Peer into the Playbill

Join us for engaging panels featuring special guests as they explore the themes and issues presented in the 2025 playbill. Artists, directors and scholars will share insights into the creative processes behind the productions and their relevance in today’s world.

Creating Art During War

Why were artists sent into warzones? What insights can they offer about the realities of conflict? In this thought-provoking discussion inspired by this season’s production, The Art of War, scholars and historians will explore the significance and history of embedded artists, such as A.Y. Jackson of the Group of Seven, one such artist who captured scenes during WWI. The conversation will consider the transition from painters to photojournalists and the relationship between art and truth in representing war’s complexities. The panel includes the manager of the Canadian Forces Artists Program, Alison Campbell, a past participant of the program, poet Suzanne Steele, Curator of Visual Culture and Industrial Design at the Canadian History Museum, Joanne Stober, Canadian photographer and filmmaker Rita Leistner and former CBC Ideas Producer, Philip Coulter. Join us for an engaging exploration of the profound impact of creativity in the face of conflict. Join us for an engaging exploration of the profound impact of creativity in the face of conflict.