Sarah Pittoello
The Patrick Conner Award, honouring the talented, generous artist and eco worker, continues to keep in mind the values that he held so dear in the areas of theatre and “sustainable living, including the sustainability of food production in our environment.”
This fourth annual award recognizes two people who have worked in either or both of these areas, Georgina Beaty and Sarah Pittoello. Each receives a cash prize of $2,500.
Beaty, artistic co-producer of Architect Theatre, has created research-based plays that give a human story to contemporary news issues, including Highway 63: The Fort Mac Show and an upcoming piece about the proposed Northern Gate Pipeline. Her recent SummerWorks show, Extremophiles, which Beaty wrote and performed, was a highlight of the festival inspired by research on climate change, the futuristic tale looks at a woman quarantined in the far north with her aquatic offspring.
Pittoello, a counselor, teacher and organic farmer, works at Acadia University and teaches a course on sustainable food systems and community development. In addition to having degrees in physics, holistic science and counseling, she is farmer-in-residence at the Just Us! Centre for Small Farms, growing a market garden for the centre’s cafes and teaching and supporting farm interns. Pittoello also works as farmer and yoga instructor at her family business.
The two women will receive their awards at a ceremony to be held Monday (September 19), 6:30 pm, at the Theatre Centre (1115 Queen West), appropriately on the centre’s green roof. The free event is open to the public.
