FutuRéale Magazine - February 2012

arts.culture.living

FUTURÉALE ARTS | CULTURE | LIVING

arts.culture.living

Note From The Editor

FUTUREALE Arts . Culture . Living

Dear loyal readers, With summer drawing to a close, the thought of warm sweaters brings chills to our spines. We have to get ready to brave the cold. With the Fall season comes another exciting Red carpet run at TIFF and developments in the city that will have you hungry for delicious foods, ready to glam up for the hottest party, and be enthused about what’s to come.

We are thrilled to present you with this month’s edition of Futureale. Expect stories of exciting events in the world of entertainment, a special edition of Flittering Pages with an insider on Canadian author Shilpi Gowda, and more!

For next month’s Awareness edition we will take you outside of your comfort-zone, questioning many subtleties from the world’s oddities to why shark attacks are on the rise.

May you be inspired and read on, Associate Editors-In Chief Anastasia Rokina and Jess Silver

Online Content Editor Shawn Shapiro Executive Director Omar Murji Contact FutuRéale at: info@futureale.com www.futureale.com ISSN 1916-3215 FUTURÉALE FutuRéale Magazine is published by The Organic Press www.organicpress.ca FutuRéale Magazine is a proud member of the ONAMAP Network www.onamap.ca

Editor in Chief Shawn Shapiro

© 2011 ONAMAP Enterprises

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FUTURÉALE ARTS | CULTURE | LIVING

arts.culture.living

THE PRINTED PHOTOGRAPH Stephanie Young

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DIGITAL VS. PRINT Stephanie Young

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THE MOBILE WORKPLACE Jess Silver

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FLITTERING PAGES Jess Silver

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NEW YEAR REVOLUTIONS

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THE CIRCUS IS IN TOWN Ilana Perry

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LAURIE MURDOCH Jess Morton

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BLOOD TYPE DIETS Lindsay Romeo

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POPULAR PAGES David Ander

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BERMUDIAN ARTISTS RISE UP Nafisa Hasan

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THE ART OF BUSKING Stephanie Young

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contents

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arts.culture.living

Masthead

Publisher Omar Murji Editor in Chief Shawn Shapiro Associate Editor-in-Chief Anastasia Rokina Jess Silver Layout Artists Graeme Mollison Alexa Buendia-Pereira Rav Rawat Murat Baydere Cover Photo Thomas Bower Podcast Liana Rico Amanda Cupido Film Adam Versanov Jamey Sininan Co-operative Education Hartley Shapiro Editorial Interns Lindsay Romeo Brian McLellan Jess Morton Olga Shugurova Ilana Perry Stephanie Young Cindy Ng Man Him Contributing Writers Stephanie Young Jess Silver David Ander Nafisa Hasan Jess Morton Lindsay Romeo Ilana Perry

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arts.culture.living

Art of Busking See pages : 30-31

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arts.culture.living

The Demise of the Printed Photograph Stephanie Young

W

ith the amount of product development in the world of digital photography and photo sharing, it is no wonder that the printed photo has become less and less popular over the last few years. With the introduction of digital photography and social media, it is now easier and cheaper than ever to share your favourite photos with friends and family without paying a cent to develop them.

The first stage in this demise of the printed photo was the introduction of the digital camera – both SLR and point-and-shoot. With the availability of a built-in screen to view photos, it was no longer necessary to print the photos in order to see what you captured. With these cameras came memory sticks that could be uploaded onto any computer where the photos could be viewed, saved and even printed, if desired. Computer programs such as Photoshop allow users to edit their photos in a variety of ways in order to get the photos they have dreamed of. This dream was often lost with the standard film development. There are also online scrapbooks and scrap booking programs that allow users to create scrapbook pages to share. These programs are even able to print out an entire layout with pictures included as opposed to developing each photo,

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and then buying all of their scrapbook material and spending countless hours putting everything together. Photo printers have also become very popular, allowing consumers to plug in their digital cameras and print photos onto photo quality paper. Standard printers now have this feature included.

With the introduction and growing popularity of social media sites, it is no longer necessary to print a photo in order to share it with friends and family. Websites such as Facebook, twitter and tumblr make it easy for users to upload personal photos to share with friends. Facebook allows users to create albums, tag friends and change privacy settings to decide who is allowed to see the photos. Users are even able to save other people’s photos to add to their own collection. This makes it easy for people who attended the same event, for example, to share photos with other guests who may not have taken any.

Of course, these photo-sharing options may not be enough for some people who enjoy having photos around their home. One alternative for these individuals is the digital picture frame. These frames allow an individual to insert a memory card and share a rotation of photos. There is even the option of how often the photo will change, from a constant slide

show to a photo a day. These frames are fairly inexpensive and allow consumers to show an endless variety of photos in their home without paying to develop each one.

Photos are now very easy to share, and they are becoming even easier to take. An individual does not even need to carry a camera on them anymore now that phones are being built with better cameras than ever before. For example, the new Apple iPhone 4S boasts an 8MP camera, the same one that is offered on the Apple’s iPad 2. Now a consumer can take a great photo on their phone and then save it to the phone’s internal memory, upload it to whatever site they may choose and/or send it to any contact.

In a world where people have become so focused on convenience it is no wonder that photography and photo sharing have become so easy. It has become second nature to post everything online and photos are no different.

In a society whose lives have become structured around the Internet, it is no wonder our “Kodak” moments have moved from print to online as well.

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arts.culture.living

Digital Vs. Print

Our Lost Connection with Print Photogrphy When you have a split-second to

capture a once in a lifetime moment are you fumbling around trying to change the film in your camera or are you asking yourself, “Film, what’s film?” We have modernized and digitalized nearly every aspect of our lives.

From videography to photography to the way we network, we find ourselves communicating faster than ever before.

The world is in our pockets. Our smartphones enable us to connect to people the world over. With a quick push of a button, or tap on a screen, we instantly begin to document the lives around us. Just as quickly as the moment is seized, it is tagged on Facebook, sent as a Twitpic, or uploaded to Flickr for all to see. But we have to ask ourselves, is this instantaneousness more important than keeping our memories forever locked in print? Or have we become too caught up documenting our lives online that we’ve forgotten to make an everlasting mark in the non-digital world?

Stephanie Young

Living in a Digital World The idea of photos being here one day and gone the next is one that is shared by millions.

Rather than finding a new picture to fill a space in a photo album, we can easily delete and readd dozens of images in seconds.

With the globe rapidly transitioning to the digital scene, it is no wonder more people are choosing to store their photos online and on hard drives, later transferring them into digital picture frames. These methods are much faster and frankly much more convenient than running to the local developer to make print copies. Digital frames can showcase hundreds of pictures and can easily be updated when new ones are taken.

The growing accessibility in tweaking photos by removing or adding effects adds to our slow reaction in considering print options.

Whether it’s removing redeye or adjusting colour balances in images after they have been

captured can greatly alter the final outcome once printed. The paper and printer qualities may be to blame, but often times it is because of the RGB (red, green, blue) colours. If you have ever tried to print an image after it has been uploaded online you may run into problems.

Websites generally set images to a low PPI (pixels per inch) to ensure faster loading times and images are set to RGB colours. This is great for your computer, but not for quality prints. Pictures are often accompanied by tiny dots and may be darker than they appeared on the screen. For better prints, images should be in CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black).

Photographic Eye I love what photography does that the eye cannot. When I look at the world through my lens I capture images I would undoubtedly have forgotten otherwise. Beauty is found in often overlooked scenes. An old wooden fence, its green paint chipping away, becomes much more once photographed. I don’t want to

have to close my eyes to remember the sunset glistening along the water. To remember the hundreds of lights dancing along the waves

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arts.culture.living as each crashes into the bedrock. I want to make that moment last forever. I could load the pictures onto my computer, but it isn’t the same. Print photography offers what digital cannot mimic. I want the photos that have stilled a precious moment in time not posted as my profile picture but as artwork proudly displayed in my house.

I may be able to remember how happy my niece was on her first birthday, but she won’t.

