Calgary revealed as 2012 host city for the Magnetic North Theatre Festival
- Posted June 28th, 2010
NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release
June 28, 2010
Calgary revealed as 2012 host city for the Magnetic North Theatre Festival
CALGARY – Calgary will host the 10th edition of the Magnetic North Theatre Festival, Canada’s National Festival of Contemporary Canadian Theatre in English, in June 2012.
Canada’s National Festival of Contemporary Canadian Theatre in English, the Magnetic North Theatre Festival, moves around the country like the magnetic north pole itself, treating Canadians to excellence in English theatre from across Canada. Produced by the Canadian Theatre Festival Society and co-presented by the National Arts Centre English Theatre, the festival moves its operations to a new host city every other year.
“Theatre, both amateur and professional, has a venerable history in Alberta and Alberta’s playwrights and performers have produced some stunning works on local, national and international stages,” said Lindsay Blackett, Minister of Alberta Culture and Community Spirit. “Albertans are thrilled to be a part of this theatrical tradition and the Government of Alberta is proud to support this festival in the amount of $350,000 dollars over two years.”
This is the second time that Alberta will host Magnetic North. Artistic Director Ken Cameron notes “Edmonton was the first city to host this unique experience in 2004, and that gesture set the bar for all subsequent host cities. Moving an arts festival from one province to another every two years is an enormous undertaking, and it would not have been possible without Alberta showing it could be done. So it is only fitting that the province should host our 10th anniversary”. Cameron has lived in Calgary since 1992 and continues to live in the city while working for the festival and commuting to Ottawa.
Launched in Ottawa in 2003, Magnetic North has been hosted by Edmonton, St. John’s, Vancouver and Kitchener-Waterloo, returning to Ottawa as its “base” at the National Arts Centre every other year. During this time, it has presented more than 80 professional presentations and created a national position for itself. It has been referred to by critics and artists alike as “the closest Canada has come to a truly national theatre institution” (Ottawa Citizen).
Magnetic North Theatre Festival presents ten plays on its main stage drawn from the work of theatre companies across the country. Taken together the plays offer a showcase of contemporary theatre practice and a sample of artists working from coast to coast. The announcement was made on the closing day of the Festival’s Industry Series to an international crowd of theatre producers, presenters and artists, some of whom had come as far afield as Lebanon, Australia and China to take the temperature of Canadian theatre. Central to the festival, the Industry Series is a theatre conference that gathers artists, presenters, producers, agents, programmers and general managers from across Canada and around the world to participate in professional development and discover what projects will be the hits of the next season.
“We are thrilled with the support that we have already received from the Province of Alberta, the local theatre community, our host venues and members of the Calgary community” says Ann Connors, Managing Director of Magnetic North. “This kind of support two years in advance of the Festival is vital to the success of the host year and allows us to better plan a Festival that will really speak to the host community. The impact that Magnetic North leaves in the host region, both financial and artistic, is something that this Festival is extremely proud of. We are excited to work together with the city of Calgary to ensure that the festival’s impact is felt for a long time”.
"2012 marks a pivotal year in Calgary’s cultural history with the centennial anniversaries of some of the city’s cultural cornerstones including the Calgary Stampede, City of Calgary Recreation, and the Calgary Public Library," says Terry Rock, President and CEO, Calgary Arts Development. "The Magnetic North Theatre Festival will be part of this exciting year of celebration and is an additional reason why Calgary is in the running to be designated the 2012 Cultural Capital of Canada."
For more information about the Magnetic North Theatre Festival, visit www.magneticnorthfestival.ca.
For photos and interviews please contact:
Ann Connors
Managing Director, Magnetic North Theatre Festival
Email: ann@magneticnorthfestival.ca
Phone: 1.866.850.2787 ext. 718
Cell: 613.853.2370
About the Magnetic North Theatre Festival
The Magnetic North Theatre Festival is Canada’s National Festival of Contemporary Canadian Theatre in English. Hosted in Ottawa on June 4-11, 2011 and in Calgary in June, 2012, the festival presents a showcase of ten plays from across the country. The festival provides a snapshot of the state of contemporary Canadian theatre in Canada and serves as a national gathering place for Canada's theatre community. For more information about the Magnetic North Theatre Festival, visit www.magneticnorthfestival.ca.
