The BreakFest Blog
News about Ottawa Festivals and our Member festivals, special events and fairs.
The Ottawa Festivals Event Calendar
Just a quick note about our event calendar.
If you click on the iCalendar button (shown to the left) that appears just below the days of the month on the Ottawa Festivals Event Calendar, you can export a file that can be imported into an iCalendar compatible application such as Microsoft Outlook, Apple iCal or Google Calendar. Wikipedia has a list of iCalendar compatible applications.
Goodbye to Executive Producer Kevin “Old Man” Waghorn
While Executive Producer of the Ottawa Fringe Festival for the past four years, Kevin Waghorn has been involved with the Fringe for much (much) longer, starting as a stage manager for local and touring companies – in one year SMing seven productions in a single festival – before coming aboard temporarily “just to help out” and eventually taking over in 2006.When he was appointed Executive Producer, Ottawa Fringe attendance had spiked at 9,000. In his four years on the job, the Fringe has seen attendance rise every year, and is expected to top out at over 13,000 in 2009.
And while Kevin describes much of his job as “pulling names from a hat”, he is responsible for the recent growth and maturation of the festival, turning the Ottawa Fringe from a second-string festival into one of the most popular destinations for touring artists from around the country, the continent, and the globe. As with attendance, festival applications have risen every year since Kevin has been on the job, and he has increased (along with recently departed General Manager Heather-Marie Scheerschmidt) grants from municipal, provincial and federal sources more than 75%.
Kevin can also claim the small changes to the way the Fringe has been run among his accomplishments: increased efficiency in scheduling; the reconfiguration of the Fringe Courtyard to a more open and inviting space; and opening relationships with the business community, among many others.
Without a doubt, the Ottawa Fringe Festival’s profile has been raised dramatically in both the local and national theatre communities, thanks to his effots.
And though stepping down in order to take on increased responsibilities at the Great Canadian Theatre Compnay (where he serves as Facility, Office, and Company Manager), Kevin will still be with the Fringe, returning in 2010 as Production Manager.
Source: Ottawa Fringe website
OBJ Mayor’s Breakfast with Mark Monahan
A few Ottawa Festivals staff attended the OBJ Mayor’s Breakfast series this morning which featured Mark Monahan, Executive and Artistic Director of Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest.
Mark gave the crowd an inside view of some of the milestones that have shaped Bluesfest and the reasoning behind some of the decisions and changes that have been made over the years that have seen Bluesfest grow from a four day festival where 5000 fans watched Bruce Springsteen’s saxophonist, Clarence Clemons, play on a stage at Major Hills Park to an eleven day festival that attracts 350,000 spectators and some of the world’s top performers. This year, Bluesfest has added a second location featuring free concerts in Ottawa’s Byward Market.
Interesting points made during the talk:
- the pivotal moment that set the course for the tremendous growth Bluesfest has seen is when they booked Ray Charles in 1998. The positive reaction from ticket buyers validated the idea that people would be attracted to the bigger artists, and they would be willing to pay more to support the festival for the opportunity to see higher calibre artists;
- the participation of upwards of 4000 volunteers each year is both an indication and reason for the festival’s success;
- 20% of Bluesfest attendance is comprised of out-of-town guests, contributing $30-million dollars to Ottawa’s economy; and
- people are looking for a complete “festival experience” rather than just attending a festival to see the artists. Such factors as food, wait times, demeanor of staff and volunteers, availability of transportation, among others are critical to creating and shaping an overall experience. A person can see their favourite artist, yet still have a bad overall experience.
Westfest photos
Once again blurasis has posted a great set of photos from Westfest on Flickr.
Here is a great pict from The Acorn show. View blurasis’ Westfest set on Flickr.
Ottawa Greekfest wins INDUSTRYimages prize
Ottawa Greekfest has been named the recipient of the 2009 INDUSTRYimages Ottawa Festivals Launch of the Festival Season grand prize. This prize can be used towards any of the design or print services offered by INDUSTRYimages Ottawa.
“We take pride in giving back to the community,” says Kelly St. John from INDUSTRYimages, “We are always looking for opportunities to sponsor local festivals, special events, and fairs , and we invite organizers to contact us with their ideas.”
We would like to congratulate Ottawa Greekfest, and thank Kelly and the staff at INDUSTRYimages Ottawa for being such great partners and supporters of Ottawa’s festival community.
Flowering Pride by Greg Frankson a.k.a. Ritallin
At the 2009 Ottawa Festivals Launch of the Festival Season, we were absolutely thrilled to have Ritallin performing spoken word – but he even did us one better and wrote an amazing poetic tribute to the many great festivals, special events and fairs taking place in Ottawa.
