Local snapshots of environmental harm… plus more events

You’re reading the December 6, 2024 edition of the Peterborough Currents email newsletter. To receive our email newsletters straight to your inbox, sign up here.

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Good morning,

Welcome to the arts and community newsletter from Peterborough Currents. I’m Alex, and I send this email every Friday to catch you up on what’s happening in the community.

This week, I’m sharing details on a pop-up exhibit at Artspace, a folk music Christmas fundraiser at Market Hall, and immersive medieval fun at The Mount Community Centre.

As usual, I also have some event listings for you if you’re looking for something to do this weekend.

Let’s get started!

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Mapping project shines a light on environmental harm

As part of the First Friday Art Crawl tonight, December 6, the community is welcome to visit the Mapping for Change Photovoice exhibit at Artspace. 

Trent graduate student Kevanya Simmons curated the exhibit, as part of a larger research project she’s a part of that looks into hidden environment hazards in Peterborough, called Mapping for Change.

The exhibit features photos that Simmons invited a group of community members to take of things around Peterborough that bring them joy, create connections between people, or that they think need to change.

“We had a really diverse group, from people who were disabled to racialized and international newcomers. So a lot of things came up, like hidden injustices,” Simmons said. “Drug use in the city was a big thing; homelessness was a big thing; trash being all around.”

“I hope that people come and they feel connected and feel empowered,” Simmons said.

The Mapping for Change Project is led by Trent environmental studies professor Stephanie Rutherford.

“The project was a way to sort of understand who’s vulnerable to environmental risk in Peterborough, and how that might be related to questions of social identity,” Rutherford explained. 

The project team has mapped data around environmental harms in Peterborough city and county, such as lack of access to clean drinking water and green space, and exposure to pollutants in the air and soil. 

The Mapping for Change project is online, with analysis and reports available for those who want to learn more about environmental harms in Peterborough.

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25th annual In From The Cold Concert for YES shelter

The In From the Cold Concert is back tonight, Friday, December 6, and tomorrow, Saturday December 7, at Market Hall from 8 to 10:30 p.m.

Now in its 25th year, the show started as a passion project for members of local folk band Carried Away. 

“I wanted to play a Christmas concert but nobody ever asked us to,” band member Hoffman laughed. “So I said, ‘If we’re going to play at a Christmas concert we have to invent one.’”

The musicians focus on bringing unique Christmas music to Market Hall, including original songs by band member Susan Newman, Scandinavian carols, and other pieces many will never have heard before.

“It’s a different kind of show. It’s not played by brass bands or a church organ or by a symphony orchestra,” he explained. “We’ve got fiddle, guitars, hammer dulcimer, harp, king whistle, concertina, that kind of stuff. So it’s very folky music.”

Since the first show in 1999, the In From the Cold Concert has donated all of its proceeds to the YES Shelter for Youth and Families each year. The inaugural show raised about $1,500, while last year’s concert made $23,000 for the shelter, according to Hoffman.

“When we started, we had no idea we’d still be going in 25 years,” Hoffman said.

To learn more and purchase tickets for the concert, visit the Market Hall website.

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Swordfighting and immersive D&D at The Mount

Every Saturday this winter The Mount Community Centre will ring out with the sounds of steel and storytelling.

Blades of Glory, a local company that provides medieval education, is hosting weekly swordfighting lessons and immersive Dungeons and Dragons games at The Mount from December to April. Swords will clash on the main floor of The Mount’s Austin Doran Hall, while adventurers take on fantastical challenges at the gaming tables set up in the balconies above. 

Fighters will practice medieval armored swordsmanship as well as Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA), in preparation for an annual tournament Blades of Glory holds in September.

You can sign up for swordfighting lessons anytime throughout the winter, and each Dungeons and Dragons session will be a stand-alone story so players can participate in any game day, even if they’ve missed the previous sessions.

To add to the immersive Dungeons and Dragons experience, there will be costume pieces and replica weapons for players to try.

Visit Blade of Glory’s website to learn more or register for swordfighting or D&D at The Mount.

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Photo: Decorating trees for those lost to substance use at Peterborough Square

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Looking for something to do this weekend?

• Comedic duo Rico and Rostrup will present A Very Merry Made-Up Christmas improv comedy show tonight, Friday, December 6, from 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 online or at the door at The Theatre on King, with limited seats available. 
  
• The Art School of Peterborough is hosting its Holiday Art Market as part of the First Friday Art Crawl tonight from 6 to 9 p.m., as well as tomorrow, Saturday, December 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The sale will feature all kinds of works by local artisans at 174 A Charlotte Street. 
  
• Peterborough Concert Band will perform a free concert of classic Christmas favourites at Peterborough Square Mall this Saturday, December 7 from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. 
• The Peterborough Kinsmen Santa Claus Parade is this Saturday, December 7. This year’s theme is “It’s a Rockin’ Christmas.” The parade will make its way down George Street, starting at McDonnel Street and passing by City Hall at 4:45 p.m.
  
• Bobcaygeon Brewing Company at 4-649 The Parkway will host the Suds and Stand-up comedy show on Saturday, December 7, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Acts include Jesse Singh, Jordan Trafford, and Evan Dubois. Tickets are $25 online or $30 at the door.
  
• Sherri Soucie of Springville Market is hosting a Merry Christmas Market at Golden Wheel Restaurant, 6725 Highway 7, in Peterborough. From noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, twenty vendors will showcase their wares. Families can get free pictures with Santa, and enjoy hot chocolate, crafts, and more.
• Local soft rock band Odd Man Rush is at The Black Horse Pub this Saturday, from 7 to 10 p.m., to raise funds for One City Peterborough. In addition to enjoying the live music, guests can also purchase items from a silent auction, with all proceeds going to One City.
• Canadian comedy duo Kenny vs Spenny is bringing the R-rated Christmas Tour to Peterborough this Sunday, December 8, at The Venue. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and tickets cost $40, or $80 for a VIP meet-and-greet.
• On Sunday, December 8, Kawartha Youth Orchestra’s Ode to Joy concert is at All Saints’ Anglican Church. Intermediate and senior youth orchestra members and senior ensembles will perform a selection of pieces, including a collaborative rendition of Ode to Joy by all of the orchestras together. The concert begins at 6 p.m., and entry is by donation.
• The Made by Me Market is this Sunday from 9:30 to 3 p.m. at the Peterborough Curling Club, 2195 Lansdowne Street. Admission is free and guests will receive a free stocking stuffer. All items are handmade by local artisans.

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