Calgary artists will gather in concert to raise funds for a Canadian-founded, Haitian orphanage in Calgary Artists for Haitian Relief, presented at the EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts on March 10 at 7:30pm.

In a joint initiative between the cities of Windsor and Calgary and sponsored by Field Law, funds generated from Calgary Artists for Haitian Relief ticket sales will go directly to a Haitian charity founded by Windsor, Ontario native, Frank Chauvin. 

Chauvin, a retired police detective from the City of Windsor, opened Le Foyer de Filles Chretiennes Orphanage in Port-au-Prince, Haiti in 1988. The girls' orphanage operated in an oppressed neighbourhood for over 20 years, until it was destroyed in the earthquake that devastated Haiti on January 12, 2010.

In a cross-country effort to rebuild the orphanage, Calgary musicians and artists have donated their time and talent to present an evening of entertainment to help in fundraising efforts for the charity. Featured artists include: The Dudes, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra with Kris Demeanor, Corb Lund, Woodpigeon, Michael Bernard Fitzgerald with his Loud Love Choir, The Polyjesters and Denise Clarke, Jan Lisiecki, Sheri D. Wilson, Bravo!FACT, Cantos Music Foundation, DJ Rob Faust and Curiously Canadian Improv.

Tickets for the event are $25 and available at EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts box office, by calling 403-294-9494 or online at tickets.epcorcentre.org. All ticket sales will go directly to the charity. Donations are also accepted at helpfrankhelphaiti.org.

For more information visit the event's Facebook page.

Read the full news release.

The Federal Government tabled budget 2010 yesterday.  Below is the summary provided by the Canadian Conference of the Arts

Canadian Conference of the Arts Executive Summary

The 2010 Budget includes stable funding to arts and culture with no cuts, but also yields no new investments into the creative economy. The CCA sees no investment towards cultural infrastructure, or funds for promotion abroad and audience development. It is encouraging that charities are given more flexible means to conduct business, and research granting associations will have an increased ability to fund higher education within the knowledge economy.  Moving forward, some concerns include administrative reforms, freezes on departmental operating budgets, and changes to strategic reviews. These measures may not be viewed as cuts at the moment, but may lead to financial difficulties for the arts sector down the road.

Read the full detailed update here

For ten days, March 5 - 14, Dine Out Calgary presents a once-in-a-year opportunity to sample some of the city's top restaurants at value prices. The event makes the perfect pairing to this week's arts events like Theatre Junction's On the Side of the Road and the Calgary Artists for Haitian Relief concert.

Over 90 of Calgary's best restaurants, all located in the heart of the city, will participate in Dine Out Calgary with set price dining for lunch at $15 and $25 and dinner at $25 and $35 per person. The Ultimate Food and Wine Experience features chef's favourites and wine pairings for $85 per person.

In addition to set price dining, Dine Out Calgary offers not-to-be-missed dining experiences. At Rush, River Cafe and Charcut, the newest restaurant in the Cultural District, foodies can enjoy specially prepared menus and informative and engaging conversation with noted food author, Calgary Herald food writer and CBC restaurant critic, John Gilchrist.

For those with a sweet tooth, Olives Restaurant does Desserts on March 9th, where Pastry Chef Rachel Bergan and Executive Chef Johnathan Canning will 'whisk' diners away into a world of sweet decadence with a hands-on cooking class.

Choklat Snobbery 101 at Choklat on March 13th is a fun and fascinating evening of chocolate tasting and wine pairing. Chocolate fans learn the history of the "Food of the Gods" and the artisanal process of "making" chocolate right from the bean. Choklat is the only company in all of Western Canada that gives visitors the opportunity to see and learn how this incredible confection is made.

For the ultimate in wine tasting, on March 11th, Dave Henderson and his staff at The Cellar Wine Store share a variety of fine wines chosen from their extensive inventory of specialty wines from around the world. On March 12th, David Walker at 100 Wines takes a look back at the producers that have made Napa legendary. Ruth's Chris Steakhouse gives meat lovers a delicious course of big reds that perfectly match a succulent cut of Ruth's Chris tasty steak on March 13th.

Seating is limited for the events hosted by John Gilchrist. Tickets are $40 for lunch and $50 for dinner through DineOutCalgary.com. All other bookings can be made directly with participating restaurants.

For more information and a full list of restaurants and events visit DineOutCalgary.com.

Read the full press release.

Please join us for an inspiring and internationally renowned Festival & Event Management Master Class headed by Paul Gudgin, former director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and leading expert of Festival production. This will be a fantastic weekend programme designed to be a practical and personal workshop responding to the unique hurdles facing and experiences awaiting festival and event organizers in the city. Normally $400, Calgary Arts Development is subsidizing the workshop so as to allow arts organizations supported through or eligible to be supported through CADA operating grants to attend for $40. We urge you to attend and to share your own experiences with managing events.