I may be able to remember how she looked in her birthday dress, but if it had not been for my camera I wouldn’t remember how for the entire day she was clutching a green sand toy. Having had my camera at the ready, finger on the shutter I was able to create everlasting images of first steps, smiles, sneezes and tears.

The quirky faces she makes will never do justice lingering in my mind, or set as my desktop. I want to ensure I will have these memories not only for years to come but for a lifetime. When she grows up I want her to be able to have framed photos of herself as a baby,

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which she can proudly hang in her house. As we quickly progress in the digital realm our history is being erased before it is really made.

Take some time to not only smell the roses but if you take a picture of them—print it. Print photos, and add a distinctive touch many are becoming unfamiliar with. They are an easy way to personalize any gift and companies have suited up to cater to digital needs. Memory cards can be inserted into photo kiosks for printing pictures and images can be sent from a smartphone or tablet to get developed.

Frame a moment in time by considering print photography. You’ll be glad you did.

(Timeline) The world of photography has changed so quickly in less than 200 years, from the graininess of the first permanent image to the production of the first camera to our current access to thousands of cameras. Here is a very brief timeline depicting influential events throughout two centuries.

1826 The first permanent image had an exposure time of eight hours. A grainy black and white image taken in 1826 by French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce depicts the countryside in Le Gras, France.

1839 It wasn’t until 1839 when the first person was documented in a photograph. Louis-Jacques-

FUTURÉALE ARTS | CULTURE | LIVING

arts.culture.living Mandé Daguerre set up his camera facing the streets below his apartment. The long exposure time couldn’t capture carriages and pedestrians passing by but a man who stopped for a shoeshining was still long enough to become the first person to ever be photographed.

1888 Kodak releases the first readily available easyto-use camera.

1901

1858 The first aerial view was captured by Felix Tournachon using a tethered balloon.

1861

dealing with darkrooms or making a visit to a developer.

1975 Kodak’s first camera which didn’t require film to take picture was invented in 1975. Once captured the image was stored on a cassette where the images could then be seen by playing the tape on a playback device. Kodak released the first commercially owned digital camera in 1991, with more affordable models released shortly after.

2000

Kodak launched its 120-millimetre film used for its Brownie No. 2 camera. The film is still used today.

The first cellphone with a built-in camera is marketed in Japan.

1936

Well before colour made its way onto television sets, it was captured in a photo in 1861. James Clerk Maxwell is credited with creating the first ever coloured photo, by superimposing three black and white images on one screen and passing each through three separate filters of green, blue, and red.

1878 Movement was first stilled in 1878 by Eadweard Muybridge. Twelve images of a galloping horse were captured with 12 cameras each aided by a tripwire. Muybridge continued taking sequence shots of people and animals. His work has been linked to the start of cinematography.

Kodachrome, Kodak’s first colour film is released. Kodak produced the film in several formats for over 70 years. The increase in digital technology forced Kodak to cut back on production and in 2009 Kodachrome was discontinued.

1946 A 35-millimeter camera was used to take the first ever photos from space. A camera was attached to a German V-2 missile and launched taking pictures every 1.5 seconds. The camera fell back to Earth but as the film was encased in a steel container it was left unscratched.

1948

Today Having a mobile device with a camera has become standard and most are high resolution.

Even so, digital cameras and DSLRs are still popular options for photo-junkies.

The Polaroid Land Camera is unveiled by Edwin Land. Photos were developed in under one minute which took the hassle out of

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arts.culture.living

The Ups and Downs of the Mobile-Workplace

By Jess Silver

With the abundance of mobile technologies, many people are working remotely. Mobile technologies have created a

culture; people are attached to their electronics everywhere they go, it has become an extension of them. Many people say that they feel “naked” without their mobile technology. The mobile technology is an aspect that people need in order to feel like they are functioning properly.

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In this way, the mobile technology has seemingly transformed into a human body part. Although mobile technologies are always able to keep us connected to the world, it can also keep us secluded from the world.

Many people who work remotely claim to feel lonely, because they are not surrounded by others like at an office. Some people who work at an office are also forced to work remotely at home due to their mobile technology. So, although mobile technologies do keep us connected to the world, they can also make us feel lonely and overwhelmed. But at

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arts.culture.living the same time, if done right, working remotely can encourage social interaction and let quality of life prosper. It is just a matter of finding that perfect balance between home and work life.

Working remotely is a fast growing social trend, and for obvious reasons; the biggest being flexibility. Working remotely appears to allow you to choose where and when you work. It is the perfect job for the at-home mom or for a person who travels frequently. But, this is not always true for certain companies. Sometimes, the hours you work must coincide with the company’s hours of operation. This can become complicated for the traveller who is in China trying to get work done during

One of the benefits people seem to love about working remotely is working in their pyjamas. You can definitely work in your pyjamas, you can even work naked if you want, but this may not always be beneficial to you. Many have found that getting up in the morning and getting ready for the day, such as eating breakfast, showering and getting dressed, can actually help produce better work. Doing this makes you feel motivated, and “when you look good you feel good”. It is also beneficial to get into a routine when doing your work, so that you don’t accidently leave everything to the last minute.

Although many ideas, like the ones above, criticize working remotely, there are ample benefits. And the mobile-workplace for the worker will differ depending on the company. There are many anxieties associated with working at home. With the abundance of technologies and more people working at the mobile-workplace, many begin to worry that they will be socially lost and that there will be no balance between work and home. I had the pleasure of talking with a manager of one of the largest IP companies in the world, and he is an off-site worker. He puts these anxieties to rest as he explains the benefits of working remotely. If done right, the mobile-workplace can be a wonderful place that allows you to focus on quality of life. The following is the information I gathered from our conversation: Cost reduction and increased productivity: Quality of life is important to him, and being a remote worker encourages this. Quality of life is considerably improved by working in the mobile-workplace. Working at home eliminates commuting, so it saves hours of travelling and cost. When you are working in an office, you need two vehicles in the family. When you are working off-site, you only need one vehicle. So, this allows you to use less gas, and the yearly millage is reduced. It also cuts down on the vehicle’s wear and tear.

Canada’s business hours. To add to this, sometimes you are needed at specific hours to work. For example, if you are working on a computer system, the computer system may only be available to you between two specific times. Do keep in mind, that how companies work with remote workers differ from company to company. So, to avoid disagreements and misunderstandings, make sure you and your employer are in agreement of what working remotely entitles you to do.

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There is also the cost of work clothes. When you work at an office, you have work clothes for the office, and casual clothes for home. You get more work done at home. The day also becomes more flexible, and there are benefits personally and for the company. During the day, there are multiple things to do regarding work. With remote working, you can do work in the next week or sometimes even the next month. So if you want to do something personally, you can do it – you have the opportunity to do so.

You can also work later in the day; you do not have to pack up at the office to leave. When you are in an office, there is no interest in starting work all over again when you come home. The company gets more out of you when you work at home. You can answer emails whenever – after

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arts.culture.living you put the kids to bed, or after you have been out for the day. When you work in an office, it becomes black and white. Working in the mobileworkplace is more productive.

Social aspects do flourish: Although many believe that the social dimension suffers due to working remotely, it can actually enable social interaction in a unique way. As an off-site worker, he has up to 15 meetings a day, at 15 times, so he is always interacting with people virtually throughout the day. And many people he talks to are from all over the country. So socially, working at home is actually favourable. As well, the office hosts a few get-togethers per year.

Although, there can be some drawbacks to the mobile-workplace for some people. Some people do not want to be remote, because they may not have their desired work environment at home, like a condo – there is no space. Is it better climbing the corporate ladder in the office? Possibly yes. But in the end, quality of life is important. You are not going to get rich working for a company, so the extra 10,000 a year does not make a big difference in the grand scheme of things.

Being an off-site worker, you can have dynamic and admirable relationships with others. He has been working remotely for 12 to 13 years, and he has received awards, promotions and top performance ratings.

Balance work and home life: Although some think that working remotely may interrupt the home life, it does not make much of an impact. It comes down to quality of life.

