With the completion of the first round of the artists-in-residence program complete, the City of Kingston will continue with a second phase of the Grand Theatre Local Arts Residency Program.

These week-long residencies offer space and support to Kingston performing artists to explore new ideas, create, self-direct their research, and nurture new directions in their work, according to a release from the City, dated Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. The inaugural round hosted four artists: Michael C. Duguay, Spencer Evans, Francisco Corbett, and Erin Ball. Videos were filmed on the final day of each residency to profile the artists, and the videos can be found on the Grand Theatre website.

“The inaugural artists-in-residence brought energy, artistry and creativity onto the Regina Rosen stage since being closed to live performance since March 2020,” said Danika Lochhead, Manager, Arts and Sector Development. “We’re thrilled to continue to invest in local artist development through five additional residencies this fall and promote and share the work of these incredible artists with Kingston audiences.”

Miss Emily will kick off the second round the week of September 20-24, 2021, followed by Camille Spencer (October 18-22), Kay Kenney (October 25-29), The Gertrudes (November 8-12), and Gary Rasberry (November 15-19). The artists were selected based on the assessment completed by a committee of professional performing artists this past spring, according to the release.

The Grand Theatre Local Arts Residency program was developed in response to the impact of COVID-19 on the performing arts locally, according to the City. The Program leverages The Grand Theatre’s Regina Rosen Auditorium and is open to Kingston-based artists and collectives working in varying performing arts disciplines. According to the release, the artists were selected this past spring based on submissions assessed by a committee of professional artists featured as part of Grand OnStage.

Artists-in-residence receive:

• In-kind use of a professional workspace in the Regina Rosen Auditorium that will be made available for a duration of one week for performing artists (of varying disciplines) to engage in a self-directed creation process of their choosing.
• Professional guidance from Cultural Services and Grand Theatre staff in Technical Production to aid in the development of the artist’s creative practice.
• Promotional support or production elements necessary to digitally present, perform or provide a talk.
• Funding support through an honourarium of $1,000 for artistic expenses.

The Program is managed in adherence with all Provincial and public health guidelines and all artists-in-residence participate in the creation of a final profile video that showcases the work-in-progress developed during their residency, according to the release. More information about the Grand Theatre Local Arts Residency can be found here.