No Man’s Land Festival

You’re reading the March 13, 2025 edition of the Peterborough Currents email newsletter. To receive our email newsletters straight to your inbox, sign up here.

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

On the heels of International Women’s Day last week, the No Man’s Land Film Festival returns to Peterborough on Friday, March 14. The adventure film festival highlights the stories of women and non-binary people who are passionate about the outdoors. Based in Denver, Colorado, the fest has toured around the world. A selection of shorts from this year’s lineup will screen at Market Hall on Friday, hosted by Dee Green of Wild Rock Outfitters.

Also in this week’s newsletter:

• Architect-turned-artist paints portraits for a cause
• Showcase of local dance performance at TTOK
• Plus, more things to do around town this weekend

Let’s get started!

Film fest proves “the outdoors is for everyone”

The No Man’s Land Film Festival showcases the joy, grit, and outstanding feats of women and non-binary people who love the great outdoors. For the second time, Wild Rock Outfitters in downtown Peterborough is bringing a selection of films from the Denver, Colorado-based festival to Market Hall. The screenings take place on Friday, March 14, starting at 7 p.m.

Started in 2015, the No Man’s Land Film Festival takes place in Denver in early March every year to coincide with International Women’s Day. The festival aims to change how “women and genderqueer athletes are represented in the outdoor industry” by showcasing their stories on the screen.

Outdoor educator Dee Green of Wild Rock Outfitters will host the Peterborough edition of the festival this year. As a 26-year-old queer woman who has always loved getting outside, amplifying the voices of underrepresented outdoor enthusiasts is something she feels particularly passionate about.

Green said growing up she didn’t have as many opportunities to learn outdoor skills as boys her age did. She said she remembers “desperately” wanting to join the Boy Scouts, which barred girls from participating at the time.

Girl Guides was open to her, but she said it didn’t have as much focus on survival and bushcraft skills, the things she wanted to learn about most. “They did go on nature walks and things like that, but they didn’t focus on the survival aspect, which is something I’ve always been really interested in,” she said. She sought out books on survival skills, but most of them were aimed at boys, too, she said. “So there wasn’t a lot of representation for me,” she said.

Things started to change when she joined a canoe club in high school that had a mix of boys, girls, and non-binary students. “We all kind of developed a good community,” she said.

There’s still a need today to show that enjoying the outdoors is for everyone — and that’s why the No Man’s Land Festival is so important, she said.

“[Humans are] just one of many, many animals that exist on this planet, and we belong in nature as much as any other animal does,” she said. “Any human being belongs in nature as much as any other human being does.”

Tickets to the No Man’s Land Film Festival cost $20 for adults and $10 for students. To learn more, visit the event website.

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Artist captures the “individual humanity” of Peterborough locals with new exhibit

When local architect Janet Lutz retired, she decided to study fine art. She took courses in painting and watercolour, then became inspired to paint people she encountered as she visited public spaces around Peterborough.

Over the last year, Lutz has produced 21 portraits of community members she’s met around town. Some of the paintings feature unhoused Peterborough residents and other marginalized people she has met on street corners, at the farmer’s market, or in other public spaces.

“These are people in our community. People we might pass by without noticing or engaging in conversation, but they are no less worthy of our attention, care, and affection,” she said.

The collection of watercolour portraits is currently on display at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, which is located inside the Mount Community Centre, as part of an exhibit called “Seeing and Being Seen.” Lutz does not intend to sell the pieces, but instead hopes they will inspire people to give to food-based charities. 

“All of us need to be seen, to be acknowledged and to have the dignity of having our basic needs met,” she said.

St. Paul’s pastor Debora Rolls offered to showcase the paintings in the church during this year’s Lent season, a period of prayer for Christians leading up to Easter. She is also encouraging her congregation and the broader community to donate to Kawartha Food Share ahead of the holiday, she said.

“We are pleased to be able to support Janet in her desire to shine a spotlight on the most vulnerable in our community and to provide a place where her beautiful art can be shown,” said Rolls.

Later this spring, Lutz hopes to show the portraits at the Peterborough Public Library, Dreams of Beans, and other local gathering places, she said.

Those who would like to arrange a free viewing of the exhibit can call 705-745-1411 to set up a time with the church attendant.

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Small Dance for a Small Space is back at TTOK

The Small Dance for a Small Space Festival is back from March 12 to 15 at The Theatre on King. The festival provides a small, intimate venue for performance artists to showcase their works in progress. This year’s lineup includes a rocking take on dance and aging, a touching expression of an aunt and niece’s love, a merging of three dancers into one, a funky freestyle, a water-inspired belly dance, a moving commentary on a dancer’s cancer diagnosis, and more. Tickets cost $20, with a pay-what-you-can option at the door. Space is limited, so pre-registration is recommended.

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What’s happening in Peterborough this weekend?

• Cherry Garcia Band will rock Jethro’s Bar and Stage on Friday, March 14. The band will cover songs by the Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia Band, Bob Dylan and others starting at 10 p.m. People are encouraged to bring their dancing shoes to enjoy this free concert.

• Rapid’s End Improv will partner with Take Cover Books on Saturday, March 15, to present Let’s Get Lit. The new improv comedy show draws inspiration from the works of literature lining the walls of the book shop. The show runs from 7 to 9 p.m. and tickets cost $10, with a pay-what-you-can option available. Canadian Comedy Award winner Janet Van de Graff of Second City fame will join Peterborough’s improv comedians for the show.

• Peterborough country and blues group The Silver Hearts will celebrate their 25th anniversary with a special show at The Pig’s Ear Tavern on March 15 at 8 p.m. The band started as a duo but has grown to include a dozen musicians, most of whom will be on stage this Saturday night to play original music and their favourite cover songs. Seats are first-come, first served and entry costs $5 for the anniversary show.

• Delta Bingo will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day a little early, this Saturday, March 15, with an evening of drag performance and gaming. Local drag queens Madge Enthat and Divalicious will keep guests entertained with dance, comedy, and campy theatrics while they try their luck at rounds of bingo through the night. Tickets cost $40 and include a bingo package and a dabber. All players must arrive by 6 p.m. The show starts at 7 p.m.

• On Monday, March 17 at 5 p.m., Chippewas of Nawash First Nation lawyer and educator Lindsay Borrows will deliver a free lecture as part of Trent University’s Pine Tree Talk series. Taking place at Trent’s Nozhem Theatre, the free talk is titled “The Voice of the Land is in Our Language: Admiring the Webs of Anishinaabe Law, Lands and Language.” There’s also an option to watch by Zoom.

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