2021 Artist Talk Series
Kim Blackwell In Conversation With...
DIRECTING PROJECT
NEXICOM PRESENTS
4th Line Theatre @ Home
EPIC
WOMEN'S
4th Line Theatre is excited to hold our Winter 2021 Artist Talk series Kim Blackwell In Conversation With… virtually again this year in response to the pandemic and our commitment to keeping our community safe. Audience demand for insightful online arts programming is still high, borne out of the increased amount of time everyone is spending indoors. The winter months are typically a slower time for artistic programming for the outdoor summer theatre, but the theatre will now offer an infusion of entertainment with these eagerly anticipated February events.
4th Line first brought this series online in May of 2020, as a way to bring the world of theatre into people’s homes and the response was overwhelmingly positive. Participants joined live from as far away as Reykjavik, Iceland and more than 2,900 people have viewed recordings of the events online since their original air dates. To watch our 2020 Artist Talk Series, click here
4th Line Theatre remains committed to the strategic priority of hiring and paying artists in 2021. And thanks to the support of longtime sponsor Nexicom, the virtual
Artist Talks Series will again be offered free-of-charge. Nexicom has long illustrated their commitment to the importance of staying connected to their community through their meaningful community support. And now, through this virtual series, they are excited to make possible the engagement of audiences nationwide and even globally.
Kim Blackwell In Conversation With… will focus primarily on female Canadian artists who contribute important and insightful work to their field. Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell cannot wait to launch this Artist Talk Series, as part of 4th Line’s Emerging Women’s Directing Project which was launched in May 2017 to provide female Canadian directors the opportunity to train and work in the
company’s unique community-based and epic model. Proudly sponsored by Supporting Roles Interactive Training Inc. since 2018, the Epic Women’s Directing Project aims to address the issues around gender parity in the performing arts.
KIM BLACKWELL
Managing Artistic Director
“Our Artist Talks have always been some of our most highly anticipated events at 4th Line Theatre,” says Blackwell. “When we went online with our talks in 2020, we were not sure what the response would be to the new format. I was overwhelmed by the number of people who watched my conversations in 2020. I am thrilled to again be sitting down with fascinating women from Canada’s theatre world. As well, I am excited to spend time in conversation with my frequent collaborator Beau Dixon about his life and his career.”
On Tuesday, February 16th, Blackwell will be speaking with Andrea Scott, award-winning actor, writer and producer originally from London, Ontario On Tuesday, February 23rd, Kim has a conversation with Beau Dixon, an award-winning actor, musician, singer/songwriter, playwright, music director, sound designer and current Artistic Associate at 4th Line Theatre.
Thanks to the generous support of sponsors Nexicom and Supporting Roles Interactive Training Inc, admission is free and space is limited to 100 attendees per event, on a first-come, first-serve basis.
All live stream events begin at 7:00 PM EST. Artist Talks on February 2nd, 9th, 16th and 23rd will run approximately 90 minutes including a Q&A session. The live stream events will be hosted on the Zoom video platform.
The series will be live streamed on four consecutive Tuesdays in February, opening Tuesday, February 2nd with Kim Blackwell In Conversation With… Linda Kash. Kash is an award-winning actress, director, teacher and artistic director of the Peterborough Academy of Performing Arts. The series continues on February 9th with Theresa Tova who is an award-winning actor, writer and singer and an arts activist. Tova recently finished four years as President of ACTRA Toronto.
May 2020 Artist Talk Series
Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell is thrilled to launch a new Artist Talk Series, as part of 4th Line’s Emerging Women’s Directing Project, called Kim Blackwell In Conversation With, focusing on Canadian women theatre artists who are pioneers in their field. 4th Line’s Epic Women’s Directing Project was launched in May 2017 to provide female Canadian directors the opportunity to train and work in the company’s unique community-based model and aims to address the issues around gender parity in the performing arts.
The series, which honours the achievements of women in the Canadian theatre landscape, will be live streamed on four Tuesday afternoons in May. The series will open on Tuesday, May 5th with Kim Blackwell In Conversation With Jillian Keiley, an award-winning director from St. John’s, Newfoundland, founder of Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland. Then, on Tuesday, May 12th, the series continues with Judith Thompson, Governor General’s Award-winning playwright, director and theatre educator. Next, on Tuesday, May 19th, the series continues with Kim Blackwell in Conversation With Nancy Palk, acclaimed actor, director, educator and a founding member and resident artist of Toronto’s Soulpepper Theatre Company. Concluding the May Artist Talk series on Tuesday, May 26th is Kim Blackwell In Conversation With Fiona Reid, celebrated, award-winning English-born Canadian television, film, and stage actress.
Kim Blackwell In Conversation With...
KIM BLACKWELL
Managing Artistic Director
“Our Artist Talk events have come to be some of the most popular gatherings at 4th Line. For several years now, I have been wanting to sit down with some of Canada’s most influential women theatre artists to delve deeper into their careers and practice, I am thrilled to be sitting down with women whose work I have long admired.”