He does not have emails forwarded to his mobile device for example, so this helps to prevent the home life from being interrupted.

He does not mind that the lines between home and work life get blurred, because you have to make sure you have work/life balance. Some people would say it is easier to keep that balance when working at an office. But if he has something personal to do, he will make sure he does it, because he knows how to achieve balance. Even if you work at an office, you may still get asked for work to do after hours. You do have to draw a line between work and home life, and you can draw your own line when you work at the mobile-workplace.

So although criticisms for the mobile-workplace exist, there are ways to make working remotely beneficial for you. It is inevitable that many companies are beginning to work more and more people remotely.

Working at home is beneficial for the company because it increases productivity. So although many may not like the idea of having a grey area

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where work and home life appear to mingle, just do as this manager did, find the perfect balance between these two worlds. You will find that quality of life will prosper and thrive, and you will be over all a happier worker.

FUTURÉALE ARTS | CULTURE | LIVING

Flittering Pages

arts.culture.living

By Jess Silver

Folly, frailty, love and horror: Four human truths that epitomize the man whose genius is identified by four letters themselves W.I.L.L Waiting outside a famous concert hall, the amateur cello player does not think for a second that his performance could alter one’s perception of the art that music is. Con-

versely, he thinks something along the lines of: “How can I not make an embarrassment of myself today strumming one of the most delicate instruments of the orchestra?” From day- to -day we take the path travelled by most so that we are not diffused by the haze of loneliness, the loneliness that settles on the stage as one player is left to recite the words of a fallen chorus. Lost on humanity is the fact that we are performing almost every minute of the day because every action, whether spoken or not that is done in the presence of people is part of a larger act. William Shakespeare understood this notion and its importance came through in the famous Latin phrase of theatrum mundi that he coined upon entering the literary and acting world. “The world is a theatre,” he said.

21st century author Christopher Rush looks to translate what may seem like a classical idiom to contemporary audiences. His novel Will, published in 2008 allows the common man to enter into conversation with the Bard who lies on his deathbed.

“Writing is about repossession, it is about unharbouring the lost memories”, said Rush in a recent interview published on BFK Books. The stories of the past make us hunger for detail, finding the answers for what many consider in-

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arts.culture.living definable. Narrated in first person, Will makes the reader feel like a part of the investigative process—uncovering lost or silenced information. Because the narrative structure emulates a conversation, the reader finds himself interested in lack-luster details that may make themselves known, and wants the story to take a sudden turn due to some coincidences that occurred through Shakespeare’s life. It is not written to reconfigure the ending of a tragicomedy or with the intension of diluting Hamlet’s preoccupation with suicide; rather it forges a connection between author and character. Although Rush wrote the novel as a work of fiction, the archetype that he creates to bring to life the genius of William Shakespeare, mirrors a historical and literary closeness to what society has come to know of as the true identity of the Bard.

In its opening pages the intermediary voice of lawyer Francis Collins attempts to focus solely on the drafting up of legalities to complete Will’s Will. Apparent in two distinct ways is Rush’s impulse to portray both the uniqueness and ingenuity of Shakespeare’s rare talent. With one turn of the page, one is presented with a pun that represents a wit that is akin to Will’s as his poems commonly feature quick turns of phrase and rhetorical puns. Captured in the novel, is the story of Will and of the drafting of a legal document meant to encapsulate the quantifiable things one owned in his or her lifetime.

Collins’ character in many ways epitomizes the folly that is characteristic of a commoner in one of Shakespeare’s tragedies. Henry V, sees Falstaff who in his wallowing, greedy nature in fact plays the role of the fool, as he calls Hal out on his progressive decline from power and inability to lead responsibly. Collins in the fictional story of Will continually probes at Will to get back on track and tell him who gets what, instead of delineating and telling him about the tragic fate of those whose name was Shakespeare. He is reminiscent of the Fool, to any reader that is familiar with Shakespearian tragedy because

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his character is well-rounded in nature and is attune to the wisdom that William Shakespeare maintained up until his dying days. An example of this appears in the first pages of the novel when the character of Will says, “Death is the sum of everything.” Francis does not dismiss this meditation on life and instead engages in a philosophical debate with him about the timing that matters most throughout a person’s life. In his desire for a consistent replenishment of pie and beer, the character also echo’s Falstaff ’s wallowing and gluttonous persona.

A typical conversation follows one trajectory and depends heavily on the conversational exchange between what is usually two people, also known as dialogue. As this is a fictional narrative heavily embossed in the rhetorical riches of a man of his own kind, the conversation is fluid, organic and often seems to mimic monologues that continue to reach audiences to this day. The reader, if he or she is a fan of the blank verse that defines William Shakespeare feels as though they have jumped into the play that continues as it started in medias res (in the middle of the action). There are two specific instances at which this becomes particularly evident. One most importantly is dictated by his entry into the literary and theatrical world.

In conversation with Collins, the persona of Shakespeare discusses the difference between his writing style and that of famous playwrights Christopher Marlowe and Richard Burbage. He notes that the distinct difference between his own writing and that of his contemporaries is the fact that their writing is more stylized and elevated in its language. It is on this note that he recognizes why there was room for him to carve out his niche in the late 1570’s. There are frequent references made to the Bubonic plague that ravaged and raged through the streets of London in 1665. It is not in ignorance that the character of Will reflects on both his entry and passage into a world that only pen could create; rather he says quite often that the repercussions

This is purported to be the Last Will and Testament of William Shakespeare. Dated April 1616.

FUTURÉALE ARTS | CULTURE | LIVING

aarr tt ss .. ccuul lt tuur re.el i. vl ii vn ign g of the Plague dried the ink that ran endlessly through the quills of writers for more than anyone else. Theatres closed the doors, curtains hung low and it took someone with a keen eye like Will to reinvigorate the art. Through transcendence of human virtues, emotion, and struggle, Shakespeare brought together the hand of the commoner with the palm of a king.

It is because he understood that only in an open space such as the Globe Theatre; can everyone share a laugh or satisfy the unrelentless craving for gore, that the theatres reopened. To paraphrase the character’s reasons for naming his famous theatre where The Lord Chamberlain’s Men later became known as The King’s Men, it is because they were building a whole new world for themselves to flourish in as playwrights and actors, that he called it The Globe.

No one should be weary of the confrontations that make themselves known to man, whether they are those of happiness or of the muchdisguised death. Christopher Rush in his interview given for BFK Books said that he has been forever fascinated by those circumstances in one’s life that augment fear. In fact for him as a young boy growing up in a Scottish small-town community, he gravitated to graveyards and stills finds that, that what is dark and mystifying brings out the most interesting narratives.

As Rush says, “White paper is like a serpent, it is both exciting and terrifying to me.” He, as the writer resembles the Bard because Will felt it was most important to confront silenced demons whether they be demons such as avarice, frailty or those hidden beneath layers of flippant conscience as in Hamlet’s case. Both the author of Will, and the archetype of William Shakespeare meditate on Hamlet for similar reasons. Rush, feels like “Terrorists should read Hamlet.” Its relevance is ever-present in society as humans are forever battling their conscience, and the fear of death is ageless. In the novel, Will’s character is also strongly tainted by the evil of death as the fictional character of his son Hamnet dies very young and death

spins constantly on the Wheel of Fortune for the Shakespeare family. One might struggle to understand why the ‘Wheel’ in his plays is known to predict Fortune, if for much of his life and works, misfortune fills the pages.

The novel takes various threads and weaves them together, but leaves a space like the Fourth Wall on stage where the reader is caught wondering why masks are only dropped after the show of life, and not while we are living so that mistakes can be corrected, and truth stared at in the face.

England, London, Southwark, Interior of Shakespeares Globe Theatre

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arts.culture.living

NEW YEAR, NEW RESOLUTIONS N

ew Year resolutions typically last till February, people really get motivated to have a New Year’s resolution when everyone is shouting out their goals, and once the January mark is completed people think their off the hook. It’s really rare to hear someone say, “you

look really great” for the other person to reply, “Thanks, I kept my new years resolution for five months.” No one ever says that but the question is, could they work? Surprisingly, of course they can. If it’s a goal- it can always be a long-term goal especially when the goals are to do with yourself and your wellbeing.

