ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020 Kacey Musgraves Winnipeg Folk Festival Annual Report 2019-2020

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

With record-breaking attendance, excellent weather, a unique roster of artists from around the world and a wonderful festival experience across all four days, 2019 was another phenomenal edition of the Winnipeg Folk Festival. Mission Sadly this year we lost one of our founders, Mitch Podolak, and while he’s no longer with us, his impact and legacy will live on in so many ways through the festival itself and all the countless people touched by his vision and Creating experiences of discovery passion for music. He will always be deeply missed. and learning through the celebration of people and music And what Mitch started back in 1974 is still true today: we would never be who we are without all those people who are so committed and so important to us - our audience members, volunteers, donors, sponsors, suppliers and of course, the artists that bring the incredible music out to Birds Hill Provincial Park. The support we receive from all of you is crucial to our success and our Values longevity, we can never thank you enough. Collaboration We work with others who share our values to achieve our goals and build something greater. We cherish the culture of volunteerism and generosity of spirit that are the lifeblood of the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

Sky Bridges Lynne Skromeda Creativity Executive Director Board Chair We inspire and engage our community by presenting strong and diverse talent, nurturing creativity and promoting artistic freedom. TABLE OF CONTENTS Inclusiveness We create environments that are welcoming, Message from the Chair and Executive Director 1 safe, accessible and respectful. We honour 2019 Winnipeg Folk Fest 2 authenticity and celebrate diversity within our Festival Highlights 3 community. Hear All Year 4 Community Programs 5 Celebrations 6 Leadership Our Organization in Numbers 7 As leaders within the local and national arts Thank You to Our Supporters 8 community, we embrace best practices, share 2019 – 2020 Financial Statements 9 our expertise and learn from the experience of others.

Sustainability We respect the contributions of those who have created our culture and organization. We are adaptable, resilient and thrive throughout change.

Photography by: Buio Assis, Chris Douglas, Matt Duboff, Ally Gonzalo, Jenn Kostesky, Sean McGillivray, Dave 1 McKnight, Chris Pellerin, April Carandang, Joey Senft, Mike Peters, Bob Tinker 2019 PERFORMERS Winnipeg Folk Fest July 11-14, 2019 Altın Gün Alvvays Bebe Buckskin Begonia Car Seat Headrest Cass McCombs Castlemoon Theatre Christine Fellows Combo Chimbita Colter Wall Courtney Marie Andrews Danny Michel De Temps Antan 178+ Hours of Music Death Cab for Cutie Devon Gilfillian 83 Concerts Eileen Ivers Eli Smith 73 Artists FM Belfast Gustavo & The Green Fools 40 Workshops Haley Heynderickx Half Moon Run Hawksley Workman 30 Genres Jason Mraz Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton K’NAAN 10 Countries Jesse Matas Jim Kweskin John Sebastian Johnathan Rice Julia Jacklin Artistic Vision K’NAAN Music is powerful. Kacey Musgraves Kathleen Edwards Larkin Poe It changes perceptions, inspires Living Hour imaginations, and impacts lives in a Los Pachamama y Flor Amargo personal and meaningful way. Luca Fogale Lucy Rose Driving the evolution of folk music, MAMMÚT the Winnipeg Folk Festival explores Mariel Buckley Mdou Moctar and redefines its relevance in today’s Molly Tuttle world. By bringing together emerging Mt. Joy talent and well-established artists, we Rayland Baxter influence and reshape the genre. We Rebirth Brass Band create opportunities for collaboration and Roman Clarke RupLoops spontaneity and will always push beyond Devon Gilfillian Sam Lewis expectations. Samantha Crain Sarah Shook & The Disarmers Sean McConnell Seanster and the Monsters Shanley Spence Snail Mail Snorri Helgason Steel City Jug Slammers Steve Gunn Sunny War Tal National Taylor Janzen The Cactus Blossoms The Devil Makes Three The Lone Bellow The Sheepdogs The Swinging Belles The Tillers The Young’uns This is the Kit Tim Baker Larkin Poe Shanley Spence Toubab Krewe William Crighton William Prince 2 Ylja Ziggy Alberts Festival Highlights

Icelandic Sounds presented by Icelandair & Iceland Music

Icelandic talent was at the heart of the 2019 festival with acts Snorri Helgason, MAMMÚT, Ylja and FM Belfast. With so many people in our province having deep connections to Iceland, it was a one-of-a-kind opportunity for festivalgoers in Manitoba to discover so many artists from Reykjavik through unique workshops and performances over the weekend!

