Arts Near You: June 26
Call for Poetry Submissions, Stratford Festival, Art jobs, Editorials + more!
We made it through the heat wave!
I hope you're reading this in an air-conditioned room ─ it's been a difficult week weatherwise but the weekend is almost here, and it looks like rain (thankfully!). As the temperature settles down, it's time to head back outside again, and Cannopy Magazine is here to help you find the arts near you.
This issue is our biggest one yet, but what you're seeing below is only 40% of the action: become a paid subscriber today to get full access to this ANY newsletter! For $5 a month you'll get access to our full newsletter experience, including a longer listing of Visual and Performing Arts events in Southern Ontario, plus the full episodes of our Cannopy Salon series. Paid subscribers will also get a complimentary subscription to The Cannopy Newsletter for a broader view of the arts, including all our archival content.
Of course there's more! We are launching two new series for our paid subscribers:
Art Jobs Near You: Looking for a job or an excuse to level up? The ANY newsletter is here with a handpicked selection of the employment opportunities that are calling your name.
RADARt: This new series presents scoops and deep-dives on exciting news in the arts ecosystem across Southern Ontario. From early announcements, to gallery opening, to short opinion pieces, RADARt captures the most exciting happenings on our creative radar.
You’ll also find the latest entry to our Cannopy Kudos series: this time we’re tipping the hat to a local restaurant with an appetite for the arts and a taste for the community.
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Mark it down in your calendars, our next salon will be hosted at 7:30pm on Saturday, July 12 at the Tranzac! We’ve got an exciting line-up of artists for you, and you are also invited to be a part of the on-stage action! Submit your poem or song inspired by our prompt for a chance to perform your piece in a live recorded event. Learn more about the Cannopy Salon Call for Submissions.
The second episode of The Cannopy Salon, titled Deep Green, was filmed on June 14th, featuring performances and conversations with opera singer Sarah Mole of Toronto Summer Music, musician Zach Goldstein of The New Symphony Orchestra, and more! Check out the teaser below and become a paid subscriber of the ANY Newsletter for the full-length video of the salon experience.
The Cannopy Salon is a free non-ticketed event hosted at The Tranzac! The Tranzac is a not-for-profit organization and relies on the generous support of members and donors to operate. Become a member here! And find out about the other residencies at The Tranzac here.
Join Guild Festival Theatre as they kick off their 14th summer season with a special concert by Aqua's Red Rhythm & Blues, bringing stories of Indigenous hope and resilience to the Greek Theatre through music and dance. Rooted in their Anishinaabe heritage and accompanied by their Queer guitarist, talented violinist, and fancy shawl dancer, this group creates space for healing through the soothing sounds of strings and unforgettable harmonies.
Guild Park & Gardens. July 3, 7:30pm. Tickets $15.
Antoni Cimolino, Artistic Director of Stratford Festival, speaks to Cannopy about the famed Québécois director Robert Lepage’s take on Macbeth.
AC — This production is really about the biker wars in Québec and Robert Lepage, the director, has done extensive research to establish these connections. For instance, Lennox is a character in Macbeth and Lennoville was the site of biker wars in Québec in the 80s. The biker’s badges, all the regalia, the military strata within these biker gangs that were fighting each other, are all used here to create the world of Macbeth. He is adopting that language, those values, to show these two warring gangs, and he has got fantastic actors. I attended a workshop in Québec City and it was really, really beautiful—the images he’s created on that stage. We’ve even created these great Harley-Davidson bikes out of electric motors so that they look and sound like big hogs, though they’re actually scooters. I shouldn't give away all the secrets, but it’s really a beautiful piece.
Macbeth is on stage now at the Stratford Festival
Toronto Summer Music announced programming details for the TSM Free Concert Series at the 2025 Toronto Summer Music Festival, which runs July 10 to August 2. The TSM Free Concert Series features 25 free events including Kids Concerts, Noon concerts, Masterclasses, Sensory-Friendly Concerts, Shuffle Concerts, and more.
