Open Heart

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Open Heart

Open Heart The work we that create is offered to you with an Open Heart, exploring stories about the human experience as a way of connecting us to each other.

To encourage the heart to remain open, we must act in the world for the benefit of others. The work of Open Heart is offered with compassion and sympathetic joy. Recognizing that all stories are not joyful, creating works of art is one way of alleviating fear. Open Heart intends to create theatre to manifest a view of the world that is positive, inclusive and supportive, to encourage others to see

the good that exists in the world, with a welcoming spirit and through which all can benefit. Collectively creating these works of art allows the opportunity for many diverse voices to be heard.

04/29/2026

Come together as a community to support the family and friends of Nabil Askafe.
Thursday Apr 30, Hamilton City Hall forecourt - 530
Youth gun violence impacts our whole city - every community. Show your support and work for change.

04/02/2026

Last week was jammed packed with ideas and inspiration, so here are a few highlights from ICAF days 2 and 3:

We both spent mornings at Moments of Connection, facilitated by Masters students at the University of Victoria with joyful prompts to help us meet other ICAF participants in joyful and artful ways, as well as attending Voices of the Earth (.projects), a music-based workshop and community project by Maia Steinberg (), bringing our many voices together in low-stakes (but high-reward!) prompts.

Rose sat in on a workshop with the team behind OsoToriOso , a project that centres around a traditional wooden folk house in Suriname, allowing us to reflect on the importance of home and preserving our heritages.

And Kelly went to The Hardcore Club, a panel with leaders from Citizens Theatre Glasgow, Junction Arts, Wijktheatre, Stuttheatre, and Drama Box-all companies who have been doing community-based works for several decades. An encouragement of how meaningful the longevity of this work is.

And also saw Discovering the Echo From the Shadows () a projection-based project by people with and without resident status challenge the viewer to actively engage and disrupt- questioning the status quo.

The big event of the week was The Herds , with life-sized animals moving throughout the city of Rotterdam, mobilized by a chorus of community members who had been working all week to bring the animals to life. The piece shows animals displaced by climate change, and set in this super urban (and very busy) environment, it really hits home.

We took in a couple of beautiful performances, especially Love Me By The Hour by Speels Collectif , a mixed-abilities theatre company and a show that tells the personal stories of s*x workers and their clients. Movement, music, storytelling = theatrical perfection! And Kreig Ist Kein Spiel Für Frauen (War is Not A Game for women) by Maanheim National Theatre City Collective .mannheim.ntm with a large ensemble of women playing games to determine which personal stories of war to share.

03/27/2026

What a dreamy first couple days at ICAF Rotterdam.

We kicked off Wednesday evening with an opening performance of An Fara from Nigerian dance company about the links between environmental damage and societal conflict. Could watch this again and again!

On Thursday, Rose spend all day at ’s experience in Laurenskerk medieval church, visioning, planning, and building a world where plants, animals, and humans flourish together. Lots of focus on shared spaces and community kitchens, providing lots of juicy inspiration from some new projects we’re dreaming about. (hint: it involves food!)

And Kelly hip-hopped around to several events including a panel on Imagination in the Climate Crisis, focusing on how artists can make it visible but more than that, our imagination about the future is our strongest tool for change-making.

Next up was Recovery Street (), a workshop from an organization offering art-based therapies for folks facing mental health challenges, addiction, and homelessness. Key takeaway: Re-story-ing is a way to come back to who you are, and to always carry your ancestors with you.

And then Whisper of Unity from , a group from Tanzania exploring gender identity reclaiming joy and independence through dance.

We came back together for dinner and finished off the night with another dance performance, Yelkaram: Weaving the Ancestral Body, about the living heritage of Honduras’ Lenca community (), and finally a stirring and challenging film from , a group of Palestinian and Israeli activists using non-violence to end the occupation in Palestine. The film was followed by a recorded conversation with members of Combatants for Peace that was full of wisdom we’ll be taking with us, especially a reminder to fight oppression in our own communities and that “Non-violence is art.”

All that with a whole lot of meeting new artists, practitioners and academics who share our love of community arts. Our heads and hearts are full to the brim and we can’t wait for more in the coming days. Stay tuned for updates!

