Festival Updates and News
News about Ottawa Festivals and our Member festivals, special events and fairs.
LA CAPITALE FLEURIT AVEC PRÈS D’UN MILLION DE TULIPES
Région de la capitale du Canada – La Commission de la capitale nationale (CCN) a le plaisir d’accueillir le Festival canadien des tulipes aux parcs des Commissaires et Major’s Hill du 6 au 23 mai prochain. La CCN aménage les jardins colorés et plante les massifs de tulipes dans la région de la capitale.
Près d’un million de tulipes en plus de 50 variétés, fleurissent dans les platebandes de la CCN. Les massifs de tulipes composent la toile de fond spectaculaire du plus important festival de tulipes du monde, le Festival canadien des tulipes.
EXPOSITION « LES TULIPES DE L’AMITIÉ »
Parc des Commissaires, du 6 au 23 mai 2011
Les visiteurs sont invités à découvrir les événements qui ont mené au «don de tulipes» et l’amitié durable entre le Canada et les Pays-Bas à travers l’exposition « les tulipes de l’amitié » et les guides-interprètes ambulants. Après la fin de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, en reconnaissance du rôle joué par les Canadiens dans la libération du pays, ainsi que la gratitude pour avoir offert un refuge à la princesse Juliana et ses enfants pendant la guerre, le peuple néerlandais a envoyé 100 000 bulbes de tulipes au Canada, à cela s’ajoute 20 000 bulbes supplémentaires envoyés par la princesse Juliana. Depuis, en signe de gratitude et d’amitié, les Pays-Bas envoient 20 000 bulbes destinés à la capitale à chaque année.
TULIPES AU DOMAINE MACKENZIE-KING DE LA CCN, AU PARC DE LA GATINEAU
Dès le 19 mai 2011, de 9 h 30 à 16 h 30, à tous les jours (fermé les mardis).
Le Salon de thé est ouvert tous les jours de 11 h à 17 h.
William Lyon Mackenzie King était premier ministre du Canada lorsque la princesse Juliana des Pays-Bas a fait don de milliers de tulipes au peuple canadien afin qu’elles soient plantées dans la capitale. Chaque printemps, des tulipes fleurissent également au domaine Mackenzie-King, situé au cœur du parc de la Gatineau. Entourés d’une collection de ruines unique et de magnifiques jardins, les bâtiments historiques du Domaine seront ouverts au public à compter du 19 mai prochain.
Au cours de leur tournée dans la capitale, les visiteurs peuvent se procurer un exemplaire gratuit du guide intitulé « Quelle beauté! Les massifs de tulipes aménagés par la Commission de la capitale nationale », qui raconte l’histoire des tulipes de l’amitié, et qui trace les sites de photo recommandés, et recommande circuits pédestres et cyclistes, avec des distances, pour mieux profiter des plus belles platebandes.
À PROPOS DU PROGRAMME FLORAL DE LA CCN
Chaque printemps, près d’un million de tulipes et 200 000 annuelles plantées par la CCN fleurissent entre autres sur la colline du Parlement, aux parcs Major’s Hill, des Commissaires et Jacques-Cartier, de même que le long du boulevard de la Confédération, du canal Rideau, des promenades panoramiques et sentiers récréatifs de la capitale, et devant les musées et les édifices nationaux. À titre de jardinière officielle de la capitale du Canada, la CCN veille à l’aménagement et l’entretien de plusieurs jardins publics et de 90 platebandes réparties dans la région. Les platebandes de tulipes les plus impressionnantes se retrouvent au parc des Commissaires, où 300 000 bulbes fleurissent chaque année.
Pour de plus amples renseignements à propos des tulipes, le public peut communiquer avec la CCN au 613-239-5000, 1-800-465-1867, 613-239-5090 (ATS) ou 1-866-661-3530 (ATS sans frais), ou consulter le site Web au www.capitaleducanada.gc.ca/tulipes.
Pour obtenir des renseignements au sujet du Festival canadien des tulipes, le public peut consulter le site Web du Festival http://www.festivaldestulipes.ca/.
CLOSE TO ONE MILLION TULIPS TO BLOOM IN THE CAPITAL
Canada’s Capital Region - The National Capital Commission (NCC) is pleased to welcome the Canadian Tulip Festival to Commissioners and Major’s Hill parks, from May 6 to 23, 2011. The NCC provides the colourful displays of tulips found throughout the Capital Region.
Close to one million tulips, more than 50 varieties, will bring the NCC’s flower beds to life and offer a spectacular stage for the world’s largest tulip festival — the Canadian Tulip Festival.
NCC’S TULIP LEGACY EXHIBIT
Commissioners Park, May 6 to May 23, 2011
Visitors are invited to discover the events that led to the “Gift of Tulips” and the lasting friendship between Canada and the Netherlands through the Tulip Legacy exhibit and roaming interpretive guides. After the end of the Second World War, in recognition of the role Canadians played in the liberation of the country, as well as in gratitude for having sheltered Princess Juliana and her children during the war, the Dutch people sent 100,000 tulip bulbs to Canada, with Princess Juliana adding 20,000 more. Since then, as a gesture of ongoing gratitude and friendship the Netherlands sends 20,000 bulbs to the Capital each year.
