Frost Bites fest warming up Hamilton this week

A long weekend of theatrical offerings, hands-on creative workshops for kids and grown-ups alike, live music, community discussions and participatory storytelling is coming at Hamilton with the Frost Bites festival, now in its seventh year.

The focus is on low-cost and no-cost activities, many rooted in social justice work in the city, and one of the highlights will be a procession of light in Ward 3 featuring lanterns handmade at lantern-making workshops happening every day (noon at Bernie Morelli Recreation Centre) of the festival, which is running now and continues to Mon., Feb. 20.

The festival, which is billed as being community-embedded, is involving many groups, individuals, neighbourhoods and places but mostly it happens at the Bernie Morelli Recreation Centre (876 Cannon St. East), Theatre Aquarius Arts Centre (191 King William St., across from Theatre Aquarius) and on the HSR transit route between them.

Some activities at the Bernie Morelli Centre are:

A Latte with Mahla" by Switchboard Theatre (7 p.m. Thu., 6 p.m. Fri., and 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday); African Beats with Walter MacLean (4 p.m. Sat.); Changemakers featuring art and conversation with activists Jordan Carrier, Robin Lacambra, Fareh Malik, and Ahona Mehdi (7 p.m. Fri., 4:30 p.m. Sat.); DJ Family Skate Party (3:30 to 5 p.m. Sat.); Getting Creative with L'Arche Creative Hands Studio (noon Mon.); Frost Bites Local Marketplace (noon-4 p.m. Sat.); English Storytelling with Nadia L. Hohn (11 a.m. Sat.); French Storytelling with Nadia L. Hohn (1 p.m. Sat.); Matrix Synchronized Skaters (2 and 3 p.m. Sat.); Inclusion Coffeehouse with L'Arche (noon everyday); Soulful Sounds with Whitness (6 p.m. Sat.)

Some activities at Theatre Aquarius Arts Centre are:

Community in Conversation: Decolonizing Artistic Practices hosted by Kitoko Mai (4 p.m. Thu., Fri., Sun. and Mon.); Stories, Bodies, Archives with Saba Company (Thu. 6 p.m., Fri. 7:30 p.m., Sun. 9 p.m.); Life in Transit(ion)" with YWCA Hamilton (check hftco.ca for schedule); Show Home" by Carlyn Rhamey (5:30 p.m. Thu., 1 p.m. on Sun. and Mon.); The House Key Project" with Porch Light Theatre (7 p.m. Thu., 6 p.m. Fri., 2:30 p.m. Sat. and Sun.); Uninvited Guests" with Afterlife Theatre (9 p.m. Thu., 6 p.m. Sun.); You Should Have Stayed Home" by Tommy Taylor (9 p.m. Fri., 7:30 p.m. Mon.); Storytelling with Karen Ancheta (2 p.m. Mon.)

We wanted to connect to the community and help grow our programs, spending time investing in community and education work over time, a slow cook," says Claire Calnan, Frost Bites director and artistic development director of Hamilton Festival Theatre Company, which puts on Frost Bites as well as the Hamilton Fringe Festival, among other programs.

For more and for a complete schedule of Frost Bites, see hftco.ca.

Jeff Mahoney is a Hamilton-based reporter and columnist covering culture and lifestyle stories, commentary and humour for The Spectator.jmahoney@thespec.com