Outdoor theatre show promotes environment and advocates for bike safety

With the weather cooling down next week, people using active transportation can hit the trails without worrying about the heat. If you’re at Whittier Park, you can also catch an outdoor theatre show at the same time.

Green Kids Inc., a theatre company dedicated to environmental education through performance, is putting on its show called Bike and Circuses next week. The show features eight different stages across three kilometres of Whittier Park, with special performances catering to pedestrians and accessibility through its five-day run.

“We thought, let’s make it in a beautiful park that is close to downtown so it’s still accessible for most folks in the city, and that’s how we would celebrate our connection to the planet and some awesome Winnipeg artists,” said Daina Leitold, co-producer of the show and executive director of Green Kids Inc.

Leitold said the show is all about accessibility: People can bike, walk, or do whatever they want to travel to the different stages.

“Each stage is quite different. We’ve commissioned a variety of circus, theatre, music and dance artists who create pieces that address climate change and other environmental issues,” Leitold said.

Adding, “You’re always led by a host through the show. So when you arrive, there’s gonna be an active lobby … then you’re gonna head to a, ‘Bike Safety is No Joke’ station. It will be set up over in a field … Folks can practice their pedestrian and cycling skills as they navigate that area. After you have that sort of pre-show experience, then your host will call out your group and they will lead you through the show.”

Leitold said the concept of accessible, outdoor theatre came to her company as artists were struggling during the 2020 pandemic — with its theatre closures across Canada resulting in many people being out of work and unable to practice their art form.

“My co-producer, Brenda McLean was chatting about like, what can we do. Theatre was shut down, what can we possibly do that we’re allowed to and what’s respectful to do at that time. Outdoors was the thing. Everyone was doing theatre outdoors,” she said.

“It happened to come out of a pandemic situation but it doesn’t need to be only restricted to that time because, I think that theatre can be different. It’s great to sit in the dark quietly and watch a play but I feel like, to make theatre accessible to everyone — and fun for everyone — like, let’s think about what it’s like to go and see a sports event or Nuit Blanche. When you can see the show on your own terms.”

Artist Charlene Van Buekenhout’s piece, where she plays an ultrasound wand named ‘Wanda’, came from watching a loved one go through that experience.

“I had recently been witness to an ultrasound on somebody I love dearly. It was on their heart, and I was watching the ultrasound and watching the heart move and inside that ultrasound, everything is so, like, wavy. It just looks so vulnerable … I thought, I actually might be able to do this. Literally connect people to what’s inside of them and what they are made of,” she said.

“The whole point of the piece is to literally connect people to the place where they live and breathe and exist, which is the planet and the land and water that we are on.”

For the group behind the show, many of whom are involved with cycling advocacy groups like Vision Zero, it’s hard to ignore the number of cyclist-vehicle accidents that have happened in the city over the summer months. The show is another way to advocate for safety for all.

“It’s an interesting time to create a show where we’re suggesting people bike across the city to come and see it when we’re also every well aware right now that we are lacking some better infrastructure. So I think safe infrastructure for cyclists is number one priority,” said Leitold.

“People tend to want to drive to the speed limit and don’t think about going less and I think that if cars were a little slower, bikes know that they can take up the space that they need and we can be equally commuting on the same street to get where we’re going, with there being less danger for folks.”

Bike and Circuses runs from August 7th to 11th, with a free preview on Wednesday at 2 p.m. Tickets and more information about shows and accessibility performances can be found here.