FOUNDATION The world’s largest celebration of Iranian arts and culture. Photo by Peter Lear / Tirgan 2015 CONTENTS Welcome About Programs 3 Letter 5 Tirgan 10 13 Venues 16 Media Sponsorship WELCOME LETTER Dear Valued Partner, On behalf of the management team, I invite you to join us as a Nowruzgan will be a three-day indoor festival held in the valued partner in one or both of our projects in 2017. prestigious Toronto Centre for the Arts while for Tirgan, we are again standing alongside Harbourfront Centre, our partner, as We are particularly excited this year as we will be presenting two we throw open our doors to an even larger audience to share and festivals: first up is the brand new Nowruzgan festival, on the enjoy another exhilarating experience that takes place across the occasion of the Persian New Year and Canada’s sesquicentennial, span of four days. making its debut in March 2017, and the Tirgan festival will be back later in July 2017 for its sixth installation. I am delighted to announce several opportunities for sponsorship outlined in the attached pages. Add your voice to ours and The sense of achievement was indescribable as we concluded get involved in highlighting the impact of cultural festivals of Tirgan 2015. Organizers, volunteers, sponsors, participants, and such high caliber on strengthening cross-cultural dialogue and visitors alike were basking in the perception of a job well done, celebrating diversity in one of the most multicultural cities in relationships forged, and a magnificent cultural showcase laid the world, as we unite again for another labour of love under the out before the eyes of an international audience that surpassed banner of Tirgan. 150,000, challenging the entirety of the grounds of Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre. Our team is ready to make history with you. Let’s get the ball rolling. This is all thanks to the incredible generosity and support of our Regards, sponsors and selfless efforts of over 300 devoted volunteers. Donya Azizi Public Relations Director Tirgan 2017 3 4 Photo by Amirhossein Sohrabpour / Tirgan 2015 ABOUT TIRGAN VISION TO PROMOTE CROSS-CULTURAL DIALOGUE AND UNDERSTANDING THROUGH ART AND CULTURE Objectives Contribute to the diverse cultural mosaic of Canadian society by celebrating arts and culture Build a stronger community through teamwork and open dialogue Entertain, engage, and educate a diverse public Provide an opportunity to visit for all by offering over 90% of events free of charge Legend of Tirgan There are many legends on the origin of Tirgan. One is associated with the legend of the arrow (Tir), a reference to “Arash the Archer”, who was the best Iranian archer of ancient times. To settle a land dispute, it was stipulated that Arash should ascend Mount Damavand and discharge an arrow, the landing location of which would determine the boundary between two kingdoms, Iran and Turan. Arash ascended the mountain and discharged an arrow, the flight of which started from the dawn of the day and continued until noon. The arrow finally landed on the banks of the Oxus (Jeyhun) River, and the boundaries of Iran expanded beyond all expectations, resulting in the inclusion of multiple cultures into the nation. This is the essence of Tirgan festival: a celebration of diversity. 5 Dates & Times: Accessibility Our Guests Nowruzgan Toronto Centre for the Arts This year we are expecting Friday March 10, 2017 is accessible by TTC or car. 25,000 visitors to attend 6:30PM to 10:30PM It is also within walking Nowruzgan Saturday March 11, 2017 distance from North York 10:00AM to 2:00AM Centre subway station. Sunday March 12, 2017 All venues are wheelchair 10:00AM to 8:00PM accessible. Tirgan The Harbourfront Centre With over 150,000 visitors Thursday July 27, 2017 is accessible by the TTC or expected, Tirgan 2017 is 6:00PM to 11:00PM car. It is also within walking going to be the largest Friday July 28, 2017 distance from Union festival of its kind yet! Tirgan 6:00PM to 2:00AM Station. All venues are attracts a highly diverse and Saturday July 29, 2017 11:00AM to 2:00AM wheelchair accessible. affluent demographic. Sunday July 30, 2017 11:00AM to 7:00PM 6 Photo by Amirhossein Sohrabpour / Tirgan 2015 DEMOGRAPHICS GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION Gender AGE RANGE 56% 80% 72% GTA/ Southern Ontario / Ottawa / Montreal / 59% Female / 41% Male 5-80 . Calgary/Edmonton/ Over 80% fall within the Vancouver 25-40 year age range HOUSEHOLD INCOME 19% USA Majority $100,000+ 9% Europe 7 8 BENEVOLENCE The theme of Tirgan 2017 is ‘Benevolence’ and all festival programs will be centred around this theme. We have designed a program that includes a variety of art forms and styles from diverse eras and geographic regions. Our programming incorporates a blend of