House of PainT Festival: Celebrates 12 years at Brewer Park

OTTAWA, August 20, 2015 – House of PainT Festival of Urban Arts and Culture (HoP) celebrates its 12th annual Festival with the Main Event on Saturday, September 12, 2015. Graffiti and visual artists, urban dancers, local and international music performers and hip hop fans of all ages gather at Brewer Park to celebrate and emerge in hip hop and urban arts. Headliners this year are a combination of imported talent alongside Ottawa-Gatineau hip hop favourites. In addition to our guest popping battle judge, NYC-native Popmaster Fable from Rock Steady Crew, performers include Wakefield-raised Socalled performing a special set with The Narcicyst, 8-piece hip hop ensemble Blak Denim, Ottawa’s Flight Distance, Vancouver’s Emotionz and Praiz, along with a star cast of DJs including DJ MACE, DJ Memetic, DJ Mel Boogie (Toronto), and more to be announced. House of PainT’s Main Event has something for everyone; patrons experience the elements of hip hop culture, the Ottawa arts community, and several local attractions free of charge. Programming on Saturday September 12th will feature live graffiti art murals, one of Canada’s largest b-boy crew dance battles, acclaimed live hip hop and funk musicians, DJs spinning the best in old and new school hip hop, local food vendors and a variety of activities. Starting at noon, the Seeds Tent and Ottawa Art Gallery Tent offers workshops for children and youth in dance, spoken word poetry writing and mural painting activities. The day carries on with final popping battles and breakdance crew battles while graffiti writers cover concrete walls and DJs and MCs fill the air with beats and rhymes. The Arts Market houses artisans selling art, clothing and crafts, while a variety of food vendors provide tasty local food choices. Saturday’s Main EvenT is part of a five-day festival September 9 - 13 including the following events: September 9 - Mic Check Launch Party Mercury Lounge, 7 to 9PM September 10 - OG 500 Poetry Slam featuring Moe Clark Babylon Nightclub, 7 to 10PM; HoP co-presents the Ottawa Beat League Beat Battle Babylon Nightclub, 10PM to 1AM September 11 - Rock tha House: Concert Under Dunbar Bridge Brewer Park, doors open 6PM September 12 - The Main Event Brewer Park under Dunbar Bridge, 11AM to 11PM September 13 - Pass the Mic Knowledge Conference Arts Court, 12PM to 5PM The full Main EvenT schedule and full festival schedule will be rolling out in the coming days. Please visit www.houseofpaint.ca/festival2015/schedule About House of PainT: House of PainT Festival of Urban Arts + Culture is the fastest growing community arts event in the nation’s capital. Established in 2003 when lobbyists were awarded Ottawa’s first legal graffiti wall, we celebrate and elevate hip hop with a variety of events. Converging under the Dunbar Bridge each year with the 4 elements of hip hop: DJing, MCing, Graffiti writing, and B-boying; the festival has grown to over 10,000 attendees featuring over 200 Canadian urban artists. www.HouseofPainT.caFor more information, contact: Cara Gooding  |  Media Communications Coordinator Cell: 416-909-2076  |  Office: 613-866-7978 Email: comm@houseofpaint.ca Web: www.houseofpaint.ca