Prismatic Arts Festival 2016 Program

Sept 21-25 | 2016

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PREMIER'S MESSAGE O n behalf of the Province of Nova Scotia, I am pleased

to extend well wishes to the participants of this year’s Prismatic Arts Festival.

Halifax has had the pleasure of hosting the Prismatic Arts Festival five times since 2008, and every year the festival boasts a unique blend of creativity, diversity and entertainment.

The Prismatic Arts Festival has many outstanding performances and events in store that can be enjoyed by all ages and backgrounds. The audience will have the pleasure of experiencing theatre, dance, music, spoken word, visual arts, and media arts.

I would like to thank the organizers, volunteers and the talented artists who dedicated their time and passion to make this year’s Prismatic Arts Festival possible.

All the best for another successful festival.

Sincerely,

Honourable Stephen McNeil, M.L.A. Premier

MAYOR'S MESSAGE On behalf of Halifax Regional Council, it is my pleasure to extend a warm welcome to everyone taking part in the 2016 Prismatic Arts Festival taking place September 21st-25th in Halifax.

As one of Canada’s only multi-arts festivals, Prismatic features wonderful performances in music, dance, theatre, spoken word, and visual and media arts to captivate the entire family. This year, in recognition of the talented women in Canada and beyond, the festival will exclusively feature female artists and cultural workers. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase an array of culturally diverse artists and provide professional development opportunities through workshops and industry events.

Arts and culture is one of this region’s most valuable resources. I want to thank all the festival organizers, volunteers and sponsors for their commitment and dedication to our arts community and the continued celebration of diversity in our region.

Welcome and enjoy this spectacular display of creativity, talent, and art in all its forms!

Mike Savage Mayor

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MINISTER'S MESSAGE Welcome everyone - from near and far - to this year's Prismatic Arts Festival.

I am so pleased this festival continues to be such a success each year.

The Prismatic Arts Festival is one of the only multiarts festivals in the country, and it is the perfect venue to showcase Nova Scotia's diverse, vibrant culture, strong communities, and talented performers.

It is truly a unique opportunity that has something for everyone.

I want to extend my sincere thanks to the many volunteers, organizers and artists who combined their time and talent to make the 2016 Prismatic Arts Festival possible.

I hope you enjoy the displays of incredible and creative talent.

The Honourable Tony Ince Minister of Communities, Culture and Heritage

MINISTER'S MESSAGE W elcome to the 2016 Prismatic Arts Festival!

Arts and culture have the power to define us, unite us and express who we are. They reflect our diversity and help build links between communities all across the country. This is why our government is proud to support events that put the arts within Canadians’ reach.

This festival’s diverse blend of music, dance, storytelling and visual arts—brought to you this year by an all-female lineup—is a celebration of creativity.

A variety of artists, from the region and beyond, will inspire as they entertain us. What a wonderful way to enrich the cultural landscape of the Halifax region, help us discover other cultures and recognize talented women.

As Minister of Canadian Heritage, I would like to thank all the organizers, artists and dedicated volunteers who helped make this year’s Prismatic Arts Festival possible. Congratulations on making this event a success.

The Honourable Mélanie Joly Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages

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KEYNOTE SPEAKER

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Canada is one of the world’s most culturally diverse societies. The importance of equity in fulfilling Canada’s artistic aspirations is, therefore, a priority of the Canada Council for the Arts. This is why, through a variety of approaches, we strive to ensure that our programs and initiatives are accessible to all artists, including next generation, Indigenous, culturally diverse, Deaf, disability, and official language minority communities.

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Arts has promoted, supported, recognized and funded artists and arts organizations from coast to coast to coast. We believe that funding the arts is ultimately about building the society we want to live in – one that is creative, compassionate, resilient and prosperous - where citizens can express themselves fully, and where all can enjoy and participate in the work of artists and creators.

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S ince its creation in 1957, the Canada Council for the

The Canada Council for the Arts is proud to support the Prismatic Festival because art matters – to individuals, communities and to our society and country as a whole. This year’s focus on female artists and the theme of “Bridging the Gap” promises to be an engaging and meaningful expression of this fundamental truth. I am thrilled to be joining you in Halifax and thank the artists, organizers and volunteers who make this event possible.

Simon Brault Director and CEO of the Canada Council for the Arts

CONTENTS Barbara Diabo.............................9 Allysa Flint.................................10 Diyet............................................11 El Jones...................................... 13 Janet Munsil..............................14

Eljuri............................................ 15 Meena Natarajan..................... 16 Maarja Nuut.............................. 17 Tamar Dina................................18 Reeny Smith.............................. 19

Rebecca Thomas.................... 20 Cris Derksen............................. 21 Najet Ghanai............................ 22 Shauntay Grant....................... 23 Solawa....................................... 24 Sylvia D. Hamilton.................. 25 Stephanie Yee.......................... 26 Ursula Johnson........................ 27 Glass House............................. 28 THE TALK................................. 29

 @prismaticarts |  facebook.com/prismaticfestival |  prismaticartsfest |  www.prismaticfestival.com | #Prismatic2016

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SUPPORT ART FOR EVERYONE

BY DONATING TO PRISMATIC! Prismatic Arts Festival strives to deliver Art for Everyone.

