Spark Artists Team 5

First Calgary Savings Spark Artists

Jen Mahood + The Hobophobes

Following her completion of a BA in dance from the University of Calgary in 2005, Jennifer Mahood co-founded Ephemeral Industry: an experimental contemporary dance company that produced A Project in Perspective (2006) and System-Antics (2007). She is an active member of the Calgary dance community through her work as a performer, instructor, choreographer and dance videographer.

Jennifer has studied in Canada; the US; Europe; and Guinea, West Africa. Her work has been preformed in Canada, the US and Poland. Mahood has choreographed for Alberta Dance Explosions, Alberta Dance Theatre, Calgary Men’s Chorus, Eko Dance Projects, Fluid Movement Arts Festival, Indiana Intermedia Festival, and other independent Artists.

Jennifer enjoys a variety of dance forms including contemporary, jazz and West African. Her most recent explorations have led her to the creative merging of dance and video. She is currently working on her MFA in contemporary dance creation and performance at the University of Calgary. www.jennifermahood.ca

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This Calgary-based experimental noise outfit, consisting of Ben Charlton, Jessica McCarrel and
Ingrid Diaz Cespedes makes its debut at Springboard with a brand of provocative cacophony inspired by grade-B horror movies and medical surgical videos. Jessica McCarrel is a painter, art administrator and deathrocker. She paints images of cadavers and works at The New Gallery.


Ben Charlton is an undead filmmaker living in Calgary, Alberta. During the production of his last film, a tragic betrayal became apparent when his preserved rats-turned-puppets revolted, infecting him with the Black Plague. Not content to let such foul treachery spell an end to his vision, he vowed to return from the dead to further spread his message of death and the afterlife (in fact, some would say that his new experience with death has only added further conviction to his beliefs). However, being a zombie in Calgary is hard, so when times are tough, Ben turns to the written word to further his mission.

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