TULIPS AT THE NCC’S MACKENZIE KING ESTATE IN GATINEAU PARK
Beginning May 19, daily from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm (closed Tuesdays)
The Tearoom is open everyday from 11 am to 5 pm
William Lyon Mackenzie King was Prime Minister of Canada when Princess Juliana of the Netherlands sent a gift of thousands of tulip bulbs to the Canadian people to be planted in Canada’s Capital. Each spring, tulips also bloom at Mackenzie King Estate located in Gatineau Park. The historic buildings of the Estate, set among a unique collection of ruins and stunning gardens, will be open to the public beginning May 15, 2010.
While touring the Capital, visitors can pick-up a free copy of the brochure “Experience the Beauty! The National Capital Commission’s Tulip Beds”, which provides information on the tulip legacy story, maps out the location of key gardens and designated photo sites in some of the Capital’s most beautiful tulip displays, and recommends walking and cycling routes, with distances, to best enjoy the flowerbeds.
ABOUT THE NCC’S FLORAL PROGRAM
Each spring, close to one million tulips and 200,000 annuals planted by the NCC bloom on Parliament Hill, in Major’s Hill, Commissioners and Jacques-Cartier parks, as well as along Confederation Boulevard, the historic Rideau Canal, the Capital’s scenic parkways and recreational pathways, and in front of national museums and institutions. As the official gardener of Canada’s Capital, the NCC is responsible for the design and maintenance of many of the public gardens and the 90 flower beds found throughout the region. The most impressive display of tulips is found in Commissioners Park, where some 300,000 tulips bloom each year.
For more information on tulips, the public can contact the NCC at 613-239-5000, 1-800 465-1867, 613-239-5090 (TTY) or 1-866-661-3530 (toll-free TTY), or visit the website at www.canadascapital.gc.ca/tulips.
For information on the Canadian Tulip Festival, the public can visit the Festival’s website at http://www.tulipfestival.ca/.
Ottawa StoryTellers Events for May, 2011
May 5 | Ottawa StoryTellers Story Swap: Open Stage Night
7:00 – 9:30 p.m.
Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street, Room 156.
Free admission
Ottawa StoryTellers offers Story Swap, an open stage night, on the first Thursday of every month at Library and Archives Canada (Room 156). This is an opportunity to experience the art of storytelling for the first time or for new storytellers to practice before an audience. The evenings also include stories by experienced tellers so that new tellers can learn the art. People are welcome to come and listen, but anyone wishing to tell a story should register on arrival with the evening’s host, and s/he will be given a time slot. Stories should be no longer than ten minutes and must be told, not read. They may be traditional stories, folk tales, literary stories, or personal stories.
May 10 | Music in my Life
Kim Kilpatrick and Lynda Joyce
Stories and Tea
The Tea Party, 119 York St.
7pm-8:45pm
Pay what you can
May 19 and 20 | My Words Fly Up: Stories About and From Shakespeare
Gail Anglin, Daniel Kletke and Leah Sander
7:30 pm, NAC 4th Stage, tickets at the NAC box office
$20/$12 students and seniors
The plays of William Shakespeare are some of the most recognized literary works of the English speaking world. Within these great plays, there are stories that make us laugh, stories that make us cry, and stories that inform our culture, from high art to the latest romantic comedy at the movie theatre. Tonight, stories from and about the Bard are presented in a new way: decide for yourself who the real Shakespeare was, find out what happens when Hamlet is transported to Africa and Iago is sentenced to community service. Frolic with the faeries, sigh with the lovers, and laugh at the rude mechanicals! With Elizabethan music on the recorder and guitar, arranged and played by Andrew Huggett and Toby Kiesewalter. Not the Shakespeare you learned in school!
May 24 | It Could Have Been Me
Kathie Kompass and Nancy Morris
Stories and Tea
The Tea Party, 119 York St.
7pm-8:45pm
Pay what you can
May 27 | The Spirits of the Times
ONE NIGHT ONLY! 7:00 p.m.
Billings Estate
Tickets are $15 (incl. admission to the museum) and are available from the Billings Museum (613-247-4830)
Come back with us to 1902, when a Chautauqua troupe visited Ottawa and set up its tent on the grounds of the Billings’ estate. From the 1880s to 1930’s, Chautauquas were North America’s most popular form of what we now call “edutainment” – education and entertainment – for adults. It was radio that eventually spelled the demise of the Chautauqua, but in its day it was unrivalled.Our Chautauqua has several world-renowned speakers, such as, the intrepid African explorer Nehemiah “Crikey” Persimmon, the famous games mistress Eliza Ross, that well-known Methodist cleric Reverend Murdoch Troome, and the British musical hall sensation Rodney Ramsbottom, all accompanied by a specially commissioned brass band!
