MISCELLANEOUS Productions (MP) https://miscellaneousproductions.ca/, founded in 2000 in Vancouver, Canada, is best described as “a hip hop theatre boot camp” developed for culturally and socially representative children and youth who face multiple barriers.
We present an original work every two to three years, continue to tour, give free peer-run workshops to at-risk children and youth, and make films about our performances. A non-profit organization and registered charity, MP is currently heading towards its third decade of collaborating in a long-term model with youth in creating performances and film and media works for the public.
Developing pioneering performances with and for youth, MP is the only organization of its kind in Canada. With accessibility and representation as central pillars of our mandate, we are passionate about the exploration of interdisciplinary community-engaged performance and new artistic practices, and about the intersections of art making, community development, crime prevention, and education. We provide youth with innovative and inspiring opportunities to empower themselves and effect social change and personal transformation.
You can make a fully tax deductible donation or purchase a $20 membership through CanadaHelps.org
MISCELLANEOUS Productions, Canada’s leading community-engaged arts organization working with at-risk children and youth, will present MUSIC 101, a series free two-hour workshops sharing knowledge and resources and fostering connections between musicians, composers, and other professionals and marginalized youth interested in pursuing careers in the music industry.
The target audience for the workshops is youth and young adults interested in careers in the music industry and music education.
The Susan Pond Music 101 Program for Youth workshops will take place Saturdays October 5, 19, 26 and November 2 before a live audience at the Sarah McLachlan School of Music. Each workshop will feature an interview with a music industry professional, unplugged live and video components of their music, and roundtable discussions with the youth in attendance.
Workshop topics will include: how to access grants; scholarships and bursaries; creating an electronic press kit; harm reduction and substance misuse; sexual harassment and mental health in the music industry; digital hygiene, privacy and dealing with cyber bullying.
Participants are encouraged to be aware of their own comfort levels and potential triggers. Recommended age of audience members is 11 years and older.
The program is named in memory of music teacher and activist Susan Pond (1939 to 2019) and her important contributions to the work of MISCELLANEOUS Productions.
The participating panelists all have varied career trajectories, and all are successful working musicians, composers, producers, and educators who have previous experience working with at-risk youth.
The panellists will include:
Oct.5 Grammy-award winning, Canadian urban music singer, musician, and producer Chin Injeti.
Oct. 19 Renae Morriseau is a Cree (nehiyaw iskwew ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐤ ᐃᐢᑫᐧᐤ) and Saulteaux woman (nahkawiskwêw ᓇᐦᑲᐃᐧᐢᑫᐧᐤ) from the Treaty 1 Territory on the lands known as Manitoba. Actor/Director of many popular film/TV shows (X Files, North of 60), Community-Engaged Artist collaborating with Indigenous musicians. She is the Leader of M’Girl, a percussive-based hand drum song group.
Oct. 26 Gospel, jazz, funk, musical theatre and World music singer/songwriter Dawn Pemberton.
Nov. 2 Contemporary New Music and classically-trained composer, kooky rock band songwriter and producer, keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist Jaya Story, who has composed for ensembles Standing Wave, Ecstatic Waves and two MISCELLANEOUS Productions films.
The first three workshop guest artists will be interviewed by MISCELLANEOUS Productions’ artistic director and artistic producer/co-programmer of the 2011 and 2013 Raincity Rap urban music festivals and conferences, Elaine Carol and the final workshop interviewer will be Juno-nominated percussionist, Robin Layne.
THE SUSAN POND MUSIC 101 PROGRAM FOR YOUTH
A Series of “Music Industry 101” Workshops — PILOTWinter 2021
The Susan Pond Music 101 Program For Youth is a series of Music Industry 101 workshops for youth and young people interested in becoming professionals in the music industry.
This focused series is for youth in under-served British Columbia communities. We hope to share knowledge and resources, and foster connections between musicians, composers and other music industry professionals and marginalized youth who do not otherwise have access to professional arts programming or training, because they live in communities that are chronically under-served in this regard.
Our chosen panellists all have varied career trajectories, but all are successful working musicians, composers, producers and educators all also have previous experience working in community-engaged projects with at-risk youth.
Workshop topics included how to access grants, scholarships, and bursaries, creating an electronic press kit, harm reduction, substance misuse, sexual harassment, and mental health in the music industry, digital hygiene, privacy and cyber bullying. Participants were encouraged to be aware of their own comfort levels and potential triggers.
The program is named in memory of Susan Pond (1939 To 2019) and her important contributions to MISCELLANEOUS Productions.
“I Ain’t No Superman” the central hip hop musical number from MISCELLANEOUS Productions’ original 2019 work AWAY with HOME has been given a new look in a dance-based video created through the medium of motion graphics, a technique that combines sound, motion, text, and graphic design.
Streetdance choreographer Natasha Gorrie and director Elaine Carol worked with a diverse cast of professional dancers from across British Columbia’s hip hop scene to explore young people’s struggles with mental health, connection, disconnection, and fluctuating feelings of powerlessness, confinement, and hope for young people struggling in a time of plague and uncertainty.
The song “I Ain’t No Superman” was written and composed by MISCELLANEOUS Productions Alumni Natasha Pheko. Filmed in November of 2020, this video is a collaboration with the professional media group Magnafire Media.
