CAOS Calgary Animated Objects Society

CAOS - Calgary Animated Objects Society is a non-profit charitable arts organization based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Founded in 2003, CAOS is dedicated to the arts of mask, puppetry and animated objects, and to building community through art. CAOS's major project is the biennial International Festival of Animated Objects.

CAOS provides artistic opportunities through its activities, and initiated youth and community activities such as Young Spirit Voices, an aboriginal youth drama project, the Ramsay "Halloween Scream" and "The Great Ramsay Kinetic Sculpture Race". [http://www.animatedobjects.ca/]

CAOS also produces original art works, such as "Spirit of White Buffalo". Guided by artist Xstine Cook, this giant kinetic sculpture was built by incarcerated men in Drumheller Institution, in collaboration with local artists and youth. "Spirit of White Buffalo" appeared at the 2007 Calgary Stampede Parade, and was awarded first place in "Best Western Theme". [http://www.canada.com/topics/travel/canada/AB/story.html?id=8839e51e-6bf3-45ca-a3db-e513a8fb48b6] , [http://www.animatedobjects.ca/ifaoNews.php]

CAOS is led by founder Xstine Cook, a mask and puppet artist, who also makes short films, plays the saw, performs spoken word, and is a fire artist. Xstine co-founded and was co-artistic director of Green Fools Theatre for 13 years prior to founding CAOS. Xstine trained at the Dell'Arte School of Physical Theatre in Blue Lake, California. [http://www.dellarte.com/dellarte.aspx?id=103]

Calgary Animated Objects Society was incorporated in 2003, and has received national coverage for its activities consistently since 2005. The Globe and Mail, one of Canada's most respected national daily newspaper accredited CAOS with putting "Calgary in the pop-culture vanguard" for its International Festival of Animated Objects, the same Globe & Mail article also drew attention to how "Calgary...has become one of the most fertile spots in North America for ground-breaking puppetry" [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/Page/document/v5/content/subscribe?user_URL=http://www.theglobeandmail.com%2Fservlet%2Fstory%2FLAC.20050127.PUPPETS27%2FTPStory%2F%3Fquery%3Dchris%2Bturner%2Bpuppet&ord=2147520&brand=theglobeandmail&force_login=true.]

CAOS and the festival propel a very active local mask and puppetry tradition into an international arena, all the while bringing international attention to the city of Calgary. Extensive coverage for the organization can be found in FFWD magazine-Calgary's weekly arts & culture publication: "Calgary is a hotbed of original, unorthodox puppet work" (quote from an article written to cover CAOS's festival) [http://www.ffwdweekly.com/Issues/2005/0120/cover.htm] , [http://www.ffwdweekly.com/Issues/2007/0118/fest3.htm] .

The organizations' activities receive consistent attention from CBC Radio [http://www.cbc.ca/calgary/features/artscalgary/eccentric.html] , CKUA Radio, CTV, and CityTV, CJSW Radio, The Calgary Herald [http://www.canada.com/topics/travel/canada/AB/story.html?id=8839e51e-6bf3-45ca-a3db-e513a8fb48b6] , Legacy Magazine [http://www.legacymagazine.ab.ca/current_issue.html?IK=303&Step=2&Story=3] , This Magazine [http://www.thismagazine.ca/issues/2007/11/pullingstrings.php] , The Gauntlet [http://gauntlet.ucalgary.ca/story/10894] , Metro News [http://www.metronews.ca/uploadedFiles/PDFs/20070706_calgary.pdf] , BeatRoute Magazine [http://www.metronews.ca/uploadedFiles/PDFs/20070706_calgary.pdf] , and numerous community-level publications [http://parade.calgarystampede.com/entrants/Winner_Circle_2007.html] , [http://arusha.org/news/arushaevents] , [http://www.highperformancerodeo.ca/rodeo_past/2005/caos.html] , [http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:6ukKPLB8Dq4J:www.ramsaycommunity.ab.ca/newsletter/RCA_Newsletter_2007-10_scrn.pdf+xstine+cook+ramsay&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&client=safari] .

CAOS was recently awarded the "Innovative Business Practices Award" from the Rozsa Foundation for Arts Management, indicating a level of recognition from Calgary's business community. [http://calsun.canoe.ca/Showbiz/2007/10/28/pf-4611665.html]