Gichitwaawin Nagamon (Honour Songs) presented by Digital Drum

Gichitwaawin Nagamon (Honour Songs) workshop welcomed Bebe Buckskin, Samantha Crain and William Prince to the Spruce Hollow stage on Saturday afternoon to share their songs and stories from Treaty 7 territory, Oklahoma and Treaty 1 territory.

Jim Kweskin Taylor Janzen

Young & Bold: Pete Seeger’s 100th Celebrating 20 Years of YPP B-Day Hootenanny presented by STINGRAY presented by 100 Years Winnipeg General Strike The 2019 Winnipeg Folk Festival marked a 20-year milestone with the Folk legend Pete Seeger would have STINGRAY Young Performers Program celebrated his 100th birthday in 2019 (YPP). To celebrate we brought back and the festival marked the occasion past participants of the program, some with a “hootenanny” workshop of whom were in the 2019 Winnipeg including Eli Smith, Jim Kweskin, Folk Festival lineup including Jesse Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton and the Matas, Olivia Lunny, Roman Clarke, Steel City Jug Slammers. Taylor Janzen and Two Crows for Comfort.

WINNIPEG FOLK FESTIVAL 2019–20 ANNUAL REPORT 3 Hear All Year CONCERT SERIES 29 CONCERTS AT 5 VENUES

Dan Mangan with La Force Choir! Choir! Choir!* Jeremy Dutcher with Leaf Rapids* Coeur de Pirate with Hanorah The Cat Empire with Neal Francis Donovan Woods & The Opposition with Katie Pruitt*^ Ben Caplan with Geoff Berner JD McPherson with The Sorels Matt Andersen with Wild Rivers Neko Case with Shannon Shaw (of Shannon and the Clams) Foxwarren with Slow Leaves Bobby Bazini with Elliot Maginot Ani DiFranco & Bruce Cockburn Godspeed You! Black Emperor with Kevin Doria Rhye Free Community Ziggy Alberts with Emily Brimlow* Too Many Zooz + Five Alarm Funk* Music Boy & Bear with Stu Larsen Boniface with FOWLER The Paper Kites with Tall Heights • Seven free In The City festival style Del Barber workshops at the Millennium Library featuring music by Winnipeg’s greatest Richard Thompson with Eliza Gilkyson singer-songwriters. The Funk Hunters Halloween with FRASE & The Gaff • Five Open Mic Nights co-promoted with Manitoba Music at The Handsome Current Swell with Carmanah Daughter. Kim Churchill with Ocie Elliott The East Pointers • Seven free Folk for Families Shows at the Millennium Library with local children’s Fortunate Ones with Sherman Downey musicians where families can sing along Micah Erenberg Hawksley Workman* and dance. The JP Hoe Hoe Hoe Holiday Show* • Rise Up 100: Songs for the Next Century presented by Manitoba Federation of * indicates sold out Labour welcomed Ani Difranco, Bruce Cockburn, John K. Samson, Leonard ^ indicates two nights Sumner, Sweet Alibi and Two Crows for Comfort to The Cube at Old Market Square for a free concert in June.

• Past Winnipeg Folk Fest performers and participants of the STINGRAY Young Performers Program had the opportunity to play on the Winnipeg Folk Fest Market Stage at Manyfest in September in downtown Winnipeg.

• Zoo Lights Festival enjoyed some local talent on two nights at Assiniboine Park Zoo in December 2019 and January 2020. In The City 4 CONCERT Community Programs

SERIES STINGRAY Young Performers Program 29 CONCERTS The STINGRAY Young Performers AT 5 VENUES Program provides musicians between the ages of 14 and 24 with the opportunity to work on their music with festival artists and perform their songs and what they’ve learned on Shady Grove stage in front of a festival audience. Forty musicians were hand-picked by a jury to work with Christine Fellows, Danny Michel, Jesse Matas, John K. Samson, Samantha Crain and William Prince.

Guest for a Day

We welcomed 550 people from 45 not- for-profit organizations to the festival as part of our Guest for a Day program, the most participants we’ve ever had in the program! This is our eleventh year operating this program that offers a day at the festival free of charge with transportation, meals and a guided tour.

Newcomer Crew

Since 2010, this program has provided training and support to volunteers who are new Canadians. We were thrilled to have ten youth and 25 adult volunteers join our team in 2019.