May 27 | Once Upon a Slam
7:00 pm, Mercury Lounge Underground (aka Bar 56) 56 Byward Market,
$7 cover charge for listeners (slam participants get in free)
Once Upon a Slam is Ottawa’s new monthly story slam series! A story slam is much like a poetry slam, except for it features narrative stories of all kinds. Each performer has 5 minutes to TELL a story (and we do mean tell, no reading). Judges are randomly selected from the audience to give a score to each story. Highest score of the night takes home all the marbles. Fairy tales, ghost stories, personal stories, whatever kind of story you like, as long as you tell it in your own words. There are 8 spots available, doors open at 6:30PM. After the Slam, stick around for feature performer Luna Allison.
For more information on our programming, visit www.ottawastorytellers.ca
Join the Ottawa Storytellers facebook group to get invites to our events, or follow us on Twitter @ottawastory.
OST programming is supported by the City of Ottawa, the Ontario Arts Council, Heritage Canada and Canada Council for the Arts.
MAGNETIC NORTH THEATRE FESTIVAL IS EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THE PROGRAMMING OF THE 2011 SEASON IN OTTAWA
The 2011 line-up for the Magnetic North Theatre Festival has been announced, and it promises to bring home to Ottawa an array of theatrical activity in June. The unique festival, which alternates between Ottawa and a different Canadian city each year, comes home to Ottawa June 3-11. Festival passes and tickets are now available for purchase through the National Arts Centre Box office at 53 Elgin Street or at 613-755-1111, or through Ticketmaster at 1-888-991-2787.
Opening the festival is YICHUD (Seclusion) by Theatre Passe Muraille in producing partnership with Convergence Theatre. Written by Julie Tepperman and Directed by directed by Aaron Willis and Richard Greenblatt. YICHUD (Seclusion) drops us into the centre of an orthodox Jewish wedding, and does it in ways that are hilarious, complex and pose tough questions about our relationships to tradition and authority. The performance runs from June 3-6 and will be taking place at Academic Hall at the University of Ottawa. Tickets for this performance are $40.
Magnetic North Theatre Festival is proud to announce An Evening with Cathy Jones. This one night performance featuring the star of This Hour has 22 Minutes will be on Saturday, June 4 at 8PM. Tickets for this event are $50.
Magnetic North invites festival attendees to join us at the National Arts Centre Fourth Stage on June 9 in the afternoon for a stage reading of The Ministry of Grace, a new play by Tara Beagan, the NAC English Theatre’s Playwright in Residence for 2010/11 and Artistic Director, Native Earth Performing Arts, Inc. That evening, join Magnetic North staff, board and our 2012 Calgary hosts at the Festival Bar @ Club SAW to celebrate our next festival destination.
Magnetic North Theatre Festival will be presenting a play from Halifax’s Zuppa Theatre Company, 5 Easy Steps (to the end of the world). It is the night of the end of the world and three friends lock themselves in a pawn shop basement with plans to go out with a bang. 5 Easy Steps (to the end of the world) is one part painful mediation on the past, present and future and two parts dance party. Featuring choreography from Mwendo Dance Company and music from members of the Heavy Blinkers, 5 Easy Steps (to the end of the world) runs from June 3-6 at Arts Court. Tickets for this performance are $40.
We are proud to announce that we are once again partnering with the Great Canadian Theatre Company this year to present a Necessary Angel production of This is What Happens Next. The one man show from the imaginations of Toronto theatre icons Daniel MacIvor and Daniel Brooks features MacIvor as multiple characters in a fairytale that takes us through the dark forest of addiction, divorce, Schopenhauer, The Little Mermaid and the life of John Denver. This is What Happens Next is showing at the GCTC from June 7-11. Tickets are $40 and are sold at the GCTC and NAC box office.
Magnetic North is delighted to present Kawasaki Exit, the latest boundary busting creation from Calgary’s One Yellow Rabbit. Written by Blake Brooker, Kawasaki exit is equal parts mystery and love story, and is inspired by the dark side of Japanese social networking sites. Performed in Japanese and in English, from beginning to end and then from end to beginning. We are very excited to be presenting this legendary company hailing from our 2012 destination, Calgary, Alberta from June 7-10 at the National Arts Centre Studio. Tickets for this performance are $40.
Magnetic North 2011 will be presenting Nina Arsenault’s one woman tour de force The Silicone Diaries, from Buddies in Bad Times theatre in Toronto. In The Silicone Diaries, Arsenault recounts her transformation from an awkward male to a staggering hour glass bombshell. She provides us with a peek in to the personal obsessions of those driven to transform their bodies, while at the same time, engaging in a frank exploration of the contradictions associated with the quest for beauty. We are thrilled to be sharing Nina’s story from June 8-11 at Academic Hall at the University of Ottawa. Tickets for this performance are $40.
