Message from the President
Synergies produce knowledge that can make all the difference
To glad your ear, and please your eyes, it hath been sung at festivals*
For the next five months, we will be welcoming thousands of visitors to the University of Guelph’s main campus and to our city as they attend some of the events planned during the “Shakespeare — Made in Canada” festival.
We are privileged to have renowned actor William Hutt serve as honorary patron. He is a longtime member of the University family, having received an honorary degree in 1973, and recently donated a collection of papers and memorabilia to the U of G Library that documents his long career in the theatre.
Another William is, of course, the special focus of this regional festival. Many of our visitors will come to Guelph just to see what Shakespeare really looked like. Others will attend a concert or a play or view the elaborate exhibitions that have just opened in the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre. Up to 9,000 schoolchildren will come to take part in English, drama, visual arts, history and science projects.
Everyone who visits will leave with a better understanding of how the most produced playwright in history has influenced Canada’s artists, writers, actors and scholars and, in the process, this country’s evolving sense of itself as a nation.
The Canadian Adaptations of Shakespeare Project provided the impetus for the festival through its extensive research on Canadian interpretations of Shakespeare’s work.
At the centre of the Shakespeare festival is the Sanders portrait, widely thought to be the only image of the Bard painted while he was alive. We are grateful to Lloyd Sullivan for allowing us to show the portrait, which has been owned by his family since it was painted in 1603.
This magnificent painting is matched in drama only by the tale of its discovery, and we want to share that with you in this issue of The Portico. How it came to be connected to the University of Guelph is a wonderful example of the important role of universities and scholarly research in uncovering national treasures. In fact, the art centre’s entire exhibition is illustrative of the many ways Canadian scholarship helps provide the necessary social, historical, economic, religious and archival contexts for better understanding the past and exploring our future.
Beyond the University campus, festival visitors can attend presentations by local and regional art galleries, museums, theatres, orchestras and vocal artists. The large participation factor in this festival showcases our city and region’s cultural excellence and highlights the importance of the relationship we share with our community.
What pleases me most about the Shakespeare festival is the underlying collaboration that makes it possible. This is a joint effort of the University, the City of Guelph, the Guelph Arts Council, the Stratford Festival and all the groups and organizations they have inspired to participate. By working with our neighbours and cultural (educational) partners, we are achieving one of our institution’s most basic goals while demonstrating the relevance of universities as corporate citizens. We anticipate the festival will bring more than 50,000 people to the region.
“Shakespeare — Made in Canada” combines learning with fun and the enjoyment of Canadian culture. Please join us for this extraordinary event.
www.shakespearemadeincanada.ca
Alastair Summerlee
President
*Pericles, Prince of Tyre, Act I, Prologue