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The top five resolutions everyone generally has are: quitting smoking/ alcohol, being fit, eating healthy, getting out of debt and more family time. These are typically what we wish we could accomplish but never end up doing, because of the moment. Sometimes we don’t accomplish these goals because it’s more of a desire to conquer than something that we can actually end up surpassing. Life throws obstacles at us and our desires fade away because it’s too hard to fight away a habit. Most of these resolutions are habits that we don’t believe we can break because they become such a huge part of our life, and thus becomes a pattern that we get comfortable living with. Half way through the year we wait till the New Year approaches to stop doing these things that aren’t healthy to us, but sticking through is harder to achieve because of the fact that it’s

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arts.culture.living such a spur of the moment decision. Usually it’s just a wish that you wish upon knowing it won’t come true. However, we can all achieve them if we set our minds towards the goals.

I’ve learned that you can by no means force a goal that means nothing to you. There are many things in life that you know more than you can explain…that’s why I always say the best thoughts never make it on paper, the events that take place in our lives make it in our journals even if our journals are in our heads, for one reason and one reason only and that is experience. Experience is what we call our mistakes and all the in-between tasks and lifestyle choices that we tend to forget about or ultimately don’t concentrate on, eventually it becomes reality when it comes back around to haunt us. However, the outcome changes only if one desires to change, it doesn’t take a group of people to make it happen but people do influence the individuals goals and we end up learning from one another.

Five random resolutions that the general public wish to accomplish in 2012 are: find a new love interest, finding a new job, getting a new car, working harder with what they have and being more organized with there time. These goals are goals that people don’t say out loud but hope to accomplish within their own personal lives and usually they get accomplished because they set there minds up to believing what they want to accomplish before the New Year arrives.

What one needs to realize when it comes to New Years resolutions is the fact that it’s as important as you make it for yourself. A lot of the times we believe that the things that we least think about are: ourselves, people around us, forgiveness, feelings and despair. These are the topics on our minds when we come to a New Year resolution but we don’t focus on them and toss them to the side for later.

There comes a time where one will ponder about the world they live in. But mostly about the people they meet. It is an odd concept that humans believe they are higher and lower than one another. When in fact we are all suppose to be equal. No one gets defined by the vehicle they happen to drive, or the amount of money they have in their bank accounts. No human has an immortal or magical power to overtake and have the privilege to state the fact that they can belittle another. We are brought into this world knowing no truth and naked by all means from everything and as we leave, we are stripped down to nothing just how we entered.

Often you hear people talking and exaggerating about non-sense. People need to realize that we learn from one another, we have the power to take in the good and let go of the bad.

Now speaking about your feelings aloud is totally different from approaching a person with a negative outcome. You are always entitled to state your opinions, but sometimes what one will say to another person’s face while the others never look up does not make a difference, sometimes it does. Sometimes the truth is false and the false is the truth. You see there are some people who are so self-devoted that they claim many things, but when they are in a battlefield fighting for the one they love their self-pride becomes vague. They do not speak aloud because as much as they love, they care more about how they look in a stranger’s eye.

You cannot get mad at someone for that, because sometimes what people do should not have to be analyzed.

The other day I realized a funny concept to do with apologizing. I love how people define it in such odd conditions. I understand that everyone has their own points of view but the mentality of certain cultures define a “sorry” as making one look small and making the other look like they are the master to their disaster.

Since when does saying sorry make one little,

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accepting a fault is that bad isn’t it? Think about it, New Year new thoughts.

You know what is funny? If we disliked an individual because they have broken our hearts, done things that have hurt us deeply and betrayed us passionately, in the time given for surviving, a human will lend a hand to save someone’s life. Or so I hope that is the case, because if we do not connect and fall back on each other sometimes, how do we learn? The conclusion of this all is not really a conclusion, everyone has a different way of interrupting certain things but the truth of the matter is, the minor fact that we all go through similar paths to get to where we all need to get, is the key point here.

My intake in all this is not here to show people how to act and how to form; it’s about wondering what the year can hold. The ability to look at one self not another is a huge concept that a lot of people misunderstand and do not follow.

Things are created as a circle that even when it breaks it will repeat itself and one day everything will connect as a whole. Ponder about the beauty of life; it is indeed beautiful, make your new years resolution your resolution to a better life. Think about the people that you no longer talk to or the ones you want to make emends with, make yourself a better person by accepting what has passed, is past. Change what you want to change. Everything that’s impossible can be possible this year. Think about your new years resolution as a self-expression that you want to achieve this year.

Special wishes to everyone who part took in this experience, best wishes for the New Year and many more years to come.

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arts.culture.living

Come One, Come All, The Circus Is In Town And You Know What That Means...

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unning away and joining the Circus; sounds familiar right?

I’m sure it does, because this was a thought that every young child had

Ilana Perry after having a temper tantrum. I know for me this is how the idea of joining the Circus erupted, “Ilana go clean your room!”

“NO mom! You know what! I am just going to run off.. and, and… join the Circus, YEAH the Circus! They won’t make me clean my room there”.

That’s where it began, and that’s pretty much the same moment it ended. Who was I kidding, was running away to the Circus even possible? How would I get there? It’s not like there is a designated bus that circles neighborhoods, picking up the children who decided to run away to the Circus. I’m sure we all had that brief moment of passion and excitement when plotting our escape to the Circus, which was followed by us stomping up the stairs, slugging our shoulders as we prepared to clean our rooms.

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No matter what age you are, I can guarantee you get giddy when you see the enormous Circus top go up, a sign that the Circus is in town. There is something about the smell of elephant droppings, popcorn and performer sweat that makes you feel at home with the Circus. In an odd way, all those smells mixed together is comforting, it is like all your childhood

dreams come flooding back to you. You laugh at the silly, overly exaggerated clowns who start off the afternoon, you fear the fire-breathers, but something different happens when watching the acrobatic performers. Your heart races as they swing upside down, hanging on only by their one toe, and as you watch in awe you think to yourself, I could totally do that!

The Kennedy family did just that. Shana and her husband Greg are what you would call a Circus family. Starting off in Philadelphia, they have travelled throughout North America.

From taking a long stay in Toronto to work for Cirque Du Soleil’s nightly show Totem to passing through Wyoming with their children, this family is truly one to be known. Shana keeps a blog of all her adventures, pictures of various sights she has seen, her experiences as a Circus family and more. The one thing I have learned after talking to Shana is that a Circus family does not stay in one place for long. It is a constant adventure, the world is at their disposal and that is exactly how it should be.

It definitely beats a nine to five desk job, but again the life of a Circus performer does have negatives. Children of Circus families aren’t able to settle down in one place, there is not one specific place they can call home, there are many. Friends come and go, just like the seasons, but don’t get me wrong it would be nice to know wont be in that place long if you are having a bad day. Of course livin’ the Circus life is not all fun and games, well it is, but I mean not all of the time. The rigorous training, the late nights and the stress that accompanies a Cirque Du Soleil show are unbelievable.

FUTURÉALE ARTS | CULTURE | LIVING

arts.culture.living Becoming a professional Circus artist takes many years of intense, extensive, incredible training. Your body needs to be young and flexible in order to begin any sort of movement training. , if it is not in the utmost shape, injuries upon injuries will occur. In order to work for Cirque Du Soleil, there are three important things a candidate needs to master, they are: Acrobatics, a coach will lead you through and help you train. Artistic Performance, which is where Cirque will assist the candidate in furthering their dancing, improv, vocals etc. and finally Personal and Professional Skills.

Personal and Professional Skills is something very interesting. Cirque Du Soleil is aware that transferring into their program from an outside job is extremely difficult, in fact it is a whole new world. With Personal and Professional Skills they are able to ease the transition, they give their candidates health services such as athletic therapy and nutrition classes, to keep their body in the best of shape. Changing your mind about running away to the Circus yet? I know I sure am, a nine to five desk job is looking pretty nice.