WINNIPEG FOLK FESTIVAL 2019–20 ANNUAL REPORT 5 Celebrations Volunteer Milestones We are honoured and proud to have Remembering so many committed volunteers! Mitch Podolak 20 Years

“Being generous of spirit is a wonderful Alyce Gow way to live.” Bibs LaFleche -Pete Seeger Brian Ridd This year, we lost Mitch Podolak who was such an important part of our history and the Catherine Lentz reason we are able to gather every summer Dawn Ridd at Birds Hill Provincial Park for a blissful weekend of music, family, friends and fun. Denise Levesque Words cannot express how much he will be Don Ward missed. Errol Peters Jim Chabai Winnipeg Folk Festival Online Lindsay Stevenson Charity Auction Melanie Jichuk Tannis Kelm From November 15 to 22, we presented our third annual Online Charity Auction, raising $25,285 in total. The Terry A. Wilson auction featured incredible prizes and experiences such Terry D. Wilson as a Lake Louise Getaway for two, a Falcon Trails Resort getaway, a trip to Churchill and more. Proceeds of this Dave Schwab initiative go towards creating incredible opportunities Dorothy Schwab for up-and-coming musicians in the STINGRAY Young Performers Program and offering a life-changing Folk Fest experience to Guest for a Day participants. 30 Years

Robert Janz Roy Pennington Susan Arksey Mike Welfley Carla Wall Luella Pennington

40 Years

Awards & Nominations Deb Bomek We received the following nominations this year: Glass Banjo Leslie Hatrick • 2019 Western Canadian Music Awards: Marcelle Beauchemin Impact in Live Music, Impact in Music The Glass Banjo Award honours Marketing people who have made extraordinary Robert Hutchings contributions to the Winnipeg Folk Zenon Lisakowski • 2019 Live Music Industry Awards: Major Festival. Festival of the Year (15,000+), Not- For-Profit Festival of the Year, Green In 2019, we presented our Glass Banjo Operations Festival of the Year, Canadian Awards on Main Stage to Manitoba “Thank you for another Live Music Association Community Impact Award Federation of Labour and Whales great festival. It truly is my Tails™. • Top 100 Events in Canada 2019 by favourite place in the world BizBash and happiest weekend of the year.” 6 - Volunteer The Winnipeg Folk Fest In Numbers

Volunteers Audience

2,826 76,000 2 volunteers 2019 Festival Attendance sold-out campgrounds 23% were first-time volunteers 88% 11% of volunteers are satisfied or very satisfied 91% of attendees are First-time satisfied or very attendees satisfied

Age

Marketing

170 media stories including Exclaim, CBC News, CTV Winnipeg and more. Estimated reach of 61.6 million online views

19,200 Twitter followers 27,420 Facebook likes 23,367 Instagram followers (As of January 31, 2020)

WINNIPEG FOLK FESTIVAL 2019–20 ANNUAL REPORT 7 Thank You to Our Supporters

As a charitable, non-profit arts organization, the Winnipeg Folk Festival is extremely grateful to our donors, funders and sponsors who ensure we deliver a world-class musical experience and a sustainable ‘home’ for our Folk Fest community. Your continued support and goodwill becomes part of the shared energy that makes our festival a distinctively Manitoban experience. Thank you!

