ontario

LONDON DAY EIGHT – a grand downtown day!

8:30am ghost stories at The Grand!  This theatre is a lively place with some super smart women at the helm.  We were thrilled to talk The Tale of a Town with them and hear their spin on what is turning around downtown. Here they are – Susan, Andrea and Deb – the leaders of the pack!

Next, we took off to the marked.  HOLY MOLY THIS MARKET IS SOOOOO COOL!  I can’t believe we haven’t been inside yet and Charles literally had to drag me out later.  While inside, we met with the unofficial mayor of the market, Ian Greasley - owner of BLOOMERS in the Market.  Ian is a man who knows how to tell a story.  The best one was about when the rolled up sleeves of his leather jacket caused a dozen glasses to break at Birks Jewelry in the 70’s.  The manager came over and told the long haired, misfit seeming young man, not to worry about it – “these things happen”… and that is why Ian, to this day, has never held anyone up in his store for breakage.  But Ian told us that once you've heard the story, you don’t get off the hook so easily if you break something...  so we were still careful weaving through his delicate goods on our way out.

Next, we rushed over to City Hall to meet Judy Bryant, the city councilor for downtown London.  She took us up onto the top floor where we could overlook the entire city.  Judy does lots of her thinking and planning from up here, she told us.  She sees more density and high-rise buildings in the future.  Here’s the view of downtown from above today: 

The afternoon took us to The Sentimentalist where we met with rad Miranda in her vintage clothing shop.  Miranda gave us the goods on the punk scene, the new wave styles and the Brunswick, or “The 'Wick”, as it was called to those who frequented it.  We heard about the sadness that surrounded the tearing down of the Talbot block and other indie cornerstones of downtown.  It was a real treat to talk to Miranda, and it was really difficult not to buy everything in this wicked shop…

Later, we had our long awaited tour with the one and only Kathy McLauglin.  She took us on an in-depth walk through downtown pointing out almost every building to tell us its story - the dreams of the business owners, the desires of the landlords, the history, the architecture, the revitalization plans…   While walking with Kathy we felt somewhat like celebrities, because she knew so many people along the way – and always introduced our project and us.  It is so key to us to have people like Kathy ready and willing to make space and time for artists and new ideas…. And we highly recommend her tour.  You’ll never see the downtown the same way again!

And, if that’s not enough – as I type this, Charles is out with Doug Allen – a former owner of a downtown theatre and a known storyteller.  Hearing Doug's rendition of certain key events that we are following from the past will certainly be a treat because I hear Doug has a few great tales to tell about downtown London…  I look forward to listening to this interview when we start logging all of this material next week!!

A demain!!!!

LONDON DAY SEVEN - one by one...

We had so many interviews jammed in today that Charles and I had to split up.  And for those of you who know the two of us, you have probably noticed we do almost EVERYTHING together.  In fact, I'll let you in on a little secret - we're married too!  So put that in your pipe and smoke it, while you read on... Well, to be honest, the day got off to a slow start with an early morning interview scheduled at the tatoo parlour which did not happen because no one was there yet!  In retrospect, it probably was not the most ideal time to schedule an appointment with a tatoo parlour - but we'll try to catch up with them later...

Next, Charles went off to see the all knowing Mary Brae, a long time Londoner who bought and sold many properties downtown, and I went off solo to an INCREDBLE visit at My Sister's Place.  The women at this drop-in centre awaited me and they were full of nostalgic stories about downtown and opinions on what could be done to improve the city.  I was lucky to get a tour around this beautiful restored heritage house that they call home, and find out about the wealth of programming in this truly welcome, inclusive and positive space which some women told me saved their lives.  I promised to return with ice cream.  And I shall!!

Here I am interviewing one woman who told me that The Forest City has become the Butt City because of all the cigarettes on the streets.  She is lobbying to see this change and she also imagines a future where people on the streets will be more friendly and accepting to everyone who passes by - regardless of social economic class or colour.   I like the way she thinks...

While I trotted back from this glorious place, Charles was interviewing Long Phun at the amazing Tamarine and then we both headed to meet JOEeph KOOLafski, a.k.a., Mike Smith.  He told us about the good ole’ days downtown, and tales of the buildings, the businesses and the bureaucracy.  We LOVED hearing about the character of JOE KOOL who sometimes makes an appearance in his leisure suit.  Costumes, alter-egos and public displays of goofery – now THAT is something we can dream around for our show!  Thanks Mike / Joe!

Here he is in front of his wall of memories…

LONDON DAY TWO – more talk on tape…

Hey there!  Today was full of interviews, which are proving to be indispensable in providing us with a base from which to launch our questions that we will ask the public from our story mobile on street level. Today we spoke to Kathy Novackas, the extraordinary founder of the London Fringe among a list of other grassroots initiatives.  Kathy told us of the movers and shakers in the arts community downtown and the venues and theatres that pop up around town.  She recounted her own memories of visiting Kingsmills and Roland Hill Shoe Store as a child where her mom would buy her oversized clothing for the year ahead, that she would have to grow between her next annual visit to London Ontario from London England where she spent her childhood.

Next we met with Michael Gibson, who has had an art gallery downtown since 1984, and in its current location on Carling Street since 1997.  Michael wowed us with stories of the 80’s and 90’s on the scene and then how it felt to be part of the circle of people who held hands around the entire Talbot block to protest bulldozing it to build the John Labatt Centre.  When asked about the stigma of downtown London, Michael brought our attention to his flower basket and the two benches he had the city put in across the street from his gallery.  He wishes everyone would follow suit, knowing all the businesses have a vested interest in the improvement of downtown, but what he says is that not everyone agrees with the best way to make it happen…

GIBSON GALLERY

Finally, we had a quick visit with Natalie Boot of Renaissance Massage Therapy and Spa Ltd.  Natalie’s business is inside the Citi Plaza, which used to be the grandiose Galleria Mall.   The Galleria Mall used to house Eaton’s, The Bay, The Gap, Eddie Bauer, and Ralph Lauren, to name a few.  Those stores are long gone, and now there is a beautiful public library, among other smaller stores and services and empty spaces.  We are curious about this enormous structure right smack downtown.  There’s a story there, we are sure of it, and perhaps it will help shed some light on just what happened over the past few decades downtown….

