Ghost Walk / Earth Dance
"Time is running out… But not yet. But not yet. But not yet."
Ghost Walk / Earth Dance
A Work-in-Progress
Join us this August 14 and 15 at 7:15pm in Dufferin Grove Park for Clay and Paper Theatre's work-in-progress of Ghost Walk / Earth Dance, an exploration of climate grief and the earthly beauty that remains.
The evening begins at 7:15pm with an open community clay-making workshop, What We Grieve and What We Grow. This is an opportunity to sit down together, make something with your hands, and think alongside us about fragile landscapes and species.
At 8:15pm the performance begins. Time itself hosts this lantern-filled twilight park journey, introducing audiences to the giant figures of endangered and extinct ghost animals - Sturgeon, Caribou and Owl. Along for the ride, coyote characters Cosmos, Little Brother and Old Man confront their own fates in a modern-day world trying to eradicate its non-human neighbours.
Part spectacle, part immersive experience, Ghost Walk / Earth Dance asks audiences not how did we get here — on this boiling, flooding, melting, harassed earth. But something harder and more urgent: how do we live with what we know?
About the Evening’s Public Workshop & Performance
At 7:15pm, join us at the Fieldhouse (beside the east soccer field) for What We Grieve / What We Grow, an open community clay-making workshop that runs for approximately 60 minutes.
Our twilight/evening show begins at 8:15 and runs for approximately 40 minutes. Please meet at the Fieldhouse (beside the east soccer field, near the Community Garden).
Dufferin Grove Fieldhouse, beside the east soccer field, near the Community Garden. Dufferin Grove Park, 875 Dufferin Street, Toronto, ON M6H 3K8
Location
Pay-what-you-can (Suggested $15). No one is turned away, and all are welcome. Clay and Paper Theatre is a registered charity, 899324263RR0001. All online donations can be made HERE.
Cost
Event Date & Time
Friday, August 14 & Saturday, August 15, 7:15–9:00pm
Washrooms
Park washrooms at the Fieldhouse and Rinkhouse are open until 9pm.
This is a walking performance that moves between several spots across the park. We'll follow park paths where we can, though some stretches cross open grass, and you should expect to walk from area to area over the course of the evening. There's bench seating in the Grove, and limited seating elsewhere for seniors and folks with mobility challenges — feel free to bring a blanket too, especially for the portion of the show in the Valley. At some stops, you should expect to stand.
Accessibilty
There are plenty of ways to help us onsite during the evening performances. Please check back here for more volunteer info shortly.
Volunteering
There's no rain date for Ghost Walk / Earth Dance. If there's any concern about inclement weather, we'll post a rain update by 5:30pm on each performance day.
Weather
Theatre powered by the sun
Thank you to the Ray Ferris Sustainability and Innovation Grant for helping Clay and Paper Theatre dream bigger and greener. The Ray Ferris award is helping us run lights, sound, and lanterns on solar power for Ghost Walk / Earth Dance, our latest exploration of sustainability in outdoor performance.
Finding Your Way
Ghost Walk / Earth Dance unfolds across four locations in Dufferin Grove Park. The map below will help you find your way.
The evening begins at the 1) Fieldhouse, beside the east soccer field, where the What We Grieve / What We Grow workshop takes place. From there, the performance begins in front of the 2) Community Garden and then the journey moves into the 3) Valley, then to the 4) Concrete Den (better known as the park ping pong table) deeper in the park, and finally to the 5) Grove, where the evening comes to a close.
This is a walking performance, so we recommend comfortable shoes and a blanket if you'd like something to sit on. We have limited seating available for seniors and those with accessibility needs.
Washrooms can be found at the Rinkhouse and the Fieldhouse and are open until 9pm.
Come Early and Make Something With Us
Before Ghost Walk / Earth Dance begins, join us for What We Grieve / What We Grow, an open, drop-in clay-making workshop at the Dufferin Grove Fieldhouse.
Get your hands in the clay, make small sculptures together, and help build the installation that becomes part of the evening. Along the way, we'll think together about fragile landscapes and the beings who call them home. No experience needed, and nothing to prepare — just come and make something before the walk begins.
Drop in any time between 7:15 and 8:15pm at the Fieldhouse, beside the east soccer field. Ghost Walk / Earth Dance follows from 8:15 to 9pm.