03/20/2026

A massive thank you to everyone who came to Land, Place, Home a few weeks ago. We’ve been overwhelmed with community support and encouragement 💕

“My favourite thing I’ve seen in a long while.”
“This is what theatre should be!”

If you saw the show and would like to share your thoughts, sen us an email at [email protected]. Not only would we love to connect with you, but feedback from our audiences is so helpful to show our funders the impact that this kind of work has. So drop us a line or slide into our DMs so we can chat!

Photos by Kasey Bridges

02/27/2026

‼️ LAND, PLACE, HOME OPENS NIGHT ‼️

It seems like yesterday that we were meeting for the first time, getting to know each other, sharing about who we were and where we had come from. Over the following ten months, those stories grew, pushed up against each other, overlapped in beautiful and mysterious ways.

There were roadblocks and challenges along the way - just last week one of the performers originally slated to perform had to step away. But that’s the nature of community-created work. Life imitates art imitates life. And it’s exactly why it’s so meaningful. It’s why we, Open Heart Arts Theatre, do what we do.

Tonight is a celebration of this journey, of almost ten months of hard work, generosity, and vulnerability shared between the creator-performers and the whole Land, Place, Home creative team. And we hope you’ll come celebrate with us 💕 A handful of tickets still available for this weekend, check the link our bio to get ‘em!

A million thank yous and heartfelt gratitude for everyone who got us here:

Performer-Creators .assaff and .0 for sharing so much of yourselves with us

Director .meree for pushing us towards greatness

Writing Facilitator who helped us shape these stories with care

To for filling in as performer at the very last second

Jenna Bakri and for providing the most beautiful costumes/set/sound as backdrop for these stories

Stage Manager for being all smiles and high vibes no matter what

Frost Bites TD and the tech team for fielding every anxious request with grace

Our partners and .tmh (and specifically and ) for your collaboration and championing of this project

To Dan at and for hooking us up with rehearsal space

Our funders
And incite Foundation

And to our community of supporters (aka YOU!) for coming to the show, signing up for our newsletter, engaging with social posts, donating through the website, or even giving an encouraging word to us in passing. We 💕 you!

See you at the show!

02/25/2026

💫 MEET THE CREATIVE TEAM OF LAND, PLACE, HOME 💫

✨ DIRECTOR AHMAD MEREE is a Syrian Canadian actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is a graduate of the Higher Institute of Theatre Arts in Cairo and received the Best Actor Award at Syria’s Central Theatre Festival in 2008. Ahmad came to Canada as a refugee in 2016, and is now based in Toronto, ON. His plays have been presented at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Ryga Festival in Summerland, BC, SummerWorks in Toronto, UNO Fest in Victoria, BC, The World Culture Festival in Pakistan, JTC in Tunisia, Cairo International Monodrama Days in Egypt, and DITFEST in Oman. Adrenaline earned a Dora Award nomination for Outstanding Touring Production in 2020, and both Suitcase and Adrenaline were published by Scirocco Drama.

✨ SOUND DESIGNER VIKAASH ARUNMOZHI is a musician, filmmaker and sound designer. He makes music and film scores under the moniker “Izomura”, bringing his unique blend of classical Carnatic sound originating from South India with a multi-faceted, genre-less approach to composition. He is currently in his 4th year in McMaster University’s Integrated Arts program and is in the process of completing his thesis short film.

✨ STAGE MANAGER SOFIA SMITH (she/her) is a lover of theatre from behind the curtains. A recent graduate of Linguistics and Theatre & Film Studies from McMaster University with experience in stage managing, directing, and writing, she works to create and support seamless shows that are accessible for everyone to enjoy. She made her stage management debut with Hamilton Fringe with Visiting My Mother and Other Repetition Compulsions in July 2025, and is excited to be working with Open Heart and the cast of Land, Place, Home.

Ahmad, Vikaash, and Sofia are joined by Set and Costume Designer Jenna Bakri to bring the show to life.

Land, Place, Home opens this weekend, February 27th and 28th as part of HFTco’s Frost Bites. Check the link in our bio for tix!

