The Key of She at the Nook Singer-Songwriters & Spoken Word
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SKIRTSAFIRE’S MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION MARCH 1-11 SKIRTSAFIRE MARCH 7-17 FESTIVAL 2019 EDMONTON’S ONLY THEATRE AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY ARTS FESTIVAL FEATURING AND LIVE AT THE WINSPEAR ELEVATING THE WORK MARCH M Tick arcentre.com/tickets OF WOMEN! FESTIVAL EVENTS BY DONATION AT THE DOOR MAINSTAGE TICKETS AVAILABLE AT TIX ON THE SQUARE WELCOME TO SKIRTSAFIRE MAKING #YEGHERSTORY SINCE 2012! Welcome to SkirtsAfire 2019; our year of growth. As some venues began spilling over in 2018, we are so excited this year to be a 10 day festival and to start creeping into downtown with 3 new venues where you can see Coeur de pirate Live at the Winspear, singer-songwriters and a poet at The Nook Cafe across the street, and our SkirtsTRIVIA fundraiser in the CKUA Performance Space. As part of this expansion, we are thrilled to offer a 2nd A-Line Variety show since it’s one of our most popular events. Plus, this year it will include an expanded finale each night to end off the jam-packed events filled with amazing artists from all genres and disciplines. Back this year are all our other popular events as well: singer-songwriters in The Key of She; Words Unzipped in the Nina where you can also take in our visual art exhibit curated by Lana Whiskeyjack, Because of her, I am.; The Women’s Choir Festival, which this year will feature a Mezzo Soprano from the Edmonton Opera; Yoga in the Art; and Bellydancing at Bedouin Beats. Our theme for 2019 is Identity and we salute Marni Panas as our Honorary Skirt for 2019. We’re thrilled to offer 3 fabulous MainStage plays that each explore questions and inspiration around Identity. Home grown but nationally toured Deep Fried Curried Perogies by Michelle Todd starts us off. Be sure to catch it in tandem with the dance and music The Lawyers at Duncan Craig LLP are narrative, Statue, coming to us from Montreal. And hot off the Queer Arts Festival in Vancouver, Poly Queer Love Ballad is not to be missed. We’re looking forward to the Late Proud Sponsors of SkirtsAfire! Night Dance Party co-hosted by Fruit Loop following the Saturday night performance on March 16. We welcome back our partners Duncan Craig LLP, Women’s Initiative Edmonton, SERVUS, Copy City, The Alberta Playwright’s Network, St. John’s Institute, Alberta Mamas, CBC, Fiona Ellington CKUA, Bottom Line Productions, Explore Edmonton, Otto Food and Drink, and The Shala, and we’re thrilled about our new partnerships with Hillberg and Berk, Fruit Loop, Mama Rhonda Johnson Vivian Stevenson Asha Cafe, Radio Cité, and the Edmonton Opera. Enjoy these next 10 days filled with a diverse and daring line up of entertainment and I encourage you to see at least 3 shows Monelle Sturko Kayla Thompson this year! Annette Loiselle Artistic Director ENGAGE WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA! #yegherstory Pronouns: l @SkirtsAfire DCLLP.com She and Her f /skirtsafirefestival i @SkirtsAfire SkirtsAfire Festival | 3 SkirtsAfire Festival | 3 MESSAGE FROM HONOURABLE 2018 HONORARY SKIRT RACHEL NOTLEY MURIEL STANLEY VENNE PREMIER OF ALBERTA As last year’s Honorary Skirt for SkirtsAfire Festival, I am so delighted that this beautiful festival has been developed and is making the difference in the lives of women by providing real opportunities to follow their dreams in the Arts. Coming together as a community to support women is important and it is fantastic to see the support given for this festival. On behalf of the Government of Alberta, it is my pleasure to send greetings to the opening ceremonies of the 2019 SkirtsAfire Festival. On behalf of the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women, congratulations to all the artists, the directors, organizers and volunteers who Since 2012, SkirtsAfire has been celebrating and cultivating the work of a diverse group of have made this event a success. women artists in Edmonton, including trans women, self-identifying women, the LGBTQ2 community, and women of all ethnicities and abilities. Artistic expressions from these groups have long been underexposed in the professional arts community, and I’m so pleased that festivals like SkirtsAfire are working to change that. I hope that as you enjoy the work of seasoned exhibitors you will discover exciting new profiles and emerging talent, too. Thank you to the staff and volunteers at SkirtsAfire for promoting intersectional, MESSAGE FROM HIS WORSHIP marginalized voices. Events like SkirtsAfire play an essential role in building the bonds of community. I look forward to many more years of this outstanding festival. MAYOR DON IVESON Best wishes for a successful event! On behalf of City Council and the people of Edmonton, Alberta’s Capital City, I welcome everyone to the 2019 SkirtsAfire Festival. Over the last seven years, SkirtsAfire has been a highlight of Edmonton’s festival season and an example of community spirit on 118th Avenue. Rachel Notley Each year, the festival helps enliven our city by creating lasting memories, Premier of Alberta opening our minds to new ideas, and bringing together friends and neighbours. It is truly an honour to host such a diverse theatre and multidisciplinary arts festival that empowers women in the arts and values the voices of all women. 