Magnetic North will be presenting a play that is truly for all ages. KISMET one to one hundred from The Chop is a multi-media performance that explores our relationship with fate and destiny. Using transcripts, photos, video and audio excerpts from one hundred interviews with one hundred people from across the country between the ages of one and one hundred, The Chop pieces together a narrative that is both universal and individual. The Chop is a dynamic company from Vancouver helmed by recent Siminovitch Award protégé Anita Rochon, and we are very proud to welcome them to the Arts Court Studio June 9-11. Tickets for this performance are $40.
Artistic associate Marcus Youssef: “What’s so thrilling for me about this year’s festival is the national conversation happening inside of it. Exciting young artists like The Chop and Zuppa are talking to genre and scene-definers MacIvor and the Rabbits; Siminovitch Protégé winner Anita Rochon bumps up against directing legend Daniel Brooks. We have shows and artists from Halifax side by side with their 3000 miles away neighbours from Vancouver (and points in between). There is a show about what 100 Canadians, urban and rural, eastern and western think about fate plus a show that tells the story of a full-op gender switch plus a show that takes us into the centre of an orthodox Jewish wedding. This festival is Canada, here, and now, in all its messy, contradictory glory. I can’t think of a better way to get to know each other a little better.”
A special component of the festival is the Magnetic Encounters, which brings the audience as close to the art as possible. In the form of many events, talks, installations, interventions and performances, Magnetic Encounters link the audiences to the main stage performances of the festival. Highlights of this year’s Magnetic Encounters include a lesson in Music and traditional Jewish wedding celebration on June 5 to compliment YICHUD(Seclusion) as well as a Karaocalypse night at our Festival Bar @ Club SAW on June 7 where festival goers are invited on stage with Zuppa to sing songs about the end of the world. Montreal artist Alexis O’Hara will be performing In the Heat of LaNuit on June 8 at our Festival Bar @ Club SAW. As herself and as her alter-ego Guizo, Alexis transfuses drag, cabaret, pop music and spoken word with a tongue-in-cheek musical treatise on our modern day obsession with feelings. Tickets for Alexis O’Hara are $10. On June 10, festival goers are invited to join Magnetic North and The Chop at the Arts Court library in a Workshop on Being Yourself on Stage then head over to the National Gallery for a lecture on the Female Form, Beauty and Art with Nina Arsenault. Don’t forget to join us each evening at the Festival Bar @ Club SAW beginning at 9pm for more fun and great conversation.
Encounters curator Kris Nelson: “With a Karaoke concert, a lecture on beauty and aesthetics and workshops devoted to dancing and performing, there’s something for everyone to think on or try out for themselves this year. Extra special for Ottawa is the Human Library project. Dozens of local residents will become human books – revealing their thoughts, opinions and life stories to book lenders in one-on-one conversations. We’re hoping the Encounters will help build a community of festival-fans and adventurous art lovers in the city.”
Magnetic North Theatre Festival is delighted to announce that for the first time, we will be hosting a Human Library June 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11 at the Rideau Centre Western Walkway. Ottawa locals and festival artists become human books sharing their personal stories, beliefs and experiences in this exciting, interactive project. This one-of-a-kind experience brings strangers together for personal, humorous and touching interactions. Working just like a real library, visitors borrow and return books – the twist is that in The Human Library the books are people and visitors will have a candid conversation with the people on loan. Our Human Library is full of human books that are experts in a variety of fields and come from a diverse range of experiences and backgrounds. Created by Stop the Violence for the Roskilde Music Festival in Denmark and presented all over the world and across Canada, The Human Library makes new bonds, breaks down stereotypes and generally gets people together.
Compass Points is a unique program for post-secondary students and emerging artists from across Canada, which offers a first-hand introduction to the professional theatre industry. This year’s program will be organized in consultation with students from Ottawa. Compass Points includes workshops, panel discussions and social events designed to inspire participants to chart their own course in Canadian theatre and runs in Ottawa from June 6-10.
Magnetic North Theatre Festival hosts an Industry Series, a professional symposium dedicated to building networks and sharing the wealth of knowledge amongst festival delegates. Since 2004, Magnetic North’s Industry Series has had a significant impact on the community, the forum and the way we work together. Delegates from around the country and the world will be in Ottawa through the course of the festival soaking in what the region and Magnetic North have to offer.
Executive Director Ann Connors: “We extend our thanks to our public partners at the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council and the City of Ottawa; our corporate sponsors and donors and our private donors and to the countless volunteers who, all together contribute the resources vital to this Festival’s success. And at the heart of the festival is you, our audience. As the festival travels back and forth across this large nation, and in the process grows and diversifies, it is always the audience, and the prospect of showing you something you’ve never seen, that rests at the heart of what we do. The coming years will see another new and exciting stage of Magnetic North’s development. More Canadian audiences in more Canadian communities will be exposed to more Canadian theatre artists, all with a brand new Artistic Director, and a new bold visioning of what Canadian Theatre is and could be.”
