A mermaid in Baillie Court

October’s First Thursday: #myspace is almost here! And we can’t wait. Inspired by our new exhibition, Anthropocene, this edition of Toronto’s biggest art party features performances by an exciting line-up of women artists including Madame Gandhi, Sage Paul, and Gxxrls.

To celebrate the launch of her new CBC podcast The Shadows, we’ve invited artist, award-winning podcast creator and host, Kaitlin Prest, for a performance in Baillie Court. The podcast tells the story of a young artist and her ongoing search for love and creative fulfillment.

We chatted with Kaitlin to find out more about her love of art and what she’s got in store for us on October 4.

AGO: What can First Thursday visitors expect from your performance?
Kaitlin: It’ll be like stepping inside a radio play. Set in a fictitious city, through sound, puppets and shadows, I’ll be acting out the story of a mermaid who plays accordion for change in the subways, while dreaming of becoming a puppeteer.

AGO: What do you love most about podcasting?
Kaitlin: With visual media, we often make snap judgments. We can’t help ourselves. With audio, you can get to the core of a person’s soul. People say that the eyes are the window into the soul, but I think that listening to someone talk is the real window into the soul.

AGO: What was the first piece of art you fell in love with?
Kaitlin: There was a performance by the dancer and choreographer Akram Khan called DESH. In that performance – which was about his own life, growing up, his parents – he used recorded audio, which I love because it’s always a challenge bringing recorded sound to the stage. I’m still waiting for a piece of art to surprise me in that way again. I think about it every time I create a performance.

AGO: Dynamic storytelling is an art. But if it were a science, what would your formula look like?
Kaitlin: It would look something like this:

Trust your instincts + be vulnerable
How does this serve the listener? + support and feedback x beauty = dynamic story

First Thursday: #myspace is sure to be one of October’s hottest tickets, so get yours today. Tickets are $11 for AGO Members and $13 for the public; they are available on our website.

Want to check out the Anthropocene exhibition too? Advance tickets are $23 for First Thursday and exhibition entry (open 7 – 9:30 pm).

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