Art Pays Me

Garry Williams is an actor, director, singer, writer, musical director, and composer-lyricist.

He received a Merritt Award for his performance as Polonius/Gravedigger in Hamlet, and for his original score for KAMP. Previous nominations include Gloucester in King Lear, Ambrose in The Miracle Man, and Isaac in A Tournament of Lies. His Merritt-nominated scores include Pinocchio, as well as Crypthand, Twelfth Night, Peter Pan and Eduard II/The Jew of Malta.

He has written over a dozen additional scores, scripts, and appeared in countless productions in Nova Scotia, and across Canada. He has co-created experimental works including Café DaPoPo and DaPoPo's The Drinking Game as DaPoPo Theatre's Artistic Director, and curated the Live-In Festival for ten years.

Most recently, he wrote music & lyrics for Rain on the Parade, musically directed the River Clyde Pageant: A Windfall in the Hollow, and directed A Beginner's Guide to the Night Sky.

Presented by Arts Nova Scotia and the Creative Nova Scotia Leadership Council, the Creative Nova Scotia Awards celebrate excellence in artistic achievement.

Award categories are as follows:

• Creative Community Impact
• Prix Grand-Pré
• Established Artist
• Emerging Artist
• Black Artist
• Indigenous Artist
• And finally, The Portia White Prize that is given to a person who has made outstanding and significant contributions to Nova Scotia's creative community over a sustained career – much like the incredible woman that the award is named after. The winner will also choose an emerging artist or cultural organization that they feel deserve recognition.

Collectively, the awards are worth $75,000! Visit artsns.ca to nominate your favourite Nova Scotian artist or be a boss and nominate your self!

This series would not be possible without the fantastic production work of Heist and Keke Beatz.

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Arte & Movement is a series featuring artists who exhibited work during the Halifax Salsa & Bachata Festival.

Dedicated to the crafts-womanship of monster making, Elanor's practice focuses on creating other worldly creature masks and coordinated prosthetics aiming to animate the uncanny in the film industry.

Moses Diallo is the director and owner of Haliente Creative Studio, an organization in founded in 2017 to increase the awareness of Afro-Latin dance in Nova Scotia, especially in the City of Halifax.

He started the Halifax Salsa & Bachata Festival (formerly "Salsa on Argyle") to encourage community engagement through the medium of dance. Moses believes this event proves that the language of dance is universal.

African Nova Scotian Music Association (ANSMA) are recipients of the 2023 Creative Nova Scotia award's Community Impact Award. On this episode, I chat with Julien Matwawana, their first Executive Director about who they are and their impact on Nova Scotia's music industry.

This series of Creative NS award winner interviews would not be possible without the support of Arts Nova Scotia, The Creative Nova Scotia Leadership Council, Heist and Keke Beatz. Visit artsns.ca to nominate a Nova Scotia based artist or apply for awards and grants for yourself.

Meet Amanda Spriggs a Halifax/Dartmouth based comedian. Amanda and I have been pocket pals as she puts it for a long time and it was nice to get to know more about her views on life, the Halifax comedy scene and relationships.

Welcome to a special series of Art Pays Me interviews with the winners of the 2023 Creative Nova Scotia Awards.

Presented by Arts Nova Scotia and the Creative Nova Scotia Leadership Council, the Creative Nova Scotia Awards celebrate excellence in artistic achievement.

Award categories are as follows:

• Creative Community Impact
• Prix Grand-Pré
• Established Artist
• Emerging Artist
• Black Artist
• Indigenous Artist
• And finally, The Portia White Prize that is given to a person who has made outstanding and significant contributions to Nova Scotia's creative community over a sustained career – much like the incredible woman that the award is named after. The winner will also choose an emerging artist or cultural organization that they feel deserve recognition.

Collectively, these awards are worth $75,000! Visit artsns.ca to nominate your favourite Nova Scotia based artist or be a boss and nominate yourself!

This series would not be possible without the fantastic production work of Heist and Keke Beatz.

On this episode I got to chat with Emerging Artist Award winner, Koumbie (she/they) and special guest Eleanor (she/her). Koumbie talks about how their interest in dance and performance arts led to script writing, filmmaking and becoming one of the first on-set intimacy coordinators in Nova Scotia.

On this episode, I chat with a chef for the first time on the podcast! Michelin-trained Gabrielle LeGuerrier, Head Chef of GourmetGab Events and Pertu gives some insight into the private dining events that she hosts with her husband, European Sommelier, Gabor Bodo.

Welcome to a special series of Art Pays Me interviews with the winners of the 2022 Creative Nova Scotia Awards. The awards are presented annually by Arts Nova Scotia and the Creative Nova Scotia Leadership Council.

The goal is to celebrate excellence in artistic achievement – notably, the Portia White Prize. Winners of the Prix Grand Pré, the Established Artist, Emerging Artist, Indigenous Artist Recognition and Black Artist Recognition awards as well as the Creative Community Impact Award are also honoured. Collectively, the awards are worth $75,000.

Visit artsns.ca to nominate a Nova Scotia based artist or apply for awards and grants for yourself.

On this episode I chat with 2022 Creative Nova Scotia Emerging Artist Recognition Award recipient, I'thandi Munro. I'thandi is a multi-disciplinary artist whose love of movement travels through all of her art from metalsmithing to dance. We talk about the value of sticking with the first idea you feel strongly about in the creative process, being inspired by your children and the freedom that mastering your craft through repetition offers artists.

Welcome to a special series of Art Pays Me interviews with the winners of the 2022 Creative Nova Scotia Awards. The awards are presented annually by Arts Nova Scotia and the Creative Nova Scotia Leadership Council.

The goal is to celebrate excellence in artistic achievement – notably, the Portia White Prize. Winners of the Prix Grand Pré, the Established Artist, Emerging Artist, Indigenous Artist Recognition and Black Artist Recognition awards as well as the Creative Community Impact Award are also honoured. Collectively, the awards are worth $75,000.

Visit artsns.ca to nominate a Nova Scotia based artist or apply for awards and grants for yourself.

On this episode I chat with Prix Grand Pré Award winner, Clara Dugas about being a professional storyteller. Clara tells us how she realized that her very personal stories were impactful when they helped her connect with students in her previous career as a teacher and how the passion blossomed from there.

Welcome to a special series of Art Pays Me interviews with the winners of the 2022 Creative Nova Scotia Awards. The awards are presented annually by Arts Nova Scotia and the Creative Nova Scotia Leadership Council.

The goal is to celebrate excellence in artistic achievement – notably, the Portia White Prize. Winners of the Prix Grand Pré, the Established Artist, Emerging Artist, Indigenous Artist Recognition and Black Artist Recognition awards as well as the Creative Community Impact Award are also honoured. Collectively, the awards are worth $75,000.

Visit artsns.ca to nominate a Nova Scotia based artist or apply for awards and grants for yourself.

On this episode I chat with 2022 Creative Nova Scotia Emerging Artist Recognition Award recipient, Tyshan Wright. We talk about Tyson's creative process and how Jamaica and Nova Scotia's intertwined histories influence his work.

Art Pays Me is sponsored and produced by Glitterati Communications.