Frequently called, “Canada’s National Festival of Contemporary Canadian Theatre in English”, Magnetic North Theatre Festival is excited to be coming home to Ottawa for the 2011 season. The Magnetic North Theatre Festival is produced by the Canadian Theatre Festival Society and co-presented by the National Arts Centre English Theatre.
For more information about Magnetic North, visit http://www.magneticnorthfestival.ca/, call 613-947-7000 or visit our office at the National Arts Centre in downtown Ottawa. Festival passes and tickets are now on sale through the National Arts Centre box office at 53 Elgin Street or at 613-755-1111, through Ticketmaster at 1-888-991-2787, or online at http://www.magneticnorthfestival.ca/.
The stage is set! Tim Hortons Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival Announces 2011 Free Entertainment Line-up
Paddles hit the water for the 18th annual Tim Hortons Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival (THODBF) on June 17-19, 2011 at Mooney’s Bay Park. North America’s largest dragon boat festival features non-stop dragon boat racing, endless family activities and a spectacular free entertainment series with Canada’s top musical talent.
The Trews, who won Fan’s Choice Video of the Year and DVD of the Year at the 2011 East Coast Music Awards, will help welcome attendees to THODBF on Friday June 17. They’ll entertain the crowd with familiar favorites Not Ready To Go, Highway of Heroes, and their new hit single Hope & Ruin. Joining the Trews are The Stanfields, the Nova Scotia roots-rockers who won the Rising Star of the Year Award at the 2011 East Coast Music Awards. These bands will set the tone for a phenomenal weekend of free entertainment and paddling.
Steven Page’s distinctive voice is among the most instantly recognizable in Canadian music. Steven will be appearing in support of Page One, his first solo release since leaving the highly successful band, Barenaked Ladies. Keeping the dragon boat crowd entertained on the beer garden stage will be Ottawa native and local favorite, Jim Bryson. Having recently completed the Falcon Lake Incident tour with the Weakerthans, he will be making his first appearance at the festival. Also appearing on Saturday will be breakout indie pop rock group San Sebastian, who took MuchMusic’s disBAND by storm and Ottawa’s Amos The Transparent, bringing their popular indie folk to the stage.
On Father’s Day, Sunday June 19, attendees can treat dad to a showcase of local Ottawa artists. Fathers can relax to the beautiful songs of Chris MacLean, nominated for the 2010 Canadian Folk Music Award for English Songwriter of the Year. Returning to THODBF is MonkeyJunk, which recently won three Canadian blues awards at the Maple Blues Awards.
Also not to be missed over the weekend are Ash Koley, with their upbeat pop hit Don’t Let Your Feet Touch The Ground. The Dunn Boys and their east coast flavoured Celtic rock, Silver Creek, who bring their own brand of southern rock and unique parade style band Mike Essoudry’s Mash Potato Mashers, which will round out the expanded weekend line-up.
New this year is the Craz-E-Crew Stunt Team of BMX riders who will be soaring through the air thrilling spectators. Cultural performances will showcase Ottawa’s diversity with the traditional lion dancers, lead performer Fana Soro of the dynamic West African ensemble Masabo, a bag piper and Japanese drummers Oto-Wa Taiko. The Tim Hortons Children’s Area will feature interactive and educational activities including magician Chris Pilsworth, Little Ray’s Reptiles, Lil’ John, Radical Science and more. For a full list of free entertainment, visit www.dragonboat.net.
The Tim Hortons Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival entertainment series is made possible by the continued support of Canadian Heritage’s Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage, Celebrate Ontario and the City of Ottawa Partnership Program.
About the Tim Hortons Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival
The Tim Hortons Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival is the largest festival of its kind in North America and is one of Ottawa’s must-attend summer events. This 3-day festival is hosted at Mooney’s Bay Park from June 17-19 and features non-stop dragon boat racing, with a total of 190 team and 5000 paddlers. Over 70,000 spectators take in cultural activities, live music, a variety of vendors/exhibits and family-oriented entertainment. For more information, visit www.dragonboat.net, www.facebook.com/ottawadragonboat, www.twitter.com/ottdragonboat.
CANADA’S CAPITAL SHOWCASES CANADIAN ART ON 2011 CONFEDERATION BOULEVARD BANNERS: NCC and Canada Council Art Bank highlight provinces and territories through public art partnership
The National Capital Commission (NCC), in collaboration with the Canada Council Art Bank, unveiled today the 2011 Provincial and Territorial Confederation Boulevard Banners. This year’s banners will feature works of art by Canadian artists from coast to coast to coast – each one evoking the scenery and sense of place of the featured region.
“The banners contribute to the vibrancy of Canada’s Capital Region and celebrate Canada’s culture, history and geography,” said Jean-François Trépanier, Executive Vice-President of Operations, NCC. “This first collaboration between the NCC and the Canada Council Art Bank allows us to showcase Canadian artistic excellence in a unique way, while enriching the Capital experience for residents and visitors.”