Everything that I have just mentioned is only what you go through before you are even hired into Cirque. Once all three are completed and passed, the newly hired performers begin training for the act they were selected for.

Depending on the act training can go as long as several months. Cirque Du Soleil offers different amenities for various shows. If you are preforming for a big top show or a toured arena show, the hours of training are virtually the same, only difference is the schooling and lodging for artists. The performers are expected to train at least twelve hours a week, which might not seem like anything, but the twelve hours are extensive, hardcore, exhausting training, which prepares you for the show. For children of performers just like in the Kennedy’s case, Cirque Du Soleil offers on-site schooling for children of artists. Cirque has their own

schooling program. Both arena shows and big top shows preform around 300 times a year. Las Vegas would be an example of a resident show. The show is locked down into one place, performers are able to somewhat live a regular lifestyle in terms of housing and placement.

The Circus lifestyle is becoming more and more prominent in society today.

With Cirque Du Soleil’s twentythree shows all across the world, they are constantly looking for new acts and new faces. The Circus is one of those things that lights up the faces of people young and old, every time it comes into town.

The excitement of wanting so badly to run away and join that culture is something you will never forget. That first though, weather it was out of anger, ( like mine) or it is something you truly want and will pursue, running away to join the Circus is an e n t i r e l y different world. In the words of Sarah, a Cirque D u Soleil performer, “It might be an overt h e - to p, crazy, whirlwind of a life, but it is my life, and I would not change it for the world.”

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arts.culture.living

Interview with

Laurie Murdoch Jess Morton

Back in September I met and talked with film and musical theatre performer Laurie Murdoch. During the course of our conversation I learned Laurie had stacked up a pretty unique resume. This included work as a street performer in Expo ‘86 in Vancouver, and Expo ‘88 in Brisbane, Australia, and performing in the original Canadian productions of Les Miserables, Crazy For You, and Miss Saigon in Toronto.

Q: How did you get into film from that?

Laurie: I was doing the street act at the PNE and we were in our dressing rooms. We were sharing dressing room space with the show that was inside. There was a girl going to UBC Film School, and she saw my show. This was after Les Miserables. She loved musical theatre, so she asked me to be in her grad film project. I guess it was just a show of confidence from somebody to say, “I’d like you to do this,” and it was a great way to breakin because everybody was learning. Everybody was excited, and it came out really well and it won some awards. From there it happened very slowly, because I came back out to Toronto to do Crazy For You and Miss Saigon. By the time I’d finished that a couple of years had gone by and in the business when you’re doing a long run of a show like that its just becomes your worka-day life. The other aspects of show business kind of fall away.

You kind of lose your ability to audition.

As Crazy For You drew to an end, I thought, “I gotta get into film and TV,” so I took a class. I took a simple acting for camera class. That was enormous and for some reason, right after I finished taking that class – I just practiced. Just be in front of the camera, and just see what it looks like. In the class we would do a scene, we would practice it, we would come in, we’d shoot it, then everyone would look at it and criticize it. It was daunting. It was very valuable to have other people’s opinions. You’re critically looking at yourself, but the person beside you has no preconceived notions. So they’re watching you with fresh eyes

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arts.culture.living

and they can have a completely different take on it. They don’t have the negativity that you have. Right after I finished that class, I got this call out of the blue, I was still living in Toronto, from a guy who was making a feature. He went to UBC and had seen, at the UBC festival, that short film. He sent the casting director out here and I auditioned for her. I took a little time off from Crazy For You right near the end to go off and shoot this feature. So the class, that first student film and now this feature gave me enough tools that I felt comfortable going in for film and TV auditions.

Laurie Murdoch is possibly best known for his role in the Canadian television series Dan for Mayor (2010). When he arrived for our interview in Toronto’s Greek Town, Laurie regretfully told me he just received the news of Dan for Mayor’s cancellation.

Q: Tell me about your work for Dan for Mayor. I know it might make you upset because it just got cancelled.

Laurie: No, no, no. We’re more like in gratitude mode, because it was just a fantastic experience and a uniquely Canadian experience.

We did the pilot in 2008. There are three guys who are the creators, producers, and writers: Mark Farrell, Kevin White, and Paul Mather.

We shot the pilot and about five months later I got a phone call from one of the producers, just to say, “Hi, we got picked up.” And that continued, one of them would call you personally to tell you, “You know we’re gonna do season two,” or “Its turns out we’re gonna air on March 1st.” It was just a very Canadian way of doing things.

Q: Its almost more personal, then being on a states network show?

Laurie: I think so. There’s a joke, from the girl I did the UBC film for told me: A director is in the middle of shooting a feature film and his assistant comes up to him and the director goes, “What do you want?” The assistant goes, “Sorry to tell you this, but the producer saw the raw footage, and he was so upset that he went to your house and he killed your family and he burned your house down.” The director goes, “The producer came to my house?!”

So I guess the point is that the cast was superb, and the casting was superb, and all the people we had come in even doing one-line parts, I just thought hit it out of the park. So that was what was good about Dan, was the producers, the cast, the writing, everybody – it was just a fantastic group of people. It was a wonderful experience all around.

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Q: What was different in working on Dan for Mayor in comparison to working on a huge network show?

Laurie: What I found when I first started doing TV. What surprised me was that no one was happy. The stars of the show, I never ran into a star that was rude, but they weren’t happy. You would just sorta ignore it, because you don’t want to see that, because you want to keep your dream of having a TV series. And being on top of the world, and not having to worry about money, and not having to worry about your next job, that kind of thing. The fact is, its grueling. It’s sometimes fifteen, sixteen, seventeen hours a day. So the people I was coming and doing guest spots on their shows were four months into their death march. They were exhausted. Everyone’s tired. It is a grueling, grueling thing, to be a star of a TV series.

Our guy (star of Dan for Mayor) did a fantastic job and always maintained his enthusiasm, even though I know he was tired. He’s the guy that’s there all the time, every day. He’d very rarely get a day off.

Q: Is there anything in particular that attracts you to theatre?

Laurie: I think the best aspect of musical theatre is just the joy. There’s a joy in it, when it

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arts.culture.living hits and works that it infuses the audience and infuses the cast, and it’s effortless. That’s of course true of even drama, with the audience and the actors, sorta the boundaries drop and everyone is joined together. There’s a flow that happens.

In musical theatre in particular, its history is generally very light, because stopping the story and bursting into song is a pretty ridiculous thing to do. There has to be, once again, sort of a wink between the actor and audience going, “I’m going to stop the acting now and I’m going to sing you a songs. Its gonna evoke certain emotions in you, and then we’ll take those emotions and you feed them into the narration again as we continue the story.” It’s an abstract performance. The musical itself, its kind of an abstract way of telling a story.

North of the border in this industry. Laurie and I talked about the ongoing issue of Canadian television’s place in a dominantly American viewership.

Q: Is there anything you take from film and transfer it over to theatre or vise versa?

Its always in the habit of Canadian actors, I don’t want to fall into the habit of how lightly regarded our own industry is. That’s been a constant complaint for forty years. We just have to understand that we’re beside a behemoth. We’re standing beside an elephant. Its almost like you can’t keep up with them if you try to do what they do. No one does it like they do. We have a different voice, and a slightly quieter voice. If you make a duet for harp and bagpipes – you won’t hear the harp. If you’re used to bagpipes, the harp just has no appeal. You start to appreciate the more subtle aspect of any particular art form.

Laurie: Presence. I think that’s the foundation. It’s the willingness to share your presence. From then on it’s almost completely different.

We’ve all done that where we go in a room where you don’t know anybody. You pull your presence in, because you don’t know anybody. In a performance you have to shine. Allow your presence to be shared.

The politics of Canadian television is always on the minds of anyone

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Laurie: There’s a national personality. An American actor would say, “How do I shine in this particular piece?” Where a Canadian actor in general, their first thought is, “Where do I fit in this piece?”

