What We Do
Shadowland Theatre works with communities to unearth their distinctive histories, create new stories and celebrate special events. We animate streets, parks, and public spaces with our bold design sensibility and raucous theatricality.
Community Collaborations
Shadowland partners with a wide range of cultural and community organizations to bring local histories and celebrations to life. Together, we craft stories, images and events that go beyond our individual expectations, and where the whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts. Collective creativity powers a process over days, weeks or months that can culminate in performances, parades and multi-year collaborations.
Outdoor Theatre
Shadowland works in rural and urban landscapes and has a strong commitment to environmentally themed, site-engaged work that connects to the rhythms of our natural world. We create large-scale, outdoor shows where the landscapes provide the settings, and local landmarks and community members become the characters. In any story connected to the land Indigenous artists and knowledge-keepers are invited to bring their knowledge to the centre of the work.
Training and Mentorship Opportunities
Shadowland is committed to the development of artistic practice, particularly amongst young people and emerging artists. We provide placements, training and summer internships offering participation in the full creative process from idea to actualization. We offer long-term internships for those entering, or expanding their knowledge in the community-engaged, performing arts fields. Contact us if you are interested in these opportunities.
Design
Shadowland’s unique design sensibility has graced the stages of many other companies including – VideoCabaret, Cinetic Creations, Sheatre, Harbourfront Centre, the AGO and others. Led by designer Brad Harley, Shadowland is known for a bold, expressive style, the ability to form simple cardboard into dramatic props, and the creation of immersive landscapes and sets. Shadowland has been awarded three Dora Mavor Moore Awards for Outstanding Costume Design.
Youth Programming
We offer many opportunities for young people to express themselves through theatre arts. Programs in mask, puppetry and performance suit a wide range of learners’ interests and abilities. Weekly theatre sessions for Toronto Island young people produce an annual Mummers play in winter, and stilt workshops in the summer. Shadowland artists have done over 300 residencies in Ontario schools for Grades 4 through high school.
Workshops
Shadowland artists run workshops and extended residencies for emerging and practicing artists and learners of all ages including young people, newcomers, and seniors.
Specific workshops are available in: shadow, rod and hand puppetry; giant puppet construction; mask-making; stilt-walking; parade arts; lantern-making, and more.
We provide high level, practical training with transferable skills, instructional take-aways, and insights into the concepts and philosophy of our work.