Thirteen works of art depicting each province and territory have been reproduced from the collection of the Canada Council Art Bank ─ promoting and supporting public art in the Capital through the NCC’s flagship banner program.
Featured are:
| Northwest Territories | Antoine Mountain |
| Yukon | Ava P.Christl | Nunavut | Kenojuak Ashevak |
| British Columbia | Kenneth Lochhead |
| Alberta | Barbara Milne | Saskatchewan | David Alexander |
| Manitoba | David Williams | Ontario | Alex Cameron |
| Québec | Pierre Gauvreau |
| New Brunswick | Molly Bobak | Nova Scotia | Joe Norris |
| Prince Edward Island | Verna Blanche Banks | Newfoundland and Labrador | Tara Bryan |
“This is an exciting partnership for the Canada Council,” noted Robert Sirman, Director and CEO of the Canada Council for the Arts. “The banners along Confederation Boulevard reflect the diversity of our nation’s landscapes and the treasures of the Canada Council Art Bank. The unique setting enables Canadians to access the work of dynamic artists in a new and powerful way.”
In addition to the provincial and territorial banners, the NCC is working with Parks Canada to celebrate their centennial with special commemorative banners. Those banners will be unveiled in early May.
About the Confederation Boulevard Banners
The Confederation Boulevard Banners program was initiated by the NCC in 1992 to coincide with Canada’s 125th birthday. Every year since, more than 500 festive banners have adorned Confederation Boulevard, the official ceremonial route in Canada’s Capital, for the summer months.
These festive banners create symbolic links with Canada’s Capital and the provinces and territories and serve to commemorate important milestones in Canada’s history. Past provincial and territorial banners have showcased the flowers, flags, symbolic landmarks, and architecture unique to each region, while commemorative banners have recognized several important anniversaries and milestones in Canada’s history. Most recently, the banners commemorated the 400th anniversary of Québec City (2008) as well as the 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (2009). In 2010, the special banners highlighted the Canadian Navy Centennial.
About the National Capital Commission
The NCC is a Crown corporation whose mandate is to create pride and unity by making the Capital a meeting place for all Canadians and by using the Capital to communicate Canada to Canadians. The NCC takes great pride in developing and planning a Capital for future generations and in organizing and delivering large-scale events such as the Canada Day celebrations in the Capital Region.
For more information about Confederation Boulevard or events and activities taking place in Canada’s Capital Region, the public may contact the NCC at 613-239-5000, 1-800-465-1867, 613-239-5090 (TTY) or 1-866-661-3530 (toll free TTY) or visit the NCC’s website at www.canadascapital.gc.ca.
About the Canada Council for the Arts
The Canada Council for the Arts is a federal Crown corporation created by an Act of Parliament in 1957. The role of the Council is to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts. To fulfill this mandate, the Council offers a broad range of grants and services to professional Canadian artists and arts organizations in dance, integrated arts, media arts, music, theatre, visual arts, and writing and publishing. It also promotes public awareness of the arts through its communications, research and arts promotion activities. The Canada Council Art Bank, which has some 17,300 works of contemporary Canadian art in its collection, rents to the public and private sectors.
PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: The NCC will continue the installation of the Confederation Boulevard banners over the next few days. To obtain more information on the installation schedule, please contact NCC Media Relations.
Media Information:
| Denise LeBlanc NCC Media Relations 613-239-5750 (office) 613-851-9465 (cellular) denise.leblanc@ncc-ccn.ca |
April Yorke Canada Council — Public Relations 613-566-4414 x 4133 (office) 613-293-7831 (cellular) april.yorke@canadacouncil.ca |
| Charles Cardinal NCC Media Relations 613-239-5227 (office) 613-851-6924 (cellular) charles.cardinal@ncc-ccn.ca |
Victoria Henry Director, Canada Council Art Bank 613-566-4317 (office) 613-299-2232 (cellular) victoria.henry@canadacouncil.ca |
COMMUNIQUÉ: LA CAPITALE DU CANADA PRÉSENTE L’ART CANADIEN SUR LES BANNIÈRES 2011 DU BOULEVARD DE LA CONFÉDÉRATION
La Commission de la capitale nationale (CCN), en collaboration avec la Banque d’œuvres d’art du Conseil des Arts du Canada, a dévoilé aujourd’hui les bannières provinciales et territoriales 2011 du boulevard de la Confédération. Cette année, les bannières mettront en vedette des œuvres d’artistes canadiens d’un océan à l’autre ─ chacune évoquant le paysage et le sens du lieu de la région en vedette.
« Ces bannières contribuent au dynamisme de la région de la capitale du Canada et célèbrent la culture, l’histoire et la géographie du Canada, a affirmé Jean-François Trépanier, Vice-président administratif des opérations de la CCN. Cette première collaboration entre la CCN et la Banque d’œuvres d’art du Conseil des Arts du Canada nous permet de mettre en valeur l’excellence artistique canadienne d’une manière unique, tout en enrichissant l’expérience de la capitale pour les résidents et les visiteurs. »
Treize œuvres d’art représentant chaque province et territoire ont été reproduites à partir de la collection de la Banque d’œuvres d’art du Conseil des Arts du Canada ─ ce qui contribue à promouvoir et soutenir l’art public dans la capitale du Canada par le biais du programme des bannières de la CCN.
