Coming up is a captivating workshop featuring Estonian-Canadian multi-talent Camille Intson. The workshop will take place on Sunday, March 5th from 1 pm to 4 pm; in person at the Tartu College main hall (310 Bloor Street West). But before we delve into the intriguing details of what the workshop is all about, let’s explore Camille and her background a little further.
Camille is an award-winning Estonian-Canadian artist and researcher whose practice spans writing, performance, music, new media and emerging technology. Among the awards she has received are the Playwrights’ Guild of Canada Tom Hendry Award, NNPF National Playwriting Competition Award, Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award, Lillian Kroll Prize in Creative Writing, and many more. As a playwright and theatre maker, her work has been supported by Tarragon Theatre, Nightwood Theatre, Theatre Aquarius, and the Grand Theatre London among many others.
Her past work in the new media arts has engaged personal archives, both digital and physical, to consider the relationship between material objects as well as personal and cultural memory. She describes her artistic philosophy as embracing and engaging multiplicities of selves, rejecting the impulse to limit one’s creative identity to a singular discipline, form, or mould. Currently, she is a PhD candidate in the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Information.
What’s the Estonian connection? Camille is a third generation Estonian-Canadian whose grandparents immigrated to Canada in the 1950’s after becoming displaced following the June 1941 Soviet deportations and all that followed, something most of us in the local Estonian community relate to. She recalls fondly, “I grew up hearing so many stories about Estonia, learning Estonian folk songs, and sifting through my grandparents’ old photo albums and Estonian memorabilia. I actually credit my maternal Estonian grandmother, Helen Rammo of Hamilton, Ontario (nee Grünberg), with giving me the tools and confidence to become a professional storyteller, and it’s because of her that I’ve made a career out of the arts to this day.”
Since getting older and losing her grandparents, Camille has often explored her relationship to Estonian-Canadian identity through playwriting, poetry, and new media works as a way of staying connected to her family history; it’s her goal and intention to use her skills as a storyteller and artist to inspire others to do the same. If you want to follow Camille’s work and unique path, check out her socials where she can be found at “@thecamiliad” or visit her website.
Now to quench your curiosity, let’s delve into the workshop details. “Turning Your Story Into Art” is a workshop designed for participants of all ages to reflect on their relationship to Estonian identity and culture through creative writing and oral storytelling exercises. By working with personal memories and memorabilia, participants will gain comfort turning their unique experiences of being a part of the Estonian-Canadian community into treasured creative works. This workshop is intended for Estonian-Canadian identifying persons of all ages and walks of life; from first-generation immigrants to second and third -generation settlers, all perspectives and connections to Estonia and/or Estonian-Canadian identity are welcome here.
Whether you’re looking to find new ways of preserving your stories, exploring your own cultural heritage, or seeking a connection to the greater Estonian-Canadian community here in Southern Ontario, this workshop is for you. We ask participants to bring in a personal artifact/piece of ephemera (i.e. photographs, travel documents, a piece of traditional Eesti clothing and/or miscellaneous memorabilia, letters) … the possibilities are endless! This object just needs to be something PHYSICAL – something that participants feel connects them, in whatever way, to the Estonian-Canadian diaspora. Make sure it is an artifact or object that you are comfortable with others exploring as well. We have a limited number of spots and they are filling up fast, so make sure to sign up as soon as possible; the deadline to sign up is February 26th by sending an email to info@vemu.ca. Stay tuned to VEMU’s socials for additional info on the event. We hope to see you there!
