April 1 – June 5

11:00 AM – 5:00 PM

72 Perth Avenue
72 Perth Ave
Toronto ON
M6R 2C2

Description

Image of Storytelling at 72 Perth Avenue

In Person  |  Storytelling

Join us at 72 Perth Ave for Storytelling sessions led by Jeffrey Canton and Melissa Davidson.

Storytelling sessions combine modes of conventional interpretation with artist-led, narrative and embodied responses. Storytellers offer weekly guided sessions, informal conversations, and spot tours to intergenerational audiences at TBA’s main sites. Sharing personal insights and experiences of the city as well as offering perspectives on the artworks within the exhibitions, they guide visitors through the research and artist practises that form What Water Knows, The Land Remembers.

Weekly Schedule
Fridays 11am–12pm, 2–3pm, and 6:30–7:30pm
Saturdays and Sundays from 11am–12pm and 4–5pm

April 1–3, 8–10, 16–17, 22–24, 29–30
May 1, May 6–8, 13–15, 20–22, 27–29
June 3–5

American Sign Language Interpretation
The following Storytelling Sessions at 72 Perth will be accompanied by an ASL–English interpreter:

  • Friday, April 29, 2022, 6–7pm
  • Friday, May 13, 2022, 6–7pm
  • Friday, May 27, 2022, 2–3pm

Bios

Over the last three decades, Jeffrey Canton (he/him) has shared both original stories that dig deep into the strata of Toronto’s history as well as, with a little soft-shoe and a gay show tune or two, his own queer past, and folk and fairy tales (especially stories) that connect him to his Jewish heritage. A long-time member of Queers in Your Ears, Toronto’s only LGBTQ2S Storytelling Collective, he’s spent the pandemic adding to his original queerstory “Tales of an All-Canadian Queer Childhood”, the first part of which he told at the Toronto Storytelling Festival at Harbourfront Centre in 2006. He’s been ZoomTelling both in Toronto, across Canada, and as far afield as Arirang Nights of Storytelling in Korea. He also teaches the course “Transformations” for Storytelling Toronto. Most recently, he acted as a storytelling coach for Arts and Human Rights Organization JAYU and Qu’Arts Ottawa’s “Stories Beyond Status” which recognizes fourty years of AIDS/HIV in Canada. Jeffrey was the winner of the Alice Kane Award from Storytelling Toronto in 2018 and in January was the recipient of a Recommender Grant from the Ontario Arts Council. He is also the Children’s Books columnist for The Globe and Mail.

Melissa (Melly) Davidson (she/they) is a queer, Arab-Canadian interdisciplinary artist and arts educator. Melly’s pursuit of interdisciplinary arts includes street dance, spoken word, page poetry, and mixed media. She has been performing and competing in slams across Turtle Island since 2017, and was the co-champion of the 2019 FEMS Empowerments Slam. Melly’s primary focus has been developing poetry workshops and programs that prioritize play and exploration for local community members. Her work can be found in Arc Poetry Magazine and Pigeon Pages. Melly is part of a Lebanese diaspora which settled and found refuge in Jamaica. Originally from Mohkínstsis (Calgary, Alberta) she is now based out of Tkaronto (Toronto, Ontario). Melly is currently moved by the Fast & Furious franchise, keychains, and post-ironic playlists.