New Waves Festival Plays As Part Of Luminato Toronto Fest Of Arts 6/6-7, 12-14

Young Centre for the Performing Arts presents the New Waves Festival as part of the free opening and closing weekend celebrations of Luminato, Toronto's Festival of Arts and Creativity, this June 6-7 and 12-14.

Under the leadership and inspiration of the Young Centre's 12 Resident Artists, hundreds of Toronto's established and emerging artists come together under one roof for a multidisciplinary explosion of original works and creative happenings. Artistic disciplines, cultures, and generations blur as Toronto audiences and artists share their creative spark.

The inaugural New Waves Festival offers visitors to the Young Centre for the Performing Arts the opportunity to take part in an experiential arts happening comprised entirely of original work created by emerging and established Toronto artists.

The Young Centre's two-storey atrium acts as the central hub of activity where audience members, in the midst of a giant artistic treasure hunt, explore and discover their way into 15-minute performances by interpreting hints, responding to cues, and interacting with one another and the artists.

"The festival's unique creations break down barriers between disciplines, genres, cultures, artists and audiences, resulting in interdisciplinary creation, surprising fusions, and a strong participatory element throughout," said the Young Centre's General Director Albert Schultz. "Audience members play an integral role in this festival - each individual is a participant and the experience would be completely different had they not been present."

"For the third year in a row, the Young Centre has put together a program for Luminato that showcases Toronto's remarkable artists," said Luminato's Artistic Director, Chris Lorway. "Each year, we learn more about our city and its cultural identity from the array of performances that happen in and around this important arts centre."

The Young Centre's Resident Artists have collaborated over several months with community leaders in music, dance, theatre and literature to facilitate partnerships with a variety of the city's arts organizations and an ensemble of over 100 multidisciplinary Toronto artists. The Young Centre's 12 Resident Artists include: Waleed Abdulhamid, David Buchbinder, Roberto Campanella, Andrew Craig, Weyni Mengesha, John Millard, Claudia Moore, Andrea Nann, Patricia O'Callaghan, Soheil Parsa, Noah Richler and Suba Sankaran.

Ranging from choreographed pieces inspired by simple, everyday tasks, to vocalists disguised as architectural wonders, to bedtime stories, to cell phone theatre, the New Waves Festival offers something for all ages and interests, free of charge.

The New Waves Festival is produced in association with Luminato and runs from June 6-7 and June 12-14 (Saturday, June 6, 2:00-10:00 p.m.; Sunday, June 7, 2:00-7:00 p.m.; Friday, June 12, 7:00-10:00 p.m.; Saturday, June 13, 2:00-10:00 p.m.; Sunday, June 14, 2:00-7:00 p.m.) at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts, located at 55 Mill Street, Building 49, in the Distillery Historic District. Admission is FREE. More information may be found online at www.youngcentre.ca or www.luminato.com .

Now in its third year, Luminato is an annual celebration of the arts where Toronto's stages, streets, and public spaces are infused with theatre, dance, classical and contemporary music, film, literature, visual arts, and design. Luminato brings a world of creativity to the city for 10 days, June 5-14, 2009.

The Young Centre for the Performing Arts is an award-winning, multi-venue performing arts facility located in the Distillery Historic District. Anchored by Soulpepper Theatre Company's year round season and George Brown College's Theatre School, the Young Centre is a home for Toronto's leading artists and arts organizations across all performance disciplines. The Young Centre presents the very best in theatre, dance, music and spoken word in a state-of-the-art setting.

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