A Wild Notion in Toronto

How do you transform a worldwide challenge into something meaningful? Back in 2023, Boxerwood educator Jess Sullivan forged a partnership with local choreographer and visionary Stephanie Hodde to create A Wild Notion – an outdoor performance combining music, theater, and dance that featured 20-foot puppets, homegrown music, and more. 

At the time, the performance was a direct response to the after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. As an educator, Jess had noticed that “kids weren’t connecting with each other – they were heads down in their phones.” She continued, “There was a fear, there was a pulling-away feeling, and we wanted them to be able to connect with the natural world around them again.” A Wild Notion emerged as one of Boxerwood’s efforts to rebuild those connections. The project, known as the Spectacle, featured months of youth-based activity across the county, culminating in a Boxerwood-based performance that attracted 400 people on a bright blue October afternoon.

Today, Jess and Stephanie’s work from 2023 remains deeply relevant. Earlier this month, the pair accepted an invitation to share about their project at the Children, Youth & Performance conference in Toronto, Ontario. “It was really amazing because there were people from all over the world,” said Jess. “Ireland, Israel, England, all over the United States, and elsewhere. It was awesome to see all those different people coming together.” 

Viewing photos from A Wild Notion, their presentation audience responded with vocal enthusiasm. “People were like ‘Oh my god, the colors!’ They were amazed just seeing how beautiful it was, with the big sky and the puppets and all the green of Boxerwood,” said Jess. “They said they hoped we would do something like that again.”

Reflecting on the Spectacle itself, Jess told the audience that one of her biggest takeaways was the value of deep community involvement. In creating A Wild Notion, many folks took part as puppet builders, set designers, rehearsal leaders, and more. “I think that really speaks to how comfortable people feel at Boxerwood,” said Jess. “People can launch into artistic projects even if they have no experience, and they know they’ll be celebrated. That means a lot.” 

Her greatest lesson, though, was “listening to the younger people in our communities. They came up with all the characters, the storyline, and even the costumes.” As they shared with colleagues in Toronto, our home-grown Spectacle did indeed become a way to bring people back together. Thinking about the needs of youth at the time, Jess said, “we helped to build their confidence and to get them out, and get them around people. The performance made them feel excited about something again.” 

Thank you, Jess and Stephanie, for all your work on this project and for sharing its impact with the wider world.

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