We are thrilled to present you with a crossword puzzle that was designed and imagined by Hilary Drummond, one of our board members, to celebrate women's suffrage! We give it to you to occupy your fall moments dreaming of summer suffragists! Download the puzzle grid, download the clues, and email chris@artscentre.ca to get the answers.

More fun: Send us a picture of yourself doing the puzzle and we will "randomly" select three people to each get two tickets to next season (though to be honest, we will be well-disposed if the pictures amuse us)!

Here is Hilary's letter about the puzzle (be warned: the puzzle has American spellings and some dates more connected to American Suffrage, so don't be fooled):

[the puzzle] celebrates the centennial of women’s constitutional right to vote in the state of New York (1917–2017). A brief note on the puzzle’s title: The Revolution became the official publication of the National Woman Suffrage Association, formed in New York in 1869 by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony with the intention to secure women’s voting rights through constitutional amendment. The newspaper was published weekly from January 1868 until February 1872 under the motto “Principle, not policy; Justice, not favors.” Beginning with the second edition, the following was added: “Men, their rights and nothing more; Women, their rights and nothing less.” Later editions were amended to:  “THE TRUE REPUBLIC: Men, their rights and nothing more; Women, their rights and nothing less.”

Thanks so much to Hilary for this gift!

Learn more about the incredible practice of Suffrajitsu through Ami McKay's (the co-creator of Nothing Less!) Blog

Don't forget to pick up your very own Suffrajitsu T-Shirt Illustrated by local Artist Alex Kehoe! Printed on soft, high quality material with fun and historic content, this is bound to be your new favorite shirt! Click the Shop button under the photo!

"As a fun tribute to Gert and her sisters in the Pankhurst body guard, artist Alex Kehoe has created this wonderful illustration to be printed on a limited run of t-shirts available only via the Ross Creek Centre for the arts. It also sports the famous line spoken by Canadian suffragist, Nellie McClung, 'Let them howl!'"
— Excerpt from Ami McKay's Blog

Taking a quick break from rehearsals to grab a photo of the gang!

YES! SUFFRAJITSU IS REAL!

In 1913 a group of women skilled in the martial art of jiu-jitsu formed a body guard to protect Emmeline Pankhurst, the head of the UK suffrage movement. 
The leader of the “Amazons” was Miss Gertrude Harding, a twenty-four year old farm girl from Welford, New Brunswick. She later became editor of the underground newspaper, The Suffragette. 

Jiu-jitsu became wildly popular within the UK movement, with suffragettes hosting “suffrajitsu parties” to introduce other women to the art. ​

Two Planks and a Passion will be paying tribute to this unusual bit of history on this blog through history tidbits and stories. As well as through our Suffrajitsu Merchandise drawn by local artist Alex Kehoe that will be on sale at the box office and HERE online starting in July!