Bad Shorts is an experimental incubator for artists from different mediums to collaborate on an original short piece. This low-risk, the high-reward format allows artists to try something bolder or riskier, something that they might not be able to do with a full-length work, and expand their craft in new & innovative ways.

This year we tasked our artists to write short films for audiences of all ages based on the theme, ‘The 5 Senses’. In this spirit, we brought together 5 writers, 5 composers, and 5 visual artists, all from varying and diverse areas of the Arts sector, placed them each on a creative team, and assigned each team one of the 5 Senses to write about. What resulted is 5 original, wholly unique, and entertaining short films, unlike anything we’ve done before.

#1 [TASTE]: Priya Tate: Super Taster
Written by – Mark Crawford
Music by – Britta Johnson
Graphic Design by – Isadora-Ayesha Lima Fortin
Priya Tate isn’t like anyone else, or so she thinks. On a birthday visit to her Grandma’s favourite restaurant, Priya struggles, as usual, with ‘picky eating’. There are too many flavours, each one more painful than the last. Priya is ready to give up when she discovers a secret that will change her life (and dinnertime) forever. An action-packed feast for the senses, this musical short story reminds us to bravely celebrate our unique talents, and harness their true power for good. Featuring Joel Cumber, Starr Domingue, Barb Fulton, Natalia Gracious, Andrew Prashad, and Suchiththa Wickremesooriya.

#2 [TOUCH]: Where Would You Go?
Written by – Joelle Peters
Music by – Landon Doak
Graphic Design by – Meags Fitzgerald
Two siblings are stuck at Grandpa’s house for the day. Boring, right? They’d rather go to the beach. So, with a little cleverness and a lot of imagination, they do just that. This short, musical story is about the magic you can find in your own living room and the epic experiences waiting right at your fingertips. Featuring Landon Doak and Sierra Holder.

#3 [SMELL]: Nobody Nose
Written by – Luke Reece
Music by – Reza Jacobs
Graphic Design by – Brian-Rey Ejar
It’s a regular night at the poetry club ‘The Five Senses’, but the evening takes a turn when a Nose takes the mic for the first time and shares the tragic tale of their lost sense of smell. A piece about the power of sharing our struggles with community, this story explores what happens when you lose your sense of self, and what’s possible when you find your way back. Featuring Luke Reece and Jonathan Tan.

#4 [SIGHT]: All The Colours
Written by – Marcia Johnson
Music by – Danika Lorén
Graphic Design by – Ariana Sauder
On a snowy day in Maya’s art studio, cousins Jess and Max play I Spy and discover that neither sees things the way the other does. This short, entitled All the Colours, is about the validity and the beauty of different perspectives. Featuring Yolanda Bonnell, Bruce Horak, Annie Tuma, and Kelsey Verzotti.

#5 [HEARING]: The Great Silence
Written by – Eliza Martin
Music by – SlowPitchSound (Cheldon Paterson)
Graphic Design by – Wednesday Ariel
A child whose home has always been filled with the sounds of joy suddenly finds these sounds missing when a great silence comes to stay. The child embarks on a long journey to recover the sound of joy, and bring it home. A fable about patience, family, and the delicate act of balancing lightness with the dark. Featuring David DiFrancesco, Eponine Lee, and Jonathan Tan.

Created and performed by the Mulligans, an artist collective comprised of Courtney Ch’ng Lancaster, Peter Fernandes, Hailey Gillis, Qasim Khan, and Jennifer Villaverde, The Stillwater School for Mosquitos is an exciting new 6-episode musical podcast for kids and kids-at-heart inspired by the children’s novel, The Mosquito Brothers by Griffin Ondaatje. Both humorous and educational, each 20-minute episode follows the adventures of Dinnn Needles, a mosquito who is afraid of lots of things, but especially flying. Each episode also features interactive, at-home exercises, as well as educational & curriculum-based connections.

At its core, The Stillwater School for Mosquitos is a nature-adventure that asks young people to embrace differences and reframe them as strengths, while giving voice to a tiny flying creature that we humans disregard and often detest. The story’s hero, Dinnn, faces numerous challenges related to their fear of flying: bullying, loneliness, anger, and self-doubt, all relatable and important topics pertinent to children and adults alike.

