The Northern Residency Program
The Northern Residency Program is a week-long artist residency with a Northern Ontario school culminating in a student performance. The initiative is designed to foster youth leadership. With the guidance of classroom teachers and mentorship from Prologue artists, students will participate in workshops designed to develop leadership skills and help with artistic creation. Currently the Northern Residency Program is taking place in the Algoma Region.
The program is made possibly through subsidies provided by Prologue with funding from the Lewitt Family Foundation. If you are interested in supporting Prologue’s special subsidized programming, please contact Development Coordinator Mackenzie Spellman at [email protected].
Sharing Stories with Rukhsana Khan
In June, 2025, the residency was filled by award-winning author and storyteller Rukhsana Khan. Students from grade 4 – 6 participated in a series of workshops where they learned about writing and storytelling. The week culminated in a presentation of student stories to the primary grades in the school.
It was great to have had the opportunity to work with Rukhsana. The students learned so much from her story writing workshop. They practiced delivering their stories to each other and on the final day, presented to primary students. Many students were nervous to present but they did a wonderful job with the support of Rukhsana. A teacher reported that she had not seen this much enthusiasm from one particular student all year long. The student was so engaged and was excited to have had the opportunity to present to the primary students. Rukhsana was a pleasure to work with and her workshop was very well received by the entire school.
– Lisa Keranen, ADSB
Fostering Community with Njacko Backo
In 2024, percussionist extraordinaire Njacko Backo facilitated a residency in Algoma. This four day intensive program was structured to bring together students from different grades to learn about percussion, African culture, and working together. The program was designed to help students develop a sense of respect and love within the school community. The final day culminated in a school-wide community performance.
A Partnership with the School of Toronto Dance Theatre
In 2023, Prologue partnered with the School of Toronto Dance Theatre (now called the Dance Arts Institute) who facilitated workshops and provided mentorship for high school students. With guidance from their own teachers and mentorship from a local Algoma dance artist and a School of Toronto Dance Theatre artist, the students had the opportunity to plan and execute their own dance workshop series for an elementary class in their community.
