Music

En ce dernier jour du Mois de la francophonie albertaine, l'AFA est heureuse de partager la version française de son plan stratégique triennal. Instauré en 2018, le Mois de la francophonie nous donne l'occasion de souligner le dynamisme et l'énergie de la francophonie en l'Alberta. 

Le plan affirme l'engagement de la Fondation envers la communauté artistique diversifiée de l'Alberta, y compris les artistes francophones et francophiles de la province. Le français est la langue maternelle d'un Canadien et d’une Canadienne sur cinq et d'environ 88 000 Albertaines et Albertains, et l'AFA est heureuse de rendre son plan stratégique accessible à ces communautés dans leur langue. 

Pour découvrir comment nous soutenons les arts, visitez : affta.ab.ca/about-afa/mission-and-mandate

English

On this last day of the annual Mois de la francophonie albertaine (Alberta Francophonie Month), the AFA is pleased to share its three-year Strategic Plan en français. Established in 2018, the month of March provides an opportunity to highlight the vibrancy and energy the Francophonie brings to Alberta. 

The plan affirms the foundation’s commitment to Alberta's diverse arts community, including French-speaking and Francophone artists across the province. French is the mother tongue of 1 in 5 Canadians and approximately 88,000 Albertans, and the AFA is pleased to make its Strategic Plan accessible to these communities in their language. 

 See how we are supporting the arts: affta.ab.ca/about-afa/mission-and-mandate

Join Luminous Voices for their 4th Choral Conducting Workshop, designed for conductors of all levels, taking place from August 11 - 15, 2025.

This intensive workshop includes:
    •    Group conducting lessons with Dr. Timothy Shantz
    •    Daily conducting opportunities with Luminous Voices (10-12 singers)
    •    Three daily sessions focusing on rehearsal techniques, conducting skills, and leadership

Participants can choose to actively engage or attend as auditors.

Register now – the application deadline is May 30, 2025. Successful applicants will be notified by late June 2025. There is no fee to apply.

For more information, visit the website or send email to info@luminousvoices.ca.

Friday, April 18, 2025 at 7:30pm

Juno-nominated Luminous Voices presents a moving Good Friday performance featuring powerful works by Tallis, Bach, and Howells. The program begins with Knut Nystedt’s Komm, süsser Tod, a tribute to Bach, before transitioning to Thomas Tallis’s breathtaking Lamentations of Jeremiah I.

In the final instalment of Luminous Voices' Bach motet series, begun in 2013, the choir presents Jesu, meine Freude, a masterful work featuring 11 movements of chorales, choruses, and solo trios. The program concludes with Herbert Howells’ Requiem, an introspective and contemplative work that highlights the full range of vocal harmonic colours that define Luminous Voices.

Special guests:

Janet Kuschak, cello

Wendy Markosky, organ

Tickets are $50 (adults) / $45 (seniors) / $25 (students) and are available online through MRU Box Office at tickets.mru.ca, by calling (403) 440-7770, or at the door. 

For more information, please visit luminousvoices.com or call (587) 889-8370.

The Thousand Faces Festival Association welcomes  artists and groups from all disciplines to submit proposals for inclusion of their mythically-inspired performances, films, and visual works at the 2025 Thousand Faces Festival.

Festival Dates: June 21 & 22, 2025

Festival Overview

The Thousand Faces Festival is a multidisciplinary arts festival in Edmonton, AB that celebrates and nurtures Edmonton's and Canada's richly diverse cultural scene through mythic art and food. Since 2012 we have brought together performances reflecting the richness of diverse cultures found within our community. Dancers, musicians, poets, painters, playwrights, and performers from many cultures share mythic stories ranging from short poetry readings to feature-length multi-disciplinary epics in our home on Alberta Avenue. 

We strongly encourage submissions from people of all backgrounds and look forward to continuing our tradition of Edmontonians of all backgrounds  discovering what connects them to each other when they share their cultures’ deepest stories through the arts.

Submission Details

The festival team is accepting proposals for mythically inspired performances and presentations for our 2025 Festival, scheduled for June 21 & 22, 2025, at our home at the Alberta Avenue Community Centre (9210 118 Ave NW, Edmonton). 

New for 2025, all acts will perform on our outdoor stage between 2 PM - 9:30 PM on June 21, and between 1 PM - 5 PM on June 22. This stage will be located in the parking lot to the west of the Community Centre. We encourage presentations that not only showcase performers and stories of a culture, but that have an interactive element with the audience, whether that be active interaction within the performance, or a short workshop in the art form before or after the performance.

