Canadian Stage Presents 'Festival of Ideas and Creation' Now thru 5/13

Canadian Stage's 2012 Festival of Ideas & Creation, the company's annual festival supporting the development of new works, takes place at the Berkeley Street Theatre (26 Berkeley Street) from today, May 9 to May 13, 2012. The Festival includes a variety of exciting free events that feature new creations by artists including Anusree Roy, Justin Rutledge, Raoul Bhaneja, Jordan Tannahill, Gein Wong, Christiaan Venter, Debashis Sinha, Hari Krishnan, Nik Beeson, Richard Sanger, Barbara Nichol and Tom Bellman.

Curated by Festival Director Natasha Mytnowych and Associate Festival Director Claire Calnan, the 2012 Festival focuses on the theme of music in performance and explores some of the ways in which Contemporary Theatre is incorporating various genres and hybrids of music.

"The Festival features work from artists who are pushing boundaries and incorporating forms of music and sound design in new works for the stage," said Natasha Mytnowych, Festival Director. "The programming features so many styles and genres, including opera, blues, folk, traditional Chinese and South Asian music merged with contemporary sound design, and more."

The Festival of Ideas & Creation will offer a series of free readings and workshop performances of more than a dozen new works from some of Toronto's incredible talents, including Anusree Roy and Christiaan Venter's new opera Noor Over Afghan, Raoul Bhaneja's Life, Death and the Blues, Jordan Tannahill's Concord Floral, Debashis Sinha and Hari Krishnan's Gesture Transmissions, Gein Wong's Ocean Carving, Barbara Nichol and Tom Bellman's The Sparrow Songs, Single Thread Theatre Company's The Loyalists, and presentations by the youth in the Canadian Stage Art in Leadership Program and Innovators Program, as well as an Emerging Artist cabaret, the GYM Playoffs. The Festival will also feature a special In Conversation event with Justin Rutledge, exploring his recent theatre collaborations (including the upcoming production of The Arsonists at Canadian Stage, for which he is composing an original score to be performed live on stage). The Festival also features an off-site event in association with the Mermaid Collective: Dive by Nik Beeson and Richard Sanger, featuring Fides Krucker, is an interactive voice salon and sound installation.

The Festival of Ideas & Creation aims to encourage discussion and exchange between emerging and established artists to inspire new projects that will push theatre in new and exciting directions. It was designed to bring audiences and creators together to explore the process of creation, reflect on current trends, and look toward the future.

For a full schedule of events and all programming details visit https://www.canadianstage.com/festival. Ticket reservations can be made online, by emailing festival@canadianstage.com or by calling 416.368.3110.

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