There are pros and cons to both ways of doing things, because the Canadian side you can get a bunch of people that are fitting in, but there’s no spark. So you’ll have these beige Canadian shows. In the American side you can get a lot of people who are trying to out-shine each other and there’s no core, there’s no heart. So we need to mix, we need to blend.

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arts.culture.living

Blood Type Diets Lindsay Romeo January is the month of diets. It is the time of year when every individual puts forth their best Type O effort to work off the joyous holiday pounds.

For those with type O blood it is recommended that you eat animal proteins However, a diet is not a temporary solution because you have a higher stomach acid content which allows efficient digestion. but a lifestyle change. A diet involves commitment Keep the animal meats lean and chemical free. Some suggested meats are beef, veni-

from the individual to constantly do what is best for them.

Blood type diets are all about eating right and exercising accordingly to a natural and unchanging aspect of yourself: your blood type. The focus is on the individual. The diets outline what foods will be absorbed better than others, how to eat right to prevent the diseases you are most susceptible to and how to eat to stay energized based on your blood type. But is there any truth to them?

Blood type would explain why some individuals have success on certain diets but others do not. There are claims that eating according to blood type decreases indigestion, heartburn and headaches. It seems as though the individuals in favour of blood type diets are nothing but enthusiastic about what they are discovering and encountering. By simply eliminating certain foods, not just desserts or carbs, you can not only lose weight but prevent susceptible diseases. Every information that was pro blood type diets did treat the diets very seriously as though every meal could be life threatening.

son and cod. Your stomach acid content also allows you to eat lots of berries, figs and plums. Do not eat any fruits that are too acidic as they can irritate your already acidic stomach. Stay away from dairy and grains as they will slow your metabolism and increase weight gain. Dairy products such as butter, feta and mozzarella cheese are still acceptable. Try switching to soy milk. As for your grains, it gets difficult and limited, but rice, rye, and buckwheat are acceptable.

Physically demanding exercise is strongly recommended, so grab your running shoes this upcoming year. Before exercising do not eat legumes or beans as they will slow and tighten your muscles. Meat proteins are best, but a small snack of Walnuts would suffice before a work-out.

Type O’s are susceptible to arthritis which means that foods that cause an inflammatory reaction in the joints, such as potatoes and eggplant, are not recommended. Thyroid issues are also a problem, so stay away from Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage. Vegetables that can still be eaten are romaine, spinach, broccoli, artichoke, turnips and horseradish. Blood clotting is weak in type O’s, so start taking some Vitamin K. As for dessert, breathe easy, chocolate and wine are still acceptable. Unfortunately beer and coffee are not allowed, but hey, everything in moderation, right?

Those not in favour of the credibility of blood type diets are quick to point out that there lacks evidence to prove that certain foods can be harmful and that the blood type diets limit people to nothing but stereotypes such as “vegetarian” or “meateater.”

Both of these arguments raise good points but ultimately it is up for you to decide. I would note that you have been eating for many years now so it would be reasonable to say that you will not die immediately from your current diet but only improve your health and energy. I would say

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that the blood type diets do not limit you to a label but instead encourage a wide variety of foods that lean towards a certain focus. Do not believe that the blood type diets are a concrete idea or an exact science, but you won’t know what works for you unless you try it.

FUTURÉALE ARTS | CULTURE | LIVING

Type A

arts.culture.living Take a trip to your local Farmer’s Market or organic food store, because the fresher and more natural it is, the better it is for you. Keep to a vegetarian diet, for meat will make you feel sluggish and is hard to digest, due to the low acidity in the stomach. Chicken is still allowed as well as an array of seafood such as cod and salmon. Nuts, beans, legumes and tofu can be an excellent substitute for meat in getting proteins, especially peanuts and black eyed peas. Try to keep the dairy products to a minimum because you will have trouble digesting them. Yogurt, goat cheese and ricotta, though not beneficial, are still allowed. There are not a large variety of grains that can be chosen from, but any concentrated whole grains are beneficial. Stay away from shredded wheat, seven grain, white and whole wheat flour, as well as English muffins. For the immune system, try eating more onions, garlic, broccoli, carrots and pumpkin, but keep the mints handy.

Coffee, red wine and some teas are all still allowed, even recommended, as long as their kept to one glass a day.

Type B

It is said that type A’s have a sensitive digestive tract which hinders the effective digestion of many foods. As well, type A’s have the potential for heart disease, cancer and diabetes. With a correct diet these diseases can be halted, controlled and limited. As for exercise, keep calm and carry on by rolling out the yoga mat.

You have the immune system of a champion and a stomach of steel which allows you to eat a variety of foods including dairy products, but be careful about irritating your digestive system. Vegetables should be taken generously, but especially leafy greens that are high in magnesium. Try to eliminate tomatoes from your diet as they will irritate your stomach lining. Bananas, cranberries, grapes, papaya, plums and pineapples are all beneficial in digestion. The foods that will increase weight gain the most are peanuts, sesame seeds, corn and foods that slow metabolism, such as whole wheat products. Grains in general are not your friend; do not eat rye bread as it can increase the risk of stroke. Grains should try to be eliminated from your diet as much as possible except for the occasional bowl of oatmeal or rice cake. While seafood can be beneficial in the case of halibut and salmon, it is important to keep away from shellfish in order to keep your body digesting smoothly. Cayenne pepper and horseradish are very beneficial for you, but try to stay away from white and black pepper, cornstarch, cinnamon and ketchup. Feel free to drink herbal teas and stock up on liquorice: the natural flavourful herb also known as “sweet root.”

Try hitting the pool, go on a hike, or take up tennis, because you need something that stimulates both the mind and body.

Type AB

Type B’s are prone to immune system disorders such as chronic fatigue which can largely be helped by staying away from chicken which can attack the blood stream. Beef, turkey and lamb can all be eaten instead.

Find your yin and yang by reaching a balance between the type A and type B foods and exercise. The AB blood type is complicated and best approached in moderation; small portions of everything. With the low stomach acidity of the A’s it is hard to digest meat, chicken especially. While nuts are good protein replacements, they can have mixed effects in helping or disrupting the digestive tract. Keep the portions limited. Tofu is a risk free substitute. Tuna, mackerel and red snapper are also beneficial. Grains and dairy are digested well including yogurt, milk, goat cheese, mozzarella, rye, oatmeal and rice. Vegetables and fruits are helpful in preventing diseases, boosting the immune system, and balancing the grain intake. The more tropical fruits and oranges irritate the stomach and do not digest well.

Coffee and wine should be kept to one glass a day. The days you do drink coffee or wine should be spaced out and separated by green tea days.

However, you are also included in the type A susceptibility to cancer. If there is a history of breast cancer in your family, snails are supposed to reduce your risk. Kelp can be taken to help the heart and immune system. The immune system can also be boosted by a variety of teas, including chamomile, Echinacea and green tea.

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The Reason Why Some Newspaper Sections David Ander

Steal All The Attention

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ou reach for your cup of coffee and then for the newspaper section that is crumpled, slightly soppy from spilled cereal milk and ripped in places where coupons and articles have been torn out. It is not the comic section

or the sports pages you are browsing through. It is in fact the front page section, a section read by 80% of daily readers, according to a 2010–2011 survey by the Newspaper Association of America. In contrast, sports were read by 56% of readers, comics by 53%, business by 49%, and the fashion pages by 42% of readers.

Why is there extreme interest in the main news section? In short, the front pages connect us to the people and world around us. The news in them affects our lives and peaks our curiosity. Dan Westell is a journalism instructor at the Ryerson School of Journalism. He said that part of the reason why people read the front page section is because they feel obligated to stay in the loop. “There’s a presumption that everybody does or should care about news—what’s going on in the world—because that’s deemed to be a good thing for the well-informed citizen,” he said.

