Porch View Dances: Discovery Walk is the 2022 iteration of our 11th annual beloved festival. In an interactive treasure hunt, your senses and imagination will soar throughout Seaton Village. Engage in-person with live and virtual performances as our PVD tour guide escorts you to a series of interest points. Choreographed by professional dance artists, experiences of live dances, augmented reality (AR) and mini dance films will once again feature the heart warming and real stories of everyday folk, funneling out the front door of neighbourhood homes onto their porches and lawns. Bring your mobile device to activate QR codes and AR triggers, giving life to dance pieces that you can watch and even dance with. Animate the city in an immersive festival with friends, families and audience members!

PVD: Discovery Walk has commissioned choreographers Nickeshia Garrick and Irma Villafuerte (Kaeja d’Dance KAIR artists) to collaborate for the live opening creation. Celebrating queer and migrant experience of their elders, they offer creation from a place of warrior, healing and joy.

Returning in-person, the tour will conclude with a Flock Landing, a participatory, site-specific activation which invites people of all ages and mobility levels to join a collective movement ensemble. Led by professional dancers, it embraces simple easy to follow moving gestures that welcome you to become part of the finale experience. We encourage you to come dance with us every show in the Flock Landing at Vermont Square Park!

Guided tours of PVD: Discovery Walk are on July 8-10 and 15-17, 2022. After July 17, the Porch View Dances virtual installations will remain active for audience members who wish to embark on self-guided tours; however, there will be no live performances or Flock Landings during this time. There are also satellite interest points scattered throughout the City of Toronto for those who want to continue their adventure beyond Seaton Village! The guided tour on Sunday, July 10th will have additional accessibility support including ASL interpretation and wheelchair rentals available for audience members at no cost.

As always, Porch View Dances is free to enjoy; if you’re able to, we encourage you to make a Pay-What-You-Wish donation to support the future of our community engaged projects.

Accessibility Details

Where to go:

The tour will begin at 742 Euclid Ave. and end at Vermont Square Park (819 Palmerston Ave). The closest accessible subway station is Bathurst Station. The closest accessible washroom is located at Summerhill Market (1014 Bathurst St, one block north of Vermont Square Park). There will not be access to other washrooms along the route.

Route Information:

Option 1:

The route is approximately 1.3 km in length and will take audience members up and down Euclid Avenue and left on London Street to Ciamaga Lane. They will then travel down Ciamaga Lane to Barton Avenue and turn left to go to Manning Avenue. The paving of Ciamaga Lane is moderately cracked and uneven. Some folks using mobility aids may need support to navigate this area. At least two volunteers will be available to push wheelchairs if desired. This support can be used for some, or all of the performance, as needed. After passing through Ciamaga Lane, the tour guide will lead audiences north on Manning Avenue to Vermont Avenue, then turn right and take Vermont Avenue to Palmerston Avenue and Vermont Square Park, where the tour will conclude.

Option 2:

Should folks wish to avoid challenging terrain, or go a shorter distance: A shorter alternate route is also available. This route is approximately 0.95 km in length. Audience members who choose the shorter route will still be able to experience all the PVD: Discovery Walk performances using their smart devices. The shorter journey begins in the same way as the extended route, but audience members will turn right instead of left on Barton Avenue and travel to Palmerston Avenue. They will then turn left on Palmerston and head north to Vermont Square Park for the Flock Landing finale. Both routes will have guides, as well as access to all the same content.

What to Bring:

• A mobile device that is able to access the Internet using data and scan QR codes is needed to experience the digital aspects of the tour. Most smartphones and tablets have the necessary capability for this event. If you have an older model of smartphone (Android 7 or below or iOS 10 or below) you may need to download a free QR Code Scanner app. There will be volunteers available to assist with bringing QR codes closer to participants as needed, and to help troubleshoot any technical difficulties.
• We also encourage you to bring water, sunscreen, and snacks with you if desired.

Timing:

The running time is approximately 75 minutes.

Additional Access Support for the July 10th show:

The guided tour of Porch View Dances: Discovery Walk on the afternoon of Sunday, July 10th will have additional accessibility support.

• ASL interpretation to be confirmed. Names of interpreters will be provided once the team has been confirmed.
• At least two wheelchair rentals will be available for audience members at no cost. (More wheelchair rentals will be available if there is higher demand). Wheelchairs can be booked in advance through the ticket registration linked above.
• At least two volunteers will be available to push wheelchairs if desired. This support can be used for some or all of the performance, as needed.

We are unable to provide Audio Description for our performances at this time, and are investigating the possibility of doing so for future projects. Feedback is welcomed. If you have any additional accessibility needs, questions, or feedback, please contact Sarah at urban@kaeja.org