Discover the Toronto Summer Music Festival today.
Canada’s most iconic music event, The Mariposa Folk Festival, is on from July 4-6 in Orillia Ontario. The 3-day Festival is a family-friendly celebration of song, story, dance and craft in the bucolic setting of Tudhope Park. More than 50 artists appear on stages throughout the park including a pub stage and outstanding evening main stage performances. Special areas for children’s activities, artisans, and food vendors make Mariposa a magical experience for people of all ages.
It is the beginning of 1918, and Edward (Gonçalo Waddington), a minor English diplomat in Burma (modern-day Myanmar), wanders sullenly through a rainy Rangoon, dreaming of escape. It is not the destruction of World War I that weighs on him. Rather, it is the impending arrival of Molly (Crista Alfaiate), his fiancée of seven years, that terrifies him. In a moment of panic, Edward ditches a bouquet of bird of paradise flowers—a welcome gift for his betrothed—and takes flight, boarding a ship for Singapore and leaving word that Molly should return to London. Determined to marry, Molly instead follows Edward to Singapore and beyond, embarking on a sweeping journey through Southeast and East Asia. Thus begins Grand Tour, the sixth and latest feature by Portuguese filmmaker Miguel Gomes.
Stream Grand Tour for free on MUBI today with a CANNOPY 30-day discount!
The National Arts Centre Orchestra went on tour across 6 cities and Cannopy tagged along for the ride. For this special coverage from Osaka, our Chief Editor covered the orchestra’s performance at Expo 2025, in celebration of Oscar Peterson’s Centenary.
Our editor wasn’t alone on this trip, writer Sotto Voce came along as well. Who is Sotto Voce? None other than our elusive and ill-tempered resident music critic who came out of retirement to capture the ins and outs of an orchestra on the move. Read the Sotto Voce series here.
Subscribe to The Cannopy Newsletter to keep up with Issue 15.
Exploring Our Relationship to Creativity | June 26 | AURORA ─ “In this hands-on art making workshop you will be gently guided through a series of creative invitations and explorations to better understand your thoughts, feelings, and limiting beliefs about your ability to create.” Micak Contemporary Art Gallery | Workshop
The Day before D-Day with Steve Fretwell Opening Reception | June 5 - June 27 | OAKVILLE ─ “Steve creates an innovative rethinking of aerial reconnaissance images that draw creative inspiration from the hopes and memories of those in the allied air services who participated in the liberation of Europe.” Summer & Grace Gallery | Visual Art
Violin // Trumpet // Melodica | June 28-29 | TORONTO ─ “Émilie Fortin, Aysel Taghi-Zada, and Wesley Shen are joined onstage by composer Martin Arnold to premiere Strophe Rocket, a new work by Martin for Freesound!” Freesound | Arraymusic | Performance
Free First Friday Night Performance: Aisha Sasha John | July 4 | TORONTO ─ “In this newly commissioned performance, poet and choreographer Aisha Sasha John engages with Margaux Williamson’s exhibition Shoes, Books, Hands, Buildings, and Cars.” MOCA | Poetry
Artist's Share- Potluck & Art | July 5 | TORONTO ─ “You are invited to share food, experiences, art, and friendship at this community building event. At a time of divisiveness and hardship, we come together to celebrate the potency of solidarity and communal alliances” Sur Gallery | Community
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Part-Time Assistant Director | June 30 | TORONTO ─ “We are seeking a forward-thinking, strategic Part-Time Assistant Director to join our leadership team. This role offers a unique opportunity to help shape the gallery’s exhibition program, strengthen our national presence, and expand our international reach—creating meaningful connections at home and abroad. The Assistant Director will work closely with the Director to oversee all aspects of gallery operations, with a focus on developing artist’s careers through local engagement and global dialogue.” Franz Kaka Gallery
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