2010 Vital Signs Deadline Extended
- Posted June 25th, 2010
Every opinion counts. What's yours?
How do YOU rate arts and culture in Calgary?
Take the survey to win tickets to:
- Calgary Folk Music Festival (July 22 - 25)
- GlobalFest (Aug 20 - 28)
- Calgary International Film Festival (Sept 24 - Oct 3)
Survey open until July 8th.
Sign up today at TheCalgaryFoundation.org.
Calgary's Vital Signs provides a snapshot of Calgary's strengths and weaknesses today so that, collectively, we can create the city we want for ourselves and our children.
Report to be published in the Calgary Herald on October 5, 2010.
Some shows originally scheduled for Jazz Festival still on
- Posted June 22nd, 2010
Despite the cancellation of the Calgary Jazz Festival, some shows originally scheduled for the Festival will still take place. Thanks to Chronograph Records for the tip.
Tuesday, June 22:
Terry Clarke Trio
Beat Niq Jazz & Social Club
811 1st Street SW
$20 at the door, 7pm & 9pm
Tim Williams
Mikey’s Juke Joint
1901 10th Ave. SW
$10 at the door, 8pm Read more »
Calgary to enter bid process for 2012 Cultural Capital of Canada
- Posted June 21st, 2010
NEWS RELEASE
June 21, 2010
Suzanne Boss
Project Manager, Calgary 2012
[p] 403.264.5330 x 204
[e] suzanne.boss@calgary2012.com
[w] www.calgary2012.com
In 2012, 100 years after Calgary established itself as a cultural centre of the West, Calgarians will celebrate the city's collective cultural achievements and dream big about Calgary's role as a cultural centre of Canada. Leveraging the centennial celebrations of several of Calgary's cultural cornerstones, the Calgary 2012 project aims to showcase Calgary's culture and create legacy projects to encourage future cultural achievements. Calgary 2012 is a joint initiative co-chaired by Calgary Arts Development Authority and the Calgary Stampede in partnership with City of Calgary Recreation, the Calgary Public Library, Tourism Calgary and Calgary Economic Development.
Calgary Arts Development hires Director of Art Space Initiatives
- Posted June 17th, 2010
(Calgary, AB) – Calgary Arts Development is pleased to announce that Reid Henry has been hired as Director of Art Space Initiatives. Beginning in late June, Reid will be responsible for leading and managing the development of public art facilities in this new position within the organization.
In March 2007, Calgary Arts Development published a research report on the current state of art spaces, along with a companion strategy and capital plan to guide the long-term buildout of art spaces in Calgary. This strategy called for Calgary to develop specialized expertise to develop art spaces throughout the city to support and drive the growth of our cultural scene.
Reid brings over 13 years of experience working at the intersection of urban, cultural and economic development. Through a range of consulting and project management roles across Canada and abroad, he has developed an approach to city-building that is multi-disciplinary in perspective and collaborative in practice.
Over the last 6 months, Reid has led the cultural planning practice of Office for Urbanism in various cities across Canada. Previous to that role, Reid developed and led the consulting practice of Artscape, a leading creative urban development organization based in Toronto. Reid played a lead role in a diverse range of building feasibility studies, district planning frameworks, policy development initiatives and cultural/creative sector research projects.
Reid’s recent work includes a provincially-funded study of infrastructure for creative entrepreneurs in Toronto, the City of Vancouver’s 10-Year Cultural Facilities Priorities Plan, a downtown cluster development framework for the City of Kitchener; and an adaptive re-use strategy for a former distillery complex on Kingston’s waterfront. Reid was also instrumental in building Artscape’s national workshop program for communities undertaking mixed-use, creative work space development.
"After an extensive hiring process, Reid stood out to us as the person best suited to take on this new role at Calgary Arts Development," said Terry Rock, President & CEO. "His expertise managing complex cultural spaces strategies for some of Canada’s most creative spaces make Reid an asset to the team."