If you are interested in performing at this year’s Festival, we ask that you please prepare and send us a proposal which includes the following information:

• Whether you are submitting on behalf of an organization, a collective, or as an individual
• A bit about yourself (or your organization/group)
• Your history of past performance or artistic work (including links to samples of your work if possible)
• Your proposed performance or artistic presentation for the 2025 Thousand Faces Festival
• Why you want to perform at the Thousand Faces Festival
• The myth your piece is representing or responding to (see the paragraph below for how we define mythology)
• The discipline(s) involved in your performance or presentation
• The number of performers participating in your piece
• The anticipated length of your performance
• Whether parts of your performance may be presented in shorter parts (teaser performances), or if the whole performance may be shortened if required
• Any potential Technical requirements or support your presentation may need or want (in particular, any specific audio needs).

The main thing we ask is that you propose something that responds in some way to the world(s) of what we call mythology. What do we mean by that? To quote Joseph Campbell: "Myths are public dreams, dreams are private myths”. To us mythology is, as Joseph Campbell also said, “ . . .the song of the Universe”. 

However, if you think mythology is a false construct, but believe in ancient stories or dreams for their deeper truths about the human condition and their possibilities for awakenings, please propose something that has to do with that! It can be as ancient, as modern, as reverent, or as lampooning as you want.

To apply, please email your proposal to info@thousandfaces.ca with the subject line “2025 Artist Application” by Monday, April 21, 2025.

Artist Benefits

The Thousand Faces Festival is proud of our long history of supporting mythically based storytelling from a wide range of cultures.  Benefits of performing at our festival include:

• Participating in a Festival that values artists and believes in fair compensation for their talent and hard work.
• Access to an artistic and administrative team that has extensive experience presenting a diverse array of culturally based artists and shining a light on the stories that underpin the performances
• The Thousand Faces Festival consciously creates and sustains an ecosystem of opportunity where artists may develop their craft in collaboration over the long term.
• The opportunity to engage with artists from a wide range of cultural backgrounds and disciplines. In the past this has lead to unique collaborative opportunities and development of performance works

*Please note  that you as the artist will be responsible for engaging and compensating any performers in your piece, travel to and from Edmonton, accommodations while you are in Edmonton, and any specialized technicians you may add beyond the sound technician provided by the Festival. Additionally, you will be responsible for all wardrobe, make-up, wigs, props, scenic, and sound design elements that may be required for your presentation. 

Questions? Email info@thousandfaces.ca for more information.

In 4-weeks, you’ll learn how to creatively express your burning thoughts, dreams, and passions with conviction! Throughout this series, you'll explore your favorite moving works of art and take part in group discussions. You’ll also have the chance to create your own work and say what’s on your mind in a safe, collaborative, and supportive environment. 

This class is great if you love music, poetry, movies, theatre, and more. Come ready to discover your power through words and images! 

Register here: accessarts.ca/whats-on/say-it-like-you-mean-it

Ado Nkemka is a pop-rock musician and multidisciplinary writer (theatre, poetry, journalism) with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. Her artistic practice and education inform her perspective, channeling her visceral responses to personal experiences through art while interrogating power, her own identity development, as well as her relationship to self and the outside world.   

From 2022-2024 she was a part of Mount Royal University's Artist as Changemaker residency program, collaborating with the Alcove Centre for the Arts on a project titled "Letters to my Younger Self; Exploring Inclusivity in the Arts." She has also worked on Western University's FAARM project since early 2024, sharing her songwriting knowledge with NaAC artists. 

Ado has performed at Sled Island, SoundOFF Summit, and FoundFest, among other events. She was a part of the 2023-2024 TD Incubator program offered by Arts Commons and also participated in MacEwan University's TD Artist in Residence program. Ado's music has been broadcasted across Canadian radio stations including CBC, CKUA, X.92.9, UMFM. 

This hands-on program introduces artists to the world of digital music creation and soundscapes. Participants will explore sound fundamentals, digital tools, beat-making, melodic design, and audio layering techniques. Each session includes interactive activities, collaborative projects, and creative experimentation with both traditional and unconventional sounds. By the end of the program, participants will have created their own unique soundscapes and compiled a digital portfolio of their work. No prior experience is required—just curiosity and a willingness to explore sound in new ways! 

No prior experience required! NaAC Sound Haven  is for people 16 and older and is open to mixed-ability participants and community members.   

The skills that you will be acquiring from this class are techniques for sound recognition, digital music production, rhythm creation, recording, and collaborative composition. 

You will enjoy this class if you love experimenting with sound, creating music digitally, or exploring new ways to express creativity through audio. 

Register here: accessarts.ca/whats-on/sound-haven

SJ Obatusin is a musician, producer, and audio engineer with a deep passion for fostering creativity through music and sound. With over 15 years of experience in music production, recording, and composition, he brings a wealth of knowledge to the NaAC’s music programming, aiming to introduce artists to the world of digital audio, production, and sound design.

SJ has experience teaching and leading workshops with artists of all skill levels. He believes in adapting his teaching methods to meet the needs of each participant, ensuring accessibility and engagement. His goal is to create a welcoming environment where artists feel empowered to explore sound, experiment with new ideas, and express themselves through music.