Pelham’s independent news source from the Heart of Niagara
The
Vol.15 No.31
(P UP
Fonthill
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From pain to pleasure. Page 2
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Wednesday, October 5, 2011
U12 girls finish strong. Page 8
Kinsmen celebrate 60 years! Page 6
Local artist tells story of Niagara area’s migrant workers through life-sized masks BY TINA CHIVERS VOICE Staff Fonthill artist, Angie Geiss had a vision, and it included some familiar but unknown faces. Geiss, executive director of In the Orchard (ITO) recently brought to life three seven and eight-foot masks for a play called Growing Together: A Celebration of Niagara’s Migrant Workers. The play was performed at Brock University, as part of the Canada-wide celebration of Ontario Arts Council’s Culture Days. Geiss worked alongside the owner of neXt company theatre, David Fancy, and the idea for the larger-than-life masks was the pair’s brainchild. The masks are used to tell the story of the many migrant workers (who come from Mexico and Jamaica) to work in Niagara’s orchards, fields and vineyards. Every year thousands of migrant workers travel to Niagara from Mexico, the Caribbean and elsewhere, to work in the region’s $2.8 million agricultural industry. Back in 2010, neXt company theatre piloted a documentary theatre project called “Remember to See the Worker Too” involving migrant workers, local actors and visual artists. This year’s project was a Ask The Experts:
Jim Pedlar & Tina Moessner
much larger event, and it involved regional actors, musicians, dancers, filmmakers, and of course, farmers and migrant workers. Ashley Smith, community profile developer for In The Orchard, says that the masks used in the production are based on actual people in the complementary documentary on Niagara’s migrant workers. “Of course, their names [in the documentary] may have been changed to protect their identities,” says Smith. “Migrant workers caught complaining about their jobs or living conditions will be sent away.” In the documentary, three of the characters are Jesus, Troy and Rosa. The masks are named after these migrant workers. The colossal masks are made of duct tape, chicken wire, wood, papiermache, newspaper and latex paint. Mexican and Jamaican workers carried the masks on stage as they told their personal stories and shared information about their cultures. Smith says that the masks, which took three weeks to create, were produced by the hands of ITO staff, board members, students and volunteers. The masks will remain on display for a couple of weeks at In the Orchard: Programming for the Arts, located on Pelham Street
These masks are larger than life!
Ashley Smith, community profile developer for In The Orchard, poses with “Troy” one of the colossal masks. In total, ITO produced three masks, “Troy”, “Jesus” and “Rosa”, each representing the real-life story of a migrant worker. The masks, despite their size, actually weigh very little. They are made of duct tape, chicken wire, wood, papier-mache, newspaper and latex paint. Tina Chivers/Voice Photo in Fonthill. “Some people have come in to see the masks because they were walking by, and just had to know what these things were all about,” says Smith. “I hope
more people come by over the next couple of weeks; it’s a great opportunity to learn about the lives and culture of the migrant workers living in our community.”
Smith says that, more than anything, the migrant workers just want respect. “They want people to stop and say hello to them when they ride by on their
bikes,” she says. Anyone wishing to see the masks and have a tour of the show is welcome to drop by ITO, Monday to Friday, anytime from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.