2nd Annual All Associations Bar-B-Q
- Posted June 16th, 2010
With over 25 associations participating, the 2nd Annual All Associations Year-End Bar-B-Q is an opportunity to thank members for their support over the past year, provide an excellent networking opportunity, have a beer and then...see you in September!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
5:00pm
Alastair Ross Technology Centre
3553 31 Street NW
Cost: $20/person. Includes a $5 donation to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, burger/hotdog, 2 beer/wine or pop/water, caesar salad, Hawaiian beans and corn on the cob.
Featuring entertainment by the ACAD Laptop Ensemble and Jennie Vallis.
For more information or ot register, visit http://www.digitalalberta.com/.
First Flip 2010
- Posted June 7th, 2010
First Flip 2010: Stampede Breakfast on Stephen Avenue Walk
When: Thursday, July 8, 2010
Time: 7:30am - 10:30am
Where: Stephen Avenue Walk between 1st Street SE and Centre Street (Convention Centre block)
This is a FREE event - no RSVPs required.
Bid on one-of-a-kind, artist-inspired cowboy hats. Live and silent auction proceeds will go to "This is My City."
Hosted by Calgary Arts Development, Calgary Economic Development, Tourism Calgary, the Calgary Downtown Association and Calgary TELUS Convention Centre.
Alberta: 3D Ready
- Posted May 31st, 2010
On Friday, June 11, and Saturday, June 12, learn how 3D is changing not only television and film production but audience viewing experiences. With skilled instructors now working in 3D in Canada and the United States, you'll take part in detailed sessions and "hands on" workshops with the latest stereoscopic image capture tools; learn how production and post-production workflow is changing; and see and hear new visual approaches in Producer Roundtable discussions.
Friday's sessions include: the history of 3D; why it's coming at us so quickly; how the human brain watches it; how it's being marketed; and how it is going to change producing, directing, and budgeting. On Friday evening there's a special reception and 3D screening.
Saturday sees you in smaller groups covering in more detail digital capture using different 3D stereoscopic cameras with "hands on" shooting. Then it's the new world of post production and a look at workflow and asset management using 3D post tools (Avid and MAC), while learning new ways of conforming and finishing. There will also be more focused discussions on animation, producing, visualization and directing.
This is a unique opportunity to engage with a team of experienced instructors such as Alan Lennox and John Reeves from 3D Camera Company; Todd Cherniawsky, an Art Director from Avatar; Sebastian Laffoux from Tangohead; Nick Iannelli from Deluxe; Tim Dashwood from Dashwood Cinema Solutions (with 3D Stereo toolbox software); Laurie Wilcox from York University; and Tom Benz and Doug Berquist of Alberta's 3D Capture Company.
Alberta: 3D Ready participants must be Alberta residents to attend. There are a limited number of spaces - 120 - and they are being allocated on a first come first serve basis. Alberta: 3D Ready takes place at the Banff Centre, and the cost per person is $250.00, which includes one night accommodation, all meals and instruction.
Be one of the industry professionals who will be 3D ready in Alberta.
For more information or to register, visit CalgaryEconomicDevelopment.com.
2nd Annual Creative Aging Calgary Symposium
- Posted May 31st, 2010
The Creative Aging Calgary Society presents...
2nd Annual Creative Aging Calgary Symposium
Held in conjunction with Alberta Arts Days
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Ross Glen Hall, Roderick Mah Centre for Continuous Learning
Mount Royal University, Calgary, AB
Professional Development Workshop
9:00am - 12:00pm
Presenter: Susan Perlstein, MSW
Registration required, fee $119
Creative Express Yourself Workshops
1:00pm - 4:30pm
Music, Drama and Art Workshops
Registration required, free
Bringing together the aging services organizations, artists, healers, activity coordinators and older adults.
For more information or to register, visit CreativeAgingCalgary.ca.
Atlantic Avenue Art Block Information Session
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
L12, 100 7th Ave. SW
If you are interested in attending this information session, please RSVP to julie.baratta@