En vedette :
| Territoires du Nord-Ouest | Antoine Mountain |
| Yukon | Ava P.Christl |
| Nunavut | Kenojuak Ashevak |
| Colombie-Britannique | Kenneth Lochhead |
| Alberta | Barbara Milne |
| Saskatchewan | David Alexander |
| Manitoba | David Williams |
| Ontario | Alex Cameron |
| Québec | Pierre Gauvreau |
| Nouveau-Brunswick | Molly Bobak |
| Nouvelle-Écosse | Joe Norris |
| L’Île-du-Prince-Édouard | Verna Blanche Banks |
| Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador | Tara Bryan |
« Il s’agit d’un partenariat passionnant pour le Conseil des Arts, a déclaré Robert Sirman, directeur et chef de la direction du Conseil des Arts du Canada. Les bannières du boulevard de la Confédération illustrent la diversité des paysages de notre nation et les trésors de la Banque d’œuvres d’art du Conseil. Ce cadre unique permet aux Canadiens d’avoir accès aux œuvres d’artistes dynamiques d’une façon nouvelle et puissante. »
En plus des bannières provinciales et territoriales, la CCN collabore cette année avec Parcs Canada pour célébrer leur centenaire. Ces bannières seront dévoilées au début de mai.
À propos des bannières du boulevard de la Confédération
La CCN a lancé le programme des bannières du boulevard de la Confédération en 1992, soit l’année du 125e anniversaire du Canada. Depuis, chaque été plus de 500 bannières colorées ont orné le long du boulevard de la Confédération, qui sillonne le cœur de la région de la capitale du Canada.
Ces bannières servent à créer un lien symbolique entre la capitale du Canada et les provinces et territoires, ainsi qu’à souligner des événements et des jalons importants de notre histoire. Jusqu’à présent les bannières provinciales et territoriales ont mis en valeur les icônes et symboles représentants les provinces et territoires du Canada, telles que les fleurs, les drapeaux, les repères symboliques, et l’architecture de chaque région, tandis que des bannières commémoratives ont reconnu des anniversaires importants et des jalons de l’histoire du Canada.
Au cours des dernières années, les bannières de la CCN ont commémoré le 400e anniversaire de Québec (2008), en plus de souligner les Jeux olympiques et paralympiques d’hiver de 2010 à Vancouver (2009). En 2010, les bannières spéciales ont souligné le centenaire de la Marine canadienne.
À propos de la Commission de la capitale nationale
La CCN est une société d’État qui a pour mission de faire de la capitale du Canada un sujet de fierté, un outil d’unité, un point de rencontre où tous les Canadiens retrouvent tout le Canada. La CCN est fière de planifier et d’aménager une capitale qui fera la joie des visiteurs d’aujourd’hui et l’orgueil des générations futures.
Pour de plus amples renseignements à propos du boulevard de la Confédération et des activités et événements tenus dans la région de la capitale du Canada, veuillez communiquer avec la CCN au 613-239-5000 or 1 800 465-1867 (sans frais), au numéro d’ATS 613-239-5090 ou 1 866 661-3530 (sans frais), ou encore consulter le site www.capitaleducanada.gc.ca.
À propos du Conseil des Arts du Canada
Le Conseil des Arts du Canada est une société d’État, qui a été créée en 1957 en vertu d’une Loi du Parlement. Le Conseil a pour rôle de favoriser et de promouvoir l’étude et la diffusion des arts, ainsi que la production d’œuvres d’art. Pour s’acquitter de ce mandat, il offre aux artistes et aux organismes artistiques professionnels canadiens une gamme étendue de subventions et de services en danse, en arts intégrés, en arts médiatiques, en musique, en théâtre, en arts visuels et en lettres et édition. Par ses activités en matière de communications, de recherche et de promotion des arts, il contribue également à la sensibilisation du public aux arts. Quant à la Banque d’œuvres d’art du Conseil, celle-ci compte environ 17 300 œuvres d’art contemporain canadien qu’elle offre en location à des organismes des secteurs public et privé.
OCCASION DE PHOTOS : La CCN poursuivra l’installation des bannières du boulevard de la Confédération au cours des prochains jours. Pour obtenir de plus amples renseignements au sujet de l’horaire d’installation, veuillez communiquer avec l’équipe des relations avec les médias de la CCN.