performances, workshops, panel discussions and lectures all intended to engage, educate, and entertain our guests. Photo by Pooya Miri 9 PROGRAMS Our passion is Art & culture Music Showcasing performances including various styles of Iranian music ranging from traditional and folkloric to jazz and electronic. Dance Our internationally acclaimed artists are set to dazzle the audience with a variety of styles ranging from ballet to folklore. film Prepare to learn and discuss cinematography with world-class Iranian film makers and industry experts. Theatre Over the past decade, theatre has thrived in Iran. The audience will get a flavor of popular theatre ranging from traditional to contemporary musical dramas. History & Literature Poetry and literature are very prominent aspects of the Iranian culture. Highly acclaimed authors will present excerpts of their works and engage in dialogue. Visual arts Join us as we display the work of leading Iranian artists. 10 kids The youth will enjoy a variety of activities such as face painting, drawing, music, dance, and storytelling. workshops The audience will find the opportunity to participate in a variety of workshops. food Featuring a wide range of Iranian cuisine that consists of regional food and drinks served by some of Toronto’s best food providers. teahouse Step into our exotic Persian traditional Teahouse and get carried away to places far away. bazaar Enjoy the opportunity to shop for Iranian delicacies and gifts. There will be a variety of shops displaying and selling arts & craft, jewelry, hand-made carpets, literature, sweets, dried fruits & nuts, spices, and traditional musical instruments. Contest Tirgan 2017 will once again be holding its short story and photography contests. These contests provide an excellent opportunity for aspiring writers and photographers to have their work recognized and assessed by renowned professionals. A selection of the entries will be showcased at the festival. tirgan magazine This sought after publication is exclusive to Tirgan and has become a highly collectible and recognized part of the festival. 11 12 March 10-12 VENUE Multi-purpose venue George Weston Recital Hall Lyric Theatre Greenwin Lower Gallery Upper Gallery Lobby VIP Suite Studio theatre Toronto Centre for the Arts located at 5040 Yonge Street, North York Photo by Toronto Centre for the Arts 13 VENUE 14 july 27-30 VENUE Multi-purpose venue location Concert Stage Outdoor by the lake Stage in the Round Outdoor by the lake Brigantine room York Quay Centre Main floor, north end Marilyn Brewer Community Centre York Quay Centre Main floor, north end Lakeside terrace York Quay Centre Main floor, south end miss lou’s room York Quay Centre 2nd floor, south end Harbourfront Centre Theatre Between Queen’s Quay Terminal and York Quay Centre, adjacent to the Power Plant fleck dance theatre 3rd floor, Queen’s Quay Terminal 207 Queen’s Quay West Studio theatre York Quay Centre Main floor, north end Harbourfront Centre’s facilities are contained in three buildings located on a 10-acre site. Photo by Harbourfront Centre 15 MEDIA SPONSORSHIP join us alongside tens of thousands of visitors from March 10 - 12 in Toronto Centre for the Arts from July 27 - 30 &in Harbourfront centre to celebrate and embrace diversity, art, and culture. Photo by Amirhossein Sohrabpour 16 WHY PARTNER WITH TIRGAN Tirgan refers to an ancient Persian celebration, traditionally held in the month of July, inspiring what is currently world’s largest celebration of Iranian arts and culture, taking place biennially at the Harbourfront Centre of Toronto with over 150,000 visitors, 200+ artists, and 100+ performances, talks, presentations, and workshops. The 2017 program reflects a tremendous ethnic diversity within Iran through music, dance, theatre, cinema, literature, visual arts, crafts market, and cuisine, as well as a traditional teahouse where visitors can socialize and a variety of food offerings at the World Cafe. In addition to Tirgan, in 2017, we are planning the Nowruzgan Festival in March at the Toronto Centre for the Arts, celebrating the Canadian sesquicentennial and Nowruz (Persian/Iranian New Year) at the same time. We expect 25,000 visitors to visit Nowruzgan Festival in 3 days. Tirgan is a non-profit, non-religious and non-partisan cultural organization committed to promoting a cross- cultural dialogue between the Iranian-Canadians and the larger Canadian community through the production of artistic and cultural activities especially cultural festivals. 17 Media Supporter Media Affiliate Media Partner festival festival $2,000 $7,000 $15,000 WEB & SOCIAL MEDIA Prominent logo featured on Tirgan.ca sponsorship page with a dedicated link to your website ● ● ● Prominent logo featured on all Tirgan.ca web pages ● ● Prominenet logo featured