violin)

• Leo Hanada, Halifax
• Rose Hanada, Halifax
• Wyatt Johnson, Halifax
• Lilith Richter-Stephenson, Dartmouth

Music — Strings (Bass Guitar)

• Mark Carroll, Valley
• Aidan Zann-Roland, Truro

Music — Voice (Opera)

• Meagan Adams, Halifax
• Ruusu-Maaria Brousseau, Halifax
• Hannah Ernst, Lunenburg
• Laura Johnston, Prospect Bay
• Emma MacEachern, Truro
• Breanna Miller, Hubley
• Natalie Mitchell, New Glasgow
• Morgan Reid, Sydney
• Abigail Sinclair, Halifax
• Shanice Skinner, New Glasgow

Music — Composition

• Ben Coleman, New Glasgow
• Gavin Fraser, Antigonish
• Jessica MacIsaac, Halifax
• Taylor MacGillivray, Halifax

Music — Brass (French Horn)

• Mimisu Lee, Halifax

Music — Brass (Euphonium)

• Ross Macintosh, Truro

Music — Woodwind (Clarinet)

• Lucas March, New Glasgow

Theatre — Acting

• Angus Stevens, Port Medway
• Rebecca Wolfe, Dartmouth

Theatre — Music Theatre

• Katie Cochrane, Bridgewater
• Brent Raddall, Summerville Centre

Visual/Fine Arts —Interdisciplinary

• Emma Allain, Halifax
• Helah Cooper, Lunenburg
• Arjun Lal, Halifax

Visual/Fine Arts — Design/Applied Craft

• Jodie Fox, Mosquodoboit Harbour
• Isaac Fresia, Halifax
• Andrew Gilmour, Halifax
• Jenna Lee, Bedford
• Ahmed Naji, Halifax

Visual/Fine Arts — Painting/Drawing

• NAT chantel, Dartmouth
• Curtis Botham, Bedford
• Caitlin McGuire, Halifax, Nova Scotia Arts Endowment Fund Scholarship
• Letitia Fraser, Halifax, Nova Scotia Arts Endowment Fund Scholarship
• Madeleine West, Halifax

Visual/Fine Arts — Textiles/Fashion

• Brianna West, Halifax
• Jessie McLaughlin, Bedford

Visual/Fine Arts — Typeface Design

• Lee Yuen-Rapati, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Arts Endowment Fund Scholarship

Congratulations to all these emerging artists.

Becka Barker's Animated Short BOUY at the 2018 FIN Atlantic International Film Festival

Becka Barker is one of the filmmakers at the 2018 FIN Atlantic International Film Festival, which runs from September 13 - 20. 

Her “crowd-sourced” hand-drawn animated short Buoy is in the Atlantic Shorts Program 2 lineup that screens September 15 and 17. 

The Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative commissioned Becka to make a short animated film about the Halifax explosion to mark the 100th anniversary in 2017. 

As she dug into her research, she found footage posted online by the Nova Scotia Archives that was shot just two days after the disaster. She was astounded to see so many ordinary Haligonians assisting in rescue efforts and helping where they could.

From Becka: “This is what hit me hardest. Not just because of their grit in the face of such devastation, but because this felt like the Halifax I know. We rely on each other so much to get things done around here. Often, it feels to me like that's the only way. After all, when you live in a depressed economy on the edge of a continent, you simply can't go it alone. This footage and this thought gave me a spark for my project.”

Becka Barker. Photo: CFAT

Becka is known for her use of hand-crafted processes in her film and video work, and Buoy is no exception. She invited members of the public to trace frames she printed from the film footage, and used those to illustrate the tactile way people interacted with the explosion and the century-old images of the aftermath. Buoy is the result of that exploration.

In addition to her Talent Trust scholarships for film studies, Becka's work has been supported by the National Film Board of Canada, Canada Council for the Arts, Arts Nova Scotia, and the Halifax Regional Municipality. 

She’s been regular part-time faculty at NSCAD University since 2005, and was visiting foreign faculty in the Film and Animation Department at SoonChunHyang University in South Korea from 2008-2012.

Buoy screening details 
Atlantic Shorts Program 2

September 15, 2018
Begins at 1:00 p.m.

September 17, 2018
Begins at 9:10 p.m.

To learn more about Becka and her work, visit beckabarker.info.

Violinist Marc Djokic Launches his Debut Album, Solo Seven

Violinist Marc Djokic launches Solo Seven, his debut album of Canadian music on September 22. 

The official launch party takes place in the main foyer of Salle Bourgie at the Musée des beaux-arts in Montréal at 9:30 p.m.

The celebration follows Marc's concert with the MCO (McGill Chamber Orchestra). Composers featured on the album will be in attendance to say a few words about their works. 

Marc began studying with his father, violinist Philippe Djokic, one of Canada’s great soloists, at an early age. He made his first orchestra debut at 14, and his scholarships and awards include a Talent Trust scholarship, an award from Canada Council’s Instrument Bank, and the Governor General’s Millennium Award. He’s been featured on Bravo! television series The Classical Now.

