Turnbull Learning Centre - Creattive Classics

Biographies:
Lesley Buxton has taught theatre and creative writing for over twelve years, working with students of all ages in Ottawa institutions such as: The Ottawa Little Theatre, Arts Under One Roof, Tournesol Camp, Glebe Montessori, Youth Infringement, and Algonquin College. A graduate of Mountview Theatre School in London, England, Lesley is renowned for her child centred teaching and enthusiasm for experimenting. In 1998, Lesley was a member of The Great Canadian Theatre Company's Playwright's Unit. The following year, her first play Of Grace was produced by Year 1, an independent company. Her poem India, My Daughter was part of Transpoetry, a series of poems on Ottawa buses. Her short fiction has been published in: Broken Pencil, Echolocation and most recently The New Quarterly. She is a columnist with the Kichissippi Times. Lesley has worked at the Canadian Children’s Museum as a theatre consultant and a playwright.

Lisa Thomas has been a multi-media artist in the Ottawa area for twenty five years. She has exhibited her work in group and solo shows locally and abroad. Schooled initially in Fine Arts at the University of Ottawa, Lisa has gone on to pursue numerous artistic directions. She has worked as a commercial artist for many years, while always continuing to pursue her own personal projects. She has been active in installation and performance art, as well as set painting and prop making. More recently Lisa has been involved with the Canadian Children’s Museum as a muralist, sculptor and illustrator and has collaborated with Lesley Buxton on numerous theatre projects there. Fifteen years ago, she began teaching studio art to children, teens and adults and is now the head instructor at Arts Under One Roof, a Visual and Performing Arts School in the Glebe. She has become known for her open and innovative style of teaching, committed to the ideal of working with small groups of students. Lisa believes that, while it is important to teach children technique and formal procedure, it is more essential to be certain that they stay in touch with their creative spirits and their unique childlike visions.