By Leanne Milech
Get ready for The Culture Congress 2010, which will rage through various Toronto locales from March 24 through March 28. Harbourfront Centre, the Theatre Centre’s FREE FALL ’10, Harbourfront Centre’s World Stage 2009-10 and Calgary’s Theatre Junction Grand are joining forces to put on a variety of roundtables, lectures and discussions on the Canadian arts community, mentorship and performance. The events are all open to the public, and the best part is, they’re free!
This year’s focus is on how the arts community comes together: artist to artist, artist to presenter and artist to audience. In exploring this issue, some of the events you can look forward to include presentations from Irish delegates who will discuss the arts communities in their country, comparing and contrasting with Canada; discussions about creating artistically challenging and sustainable work and senior artists interviewing their very own mentees. For more information, read the following press release.
Public Service Announcement/Media Advisory: The Culture Congress 2010
TORONTO, ON (Mar. 9, 2010) – Harbourfront Centre is excited to announce The Culture Congress 2010, taking place March 24 through March 28 at various locations. In conjunction with The Theatre Centre’s FREE FALL ’10, Harbourfront Centre’s World Stage 2009-10 and in association with Calgary’s Theatre Junction Grand, The Culture Congress brings together practitioners from local, national and international arts communities for an exchange of practical skills, information sharing and ideas.
For 2010, The Culture Congress will explore how we come together as artist to artist, artist to presenter and artist to audience while examining the topics of mentorship, the presentation of the arts in Canada and the building of community. The event takes place over four days through a series of talks, roundtable discussions and social gatherings in select venues across the city.
All events are free and open to the public. For information about The Culture Congress the public can call 416-973-4000 or visit harbourfrontcentre.com/worldstage.
Registration by email culturecongress@theatrecentre.org or culturecongress@harbourfrontcentre.com
Harbourfront and The Theatre Centre present The Culture Congress 2010
Irish Focus
Artistic programmers from Ireland will share and compare their Irish experiences – as a culture similar to ours and yet so profoundly different in its world perspective. Discussion topics include mentorship, Canadian arts presentation and building community. The Theatre Centre and Harbourfront Centre acknowledge the support of Theatre Junction in making the Irish Delegation possible.
Mentorship in Conversation (Dates below)
This afternoon series will feature FREE FALL ‘10 senior artists Hillar Liitoja (theatre), Tanya Mars (performance art) and Bill James (dance), who continue to build their careers pushing the boundaries of performance. Each talk will spotlight one of these vital creators in conversation with artists they have mentored over their long careers.
The Culture Congress – Information and Events
Registration, Meet & Greet, Tour of The Theatre Centre
Mar. 24, 1 p.m. – The Theatre Centre, 1087 Queen St. West
The Culture Congress: Opening Party
Mar. 24, 10 p.m. – Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay West
The Culture Congress opens with a Stampede ‘Late-Night’ Breakfast in conjunction with post-opening night premiere of Theatre Junction’s On the Side of the Road (Calgary).
Mentorship in Conversation: Hillar Liitoja / DNA Theatre
Mar. 25, 3 p.m. – Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay West, Miss Lou’s Room
Community Info Session with Programming Directors of Harbourfront Centre
Mar. 25, 5:30 p.m. – Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay West, Miss Lou’s Room
Post-Show Party
Mar. 25, 10 p.m. – The Theatre Centre / Cream Tangerine Gallery & Café, 1087 Queen St. West Post-opening night of The Chop Theatre’s KISMET one to one hundred (Vancouver).
Presenting Your City
Mar. 26, 12 p.m. – The Theatre Centre, 1087 Queen St. West
The Irish guests present their respective cities: Belfast, Dublin, Kilkenny, Galway – and discuss the trends, concerns and curiosities influencing their artistic communities as well as creation and presentation models.
Mentorship in Conversation: Tanya Mars
Mar. 26, 3 p.m. – The Theatre Centre, 1087 Queen St. West
Focusing On Emerging Artistic Practice
Mar. 27, 12 p.m. – The Theatre Centre, 1087 Queen St. West
Informal discussions around the creation of artistically challenging, sustainable and viable work.
Mentorship in Conversation: Bill James / Atlas Moves Watching
Mar. 27, 3 p.m. – The Theatre Centre, 1087 Queen St. West
Games Night
Mar. 27, 10 p.m. – Hub 14 Performance Space, 14 Markham Street
Mapping Canada’s Presenting Ecology
Mar. 28, 11 a.m. – The Theatre Centre, 1087 Queen St. West
The Culture Congress is pleased to launch Harbourfront Centre’s new interactive mapping project, intent on tracking the performance in Canada starting with presenting.
Artists’ Breakfast
Mar. 28, 12 p.m. – The Theatre Centre, Cream Tangerine Gallery & Café, 1087 Queen St. West The public is invited to meet the artists of FREE FALL ‘10 over breakfast.
Harbourfront Centre’s World Stage 2009-10 gratefully acknowledges the support of Department of Canadian Heritage, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council and the Westin Harbour Castle, the official hotel of World Stage.
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World Stage Media Contact: Cary Mignault, 416-973-4000, cmignault@harbourfrontcentre.com
The Theatre Centre Media Contact: Keith Cole, 416-944-0077, keithcole@sympatico.ca