Theatre that entertains, engages, empowers, and inspires us to
interact positively with each other and our environments.
  
 
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What We Do

Shadowland creates theatre that is expressive in style, highly imaginative in concept and spectacular in execution. Masks, puppetry, stilts, live music, fire and evocative visual imagery draw audiences into worlds where stories unfold and dreams are unravelled.

Shadowland was founded in 1983 and is based on Toronto Island.

Artistic Directors are Anne Barber and Brad Harley.

As professional theatre and visual artists, company members have drawn on the influences of Welfare State International (UK), Bread and Puppet Theater (US) and Peter Minshall and Caribbean Carnival.

Our mission is to:
• develop a strong visual style of theatre using puppetry, mask and animated sculpture;
• write and produce new works for non-traditional theatre settings;
• stage outdoor pageants and processional theatre events;
• provide workshops to develop the creative talents of children and adults;
• work with cultural and community groups to develop relevant and challenging theatre;
• design and build sets, props and costumes designers for other theatre companies.

  

Shadowland's first production was Island Follies, an outdoor, vaudeville style history of the Toronto Islands with a cast of theatre professionals and 100 community participants. Since then we have created several such critically-acclaimed outdoor shows on Toronto Island where audiences are greeted at the Ward’s Island ferry dock and are taken on a theatrical journey through the landscape and their imaginations.

Shadowland Workshops

Shadowland artists conduct workshops in puppetry, mask making, stilt walking, parade techniques and performance skills. We often employ a mas’ camp style of workshops where collective creativity accommodates a few or a few hundred participants.

For more information please contact us!

 

Shadowland is grateful to the following organisations for their support:

Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, Canada Council, Toronto Public Health Drug Prevention Community Investment Program,
Theatre Ontario's Youth Theatre Training Program funded by the Ontario Arts Council, St. Andrew-by-the-Lake Anglican Church.
Many thanks to our numerous individual donors and supporters, especially from
the Toronto Island community.
Web design and maintenance by Baye Hunter www.bayehunter.com.

 
Thank you to all the photographers who contributed to this site especially Gera Dillon, David Smiley and Robert Bernecky.