CAMMAC Music Centre named Marc as their first Artist-in-Residence for the 2017-2019 seasons. During his residency he’ll teach, perform, conduct research, and create a commissioned work to be premiered at CAMMAC.

Now based in Montreal, Marc will return to Halifax to appear in the Cecilia Concerts 30th anniversary season with a concert on February 24, 2019. (2019 is also a notable Talent Trust anniversary year — our 75th!)

Solo Seven can be purchased online. Click here for details. To learn more about Marc and explore his music, visit marcdjokic.com.

Shauna MacLeod in Nova Scotia Potters Guild Exhibition QUAFF: To Drink Deeply at Government House in Halifax

Nova Scotia ceramic artist Shauna MacLeod.
Photo credit: Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21

Shauna MacLeod and colleagues from the Nova Scotia Potters Guild exhibit their work in  QUAFF: To Drink Deeply at Government House in Halifax. The show runs from September 20 - October 27.

Shauna graduated from NSCAD University in 2011, and founded Black Crow Pottery in 2012. She’s one of the few ceramic artists who work with red Nova Scotia earthenware clay as her main ingredient.

While studying at NSCAD, Shauna received a number of scholarships, including one from the Talent Trust, as well as honourable mention in an art competition for the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation. 

She’s shown her work in solo and group exhibitions, and participated in the Summer Professional Development Residency with the Nova Scotia Centre for Craft and Design. 

This past summer Shauna was artist in residence at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.

The works in QUAFF will be presented on plinths throughout the public rooms at Government House, displayed amongst the historic furniture. Visitors to the exhibition are invited to pick out a touchstone, which is a small fired-clay memento, made by members of the Potters Guild.

QUAFF exhibition dates include Nocturne, Halifax’s annual celebration of art at night. Artists from the Potters Guild will be on hand to demonstrate throwing on a potter’s wheel and hand-building throughout the evening.

Exhibition details
September 20 - October 27, 2018
Government House
1451 Barrington Street, Halifax

Tuesdays 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. September 25 and 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. October 16
Thursdays 11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. September 20, 27; October 11, 18
Saturdays 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. September 22, October 6, 20, 27
Sunday 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. October 7
NOCTURNE, October 13: 6:00 p.m. - midnight


Check the Nova Scotia Potters Guild website for schedule changes.

An illustrated talk will be given by the Potters Guild on Tuesday, October 2, 2018 - 7:00 p.m. Admission is free. Visit the Government House website to register.

Barbara Hannigan in Lieutenant Governor Masterworks Art Award Panel Discussion at Halifax Central Library

Photo credit: Raphael Brand

Barbara Hannigan, soprano, conductor, Juno and Grammy award winner, will participate in a panel discussion called Artists & Conversation at the Halifax Central Library on September 17.

Artists & Conversation is an annual event that features the creators of the finalist works for the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia Masterworks Arts Award.

Barbara has created a stellar career since receiving a Talent Trust scholarship to assist with her studies at the University of Toronto. 

She earned Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees at U of T, and continued her studies at the Banff Centre for the Arts, the Steans Institute for Young Artists at the Ravinia Festival, the Centre d'arts Orford, and the Royal Conservatory of The Hague.

She performs around the world, with orchestras including The Berlin Philharmonic, Münchner Philharmoniker, Gothenburg Symphony, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, and the Toronto Symphony.

Barbara won Juno and Grammy awards for her album Crazy Girl Crazy. That project has placed her among the five Masterworks Arts Award finalists.

Shortly after her stop in Halifax, she'll star in the world premiere of

Bérénice at the Paris Opera, where she plays the title role. Bérénice takes place at the Palais Garnier from September 26 to October 17.

Artists & Conversation: 
Lieutenant Governor Award Finalists
Monday, September 17, 2018 
6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Paul O'Regan Hall

Halifax Central Library
Admission: free

To learn more about Barbara, visit her website at barbarahannigan.com.

9-year-old Pianist Alex Yang in Performance at Evenings @ Government House

The Talent Trust has partnered with Government House to present a piano recital with scholarship recipient Alex Yang. Alex’s September 18 performance is part of the Evenings @ Government House series.

His repertoire will include pieces by J. S. Bach, Mozart, Chopin, and Beethoven.

At nine years old, Alex is one of our youngest scholarship recipients. He’s studied piano with Lynn Stodola for the past three years, and also plays violin.

Alex won first place in each of his five piano repertoire classes at the 2018 Kiwanis Music Festival, and and was invited to perform at the Festival’s Gala, where he received the Gordon Murray Rising Star Award. 

Alex was the Bronze Prize winner of the 2017 Canadian Music Competition National Final and won the Silver Prize at the 2018 National Final. He was awarded 2018 scholarships for the intermediate group in piano and the junior group in violin by the Nova Scotia Registered Music Teachers’ Association Competition.