02/24/2026

✨ MEET THE CAST OF LAND, PLACE, HOME ✨

Not only have these superstars been devising the show, but they are performing in it too:

💫 ELIE ASSAF is a multimedia Syrian-Canadian artist studying social work. He believes in art’s great potential for collective healing and cross-cultural connection. From visual arts, textile arts, and creative writing to music and acting, Elie continues to express, invite, and share with others. With a focus on cultural heritage and preservation, he aspires to work with people towards social justice, transformation, and collective healing.

💫 PRAVASH PANDEY works in marketing and communications and explores storytelling through writing, visual media, and creative expression. He sees art as a way to connect deeply with oneself and express ideas with heart. Drawn to moonlit skies, oceans, mountains, and quiet moments in nature, he finds inspiration in stillness and light. He believes that stories hold the power to heal, to connect, and to remind us of our shared humanity.

💫 WEND YASEN is a river that crosses the borders of modern day Iraq. To Wend one’s way is to travel, to meander. Wend Yasen is a writer and artist.

Wend, Pravash, and Elie are joined by Thomas Antony Olajide jumping in to perform at the eleventh hour!

Land, Place, Home opens this weekend, February 27th and 28th as part of HFTco’s Frost Bites. Check the link in our bio for tix!

02/23/2026

💫 In case you missed it: 💫 Land, Place, Home performer Wend Yasen dropped by CHCH Morning Live last week to share a little bit about what audiences can expect from the show, joined by Open Heart’s Artistic Producer Rose Hopkins.

Land, Place, Home opens THIS FRIDAY at Theatre Aquarius’ Studio Theatre as part of Frost Bites! Tickets for performance one are going fast so get them while you can - check the link in our bio!

02/09/2026

📣 LAND, PLACE, HOME OPENS THIS FEBRUARY 📣

Since Spring 2025, this ensemble of newcomers have been talking, writing, playing, and moving—shaping the stories they want the world to know. The result is a rich collection of voices and experiences about this new circle of friends and how they exist here in this place. No matter where you come from or how you got here, we hope these stories speak to you. Appearing as part of HFTco’s Frost Bites!

❄️ WHEN: 7:30pm | Friday, February 27* and Saturday, February 28

❄️ WHERE: Theatre Aquarius Studio Theatre (190 King William St)

❄️ TICKETS: Pay-what-you-can, available online in advance. Seating is limited so get ‘em while you can - click the link in our bio.

🎭 THE TEAM:

Creators/Performers: Elie Assaf, Cyprian Ontita, Pravash Pandey, and Wend Yasen

Director: Ahmad Meree

Set & Costume Design: Jenna Bakri

Sound Design: Vik Arunmozhi

Stage Management: Sofia Smith

Writing Facilitation: Marie Beath Badian

Promo photography: Alex Jacobs Blum

✨ Land, Place, Home is a co-production between Open Heart Arts Theatre, ABAR Trauma and Mental Health, and Hamilton Festival Theatre Company — community collaboration for the win!

12/12/2025

We are looking for new Board Members! As some of our fantastic members’ terms end, we’re looking to welcome people who believe in community-engaged arts, social change through performance, and the power of many voices coming together.

ABOUT THE BOARD: Open Heart’s Board is advisory in nature. Members meet four times per year (quarterly on Zoom) to offer guidance, thought partnership, and support. Board members are encouraged to support Open Heart’s public events as their interest and capacity allow.

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR: We’re especially interested in people with knowledge or experience in:

Theatre or community-engaged arts
Equity, accessibility, and anti-oppressive practice
Arts management or producing
Community-building and mentorship

We aim to reflect the diverse communities we work with. We especially welcome applicants who are newcomers to Canada, people with lived experience of disability, racialized folks, and artists and arts workers. (Board members cannot be paid for Board service, but may be compensated for project-based work with Open Heart.)

How to express your interest? Fill out the Google form that’s linked in our bio to tell us a little bit about yourself, followed by a call with one of board members to answer any questions you may have.

More details available at the link in our bio, get in touch if you need support.

Address

Hamilton, ON
L0R, L8E TO L8W, L9A TO L9C, L9G TO L9H, L9K

Website

http://www.openheartartstheatre.com/

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