We were taught from a young age to care about our surroundings. When we were little, we were asked things like, “Did you hear about the new slurpee at 7-Eleven?” or “How many other kids in your class passed the test?” As we got older, those questions turned into, “Did you hear about the 100-year-old man who ran a marathon?” or “How many more times is Rob Ford going to increase TTC fees?” In our society, we are expected to keep up with the news.

While the news section is often read out of habit or obligation, some of the other sections are neglected. This is because of the general nature of the front section and the specific nature of the other sections. Dan explains, “People read what they’re interested in, no news there, so all the special-interest sections – fashion, arts, business, science, real estate, cars – are read by people who want those things but are ignored by the rest of us.”

A two-year phone survey conducted by NADbank, the Newspaper Audience Databank in Canada, showed that more than double the amount of sports readers from Monday to Friday were male. The same study found that more males (60%) read the business section Monday to Friday than females (40%).

However, when it came to the living section, more women (60%) read the section than men (40%). And with the entertainment section, more females (54%) read the section daily than males (46%). These statistics are important for journalists, who strive to increase the readership of special-interest sections. He or she must find a way to present the specific topic to the general audience in an interesting way, without boring the interested reader.

The way an article is written attracts or repels the reader. A piece with an inviting first sentence or paragraph will draw the reader in to that article and to that section. Kailah Bharath is third year journalism student at Ryerson. She said that in order to write a reader-friendly article, “You lead with the most odd or interesting element of the story, and that’s what grabs readers and makes them want to read your story.” When Kailah writes, she makes sure to “paint a human face” which makes the story relevant to everyone. Dan describes this method as “the human hook.” It is a way to personalize a story and draw the reader in with a character they understand. Often, it is a character that triggers some kind of emotion: it is someone

FUTURÉALE ARTS | CULTURE | LIVING

arts.culture.living they can relate with or sympathize with or be disgusted by. “That is an absolutely classic way of making stories work for a broader audience,” Dan said.

Sometimes, finding the human angle makes the story too distant from the subject at hand. Dan explains, “You don’t particularly want an airline crash story to lead with somebody’s grief, you want to lead with what happened.” In this case, the cold hard facts are necessary. Sports games are another example. Often, it is better to lead with the facts and not with the human face, even if it is less inviting for the general reader.

The sports reader first wants to know the score of last night’s hockey game and so the facts should be presented before the fluff. If other content was presented first, it could throw the reader off. Dan said, “I can see an editor saying to a reporter, what about the game?”

The general audience is made up of readers of different ages, incomes, gender and education, all interested in different things.

The two-year phone NADbank survey found that of all the readers who read the front page in the Monday to Friday paper, 9% were aged 18–24 and 27% were over 65.

When it came to living, 8% of readers were 25–34, while 28% of readers 65+ read the section.

There are also other things that determine interest in particular sections. A 2007 survey by Mediamark Research Inc. found that married readers are more likely to read the business and finance section in the Sunday paper than singles (42% vs. 26%). The same survey found that single Sunday newspaper readers are less likely to read the travel section than married readers (21% vs. 36%).

For a journalist, writing for the publica-

tion’s audience is a must. Suzanne Wintrob is a freelance writer who writes primarily for the National Post homes section, the Financial Post Magazine and the Toronto Star.

She said, “I always make sure that I am catering my thoughts and trying to think like the demographic. You have to write for the audience in the language that they understand.”

And the language changes from paper to paper. According to Valerie Walcott, a Marketing Researcher at The Globe and Mail, “The Globe audience tends to be more business oriented and internationally news oriented.” The Toronto Star began as “the paper for the people” and now, according to their website, “In reporting news and opinion, the Star seeks to inform the public of the significant and interesting events of the day, with particular emphasis on politics and public affairs.” As for the National Post, their website says it, “features coverage from across the country and around the world, delivered with a distinctly Canadian voice.”

For a section to gain readership, it’s not just about writing for the audience, but it’s also about the graphics and photographs.

Suzanne hardly reads articles in the sports section, but she says, “I’ll read the sports section if there is a fabulous provocative alluring photo that captures my eye.” Indeed, the design of a newspaper section has a huge affect on its readership. Pages with large pictures and bright colours interest and invite the reader in, while pages with lots of font and little colour are less welcoming.

Tomorrow morning, the front page section may be crumpled, soppy and ripped. In that case, perhaps you’ll be curious and explore some new sections.

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SPORTS 56%

COMIC 53%

BUSINESS 49%

FASHION 42%

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arts.culture.living

Bermudian Artists Rise Up Nafisa Hasan

B

ermuda is an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. It is currently still a colony of Britain. Unlike most other Caribbean islands, such as Jamaica, Cuba, and Trinidad, that have attained sovereignty, Bermuda has yet to become an independent nation. As a result, Bermuda continues to struggle in establishing a nationalistic and distinct cultural identity uninfluenced by its colonial rulers.

The artistic collective group Bermudian Artists Rise Up (B.A.R.U.) has been formed in response to Bermuda’s national/cultural identity crises, with the goal of pushing for progression and even a renaissance by using the arts as their main outlet.

“The twenties and thirties were decisive years in the development of modern Caribbean art. It was the golden age of nationalism globally, as new and old nations sought to find their place within a rapidly changing political, economical and social order. In the colonized world, there was a surge of anti-colonial and anti-imperialist sentiments” (Poupeye 49). Bermuda being a colony of Britain raises questions pertaining to its culture identity: Are Bermudians the ones governing its nation’s image or is this overlooked by Britain? “Cultural self-affirmation is deemed

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a critical part of decolonization and art is recognized as a powerful nation building tool” (Poupeye 50). We can see collective up rises and the building of a nation’s cultural self-affirmation by looking at Jamaica, Cuba and Trinidad but where does Bermuda stand in its current struggle with its national identity.

Jamaica became independent in 1962 and what helped paved way for this independence was the rise and influence of Garveyism and Rastafarianism, both movements pushing for nationalism. Emerging out of this up rise were political sculptures, such the notable piece titled “Negro Aroused” by Artist Manley. Musicians such as Bob Marley also became internationally renowned and recognized for his push for activism.

Trinidad became independent in 1962 and its national art movement was developed by the Society of Independents (1929-38), a small group of young upper class artists, followed by the Trinidad Art Society (1943) who, as a group became more committed to the arts movement in the country and evoked nationalism by incorporating emblematic Trinidadian subjects into their artworks (Poupeye 80).

FUTURÉALE ARTS | CULTURE | LIVING

arts.culture.living The Cuban revolution of 1959 also played a big role in the movement of the arts in the Caribbean. The Cuban revolution was one of the most turbulent periods in the sociopolitical history of the Caribbean (Poupeye 111). Emerging from this era were some of the most distinctive schools of political and abstract art embodying nationalistic ideals (Poupeye 113).

The three nations – Jamaica, Cuba and Trinidad – have encountered their own artistic movements that were embedded with their own nation’s political and social issues. An array of artistic collective groups, emerging during this struggle in nation building and nationalism, paved the way for using art as a tool to voice political and social concerns/frustrations. Their artworks became iconic images for their country’s progression in becoming independent. The artworks themselves maneuvered and helped support the cause and needs of the people as a collective.

B.A.R.U is pushing for a cohesive collective for the people of Bermuda to progress in its own nation’s cultural identity: by using the arts as the driving foundation. One of B.A.R.U’s shows that had a significant impact on the island was “Males Academic Disengagement” which took place this past November 2011. The show focused on the question, “Why are males still academically disengaged considering the amount of available resources?” The exhibition was held at the Bermuda College, followed by a lecture directed by the Division of Liberal Arts. The exhibition attracted over 100 viewers, igniting a significant awareness of the state of young males in Bermuda and the conflicts and issues they face as a result of drugs, crime and lack of support. These societal issues have hindered them from obtaining further education.

Bermuda’s last notable up rise was in 1959 with the theatre boycott calling for an end to the segregation between blacks and whites.

Emerging from this event was a painting titled “Theatre Boycott Upstairs Right” by Robert Barritt and “Storm in a Tea Cup” by Charles Lloyd Tucker. These paintings depict an era when the people of Bermuda rose up calling for the end of segregation and to come together as a collective body: as one nation working together.