Evenings @ Government House concert details
Tuesday, September 18, 2018 - 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Government House, 1451 Barrington Street, Halifax

Arrival Time:  6:30 p.m. - 6:50 p.m.
Admission: Free

Registration open: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 to Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Seating is limited. Anyone wishing to attend must register by calling 902-424-7001 or by filling out the online attendance form (bottom of the page) at Evenings @ Government House.

Charlotte Wilson-Hammond Exhibition In/Visible Comes to Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore

Charlotte Wilson-Hammond with a piece from In/Visible. Photo credit: Elissa Barnard

Talent Trust board member Charlotte Wilson-Hammond brings her exhibition In/Visible to Memory Lane Heritage Village on Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore.

Charlotte has been active in Nova Scotia’s arts community for the past 30 years, serving on the Board of Governors of NSCAD University, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, the Canadian Conference of the Arts, and Canadian Artists Representation (CARFAC). 

She’s also our past chair, and continues to be a respected and active advocate for the arts.

In 2004 Charlotte was awarded the Portia White Prize, a $25,000 award honouring a senior artist in the Province of Nova Scotia. She used part of the award to establish the Charlotte Wilson-Hammond/Visual Arts Nova Scotia Scholarship, which is administered through the Talent Trust.

In/Visible explores the human condition: fragility, ageing, beauty and strength, incorporating images of her own body in the work. 

In/Visible was first exhibited at ARTsPLACE Gallery in Annapolis Royal earlier this year. The exhibition will be at St. F.X. University Gallery November 15 to December 17.

In/Visible
Opening Saturday, September 9, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Exhibition runs September 10 - 16, 2:30 - 2:30 p.m.
Admission: free

The Clam Factory
Memory Lane Heritage Village
28 Clam Harbour Road
Lake Charlotte, Nova Scotia

To learn more about Charlotte and her work, visit her website at charlottewilsonhammond.net.

Mike Hirschbach Presents Uncle Podger's Hat at Ship's Company Theatre

Mike Hirschbach presents Uncle Podger’s Hat at the Kids Stage of Ship’s Company Theatre on September 20 and 21, 2018. 

The performance weaves Mike’s skills at juggling, unicycling and physical comedy into the story of his Uncle Podger.

Ship’s Company Theatre is located in beautiful Parrsboro, Nova Scotia. From their website:

“Children of all ages are delighted by Hirschbach’s ‘tricks' that include playing a saw, conducting and whistling the William Tell Overture, and being kissed by a jack-in-the-box gone nuts - while presented within the gentle, nostalgic context of an adult telling a story about his mentor, his crazy, eccentric Uncle Podger.”

Mike received a Talent Trust scholarship in 1984 and has been a circus artist for 35 years. He performed from 2001-2003 with the Cirque du Soleil’s touring show “Dralion.” 

From 2003 – 2005 he was a Master Trainer with the Cirque’s social outreach program, Cirque du Monde, traveling the world training the trainers in the existing Cirque du Monde programs, upgrading their circus, social and teaching skills in Orlando, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, South Africa and Burkina Faso. 

Since 2005 Mike has served as Artistic Director and Head of Juggling/Circus at Halifax Circus and director of the outreach programs of Circus Circle.

Ticket Information

September 20 - 21

Kids Stage (school matinees)

Adults $12.50

Children $2.00

For tickets call 1-800-565-SHOW (7469)

Box office & theatre: 18 Lower Main St., Parrsboro

Barbara McLean in On & Off the Wall, a Peer Gallery Exhibition at the Chase Gallery in Halifax

Barbara McLean at the opening of
her solo exhibition Timelines in 2017

Barbara McLean and her colleagues at Peer Gallery celebrate their 17th anniversary by presenting On & Off the Wall, an exhibition at the Chase Gallery in Halifax.

Barbara studied at NSCAD University, where she earned her BFA (she received a Talent Trust scholarship to help further her studies as a painter). She also holds a Certificate of Design from Sheridan College. Barbara has taught painting classes for NSCAD Extended Studies and workshops across Nova Scotia.

Her abstract paintings are in corporate and private collections in Canada and abroad, and have been purchased by the Nova Scotia Art Bank.

Peer Gallery, founded in 2001, is a registered cooperative gallery in the town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

The gallery features established Nova Scotia artists who work in a variety of media, including painting, drawing, mixed media, coloured fused glass, wood turning, and printmaking.

Exhibition details:
September 8 - 28, 2018
Chase Gallery, Nova Scotia Public Archives
6016 University Avenue Halifax

Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday - 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. 
Saturday - 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday - closed

Member artists will be in attendance at the gallery from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Peer Gallery member artists: Zalman Amit, Jennie Carton, Jacqueline Cohen, Regina Coupar, Bob Hainstock, Anke Holm, Susan Hudson RCA, Barbara McLean, David Pember, Anne Tweed, George Walford, Tom Ward, Sally Warren, Jane Whitten, and Lisa Wright.