Renseignements aux médias :
| Denise LeBlanc Relations avec les médias — CCN 613-239-5750 (bureau) 613-851-9465 (cellulaire) denise.leblanc@ncc-ccn.ca |
April Yorke Relations publiques Conseil des Arts du Canada 613-566-4414 x 4133 (bureau) 613-293-7831 (cellulaire) april.yorke@canadacouncil.ca |
| Charles Cardinal Relations avec les médias — CCN 613-239-5227 (bureau) 613-851-6924 (cellulaire) charles.cardinal@ncc-ccn.ca |
Victoria Henry Directrice, Banque d’œuvres d’art du Conseil des Arts du Canada 613-566-4317 (bureau) 613-299-2232 (cellulaire) victoria.henry@canadacouncil.ca |
Video: Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest Lineup Announcement
Born Again at the Writers Festival
The Easter season is the perfect time to re-examine our lives and discover deeper meaning and significance of the profound and the ordinary.
Join us at 8 PM Sunday, May 1 at Southminster United Church for the insights and inspiration of two of Canada’s most radical thinkers. Tom Harpur author of the highly controversial bestsellers The Pagan Christ and Water Into Wine launches his latest book Born Again, My Journey from Fundamentalism To Freedom and Robert Sibley, author of the critically acclaimed Northern Spirits takes the stage with A Rumor of God, Rekindling Belief in an Age of Disenchantment.
With references to literary and philosophical giants such as Blaise Pascal, William James, Virginia Wolf, Martin Buber, Martin Heidegger, Simone Weill, Gertrude Stein, and Philip Larkin to name but a few, Sibley astounds and entertains with his tapestry of profound imagery and pilgrimage set against a backdrop of the disenchantment of our contemporary world.
Tom Harpur, Canada’s leading writer on spirituality and religious issues may well deny the historical evidence of Jesus but, Born Again is a passionate even revolutionary appeal to ‘ordinary’ seekers to challenge the official religious status quo and to look to ourselves and the Christ within for true spiritual enlightenment.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to hear from and ask questions of two original and brilliant writers.
Memberships, Festival passes and tickets are available online at writersfestival.org and over the phone at 613 562 1243.
The Spring Edition of the Festival runs from Thursday April 28 until Tuesday, May 3. Highlights include Chris Hedges, Elizabeth Hay, Jaron Lanier, Bernhard Schlink, Johanna Skibsrud, Neil Pasricha, John Gray, Les Stroud, Robert Pinsky, Sylvia Tyson, David Adams Richards, James Bartleman and Johanna Skibsrud.
Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest announces 2011 line-up
Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest organizers today announced the line-up for the 2011 edition of the festival. Here’s a snapshot of what has been confirmed so far: A Perfect Circle, Ben Harper, Billy Talent, The Black Keys, Buck 65, Blue Rodeo, Bootsy Collins, Caravan Palace, Death From Above 1979, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Erykah Badu, The Flaming Lips, Infected Mushroom, Jennifer Hudson, Joe Satriani, John Butler Trio, John Fogerty, Peter Frampton, The Roots, Soundgarden, Steve Miller Band, The Tragically Hip . . . and more than 200 others, including Andrew Jr. Boy Jones, Arkells, Bedouin Soundclash, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Blue King Brown, Bluestone, Braids, Brothers Chaffey, Buck 65, Buddy Guy, Cage the Elephant, Callers, Cavaliers, Chali 2na, Cheap Trick, Courtyard Hounds, Danny Michel Band, David Clayton-Thomas, Dawes, Dennis Coffey, Diamond Rings, The Dirtbombs, Folklore Urbano Orchestra, Funky Meters, Galactic, Girl Talk, Girls with Guitars, Greenhornes, Harper, Huey Lewis and the News, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Jesse Greene, Jim Suhler, Jimmy Bowskill, John Primer, Josh Ritter, Justin Nozuka, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, La-33, Leon Russell, Library Voices, Luyas, M. Ward, Manny Makris, Mark Kozelek of Red House Painter & Sun Kil Moon, Michael Powers, Mother Mother, My Morning Jacket, Nicole Atkins, Oli Brown, Paul Thorn, PS I Love You, Ra Ra Riot, The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Rise Against, Rosie Ledet, Sheep Dogs, Sierra Maestra, Skrillex, Smokin Joe Kubek Band featuring Bnois King, Spam Allstars, Tegan & Sara, The Beauties, The Sheepdogs, Theory of a Deadman, Three Days Grace, Trampled by Turtles, Wanda Jackson, and Yukon Blonde, among others. Visit www.ottawabluesfest.ca in the days ahead for more . . .
This year, the festival will span 13 days with 12 days of programming starting Tuesday, July 5 through Sunday, July 10—Monday will be an off-day for fans, volunteers and staff to re-charge their batteries—and re-commencing Tuesday, July 12 through Sunday, July 17. Festival organizers are expecting another year of great attendance while offering a dynamic festival experience, for what Billboard Magazine has ranked as one of the top-10 music festivals in North America.
Once again, Canada’s capital city will become a music Mecca during this two-week music extravaganza—drawing fans from far and wide. The festival site at LeBreton Flats Park offers a variety of food and merchandise concessions and is fully licensed. Tickets go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 30.
Please, see www.ottawabluesfest.ca for detailed performance schedule and ticket information.
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