Friday, March 29, 2024

Release: The Gilded Hammer Awards Celebrate Local Artists in More Ways Than One

Hamilton Fringe‘s inaugural theatre awards, The Gilded Hammer Awards, will be presented as an online digital event and fundraiser on Saturday, November 21st.

Hosted by Donna-Michelle St. Bernard with music by LTthemonk, this celebration of local artists will be sure to please. Join Donna-Michelle on her travels throughout the city of Hamilton, meet the award nominees and celebrating the winners—you may spot some familiar faces along the way! Keep an eye out for cameos by Radha Menon, Karen Ancheta, Marilo Nunez, Senjuti Sarker, and Josh Taylor.

Supported by local businesses and the Canada Council for the Arts, The Gilded Hammer Awards will also feature the premiere of Scroll Down. This original short film was conceived and developed by Festival Director Christopher Stanton with videography and production by Hamilton Film Festival Director Nathan Fleet, and story by theatre artist Matthew MacFadzean.

According to Christopher Stanton, “in the strange ‘new normal’ of the COVID-19 era, many of us have adopted a new daily ritual to keep connected: scrolling endlessly through our social media feeds. Scroll Down takes that idea and tells a new story from a uniquely Hamilton perspective with work by over 20 local artists.”

The Gilded Hammer Awards are designed to celebrate the fierce spirit of independent theatre artists, to award innovation and growth, to nurture emerging talent, and to recognize the national achievements of artists from Hamilton.

Claire Calnan, Hamilton Fringe Artist Development and Frost Bites Director, and the director of The Gilded Hammers awards show, has always been passionate about developing the theatre community in Hamilton.  “The Gilded Hammers event gives us the chance to resist, in a tiny way, Hamilton’s habitual state of understated excellence,” states Calnan. “For once, we’re going to take the time to shout about some awesome local artists and honour them in fun ways. This small act of celebration is meant to uplift the incredible and hardworking artists who call this city home, encouraging them to take the next step in their growth. We do this with the confidence that that will benefit us all!”

On the heels of their successful “Hamilton Speaks” online conversation series, local theatre collective Femmepire offers a fun, interactive, community conversation: Wheel of Femmepire. A rapid-fire game show about the indie theatre ecology, contestants share their industry toolkit, play games, and answer the ultimate question: can we stay awake through yet another Zoom meeting? Hosted by Kit Kasiama and Claud Spadafora, with panelists Ravi Jain (Theatre Why Not), Kim Collier (Electric Company), and Nikki Shaffeeullah (The Amy Project), audience members will have the opportunity to play along and ask questions via live chat.

From Femmepire members Maddie Krusto, Kitoko Kasiama, Micaela Morales, and Claud Spadafora: “The spirit of Fringe and the spirit of Femmepire are kindred. There’s an embracing of messiness and working with what you’ve got in order to make something great, and more importantly, something that matters to the community. The Gilded Hammer Awards reflect how Hamilton Fringe doesn’t just enable community members to create that kind of work, but it enables the community to tangibly celebrate that work. It allows us to cement ourselves as a theatre community that is resourceful and can do—and does do—something with nothing. It feels like things are finally changing and it’s wonderful to see, in a time when there’s revolution in every part of the world, that our theatre community is embracing the messiness, responding and shifting, and uplifting marginalized voices.”

The Hamilton Fringe is committed to reducing barriers to access for audiences and artists, and is offering tiered ticket prices from $5 to $40. 50% of ticket sales will be donated to the Disability Justice Network of Ontario (DJNO), one of the Equity Initiative partner organizations. 

“We are asking the community to buy a ticket and support their local community. The funds raised through this lively artist-focused event will go back to artists and the greater community through activities supported by Hamilton Fringe’s Equity Initiative. The Equity Initiative encompasses a series of research, consultancy, and programming pieces collectively aimed at challenging and transforming inequitable systems in the performing arts community in Hamilton—with a focus on amplifying BIPOC artists and disability justice,” says Heather Kanabe, Hamilton Fringe Executive Director. She continues: “With CareMongering’s relaunch this month, you’re also helping DJNO to provide care to communities affected by COVID-19, through deliveries of essential items and a safe place to volunteer and connect. DJNO has been an invaluable partner for the development of the Equity Initiative, and we look forward to finding new ways to build a stronger community where everyone can exist freely, and where nobody is left behind.”

This year’s award categories and nominees include

The Cutting Edge: Innovation Award
Valeri Kay
Michael Kras
Stephanie Hope Lawlor

The Groundbreaker: Emerging Artist Award
Will Gillespie
Camille Intson
Kitoko Kasiama
Maddie Krusto
Carlyn Rhamey
Claud Spadafora

The Force of Impact: National Achievement Award
Anna Chatterton
Juno Rinaldi

Tickets for the Gilded Hammer Awards can be purchased at www.hamiltonfringe.ca

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