In-Person Visual Art Exhibition, Live Performances and More

Doves Wear White by Jana Ghalayini.

32nd Rendezvous with Madness Festival

October 25 – November 3, 2024 | Presented by Workman Arts
In Person and Online. Tickets Available Now!

The Looms We Resemble Group Exhibition
November 3 – December 9, 2024
Youngplace Hallway Galleries, 180 Shaw Street, Third Floor, Toronto

Our exhibition begins on November 3, titled The Looms We Resemble; a group exhibition showcasing textile-based works by 6 artists who bring topics of belonging, the body, healing and ancestry. This unique exhibition is a work in progress as the artists developed their artworks during a weaving class led by instructor Jana Ghalayini. How can collective production of artworks precede curatorial themes and concepts, while we follow the slowness of weaving?

Weaving ideas, actions, memories, and stories together is a practice of care that we all share in time and space. This exhibition includes works by Aga Forfa, Apanaki, Tara Hakim, Merle Harley, Saretta Khan and Helen Kong. Our public programming includes a Storytelling Circle led by Sarah Abusarar.

Learn more about the exhibition.

Special Events Highlights

Stephan Dyer at Rendezvous with Madness 2022. Photo: Henry Chan.

Public Speaking Thru Comedy by MalPensando
Thursday, October 31, 10pm
Tranzac Club, 292 Brunswick Avenue, Toronto
Wheelchair accessible space, on site active listener

Join us Halloween Night and witness 8 weeks of hard work and dedication boiled down to one amazing comedy night! These students will speak from the heart and (hope to) make you laugh till you drop! Learn more.

We Lost You A Long Time Ago by Nicole Decsey Dance Projects
Friday, November 1, 8pm
Tranzac Club, 292 Brunswick Avenue, Toronto
Wheelchair accessible space, on site active listener

Opening for Feature Film: Peter Doherty: Stranger In My Own Skin, We Lost You A Long Time Ago is a poignant contemporary dance piece by Nicole Descey Dance Projects that delves into the emotional turmoil of losing a close friendship. This work explores the unraveling of a bond that once felt familial but disintegrates seemingly without warning or closure, reflecting on the deep, often unspoken grief that accompanies the loss of a friendship. Learn more.

Rhythm of the Night — Music Showcase & Night Market
Saturday, November 2, 8pm
Tranzac Club, 292 Brunswick Avenue, Toronto
Wheelchair accessible space, on site active listener

Join us for an extraordinary evening where live music meets the excitement of a small night market. With Music curated by the local music showcase & promotion group Smoking Room Only and a diverse Night Market featuring Workman Arts members, this unique event brings together a dynamic lineup of live music performances alongside an intimate market of handmade goods all in the support of artists living with Mental Illness and Addictions. Learn more.

Film Highlights

Rendezvous Film Program

All tickets are Pay What You Wish (PWYW) and there will be both in-person and virtual options for engaging with the festival, so all patrons can enjoy safely. Please note: We strongly recommend the use of face masks at onsite events. View the full schedule of events.

IF YOU ASK ME
2024 | Canada | Short Films | 60 minutes | World Premiere | English
Friday, November 1, 5:30pm
Tranzac Club, 292 Brunswick Avenue, Toronto
Wheelchair accessible space, on site active listener, open captioned.

For the eighth consecutive year, If You Ask Me (IYAM) has supported emerging filmmakers with lived mental health and/or addiction experiences to create new short films. This year’s program features shorts by filmmakers from across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). These new films were developed under the guidance of Robin Riad, along with IYAM alumnus Esteban Powell serving as mentor. Equipment rentals and facilities were generously provided by our community sponsor and partner, LIFT. Featuring artists: Cai Bell-Jerome, Noor Gatih, Gulzar, Mio Muyoboke, Katrina Rodriguez, Sydney Waters and Kurtis Watson.

Film still from Peter Doherty: Stranger in My Own Skin by Katia de Vidas.

Peter Doherty: Stranger in My Own Skin by Katia de Vidas
Katia de Vidas | 2023 | France, United Kingdom | Documentary | 95 minutes | English
Friday, November 1, 8:30pm
Tranzac Club, 292 Brunswick Avenue, Toronto
Wheelchair accessible space, on site active listener, open captioned.

“As the lead singer of The Libertines and Babyshambles, Pete Doherty became the most iconic singer and rock n’ roll poet of his generation. First came the music, then came the success, but then came the drugs. At the peak of his career Doherty was best known for his dual relationship with Kate Moss and the tabloid press and for the turbulent episodes that followed in the wake of his very explicit heroin use. And it is this abuse that Peter Doherty: Stranger in My Own Skin finally faces. Over a ten-year period, director Katia DeVidas – now Doherty’s wife – follows the musician as he attempts to overcome his addiction and relapses. Her unique access to Doherty provides a relentless insight into an addict’s struggle to overcome his demons without losing himself and his undeniable artistic genius in the process.” – CPH:DOX

Aziz
Majid Tavakoli | Iran | Fiction | 2023 | 90 minutes | Farsi with English subtitles
Sunday, November 3, 4pm
CAMH Auditorium, 1025 Queen Street West at Ossington, 2nd floor, Toronto
Barrier-free venue. On site active listener, open captioned.

Aziz, an 80-year-old matriarch lives with progressive dementia and requires constant caregiving by her children. Anoush, her youngest son, who is about to get married, loves and takes care of his mother more than his siblings. Aziz lost her husband years ago and is suddenly professing her love to someone while her family engages in a search for this mysterious man. They eventually discover Aziz is in love with her younger son.

Join the Conversation
Many onsite events will include deep discussions with artists, mental health professionals and persons with so-called lived experience who will engage in illuminating conversations about the intersections of the healing properties of art and so much more. Join the Conversation on social media using the hashtags #RWMFest and #ShineTogether.

Festival Accessibility
Rendezvous With Madness is committed to values of inclusivity and accessibility for all guests, staff, volunteers and artists. Event-specific accessibility initiatives are indicated on each program’s webpage. For more about accessibility at the festival, please see the accessibility information page on our website.

Workman Arts
1025 Queen Street West, #2400
Toronto Ontario M6J 1H4
www.workmanarts.com
info@workmanarts.com
416-583-4339

Presented with the generous support of: