MASC's Spring 18 Newsletter Spring 2018 Newsletter | Page 3

Jan
Andrews
We celebrate the life of Jan Andrews, the
co-founder of MASC whose life was sadly cut
short this past September. Jan was a pioneer
of Canadian children’s literature, a remarkable
storyteller, an organizer and an arts advocate,
among many other things.
Born in England, Jan was able to
see the story potential in her
adopted home. From the tale of
an Inuit child who gathers
mussels on the floor of the sea
(Very Last First Time) to the
poignant story of a prairie farmer
who is forced to sell up (The
Auction) to award-w inning novels
and story collections (When Apples
Grew Noses and White Horses Flew
and The Stories at the Door) Jan
brought her own unique qualities as
a writer: a sharp sense of humour, a fierce
sympathy for loners and outsiders and a
sensitivity to landscape and the natural world.
Jan had a notable parallel career as a
professional, performing storyteller and as a
storytelling advocate. An indefatigable
organizer, she was a leader both in Ottawa and
across Canada in developing storytelling
projects and organizations such as the
Storytellers of Canada/Conteurs du Canada
and in the establishment of
StorySave, an innovative project
designed to preserve the legacy of
well loved tellers.
Jan Andrews and Jennifer Cayley
co-founded MASC in 1989. This was a
joint venture combining their vision and
skills, laying the groundwork for the
vibrant and foundational arts education
organization that MASC is today. Under their
stewardship, MASC grew from a roster of about
eight artists who worked with 3,000 children, to
our current roster of almost 63 artists and
artist groups, working with over 120,000
participants a year. For Jan and Jennifer, artists
with a passion for artistic excellence, combined
with a keen interest in working with young
audiences were essential to the work MASC
initiated. And while the organization has
evolved and expanded over the past 28 years,
these original strong foundational principles
remain key to MASC’s success today.
Prior to Jan’s death, she was working on two
new writing projects. She was also polishing a
new storytelling show in which she was going
to use the conventions of the English music
hall to investigate her own gender identity. In
the weeks before her death Jan attended her
first Pride parade with Jennifer, and visited
Government House for a celebration of her
Order of Canada, received this year.
In Jennifer Cayley’s words:
“It’s been several months now since Jan’s death.
While the reality of losing my smart, funny, life
affirming, cantankerous, passionate, brave,
determined, silly and oh so beloved partner is
more real every day, at the same time it feels quite
impossible that she is gone; impossible that she
will not tell any more stories, write any more
books or scheme any more schemes with me. I’m
thinking a lot these days about how one of the
best of those schemes - and there were many -
was MASC. I did work longer at MASC than Jan
did, but it was Jan who knew how to build that
firm foundation in the beginning. I believe that
foundation has served the organization very well
and I hope it will continue to do so. As I grieve her
loss it helps a little to know that like the books Jan
wrote, the stories she told, MASC is still so alive
and doing the best of all possible work.”
To honour Jan, MASC is pleased
to announce the launch of “The
Jan Andrews Literary Award”,
which will offer a mentorship
to an aspiring young writer.
Students in grades 8 - 12/sec
II - V are invited to submit a
piece of creative writing; the
winner will be selected by a
jury and will be announced in early May.
The winning student will receive 20 hours of
mentorship with a local author. We are
delighted to offer this award in memory of Jan,
a woman who inspired so many with her
stories and believed so deeply in the
importance of the arts in young people’s lives.
Many thanks to the Leacross Foundation for
supporting this award. Please check the MASC
website later this spring for further details
about this award. Jan is deeply missed, but her
many legacies live on.
Written by Wendy Hartley, with many thanks to
Sarah Ellis and Jennifer Cayley.
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