We hope you will be able to join us!
The Calgary Arts Development Team

FESTIVAL & EVENT MANAGEMENT MASTER CLASS W/ PAUL GUDGIN

Course Details
Dates - Saturday - Sunday, March 20 & 21, 2010
Times - 9:00 - 16:00 (coffee, juice and light lunch to be provided by CADA)
Location: Calgary Arts Development, Lower Level Art Central, 100-7th Ave SW

Cost:
$40 for organizations supported through or eligible to be supported through Calgary Arts Development's Operating Grant Program.
Wondering if you're eligible? Find out now! http://calgaryartsdevelopment.com/node/2019
Reserve your space now http://paulgudgin.eventbrite.com

OR

$400 for all other interested organizations and individuals
Reserve your space now at http://paulgudginregular.eventbrite.com

For further information contact Calgary Arts Development at info@calgaryartsdevelopment.com or (403) 264-5330

The Programme
The Festival and Event Management Masterclass is an intensive 2 day programme designed to inform and inspire anyone involved in the business of creating, managing and developing festivals and events. It is a highly practical course that looks to make a positive difference to the participants’ approach to festival and event Management. It includes sessions on Marketing, Press, Programming, Evaluation, Sponsorship and Fundraising. It also provides opportunities for one to one sessions with Paul giving a chance to focus on issues of interest to each individual participant.

The Tutor
Paul Gudgin has over 20 years experience in the management of festivals and events and was for 8 years the Director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. This was during an exciting period that saw the event double in scale hosting 12,000 performances and selling over 8 million tickets. Paul is the Visiting Professor of Festivals and Events at Leeds Metropolitan University. This course provides a unique opportunity to work with one of the world’s leading festival and event management professionals.

Who Should Attend
Festival and event management professionals
Arts and events consultants
Managers from festival and event funding and support agencies
Arts and events management students

What Is Included
2 Days Tuition
Course Materials Including Course Handbook

Make a positive difference
Simply a great workshop. It really helps to get out of your own little circle and have a complete fresh view on your own festival.

It was most of all very, very inspiring! The only ‘negative’ thing is, I want to organise events again, instead of working for the government. After a few days this feeling turned to a positive thought: now I know even better than before how important it is to help and facilitate festival and event organisations as best as we can as a city. It is not only good for them, but also for our city.

Apart from the very valuable information you gave us during the course, I was also inspired by the enthusiasm and energy with which you spoke about festival management.

The City of Calgary is seeking supplier interest

Expression of Interest (“EOI”) for New Recreational Facilities for The City of Calgary
No commitment exists under this Expression of Interest.

This EOI is published to garner interest in the projects from Private Sector organizations and Not-for-Profit organizations. The City requests organizations willing to invest in the design, build, partial finance, maintenance and/or operation of up to four new recreation facilities within The City of Calgary. This EOI even extends to groups who may just want to provide services or be a tenant in one of the new recreation centres.

Information gathered will be used to for assessment purposes only. The Expression of Interest document is available for download from the Alberta Purchasing Connection website www.purchasingconnection.ca, and the Reference number for the opportunity is AB-2010-00795. If you are not already a registered Vendor on the site, you will be required to register by entering your contact information into the specified fields.

Arts and culture groups can contact bil.hetherington@calgaryartsdevelopment.com for more information.

To confirm interest, please contact Jane Rushton in writing. The closing date is Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 4:30pm (MST).

EOI contact:
Jane Rushton
Senior Buyer
2nd Floor, Manchester Building "U"
677 - 25 Avenue SE
Calgary, AB T2G 4K8
Email: jane.rushton@calgary.ca

Visit the following links for more information on the Calgary Arts Development web site:

NW Regional Recreation Centre

SE Regional Recreation Centre

Event Services, a division of Recreation within the City of Calgary with the authority for implementation and execution of all elements of the new Festival and Event Policy invite you to attend a Town Hall meeting for Event Organization. This is an opportunity to learn about the new Policy and approval process that supports the policy.

The City of Calgary’s new Festival and Event Policy, approved by City Council February 8, 2010, recognizes that festivals and events enhance the quality of life in Calgary and are an essential element in creating complete communities. These experiences are recognized to have significant value by citizens and visitors and are a vital ingredient in Calgary’s ongoing development as an active and creative city.

Monday, March 1, 2010
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Fort Calgary
750 9 Avenue Southeast

Calgary, AB T2G 5E1

(403) 269-7747  read more »