Our Story

The Bank Art House is a safe, creative space where all members of the community can engage in social, recreational and professional artistic expression and activities, for enjoyment or educational purposes. It is a place of strong, healthy, personal and communal growth. Located in Welland, Ontario, in the Niagara Region, The Bank Art House is focused on providing a space to the immediate artistic and cultural community to develop and showcase their works. It is also an event space, guaranteed to attract an audience from within the region and beyond, furthering the cultural and economic growth of the City of Welland, and the greater Niagara area.
Facade at Night

Femmes du Feu Creations

Femmes du Feu Creations is a not-for-profit organization based in Welland, Ontario. Founded in 2003 by Holly Treddenick, Femmes du Feu Creations has established itself as a leader in Canada’s English circus community. Since 2007, Femmes du Feu has been actively creating and presenting aerial circus works through an innovative approach of combining their contemporary dance and choreographic backgrounds with stunning aerial circus skills. They have mounted several successful shows and full-length productions and participated in a variety of high-profile events:

 

  • Impossibility (2007)
  • Dive (2009) 
  • Tiffany (2010)
  • The Plank (2010)
  • BoB (2012) 
  • Airship (2012)
  • BIND (2016)
  • Tweet (2017)
  • In the Fire (2018)
  • Lonely Child Project (2019)
  • At The Wrecking Ball (2007) 
  • The Toronto International Circus Festival (2008) 
  • Hysteria Festival (2009),
  • London/ Toronto/ Winnipeg Fringe Festivals (2009 & 2010). 
  • Rhubarb Festival (2011, 2016)
  • Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival (2012)
  • Queer Pride Toronto (2012)
  • HarbourKids Circus (2016)
  • WEE Festival (2018, 2019)

 

Femmes du Feu Creations works tirelessly to promote the circus community through non-performative avenues as well, initially through community-based events like Aer Time, and most notably through the company’s week-long international residency program Circus Sessions and the inaugural Ontario Contemporary Circus Showcase (2019). Through Circus Sessions and the Ontario Contemporary Circus Showcase and many other activities past and present, Femmes du Feu Creations continues to be at the forefront of Canadian circus while remaining steadfastly focused on strengthening and building capacity in the Ontario sector.  

Holly Treddenick

Originally from Winnipeg, MB, Holly moved to Toronto in 1995 to study at The School of Toronto Dance Theatre, where she graduated in 1998. In 2001 Holly began her exploration into the circus arts, beginning with fire performance – dancing, eating, and manipulation. In 2003 Holly co-founded Femmes du Feu Creations with her fire partner Lindsay Goodtimes and in 2007 the company turned its focus towards aerial dance including silks, rope, hoop, harness, bungee, static and dance trapeze. As Artistic Director of Femmes du Feu Creations, Holly has created, performed and presented many contemporary circus works, including her recent solo project In the Fire, the early years show Tweet Tweet with Lindsay and Ian Goodtimes, and The Lonely Child Project with Angola Murdoch and opera singer Stacey Dunlap.

 

Holly has always been a strong advocate for community engagement. In 2019 Holly and her family moved to Welland, Ontario, in the Niagara region to open a brand new community art space –  The Bank Art House. She believes that art has the ability to inspire, educate, and bring people together to build stronger communities. She is currently an active member on the board of the Welland Business Improvement Association (BIA) and is working with the City of Welland to promote circus within the city. Outside of her performance life Holly is a mother of two, a certified yoga instructor (2001 graduate), a Doctor of Osteopathy (2008 graduate) and continues to teach circus classes and workshops around Ontario and Manitoba. 

Peter Benedetti

Peter Benedetti has been working in the entertainment production industry for more than 20 years. He specializes as a rigger and production manager. Ten years ago, Peter began to move more and more towards circus rigging. As a rope access technician and circus rigger, Peter has worked with a variety of prominent companies such as Femmes du Feu Creations as well as independent artists throughout Ontario. He has toured with Cirque Musica, Kinky Boots, Rock Of Ages and installed arena shows for Cirque Du Soleil. Peter also has extensive experience in fabrication. His rigging experience led to requests for custom builds such as apparatuses, rigging systems, brackets and more. Peter is founder of Upstage Dynamics Inc, which specializes in designing and building circus apparatuses and equipment. Peter has built and installed rigging equipment in a variety of situations including for an Ontario Heritage Trust building, The Elgin And Winter Garden Theater in Toronto, Ontario. 

In 2019 Peter and his family moved to Welland, Ontario, in the Niagara region to open a brand new community art space – The Bank Art House. There, he is combining his skills in fabrication, rigging, production management, and sound and lighting in order to create a new venue and circus centre that promises to become an important community cultural hub and creation space for the area. 

Gabriel Bateman

Gabriel has worked in and around the Entertainment Industry in one capacity or another for more than a decade, having been a touring musician, video and audio technician, editor, session vocalist, caterer, ghostwriter, foley, web designer, stagehand, and transporter for such names as Iomair, Lawrence Gowan and Colin James.