With festival cancellations and event postponements since March, the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre (NACC) has come up with a way for Yellowknifers on both sides of the speakers to get their concert fix and participate in a live show.
Photo courtesy of Pat Braden.
SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 an innovative way to bring work to artists,SA国际影视传媒� Andrea Bettger says.
Bettger is one of 21 performers at NACCSA国际影视传媒檚 Buskers in the Bush festival SA国际影视传媒� a concert series spread out over three August weekends.
Buskers in the Bush runs from 1-4 p.m. on Sunday Aug. 2, 9 and 16. The performances will take place around Frame Lake Trail, with each set lasting approximately 15 minutes.
Bettger says itSA国际影视传媒檚 a big city idea done in a way more suitable to a small town, with groups moving around the trail.
SA国际影视传媒淭he North is a place where you find more trees than street,SA国际影视传媒� says NACC executive director Marie Coderre. SA国际影视传媒淗aving the arts in a natural setting is what the North is all about.SA国际影视传媒�
When the pandemic hit, NACC, NWTSA国际影视传媒檚 main institution for performing arts, had to cancel everything. Coderre says they are losing at least $300,000 this year, which is why they have to get creative to find ways of supporting the arts.
Buskers in the Bush is free for anyone to attend, however a $10 donation is encouraged, with all proceeds to support NACC.
Regardless of the money raised, all Buskers in the Bush artists will be paid for their performances through public funding since, Coderre says, itSA国际影视传媒檚 important to SA国际影视传媒渄o justice to the arts system and pay artists justice in a meaningful way.SA国际影视传媒�
For Pat Braden, an NWT musician playing at the festivalSA国际影视传媒檚 opening weekend, it has been SA国际影视传媒渄evastating to watch a lot of my friends and peers and other musicians and institutions and the whole music industry basically being gutted.SA国际影视传媒�
He and Bettger emphasized the importance of the work being done at NACC and by Coderre who, Bettger says, has SA国际影视传媒済one out of her way to find ways to help artists stay afloat and keep working.SA国际影视传媒�
Entrances to the performances will be by the hospital and at the Legislative Assembly on the Frame Lake trail. There will be tables for sign up as well as hand sanitizer and masks. Volunteers will also be monitoring the festival to ensure social distancing.
For anyone not able to attend the festival, NACC will be releasing a 10-minute film showcasing the three weekends. The videoSA国际影视传媒檚 exact release date has yet to be determined but it will be broadcast on the Northwestel channel prior to Aug. 30.
In addition to Buskers in the Bush, NACC has several shows planned in the coming months, including an outdoor series on Aug. 1 with performances by musicians and comedians.
SA国际影视传媒淚 think itSA国际影视传媒檚 really good that it pulls it out of the black box of the theatre that way, and just pulls it out into the community,SA国际影视传媒� Braden says.