The Mulligans bring with them a special connection to working with youth, being a combination of parents and Arts Educators. They’ve collectively performed TYA shows across the country including, YPT, Theatre Direct, MTYP, Geordie Theatre, & Seattle Children’s Theatre in the US. The Mulligans joined forces in 2015, when they performed in Soulpepper’s TYA production of Alligator Pie in Toronto and due to its critical success and popularity toured it to Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. After seeing Alligator Pie, Griffin Ondaatje expressed his interest in having The Mulligans adapt his book into a musical.

EPISODE 1 – “Dinnn”
We meet Dinnn, the very last of 401 mosquito siblings born in a puddle in the parking lot of the Lakeside Drive-In Theatre. All the other little skeeters buzz up into the sky with ease, but Dinnn… not so much. The bug life at the Drive-In can be fun and full of wonder, but it can also be tough for a mosquito who chooses not to fly.

EPISODE 2 – “Stillwater School for Mosquitos”
It’s science fair day at Stillwater School for Mosquitos! But first, Dinnn and the rest of the class get a lecture from fiery old Mr. Bluebottle, who warns about the dangers that await mosquitoes including their number one predator: dragonflies. The science fair begins and Dinnn is surprised: all the other exhibits are way up in a tree! Dinnn excitedly gets their exhibit ready on the ground where it’s safe, but…will any buggy come down to see it?

EPISODE 3 – “Cool”
Dinnn finds a discarded pleather jacket on the ground. Something about this jacket makes Dinnn feel different and special, but it can’t help Dinnn when they run into the Meanies. Dinnn gets tricked and ends up in a scary and gross situation. Luckily, Dinnn gets help from an unexpected source: some misunderstood creepy-crawly friends, who help Dinnn set out on the adventure of a lifetime.

EPISODE 4 – “Should I Fly?”
Dinnn has escaped the busy city buzzy-ness and arrives in The Wild! They are welcomed by the wild mosquitoes including the super-cool Gus. Gus invites Dinnn to follow them up through the treetops on a flying adventure, but Dinnn doesn’t fly! If Dinnn wants to experience all the amazing wonders of the Wild, they have a big decision to make…

EPISODE 5 – “Chariots on Fire!”

Encouraged by their new skeeter friend Gus, Dinnn is flying like a pro in The Wild! Dinnn and the wild mosquitos buzz across Odonata Pond to check out the tasty humans riding the ferris wheel at the jamboree. It’s so much fun that the mosquitoes lose track of time. Before they know it, dawn arrives and dragonflies are on the hunt! Dinnn and Gus are separated from the others…will they make it safely back across the pond?

EPISODE 6 – “Home
Dinnn returns to the Lakeside Drive-In Theatre to reunite with their parents and 400 siblings. The entire family is astonished to see Dinnn flying! After a final encounter with the Meanies, an unexpected family reunion, and the return of the lost pleather jacket, Dinnn learns how to embrace who they truly are, in this final episode of Stillwater School for Mosquitoes.

Bad Hats Theatre’s Alice in Wonderland [in partnership with Soulpepper Theatre] – Join Alice and fall down the rabbit hole once more with a special restreaming presentation of Bad Hats’ newest musical adaptation. This production originally premiered in April 2021 to critical acclaim. Adapted by Fiona Sauder, Music by Landon Doak and Victor Pokinko, Music Direction by Reza Jacobs, Choreography by Cameron Carver, and Directed by Sue Miner, this modern, reimagined Alice, featuring a cast of 9 multidisciplinary actor-musicians is not to be missed.

From the creators of the smash-hit family musical Peter Pan comes a new adventure for all ages. Bad Hats Theatre’s contemporary spin on Wonderland takes us down the rabbit hole with Alice, a girl with a lot of questions. Get ‘curiouser and curiouser’ again with a special one-day only restreaming of this production which reached over 12,000 audience members worldwide in 2021.

Featuring Tess Benger, Landon Doak, Phoebe Hu, Richard Lam, Jacob MacInnis, Matt Pilipiak, Fiona Sauder, Jonathan Tan, and Vanessa Sears.