The Why in TYA
Lynda Hill
Zoom
September 9, 2022
10:00 am - 1:00 pm CST
Maximum Participants: 15
ASL interpretation will be available upon request.
WeeFestival's Artistic Director Lynda Hill will lead an interactive workshop exploring the practical and philosophical territories of theatre and performance for young audiences in our current Canadian context and internationally. We will explore the space between the presentational and relational and the spectrum of possibilities in creating theatre for, by, and with young people.
About Lynda Hill
Lynda Hill is a director, dramaturg, arts educator, curator, and creative producer with a passionate belief in the transformative power of arts in the lives of young people and the right of every child to experience and participate in arts and culture.
Lynda led Theatre Direct Canada from 2001 until 2019 oversaw the creation and production of dozens of award-winning productions that engaged audiences in Toronto and toured provincially, nationally, and internationally. Highlight productions include Beneath the Banyan Tree, Sanctuary Song, Binti’s Journey,Old Man and the River with Thomas Morgan Jones, and Flying Hearts with Michelle Silagy. In 2014 she curated the inaugural WeeFestival of Arts and Culture as a project of the company. The festival became a separate charitable organization under her leadership in 2019 and separated from Theatre Direct.
While at Theatre Direct, Lynda conceived a range of innovative arts education projects with schools and designed and developed the company’s drama school including a unique early childhood curriculum for children under 6 years. The company’s drama and storytelling outreach initiative, The Firefly Project, engaged over 5,000 kindergarten students in schools across Toronto from 2012-2017. Lynda has shared her approach with educators through professional development workshops for various school boards and organizations.
In 2013 Lynda attended the International Study Week at the Loris Malaguzzi Centre in Reggio Emilia, in 2017 represented Canada in the ASSITEJ International Directors Seminar and in 2020 participated in Oily Cart Theatre’s virtual International Sensory Lab.
Prior to joining Theatre Direct, Lynda worked extensively as a director with a focus on the creation and production of new work with Nightwood Theatre, Cahoots Theatre Projects, Native Earth Performing Arts, and Urban Ink. In 1996, as a fellow of Akademie Schloss Solitude in Germany, she co-created the multi-media performance installation No Place Like Home, with designer Cary Gayler.
From 1993 -1999, she directed a number of radio dramas for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation including the first 5-channel surround broadcast of Strindberg’s A Dream Play. She also served as a Theatre Officer for the Ontario Arts Council, Co-Artistic Director of Cahoots Theatre, and Associate Artistic Director of Nightwood Theatre.
Lynda is currently completing her Master in Theatre Studies at York University and preparing for the next edition of the 2023 WeeFestival.