Old Hat Arts Society is a non-profit organization on SḴŦAḴ / Mayne Island. The purpose of the Society is to be a catalyst for performance and folk arts events, intercultural exchange, festivals, workshops and related activities, grounded in community and place-based practice.
The People
Old Hat Arts is run by Sandra Henderson, Artistic Producer and Andrew Pye, Director of Production. Sandra and Andrew met on a touring theatre project in 2017 in Toronto, and haven’t stopped collaborating since. From international productions in Hong Kong to rural events in their new island home on Mayne Island, this duo (now with two children and twenty-two chickens) has the unstoppable momentum of makers with over 30 years of arts production in their collective hats.
We host and collaborate on events, dances, workshops, meals, and other opportunities to find human connection. We aim to be off our screens and with each other as much and as often as possible. We are curious about the circus, rhythms, funny questions, and the return to the wonder and possibility of childhood. Since 2021 we have hosted a winter solstice gathering, The Longest Night, to celebrate the return of the light and ward off the loneliness of the darkest days of winter. In 2026 we add to this wheel of the year canon with The Longest Day, a two-day festival held at The 44 celebrating the long hours of summer, abundance, and creativity.