Thanks so much Greg, your performance was a very fitting opening to the launch of the 2009 festival season and we look forward to seeing you at Westfest this year!
© Matthew Claydon | Official Launch Photographer
Flowering Pride by Greg Frankson a.k.a. Ritallin
a carnival atmosphere’s taking over the streets
people playing in the plazas as they dance to the beats
poets reading off they words to the masses inside
others dancing and planting as O-town flowers with pride
it’s the power of the festivals to liven the nights
add joy to our days and end our weeks in full flight
bang the drum and blow the trumpet calling once and for all
for our variety of festivals from winter to fall
from the blooming of the tulips down along the Rideau
to racing weekend fun for the world class and the slow
vive les franco-ontariens and the fringe, then the west
takes centre stage to show the city why the ‘Boro’s the best
dragon boats, dance, jazz, Canada Day, Sound and Light
blues, HOPE, chamber music and orchestras are a sight
playing music in the park then the Turks and the Greeks
then SuperEx, reggae and folk are what the people seek
Richmond, Carp and Metcalfe get us primed for the fall
in rhapsody we animate one world as a vision for all
there are more throughout the year – all are steeped in success
because the festivals of Ottawa – they’re drawing the best
within the city and the country, and our borders beyond
to cultivate a culture linking arts and people in a bond
promulgated on the premise arts are central to life
and their expression is the spark that is destined to strike
a most melodious chord in our hearts, minds and souls
so lift joyous voices for what the future holds
cuz a carnival atmosphere’s taking over the streets
people playing in the plazas as they dance to the beats
poets reading off they words to the masses inside
others dancing and planting as O-town flowers with pride
it’s the power of the festivals to liven the nights
add joy to our days and end our weeks in full flight
bang the drum and blow the trumpet calling once and for all
for our variety of festivals from winter to fall
since 1994 all across the region in every season
O-town flowers with pride
together as a crew what the festivals do makes this statement true -
O-town flowers with pride
not for profit in cash but we all profit when bashes let us see with our eyes
how O-town flowers with pride
events for art, culture, entertainment and sport are happy now to report
that O-town flowers with pride
Ottawa Festivals speaking with one voice offers plenty of choice
as O-town flowers with pride
tourists flock to our town to see what’s going down at jewels in our crown
so O-town flowers with pride
with the sparkle and glow from each event and show our reputation grows
O-town flowers with pride
so sing it out loud – make a bold, strong sound and let the message resound
that O-town flowers with pride
cuz a carnival atmosphere’s taking over the streets
people playing in the plazas as they dance to the beats
poets reading off they words to the masses inside
others dancing and planting as O-town flowers with pride
it’s the power of the festivals to liven the nights
add joy to our days and end our weeks in full flight
bang the drum and blow the trumpet calling once and for all
for our variety of festivals from winter to fall.
© A. Gregory Frankson, 2009. All rights reserved.
Ottawa International Children’s Festival seeking Artistans
The Ottawa International Children’s Festival is looking for Artistans to fill their Artist Village. If you make and sell children’s clothes, toys, candy products, children’s crafts, children’s books and anything you think children/youth may be interested in buying, they are offering a tent in the village for a small fee and a chance to sell and promote your product. The location of the festival is Lebreton Flats Park and the dates this year are May 27 to May 31 2009. If you are interested in becoming part of the festival please contact Mike O’Neil at 613-241-0999. For more information about the festival visit http://www.ottawachildrensfestival.ca .
Richmond Fair selected Tourism Business of the Year
CC blurasis on Flickr
Congratulations to all the staff and volunteers at the Richmond Fair which was selected as the Tourism Business of the Year for Goulbourn this year. Finalists among the 5 nominees in this category were Saunders Farm, which was last year’s winner, and the Canadian Golf and Country Club.
Article on YourStittsville.com
That’s an ice, er, nice Blackberry
Rogers, RIM and Ottawa’s Winterlude have recieved a tonne of International coverage based on this ice sculpture of a Blackberry. This image has appeared on blogs, websites and news sites right around the globe including popular sites like Gizmodo. Guess you don’t have to worry about Blackberry Thumb with this monster, eh!
Writers Festival Silent Auction – send us your swag!
We’d like to forward a message from our friends over at The Ottawa International Writers Festival who are looking for items to place in their silent auction.
“You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture,” Ray Bradbury wrote. “Just get people to stop reading them.”
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.
The 2009 Spring edition of the Festival will feature, for the first time, a silent auction to raise funds for the festival’s literacy programming. We need friends of the Festival to donate signed books, photographs or other items. 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. (Have a cellar of wonderful wine that pairs well with a good read?)
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