INVESTOR PARTNER MEDIA

SUPPORTER COLLABORATOR

SOUND ART

FUNDER

Annual Donors February 1, 2019 – January 31, 2020

$5,000 – $9,999 Jim & Arlene Robinson Lisa Dveris Laura Nesmith - In Honour of Annmarie Manitoba Film & Music Howard E. Mandshein - In Memory of Lori Jon Singleton & Barbara Hiebert Lisa Fehr Sanders Manitoba Floodway Authority Sigurdson Josh & Sasha Thiem Lisa Holowchuk & Brad Park Lisa Stiver - In Honour of Eric Kananoja Manitoba Music The Estate of Valerie Ann Garlick Judy Pichlyk Mark & Zoe Simkin Nancy & Gordon Stewart Manitoba Sustainable Development The Pollard Family Foundation Karen-Denise Cyr & John McLennan Mark Holdsworth - In Memory of Carter Ron Bailey Manitoba Teachers’ Society Karla Ferguson & Sean McManus Holdsworth Ruth Simkin Manitoba Writers’ Guild $1,000 – $4,999 Kelvin Seifert & Barbara Fuller Mark McLoughlin Sandra Popham Mom’s Pantry David Strang & Kristel van Ineveld Michael Kelly Michael & Sharon Moffatt Scott Tinkler Ocean Trailer Eric Kananoja & Kristine Betker Mike & Kathy Baudic Morgan Hamill & Damon Mitchell Sky Bridges PODS Gail Asper, O.C., O.M., LL.D & Michael Paterson Nicole Ritchot Nancy Nolan RBC Convention Centre Gerry & Chris Couture Noreen Mian Natalia Kowalewski RCMP Gord Flaten & Louise Pelletier The Benevity Community Impact Fund Nichole Riese Rene’s Septic Services Shandra & Brent Czarnecki - In Honour of Marv Wayne Drury - In Honour of Beda Drury Pravin & Aruna Hingwala Friends S.E.R.C. Terhoch Rowena Lunn Sherwin-Williams The Estate of Jan Enid Henley $100 - $249 Ruth Luff - In Honour of Melissa Louise Alan Greyeyes Special T-Shirt Company Barbara Wiktorowicz & Ben Levin Luff Alcom Communication Systems The Exchange District Biz $500 - $999 Better Than Baba’s Ryan & Collette Wakshinski Art City The Forks Carolyn & Jamie Abbott Bill & Pat Reid Shaleem Hosein Arts Junktion The November Group Cathy Harder Bryan & Berni Harley Shannon Slater Battlefield Equipment Ticketmaster George & Pam Sigurdson - In Memory of Mark Chad Bruce Shayna Watson Beaver Bus Lines U Need Space Adkins Chris Frayer & Miriam Jezik Shirley Canty - In Memory of Richard Bel-Ayre Rentals West End Cultural Centre Helene Sward - In Memory of David W. Sward Colleen Henzel Canty Birds Hill Park Interpreters Winnipeg Airport Authority Kelly McArthur - In Memory of Léonne McArthur Dave Christianson & Vera Steinberger Stephen Brodovsky & France Adams Birds Hill Provincial Park Winnipeg Public Library Les & Terry Wiens Doug, Sandra, Sam & Ivy Holmes Suzanne Lloyd - In Memory of Graham Bison Fire Protection Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers Lorne Mack & CindyMarie Small Douglas Belcher Lloyd Blundstone Lucy & Lois Szkwarek Elizabeth Tyndall - In Honour of Ella & Rhea The Bailes Family - In Memory of Michelle Budget Car Rental Lynne Skromeda - In Memory of Jim Skromeda Ethan Poskanzer & Judy Nisenholt- In Honour Bailes Chef Ben Kramer Magnus LLP Chartered Accountants of Ron Bailey Tim & Shelly Borys City of Winnipeg Marlene Stern - In Memory of Jocelyn Katz & Eugene Boychuk Yvonne Peters & Howard Miller ECCOE Susan Stern Georgia Kerr & Duane Cheskey Anonymous Falcon Trails Resort Marty Greenfeld Ginette Lavack Walters Festival du Voyageur Murray & Gail Singer Glen Finch - In Memory of Gord Finch $50 - $99 First Unitarian Universalist Church of Winnipeg Paul Laporte Graeme Findlay Alanna Morrow Fit Kids Healthy Kids Tara Regiec - In Memory of Dawn Regiec Heather Tulloch Brownell & Laurence Brownell Arwen Helene & Taavo Sults Gaspar Scholcz Ted Bock & Liane Chalmers-Bock Independent Perspective Inc. CIBC GNR Sports Trudy Schroeder & Norm Dyck Irina Ivanov Bissonnette Colleen A. McKenty Golfdale Enterprises Jay Hingwala Darrel Koop Green Action Centre $250 - $499 Jean Skromeda Dave Clement Heart Beat Inc Barbara Bowen - In Honour of Margaret Pidlaski Jeff & Christine Frank- In Memory of Sherman Debbie Hurrell - In Memory of Corey Icelandic Air Benita Cohen Kreiner McCracken Icelandic Music Billy Brodovsky & Libby Yager Jenny Gerbasi Henry Fast Jeanson Plumbing Cathy Steven Josephine Cox - In Honour of Michael Cox Jim & Leslie Kirby - In Memory of Richard Kenny Boyce Daniel Levin & Lilian Bonin Karen Dana & Harry Harvey - In Honour of Mitch Strand King’s Head Pub Fran Taylor & Greg Docker Podolak Joanne Pettis King’s Transfer Irene Friesen-Hughes Kathy & Rollin Penner Jodi Schmidt lea marc inc. Iris Reimer Kawaii Crepe John Helliar LightVisions James Tepper Kirsten Earl McCorrister Kathy Mulder Little Caesers Pizza Jane & David Frayer - In Honour of Terry Kumka Linda Cubbidge - In Memory of Mitch Podolak

8 Friends

9 10 11 12 13 203-211 Bannatyne Avenue Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 3P2 T: 204-231-0096 F: 204-231-0076 [email protected] WINNIPEGFOLKFESTIVAL.CA