The pandemic has thrown us all into a realm of uncertainty. As a company and as a part of this resilient community we are determined to persevere throughout this crisis and beyond. Like most makers of art where public assembly is intrinsic to the work, we have cancelled all upcoming performances, but our activities have not halted. Development of new work continues with the commencement of a brand new Cycle as well as several SideStream and collaborative projects. Gargantua is also continuing to invest in artists by supporting individual professional development opportunities. Art will most certainly be a critical part of our collective recovery and we eagerly anticipate the day when we can all gather again as the lights come up on stage.  All of us at Theatre Gargantua wish you a safe year.

We have all been feeling anger, anxiety, and profound sadness stemming from the brutal murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis and the preventable death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet here in Toronto. These horrifying tragedies have once again brought systemic racial inequities to the forefront. Racism is real. It’s deeply embedded. Its impact is devastating. Our black colleagues, friends and mentors experience it on a daily basis. We are asking ourselves hard questions. We are looking at who we are. We are challenging ourselves to listen and do better – to understand what that means and how to take action. We are determined to be a part of the massive effort it will take to make effective change.

If you are able, please consider donating to Black Lives Matter and our colleagues at Obsidian Theatre.  NOW Magazine has also published a list of organizations that support the black community and promote anti-racism.

Theatre Gargantua, which resides in West Toronto, acknowledges that we are hosted on the lands of traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the new Credit, the Anishnabe, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Williams Treaties signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa bands. We acknowledge Toronto is covered by the Dish with One Spoon wampum belt covenant between Indigenous tribes, and all people that use the land for peaceful coexistence. 

To recognize the land is an expression of gratitude and appreciation to those whose territory you reside on, and a way of honouring the Indigenous people who have been living and working on the land from time immemorial.  

Theatre Gargantua knows a single land acknowledgement alone will not make up for the past, but is a promise to continue to dialogue, listen and connect with the people who have and continue to care for this land, to tell their stories and live with Mother Earth’s best interests at heart.