All of us at Theatre Kingston are grieving the loss of former Artistic Director Kim Renders. For three incredibly dynamic years Kim steered the company into uncharted creative lands, challenging all of us who worked with her to set aside our accepted creative processes and create art which rebelled against traditional paradigms. I first met Kim when she asked me to co-direct a new work she envisioned using local graffiti and street poetry as both inspiration and text for the piece. I was sceptical, not believing that there was enough raw material out there to build upon, but Kim would not brook any sort of hesitation, if I was doing the project, I had to dive right in. Immediately she insisted that we hop on our bikes, and explore Kingston and under Kim’s guidance I saw my community through newly opened eyes as a source of unending creative inspiration. The play, eventually titled The Garbage and the Flowers featured a live visual artist and a sound designer interpreting the piece as it unfolded and asked audiences to re-examine long-held perceptions of their community and their relationship to it. It was hard work, and there were many challenges, but Kim inspired all of us to keep digging, keep agitating and keep creating. She believed that as artists we have a responsibility to uncover buried truths and bring them into the light and never accept the status quo. As we all mourn her untimely loss, we must honour her memory by seeking out those untold stories, championing diverse voices and digging in our heels and never accepting the word ‘can’t. Rest in peace Kim, your spark lives on.
