The BreakFest Blog
News about Ottawa Festivals and our Member festivals, special events and fairs.
Ottawa Festivals has moved!
Ottawa Festivals has moved to our new space at 47 William Street right in the heart of the Byward Market in Ottawa.
We’ve got some pretty exciting stuff happening in the next few months, so stay tuned so you hear the news as it drops. You can follow us on Twitter as well: www.twitter.com/ottawafestivals.
Le Festival ‘Ottawa a déménage
Le Festivals d’Ottawa a déménage au cœur du Marche Byward (47, rue William). On à vous planifie une gamme d’événements exceptionnels dans les prochains mois. Veuillez attendre de nos nouvelles et n’hésitez pas de nous suivre sur Twitter : www.twitter.com/ottawafestivals.
Favourite Festival Moment of 2009?
Now that the summer is almost over, we ask the question, “What was your favourite ‘Ottawa Festival Moment’ during the summer of ‘09?”
Please feel free to comment and share — we’d love to hear!
Volunteers Needed – Summer Finale for the Arts
We’d like to pass this note along on behalf of our friends at the Canada Dance Festival:
I am delighted to inform you of the glittering “Summer Finale Fundraiser for the Arts”, an exciting partnership between the Canada Dance Festival (CDF) and the Friends of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, which is being held Wednesday, August 26, 2009, from 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM, in the Panorama Room, at the National Arts Centre (NAC). This spectacular new fundraiser has been impressively put together quite quickly in order to bring in much-needed funds for the two organizations, and promises to be a fun/elegant night out, in celebration of the arts!We are urgently looking for volunteers for the August 26th “Summer Finale Fundraiser for the Arts” and would be honoured if you would participate.
Your gracious support would be truly appreciated. By supporting the “Summer Finale Fundraiser for the Arts”, you will be helping us build fantastic futures for both music and contemporary dance in Canada and demonstrating a real appreciation for the role of the arts in Canadian culture. Also, volunteer hours apply towards complimentary tickets for the 2010 Canada Dance Festival itself, showcasing the very best in Canadian contemporary dance!
Information on the two beneficiaries:
• The Canada Dance Festival (CDF) is the foremost presenter of contemporary dance in Canada and is internationally-acclaimed for its creativity, its outrageous beauty, and its very high quality. Considered the leader in the Canadian dance community, the festival is an important springboard for launching Canadian dance talent, both established and hot emerging, onto the national and world stages. The 2010 festival, being held June 5-12, 2010, at the National Arts Centre (NAC) and other venues throughout Ottawa and Gatineau, will be a dazzling array of the best in Canadian contemporary dance. Event proceeds will support the CDF’s commitment to support the creation and appreciation of new contemporary Canadian dance.
• The National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO), under the baton of the world-renowned Pinchas Zukerman, is one of the world’s finest classical orchestras. The Friends of the National Arts Centre Orchestra is a community of music lovers who share their passion for music through special events and by supporting music and music education financially and through volunteer efforts. Proceeds from this fundraiser will benefit the Friends of the NAC Orchestra’s commitment to music education programs for young people.
• For more information on the two beneficiaries, please visit www.canadadance.ca and www.friendsofnaco.ca.
The spectacular August 26th “Summer Finale Fundraiser for the Arts”, with Julie Nesrallah (world-renowned Mezzosoprano and host of Tempo on CBC Radio 2) as MC, will begin at 5:00 PM and will boast a stylish reception, live jazz entertainment, a very exciting music performance by members of the National Arts Centre Orchestra!, a fabulous prize draw, and a luxury silent auction featuring a stunning and unique array of superb and unique donated items from across North America and around the world, including fine and rare wines and spirits, artwork, deluxe hotel and resort getaways, and other special gifts. The impressive wine portion of the auction will highlight exceptional lots of fine and rare selections, as well as everyday drinking wine and spirits, from some of the best wine cellars in Canada, at very appealing prices.
VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS:
Daytime Set-Up Shift – Panorama Room, NAC
• 12:30 PM – 4:00 PM
• Dress is casualEvent Shift – Panorama Room, NAC
• 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM (important that volunteers stay until the end!)
• Volunteer training will begin at 4:00 PM promptly
• Volunteers should arrive dressed and ready to go; dress code is business attire
• Light refreshments will be provided
• Upon arrival, volunteers will have a run-through of the event schedule, a tour of the function areas, and personalized training for the tasks they will be assigned
• Volunteer tasks including greeting guests, greeting VIPs and media, registration, silent auction duties, etcTO SIGN-UP AS A VOLUNTEER:
To confirm your participation as a volunteer, please email me your full name, phone number, cell number, email address, if you would prefer to help with set-up during the day or at the event itself, and a confirmation of the hours you will be available onsite at the NAC.** Please forward this note to any colleagues/friends who might be interested in volunteering.
Thank you so much – we look forward to hearing from you.
Mikhela
Mikhela Jason
Director of Development
Canada Dance Festival
Phone: 613-590-1849
Fax: 613-590-9952
Email: mikhela@rogers.com
The Ottawa International Writers Festival Silent Auction
We’d like to pass along this note on behalf of our friends at The Ottawa International Writers Festival.
The Ottawa International Writers Festival is a force for literacy, and not only through its festival programming. Its Step into Stories festival brings the world’s best writers and illustrators into contact with young readers, many from disadvantaged schools. The festival, with its literacy partners, is working to create opportunities for readers and writers who have been pushed to the margins for too long.