2019 HONORARY SKIRT MARNI PANAS SkirtsAfire continues to grow and evolve, and this year I’m pleased to see the festival extend to 10 full days of theatre, poetry, spoken word, dance, music and more. SkirtsAfire not only celebrates the diversity of women artists but also inspires us to elevate each other, to build each other I thank the organizers and sponsors for their work promoting and supporting the work of up and to create space for the voices of all women to be heard, local women. Your efforts help make our city a more vibrant and uplifting place to live. loud and proud. It is an incredible honour to serve as this year’s Honorary Skirt. As we journey through this celebration of Enjoy the festival! diverse identities and art, it is my hope you find joy, inspiration, empowerment and strength. Yours truly, Be Bold. Be true. Be Daring. Be you! Don Iveson Mayor 4 | SkirtsAfire Festival SkirtsAfire Festival | 5 VISUAL ART EXHIBIT BECAUSE OF HER, I AM. Allison Tunis Allison has her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Alberta, and a graduate diploma from the Vancouver Art Therapy Institute. She is currently the artist-in- residence at Harcourt House Artist-Run Centre, creating a body of work exploring the language our society uses towards and about people of size. Allison also runs a Queer Youth Art Club for LGBTQIA2S+ youth to create art in a safe space and connect with peers. www.allisontunis.com Yong Fei Guan Aba Garbrah Rebecca Pickard Allison Tunis Rebecca Lippiatt Rebecca Lippiatt A professional and passionate photographer for the past 11 years, Rebecca Lippiatt VENUE SPONSORED BY: seeks authenticity through her lens. All of her work, from art to commercial March 4 - 17 photography is executed from a desire to serve her subjects and her audience with The Nina Haggerty Gallery (9225 118 Avenue) an open heart. Rebecca is actively involved in her community participating in the March 4 | 2pm - 2:30pm during our Festival Media Launch many arts festivals and is the photo editor for the Rat Creek News. March 5-6 | 10am - 2pm www.rebeccalippiatt.com March 7 | 10am - 2pm & 5pm-7pm during our Opening Ceremonies March 8 | 10am - 2pm Rebecca Pickard March 9 | 1pm - 3pm & 3pm-5pm during Peep Show! I am a self-taught mixed media artist from treaty six territory. I’m a mother, March 11-13 | 10am - 2pm educator, and a Métis woman with family roots in Baptiste Lake, Calling Lake, and March 14 | 10am - 2pm & 7pm-8:30pm during Words Unzipped Crane Valley, Saskatchewan. My current body of work is a catalogue of reflections March 15 | 10am - 2pm about the land and animal relations I grew up observing. Painting is a medicine that March 16 | 9:45am - 12:30pm, 2pm - 4pm & 4:30pm-5:45pm during Festival Events March 17 | 3pm - 4pm during That’s a Thing?! Live Podcast: The Internet is my GSA grounds me. It connects me to my identity as a child of the Earth, and reminds me that beauty, balance and healing is always present in the natural world. www.rebeccapickard.com Gender is a social construction. For some societies, there are only two genders, male and Yong Fei Guan female, compared to a Cree worldview of eight genders. Each gender has specific roles and Guan explores multicultural identity, politics and their relationship to responsibilities that contribute to the health and well-being of the community. Imagine a environmental issues in her work. She has been involved in public and world where gender is fluid, complex, multidimensional and a living entity, expanding from community art projects, which include YEGmidautumn2017, YEGCANVAS 2015, our cosmic relations to our water relations. Come see the diverse views of her from five and The Postcard Project 2013. Her exhibition, 塑胶狮 Su Jiao Shi, was a pair of local Edmonton artists, exploring “Because of her, I am.” contemporary Chinese guardian lion sculptures that Guan created from household plastic waste. www.yongfeiguan.com Lana Whiskeyjack | Curator Lana Whiskeyjack is a multidisciplinary treaty iskwew artist from Saddle Lake Olivene Aba Gyimah Garbrah Cree Nation, Treaty Six Territory, Alberta. Among her early influences were her Olivene Aba Gyimah Garbrah (known at the Nina as Aba) is a versatile and highly mother’s and grandmother’s gifts in traditional arts including beadwork, moose skilled artist. In ceramics she created a series of small busts of famous African- hair tufting, and moccasin making.