Sundays At The Young Series Held Through July And August At The Young Centre

Albert Schultz, General Director of the Young Centre for the Performing Arts, today announced Sundays at the Young, a series of day-long festivals that will enliven the Young Centre throughout July and August.

For four Sundays in July and August, the Resident Artists of the Young Centre for the Performing Arts take over the entire venue to celebrate the creative spirit of Toronto in all of its cultural, ethnic and disciplinary diversity.

Each all-day program is inspired by a unique theme and includes both free and ticketed events. Each Sunday will feature two afternoon and two evening concerts, with free ancillary events and installations throughout the day and into the evening.

"Sundays at the Young is many things at once," said Schultz. "Each one-day festival features concerts blending disciplines, cultures and artists, and in between each of these concerts is a spectrum of free, participatory, multidisciplinary creative happenings. Audience members are invited and encouraged to interact with artists and performers, and to even become part of the performances themselves. Come down and surprise yourself!"

Young Centre festivals are supported by a $200,000 investment from the Ontario government. This investment enables the Young Centre to expand its artistic activities and to ultimately realize its potential as a key cultural destination in Ontario.

"The Young Centre for the Performing Arts is once again creating an artistic experience for Torontonians and visitors in Ontario that is not to be missed," said the Honourable Monique Smith, Minister of Tourism. "Sundays at the Young is another example of how our theatre community is drawing visitors to Toronto and Ontario. I am thrilled that the McGuinty government's investment of $200,000 in the Young Centre this year is providing Ontarians with another reason to experience their own ‘backyard' and discover great artistic experiences across the province."

The first Sunday at the Young is:

O Canada - Sunday, July 19
A multi-venue exploration of the creative spirit of our great land.

Participants of all ages will enjoy free events throughout the Centre and two special concerts celebrating Canadian masters:

Gordon Lightfoot Tribute
2:00 and 6:00 p.m.
Toronto's finest celebrate a songwriting legend. Join Patricia O'Callaghan, Kurt Swinghammer, John Millard, Miranda Mulholland, Mike Ross and more!

Trichy Sankaran Tribute
4:00 and 8:00 p.m.
Indo-Canadian master percussionist shares the stage with Autorickshaw, Andrew Craig, AKA Subliminal and more!

The details and artists featured in the remaining four Sundays at the Young will be announced at a later date. The remaining dates in the series are:

Making Hay in Hard Times - Sunday, July 26
Celebrating the indomitable creative spirit of our forbears.

From the Nile to the Don - Sunday, August 9
Celebrating the cultural influence of Africa in our city.

The Birds and the Bees - Sunday, August 16
Celebrating our fragile planet and its creatures in song, word and dance.

Sundays at the Young are led and created by General Director Albert Schultz and the Young Centre's Resident Artists: 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.

Sundays at the Young begin on Sunday, July 19 and run until August 16 at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts, located at 55 Mill Street, Building 49, in the Distillery Historic District. Tickets for the concerts are $20 for adults, and $5 for students (18 and under). All ancillary events are FREE. Tickets are available by calling the Young Centre box office at 416.866.8666 or online at www.youngcentre.ca

Sundays at the Young are also supported by TD Canada Trust Music, the Ontario Arts Council and the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund. The Young Centre Resident Artist Program is generously supported by Donna and Gary Slaight.

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.

Photo by Tom Arban

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