CODE on the Road Toronto 2024

Dynamic Creation Workshop

Workshop Description: Our drama workshop uses creative techniques for original work based on structured improvisation, allowing students the freedom to explore and expand their artistic boundaries. As an ensemble, students discover physical, textual and vocal compositional skills, and are encouraged to follow their creative impulses, developing their own movement, text and song. By the conclusion of the workshop, students will be challenged to integrate all elements, shaped through Theatre Gargantua’s signature style of multidisciplinary theatre. Workshops are ideally suited for drama, dance and music students and can be adapted to cross-curricular activities and goals. Through this workshop, teachers will be equipped with new skills and techniques in creating theatre, which can be incorporated into their student's performance work.

A leading multi-disciplinary theatre company, Theatre Gargantua celebrates 30 years of multi-award-winning theatre creation in Toronto. Beginning with an inspired concept, the company creates new work across 2-years through several exploratory workshops and presentations.  Productions explore socially relevant themes through dynamic theatricality, expertly blending innovative technology, provocative text, acrobatic-like choreography, live vocal compositions, and media into a signature style- earning Gargantua a distinct place within Canadian theatre ecology.
With over 30 Dora Mavor Moore nominations and awards, Gargantua’s artistic leadership have been honored with the Harold Award, George Luscombe Award for Mentorship, and Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for contributions to Canadian culture.  
A Toronto fixture for emerging artist training and mentorship with holistic, collaborative, creation methods the company employs performers, writers, designers, technicians, and artisans from every career level.  The company builds long-lasting relationships with artists, training them in the company methods and cultivating a culture of belonging.

Diane Niec began her adventure with Theatre Gargantua in 1998 as a performer and co-creator, diving into the creation of productions like Raging Dreams, love not love, THE EXIT ROOM, Phantom Limb, and E-dentity. Touring with the company took her to Portland, Montreal, and even the UK, where she not only performed but also helped develop workshops for university students and led master classes. Diane holds degrees in BFA Musical Theatre, BEd, and certifications in Stott Pilates, Yoga, and Leadership Training. These endeavors have fueled her passion for movement and sharing its benefits with others. In addition, Diane has always had a love for music, successfully releasing an EP Waves, in 2019, a compilation of children’s songs that adults can enjoy as well. Now happily settled in the Blue Mountains, Diane teaches kindergarten and music at The Blue Mountain Wilde School, where she combines her love of music, movement, and the great outdoors. When she’s not busy with her students, you’ll likely find her hiking the trails or playing fetch with her dog, Ruby.

Do Dat Legacy: Connecting Canadian Hip Hop History to the Classroom

Workshop Description: This workshop will focus on Toronto Hip Hop dance through the history of Do Dat Entertainment- Toronto’s first professional Hip Hop Dance Agency. Do Dat Entertainment pioneered Toronto’s unique style of hip hop dance by infusing reggae rhythms, with hip hop dance movement and militant formations inspired by African American step dance.

Kayode Brown has been the visionary behind Just BGRAPHIC and has guided his team through a decade of growth and development. Raised in the Jane Finch Community, Kayode’s roots grow deep in it’s foundation; his family has been a part of the fabric, progression and evolution since the late 80’s. Father of four, son of a Minster and retired Toronto District School Board principal, Kayode comes from a foundation of education, community development and the arts. 

Charlene Hines-Francis is one of the first female hip hop dancers of Do Dat Entertainment; she was an integral member of the organization from its birth.  Mother of four, Charlene is passionate in her advocacy work creating change in areas of Anti - Black racism in the educational system. She teaches dance empowering workshops as well as black history month presentations in the public and catholic school boards in the GTA.

Choreographing consensual physical contact in drama class and productions

Workshop Description: Embodying human connections – such as familial bonds, friendships, and romances – are essential to acting. This workshop shares practices to help encourage exploration of this kind of work work, while helping students to navigate the connection and contact – both between actors and between characters – that these scenes can require. Topics include students’ individual preparation, navigating partnerships, working with text, creating touch-based choreography and alternatives to contact choreography, all with a perspective of play and discovery within mutually agreeable parameters. These practices are in alignment with current industry standards, and can prepare students for scenes of intense primal emotion with touch-based choreography, like scenes of intimacy and action. Participants will gather new knowledge about approaches to intimacy choreography in the industry, and will likely see how their existing knowledge can apply to these standards. The ideal outcome is demystifying touch-based choreography in the high school drama context, and empowering all to joyfully explore these scenes.

Siobhan Richardson is an award-winning Fight Director, Intimacy Director and Coordinator, actor/fighter/singer/dancer, and a teacher. She’s a pioneer voice in Intimacy whose work has taken her across Canada, into the States and throughout Europe. Her intimacy direction has been seen on some of Canada’s premiere stages (National Arts Centre, Shaw Festival, and The Stratford Festival, to name a few). She is currently the intimacy and fight director-in-residence at the Canadian Opera Company, Intimacy instructor at Toronto Metropolitan University, and can often be found as intimacy and fight director for numerous productions in Toronto.
Siobhan sees intimacy direction as a support to joyful creativity, where clear communication and artistic exploration makes space for adventurous exploration. Come to this session prepared to play and move!