I Don't Need To Explain My Art To You (But I Reserve The Right To Criticize Yours!): #AdaTIFFmems

Friday, August 14, 2015

#AdaTIFFmems - the Elgin class pictures

This entire 40 memories for the 40 days leading up to TIFF 40 blog project started when the volunteer office invited me to share my favourite memory about volunteering.

I wound up giving them two stories, and this is one of them. This is also the one I share in my video, for those who've seen it at orientation sessions this year.

I've been at the Elgin/Winter Garden for 17 years, it's my second home during TIFF. I've met many MANY a good friend there, we've always had a very high returning rate to the theatre and so that bunch that comes back every festival really feels like a family to me.

When we still signed up for shifts on paper at 'recruitment/orientation session', the returning volunteer sessions were my absolute favorite. I'd man the Elgin table (often with my friend & fellow Elgin volunteer Aimee) and all the familiar faces would come over. The squeals and hugs always made my day (guys, you know it wasn't just the girls, you got in on it too!).

Anyway, with the rise of digital technology, it became easier to take photos together. Which is exactly what we did.

I thought the tradition started in 2006, but yesterday during the search for old photos, I discovered that we actually started taking team photos in 2005.

It began with a small group of volunteers at the end of a shift.

I remember it was like pulling teeth trying to get Mike in the photo (he's mostly hidden behind Candy and the volunteer in the burgundy pants), and I didn't even realize Diane was fully hidden (behind Maureen) until I looked at the picture later!

(Elgin Trivia: there are actually 7 captains in this photo, those who've been at the Elgin long enough might remember them - from left to right - Diane, Tammy, Melanie, Candy, Mike, Marguerite, and myself)

Over the years the numbers have grown, with more volunteers each shift, and the addition of the Winter Garden crew. Nowadays it's a challenge to see how many volunteers we can grab when the daytime & evening shifts change over, and then how to cram them into one corner of the lounge to get everyone in the photo.

The team photos have become a tradition. I take the photo every year on a random day during the first half of the festival. It was Captain Candy who had the original idea to collage the photos of previous years and display them in the lounge through the festival. She used to create large displays for us every year. My collages are made on a computer and much smaller in scale, but our team photos continue to be displayed every year. Look for them in the Elgin/Winter Garden volunteer lounge.