And you can help.
This year’s spring edition of the festival featured a silent auction to raise funds for the festival’s literacy programming. It was a lot of fun and bidding was intense on items such as the leather-bound Pauline Johnson donated by Charlotte Gray, and the train trip to Toronto to have lunch with seven Canadian writers.
So for this year’s fall festival, we’re doing it again. We need friends of the Festival to donate signed books, early editions, advanced reading copies, photographs, artwork, CDs or tickets to local performances and museums. Ideally, the item for sale should have some connection to the festival, or at the very least to the writing life, but that connection can be … creative.
Let’s see if we can beat our own record and raise even more for literacy this time around.
Please contact Kate Heartfield at kheartfield@thecitizen.canwest.com before Sept. 17. 2009, and let her know what you have to donate.
Lumière Festival boxes for much-loved children’s maze disappear
The Lumière Festival is calling out to any businesses or people that might have some large, appliance size boxes to donate.
Today, at least 50 jumbo size boxes (refrigerator size) were taken from outside the Stanley Park field house in New Edinburgh. Every year staff cut the boxes into a maze that is always a big hit with the children in attendance. The Fest is scheduled to take place on Saturday night. “We can’t figure it out” says organizer Joanne Hughes. The boxes were neatly stacked outside the field house and our staff were inside. When we went back out, they were all gone.” Thinking that perhaps a garbage crew had taken the boxes, Hughes called the City but was told that this was unlikely.
In order to save the maze, the Festival is putting an emergency call out to businesses and people that might have some giant boxes to donate. Boxes may be dropped off at the Stanley Park field house, located in New Edinburgh just off Stanley Ave by the playground. Call the festival at (613) 745-CRIC (2742) for more info.
The boxes must be gathered before the end of the day on Friday, August 7.
CBC Radio Presents Steve Earle from the 2009 Ottawa Bluesfest
CBC Radio 2 has made the Steve Earle concert recorded at the 2009 Ottawa Bluesfest on July 10th available as part of its Concerts on Demand Series.
Steve Earle’s music and his person have ridden a roller coaster since he first came to North America’s attention a few decades ago. He wooed the world with his rock but in recent years has concentrated on his socially-conscious, singer-songwriter fare.
This spring Earle released a tribute record to his friend and musical/life mentor Townes Van Zandt. The Bluesfest performance included some Townes’ tunes plus most of Steve Earle’s signature numbers like Copperhead Road, Ain’t Ever Satisfied, and the hit Emmylou Harris made famous: Goodbye.
It was a riveting solo performance on a perfect summer night; Earle’s banter was engaging and personal despite the thousands crowded in front of the stage.
To listen to the show, visit the CBC.ca Concerts on Demand site: Steve Earle at the 2009 Ottawa Bluesfest
Lumiere Festival Lantern Making Workshops in Ottawa
Noticed this post on the spin off stuff blog. Looks like a lot of fun!
Ottawa’s Lumiere Festival is happening Saturday August 8th from 5-11 p.m. and festival organizers are looking for volunteers and offering classes on lantern making.
Classes are superaffordable and it’s a great way to spend an afternoon with friends or family. Plus your lantern will be featured at the festival! The great thing about the classes or volunteering is that afterwards you’ll have the skills to make lanterns for any event, like a birthday party, wedding, shower, BBQ or picnic.
Full post: Lumiere Festival Lantern Making Workshops in Ottawa
Not too young to rock
One story that is often overlooked about festivals is the great community work that many of them do throughout the year. This particular story is about Bluesfest’s ‘Be in the Band’ program that matches young musicians with mentors.
Ottawa musicians as young as 11 give Bluesfest their best shot on Sunday
Patrick Langston, The Ottawa Citizen
Imagine you’re 11 years old again. You’re in a band with people you didn’t even know last Christmas. You’ve worked hard, survived a squabble or two, polished a couple of classic rock songs to a rich sheen. Your reward? Something that’s the stuff of dreams: a performance spot at Bluesfest.
“I’m excited. I’ve never done anything that crazy before,” says Gwynneth Magnan. Eleven years old, she’s the vocalist for Full Tip Sleeve, an Ottawa sextet that’s part of Bluesfest’s Be in the Band initiative. The band, along with nine others, performs on Bluesfest’s Blacksheep stage Sunday afternoon.
A showcase on the last day of the festival, dressing rooms, a write-up on the festival’s official website: Bluesfest organizers are clearly keen on Be in the Band. Launched early this year, the program offered young musicians the chance to form a band under the mentorship of a professional musician. Six bands were born, with Bluesfest providing three months of rehearsal space along with a sound system at Ottawa Tennis Club facilities in the Glebe. In April, the bands joined forces for a jam-packed concert (“We were better than I expected, way better than in rehearsals,” says Gwynneth).
Originally, only the best band was to perform at Bluesfest. But during the April concert, Bluesfest’s executive/artistic director Mark Monahan announced that all six groups would get a spot on stage. “The kids were polished and enthusiastic,” says Monahan, himself once a young musician wanting to join a rock band (his instrument of choice, a French horn, nixed that fantasy). “Be in the Band is about the process (of band work), and I realized they were all good enough to play here.”
Full Story on the Ottawa Citizen website: Not too young to rock
Bluesfest Flickr Set from blurasis
We were looking forward to this … the first set of shots from our friend blurasis have started appearing on Flickr. 2009 Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest pictures
Picture courtesy of blurasis, used under Creative Common License
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