Creative Collisions
IN THE NEWS
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April 13, 2023
IN PHOTOS: Winners unveiled at 2023 London Heritage Awards
The 2023 London Heritage Awards were handed out Thursday night at Museum London. They’re judged by the Architectural Conservancy Ontario – London region and the Heritage London Foundation. Here are the big winners:
ADAPTIVE RE-USE PROJECT: Metropolitan United Church
The London Free Press / Read Full Article
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December 2022 - January 2023
Creative Collisions & Messy Collaborations
I first met Kendra Fry in her capacity as General Manager of Trinity - St. Paul’s Centre at Bloor and Walmer Rd. It’s one of the most highly evolved faith/arts/communities are here - a long-time home for decades to Tafelmusik Baroque Ensemble, Toronto Consort, the VIVA! family of choirs. A hub meetings, small recitals in the side chapel, school bazaars, before-and-after concert gatherings in the cheerfully decrepit gym, music lessons, rehearsals large and small…
The WholeNote / Read Full Article
April 18, 2022
Meeting room: Across Canada, rural communities are re-imagining lonely church buildings into vibrant community hubs
It’s more than a massive loss for religious groups. With more than 5,000 churches expected to close in Canada in the coming decade, it’s a huge loss of infrastructure for the community-at-large. Located in the centres of their communities, churches frequently provide a home for daycares, seniors programming and educational workshops, as well as for community groups and the performing arts. Most have spaces for both large and small gatherings, many have kitchens, and often there is outdoor space too, allowing people to gather together in all sorts of meaningful ways.
That’s why Kendra Fry gets called in…
Country Guide / Read Full Article
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May 2021
Churches serve communities. Now community hubs are saving churches. Relationships between congregations and neighborhoods are breathing new life into old buildings.
Pre-pandemic, St. Matthew’s United in Toronto was a busy community hub, buzzing with activity 10 or 12 hours a day, seven days a week. But the people filling its space weren’t necessarily members. Many arrived at the nearly century-old building for the nursery school, to distribute food to the homeless, to receive community services as Eritrean immigrants, or to attend group meetings...
Broadview Magazine (formerly the United Church Observer) / Read Full Article
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June 2020
The pandemic is sacrificing community spaces in places of faith
The long-awaited partial re-opening, which finally began in Toronto and Peel earlier this week, is a story with two aspects: on the one hand, a reunion, of sorts, with the businesses and organizations we’ve all missed in these past three months (barbers, patios, libraries), but also a reminder of the venues that won’t be coming back. All those shuttered shops and discontinued services grimly attest to the fact that we’re not going back to March 14.
Spacing Magazine / Read Full Article
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September 2018
Faith buildings in the age of Spiritual Not Religious
My grandfather, Alfred Fry, was a United Church lay minister working throughout Bruce and Grey counties from 1954 to 1971 with much of his ministry in Tobermory. Growing up as the youngest son of a minister in the 1950s, my father saw the inside of a lot of churches. So, when he had his own family, he chose a different path, selecting an agnostic life instead. His life has been one of connection with community and acts of charity, but not within the church.
Heritage Matters / Read Full Article
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March 2021
Kendra Fry creates multi-faceted community spaces for the common good though her consultancy Creative Collisions, and her work for Trinity-St.
Paul’s Centre, Faith & the Common Good, The National Trust For Canada, and others. Kendra tells us about her think/work process, working from home during Covid 19, how she manages work life and family life, and makes the most of each day.
Wide Open Day / Listen Here
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August 2020
Historic Delta church turning into secular community space
The renovation of a church in Delta into public space is part of a trend that’s happening across the country, according to the project lead on a study on the closure of faith buildings. Kendra Fry said faith buildings have often been built in geographically central locations where people naturally gather. Their importance to communities remains even after the building no longer operates as a place of worship.
Vancouver Sun / Read Full Article
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January 2019
Faith spaces and the arts
Kendra Fry of National Trust for Canada, Faith and the Common Good, and Trinity-St. Paul's Centre for Faith, Justice, and the Arts discusses the potential of collaborations between faith spaces and the arts to foster "spaces for people not profit". With host Jessa Agilo.
Round the Block Podcast / Listen Here