As we walked back into the downtown office a gift awaited us… Felicia, who was visiting London from Vancouver regaled us with her stories of waitressing at the Mascot, and a Casino bar on Dundas Street, and her one day of working at the lunch counter at Kresge’s where the lights were bright outside the building and flickered on and off all day!

ANYONE ELSE REMEMBER THIS?!  SEND US YOUR MEMORIES OF DOWNTOWN LONDON!

CALL 1-855-CAN-TALE  or email us at INFO@FIXTPOINT.COM and add your story to the collective community memory!

ARRIVING IN LONDON TOWN!

We arrived in London town in the evening. Walked around downtown. Not too many people around. Diners, boutiques, haircuts, pawn shops, restaurants, record stores, McDonalds, a library, beautiful old buildings, parking lots where buildings must have been before. A new place to dig. When the sun comes up we will see the light on downtown London. What will we see?!

Check out our article in the London Free Press HERE!

or read all about it below....

Seeking stories of downtown

JULY 16, 2012 CORE: A Toronto production company adds London to its list for its Tale of the Town By: KATE DUBINSKI, The London Free Press

Remember going to the movies in the underground Smuggler's Alley? How about shopping at the Simpson's department store, or visiting the monkey at the old Covent Garden Market?

Your downtown memories will become the foundation for a unique theatre experience coming to London.  

Members of Fixt Point, a Toronto production company, will set up in downtown London starting Thursday, gathering stories about the city's downtown.

They'll be here for two weeks, listening to and recording tales that they'll turn into a theatre and documentary project using the anecdotes and audio footage.

Eventually, they'll come back to London to put on an interactive performance -- a Tale of a Town -- in an empty storefront.

The exact show will be dictated by the stories Londoners tell.

"We know stories about pioneers and settlers, but one of our beliefs is that we should celebrate our recent past more," said Charles Ketchabaw, theatre director for Fixt Point.

"The stories should be in the living memory of people."

A story-mobile -- basically a trailer -- will be set up in various locations downtown from 2 to 4 p.m. daily for the next two weeks, starting Thursday.

People can come in and tell their stories with Ketchabaw and artistic director Lisa Marie DiLiberto. For those who can't make it downtown, a hotline has been set up.

"It's a multi-layered, site-specific documentary project," Ketchabaw said.

The production company will eventually use archives, props, costumes and artists for its performance.

Similar projects have been performed and are ongoing in Toronto, St. Catharines and Huntsville. Ketchabaw also is working on a Tale of a Town in Kampala, Uganda.

"We want people from all walks of life to share their stories," he said. "Everyone's story is equally important. We want to inspire change, to bring people back downtown, to celebrate the entrepreneurs, the owners, the people who live there, the eyes and ears of the place."

Cities, especially city cores, have larger-than-life characters and places that deserve to be highlighted, Ketchabaw said.

The production company has partnered with Downtown London.

"We want to honour the heritage on which our downtown was built," said Kathy McLaughlin, program co-ordinator at Downtown London.

"This is an interesting mix of creativity and technology. We love our past in London but maybe we don't celebrate our present enough."

HUNTSVILLE DAYS THIRTEEN to SIXTEEN – a blur.

It’s difficult to say how it all happened.  But it did!  From all of the interviews, together we selected stories, and sound bytes and scenarios and created four tales to tell at Nuit Blanche North.  We crafted and cringed and created and collected and carried each other through.  We set up lights and sound, put up projections and pictures, we sang and we danced, we laughed and we cried (but mostly laughed), and all we could hope for, was that on Saturday July 14, the people of Huntsville would be proud of what we made from what they gave… We were so busy making our show, we didn't take too many pics, but here's a fun glimpse of our pre-show set up.  Check us out lighting up the night before unit blanche north!

FIXT POINT HITS THE ROAD!!!!

  ... And we're off!!!  THE TALE OF A TOWN X ONTARIO TOUR has just begun.   This summer FIXT POINT is hitting the road to trade ice cream for stories about downtown's and their Main Street tales.  Which people will we meet?   What stories will we find? What will we create?

THANKS to our supporters who have helped us get on our way.  Without you there would be no way.  Wait - that's united way.  But I’m talking about our way - across Ontario this summer.  You have fuelled us with ingenuity and creative spirit.  And you are with us on this adventure!

A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO:

CHAPMAN'S ICE CREAM THE HIVE ONTARIO ARTS COUNCIL THE WALRUS CBC ONTARIO MORNING HUNTSVILLE FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS DOWNTOWN LONDON

STOP ONE: HUNSTVILLE!

FIXT POINT will be in town June 26 to July 15!

While we are here, you can find us doing one of the following things: * Trading Chapman's ice cream for stories about downtown in our storymobile! * Sharing some of the gathered stories CBC Ontario Morning every Friday and Monday! * Listening to interviews, editing interviews and mapping stories online! * Creating a site-specific theatre installation for NUIT BLANCHE NORTH on July 14 in  downtown Huntsville!

SEE YOU ON MAIN STREET!!

Watch here for updates and if you'd like to learn more about the tour, where we are going, our supporters and how you can drop us line with your Main Street story visit HERE