Founder Calix Smith started B.A.R.U as a forum to bring all artists together to engage with one another to simply push for the progression of the arts in Bermuda.

“B.A.R.U started out as a Facebook group page with its main focus being a place for Bermudian artists (of all genres) to share their love of art with one another. With almost a year under its belt, B.A.R.U. has transformed from a simple Facebook page into a full on major artistic movement. As an artistic movement, we do not confine ourselves to a certain technique, aesthetic or concept like many artistic movements of the past, but instead we embrace each other’s individual talents and strengths for the sake of progression in Bermuda’s stagnant art scene. It is only by being united that we can achieve a much more meaningful goal…evolution”, says B.A.R.U Founder Calix Smith.

Today the collective has grown to over 170 members with a diverse group of established and emerging artists who are painters, photographers, videographers, performers, musicians, rappers, jewelers, graphic designers and sculptors. The core active members are: Ami Zanders, Manuel Palacio, Dany Pen, Summer Wood, Robert Somner, Milton Hill, Vanessa Richmond, Lisa Woodley, Alexandra Mosher, Krystal Assan, Davika Hill, Lexy

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Correia, Tricia Walters, Lara Smith and Mark Henderson; they are striving to host venues for the collective and showcase their works and talents.

The collective group has hosted 4 group art exhibitions this past year in Bermuda. These include the “Last minute Art Show” at the Bermuda Society of Arts, “Not your Nana’s Art Show” at Rock Island, “Male Academic Disengagement” at the Bermuda College, and “Fetish” at TQ Gallery. B.A.R.U has also collaborated with other organizations on the island such as “The St. George Artist Alliance,” the “Bermuda College”, and “Chewstick”.

B.A.R.U has already paved way in Bermuda by publicly tackling on subjects and art forms never before done on the island such as: sex, fetishism, racism, prostitution, race, graffiti; with an anticipated show in the new year on gang culture and violence.

“There is a thin red line we as artists are allowed to walk on when it concerns content versus censorship. With that being said, B.A.R.U puts emphasis on creative freedom and promotes being on that red line without any restrictions. As long as the artist can thoroughly explain their work for the greater good of understanding we will support them.

In order for the Bermuda art scene to grow and evolve, the conservatives must put down their barriers through censorship and allow artists to freely express themselves. Once we do we will see greatness like we have never seen”, states Calix Smith on censorship and art.

With the collective’s continual expansion, B.A.R.U hopes to position itself as a contemporary collective arts group, and bring the talents of Bermudian artists into the international art scene.

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THE ART OF BUSKING A Glimpse into the Lives of Street former Per s Stephanie Young Music is often referred to as a universal language. Every culture, every society, in every corner of the globe has some form of unique musical talent waiting to be heard. What makes these talents more unique than others is that they offer us music as we rush to work.

Often times we brush on by, only hearing but never seeing who is producing those sounds.

Sometimes the harmonies are mixed among chattering crowds, other times it blends into the screeches of subway cars.

mother snaps a quick picture of him next to the drum set.

These musicians are buskers. Their sounds permeate into our subway trips and while shopping downtown. We hear them on street corners and in markets. I spoke with a few street performers to explore their reasoning for wanting to begin and continue to busk.

Yet it is these unknown responses from onlookers that open up a world of possibility.

Nadia Buckmire, a mother of two, admits to having been nervous about the feedback but says she has been asked to do gigs because of her street performances. “I have, that’s nice. I’m going to be doing that,” she says about a gig. “At first I was a little tense, I like an audience now.

I’m more comfortable,” she states. “I’ve played indoors before but I like street performing because it gave me courage, I know I’m not afraid to do it.”

It’s a cold November afternoon. Peter Richards is sitting at his drums striking each with such intensity you’d think he would slash right through one. And apparently he has. Clear tape is used to hold the skin of his snare drum together.

A mother, father and two year old son are standing in awe of the sounds produced from this one-man-band. The father and son walk closer to the 43 year old street musician and the little boy drops a couple of coins into his bucket. Excited, the boy turns around and his

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“Young children are so fun, they are the best,” Richards states. “That’s the most fun I would say, and we just get less fun as we age,” he laughs. Richards began busking when he was 23 and says even 20 years later the unfamiliar is what keeps him coming back. “It’s the people I guess, that’s the same thing I hate about it… just kidding...sort of.” He jokes.

Buckmire began as a backup vocalist for her partner, Rahi High, before branching out on her own. “I took the busiest places,” she says.

“John and King is the busiest intersection. I know a lot of buskers wouldn’t do it.” Although she confesses most people just walk by, she says it’s a perfect opportunity for her to practice and get exposure. “I wanted to just practise my material, to get the courage to go indoors, that’s a really good way for people to do that,” she says. “Most people aren’t paying attention.

It’s a good way to get over fear.”

Even when most people are too busy to stop and enjoy, some do take the time. She says every now and then an audience gathers. “It’s nothing to be afraid of. People aren’t going to reject you. People take time out of the lives, there’s a lot of love, there’s a lot of love.”

She may not be afraid now but Buckmire questioned whether street performing was right for her. “I’m 45 years old and I’ve been doing film for most of my life, and I thought ‘should I really be busking at this point in my life?’” she asks. “But I wanted to practice my music and busking really helps.”

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arts.culture.living The love given to musicians is the same love they have for playing music.

Adam Solomon has been a musician in the subway for almost 20 years.

“Playing in the subway is good for me because I meet a lot of people who like my music,” he says. “My music is like therapy you know? Because sometimes I meet people going to work and they need to hear something, and they are stressed, stressed, stressed and when you play good music for them it makes their day.”

Vera Colley has performed in the subway as well as farmer’s markets and says commuters come to expect the musicians. “We are part of the ambiance of the experience,” she says. “A lot of time they are shopping [in the markets] and stop while shopping and you see them tapping their feet or bobbing their heads. And in the subway they linger around a bench to watch sometimes before they catch their train.”

And Michelle Dibrie, a long time user of the TTC, agrees. “Some of them really get into it, you know? You can tell they’re so passionate about what they do, I think it’s great,” she says. “I love hearing the different types of music before work. It puts a smile on my face!”

But not all people feel the same way. There is a common thread these

musicians feel they sometimes get from passers-by. “Some people see it as panhandling,” says Buckmire. “But with the permit, one woman told me ‘oh, good you’re legit’.”

Solomon is a 2005 Juno Award winner and two time winner of the Toronto African Music Awards and gives these words of insight, “The musician is not begging, and some people think the musician is begging, no they are not begging that is their talent,” he says. “The musicians who play in the subway, it is not like they are beginners they are quality musicians.”

In fact, in order to legally perform on city property a person must obtain a permit. They generally last a year but vary depending on the person and their act.

But for these performers the application process isn’t the hard part it’s the cold winter weather. Solomon plays the guitar and says sometimes he can’t feel his fingers to play the appropriate chords. “When it’s winter time and it’s cold you know the strings can be very, very hard to play,” he says. “And your fingers are like fire, and your fingers are half frozen so you don’t feel them, but then you touch the strings and it feels very hot for you.”

Colley agrees. “When it’s cold and no one is putting money in or when there isn’t nice acoustics and you’re competing with noise of trains and construction,” she lists. “That doesn’t add to a very nice ambiance.

That isn’t fun. Well it’s less fun.”

Living in Toronto we are fortunate to have the utmost culture and diversity. This distinguishes us from other cities around the world and infuses into the music found around us. Buskers are gracious enough to fill our ears with their unique sounds through renditions and original pieces. All too often we pass by never knowing the people who bear both the cold days and the balmy nights to provide us with beautiful works of art.

Should you pass a busker soon keep in mind Solomon’s words. “The musicians that are there are playing music because they love it, they do it for the love of the music. Music brings people together and makes people feel good.”

Next time you see a busker enjoy their music and appreciate their music. Drop a few coins and give thanks. Because, it doesn’t matter where the music originates from, we all have an understanding of it.

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