For Prismatic to be accessible to the community, many of the performances and events are FREE and open to the public. This is possible because of the support of funders, sponsors and community partners.

Please donate to the Prismatic Arts Festival so that we can continue our proud tradition of making high-quality, diverse, family friendly art available and accessible to the public.

Donations can be mailed to PO Box 1603, Halifax, NS B3J 2Y3 or can be made online at www.prismaticfestival.com.

For more information about how you can support the Prismatic Arts Festival, please contact us! info@prismaticfestival.com or 902-425-6812.

Shahin Sayadi Artistic Director Maggie Stewart Managing Director Kelsey MacDonald Producer Mike Mader Technical Director/ Production Manager

Raeesa Lalani Marketing and Communications Manager Kaitlin Verge Festival Logistics Coordinator Mike Tanner OneRedCat Webmaster Minuteman Press www.mmphalifax.com

Prismatic Arts Society Board: Rhia Perkins, Jeff Overmars, Kate Hamilton, Jeff Ward, Sarah Douglas, Miya Turnbull, and Flora Riyahi

GREETINGS FROM PRISMATIC ARTS FESTIVAL 2016: BRIDGING THE GAP Since 2008, the Prismatic Arts Festival has showcased cutting-edge, innovative arts, featuring the work of Canada's leading culturally diverse and Indigenous artists.

We are thrilled to bring Prismatic 2016 to the heart of downtown Halifax. Prismatic invites all members of our community to join us at the Halifax Central Library, The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, The Bus Stop Theatre and The Company House to experience five days of exceptional music, dance, theatre, visual arts and much more. Prismatic breaks free from the conventions of art events to deliver Art for Everyone. At Prismatic, diverse art forms and cultural traditions are showcased, events are open to the public and ideal for families and community members to come together. The festival features national stars from coast to coast to coast and beyond our borders.

This year, in recognition of the talented women in Canada and beyond, the Prismatic Arts Festival will exclusively feature female artists and cultural workers. The active choice was made by Prismatic's Artistic Director, Shahin Sayadi, who, while scouting high quality and talented performers, noted that many standouts happened to be women.

By the time programming for Prismatic 2016 was nearly complete, the festival was already centered around female artists. The organically chosen lineup features international rock sensation Eljuri, 2016 Juno Nominee Cris Derksen, and Halifax's very own Sylvia D. Hamilton. In addition to local artists and performers from across Canada, Prismatic 2016 is welcoming artists from New York, Mexico City and Estonia!

The Prismatic Arts Festival is only possible because of the contributions of talented artists, dedicated community partners, forward-looking public funders, generous corporate sponsors and enthusiastic audience members.

It takes a dedicated team to bring the Festival to life each year and we thank everyone who has helped Prismatic bring Art for Everyone.

Shahin Sayadi Artistic Director

Maggie Stewart Managing Director

Kelsey MacDonald Producer

Kaitlin Verge Festival Logistics Coordinator

Raeesa Lalani Marketing and Communications

 @prismaticarts |  facebook.com/prismaticfestival |  prismaticartsfest |  www.prismaticfestival.com | #Prismatic2016

2016 FESTIVAL SCHEDULE B 6:00pm

BUS STOP THEATRE

DAY 2:

THURSDAY SEPT 22 A 9:30am

CENTRAL LIBRARY – PROGRAM ROOM

Session 1: Statues and Silence with Kaitlin Verge

DAY 1:

WEDNESDAY SEPT 21

B 12:00pm

BUS STOP THEATRE

RSVP

Shauntay Grant’s WORD 12 performances: 8 minutes and 1 audience member per performance

E 6:00pm

PIER 21 - KENNETH C. ROWE HALL

RSVP

Opening Gala: keynote address by Simon Brault, performances by Rebecca Thomas, Cris Derksen, Barbara Diabo, reception to follow

C 9:00pm-Midnight COMPANY HOUSE

Broken English Karaoke

C 8:00pm ($10 ea) COMPANY HOUSE

CENTRAL LIBRARY – PROGRAM ROOM

Session 2: Conflict, Culture, Community with MSVU

 12:00pm

Shauntay Grant’s WORD 12 performances: 8 minutes and 1 audience member per performance

Solawa

A 12:30pm

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RSVP

RSVP

BUS STOP THEATRE

Shauntay Grant’s WORD 12 performances: 8 minutes and 1 audience member per performance

A 5:30pm

CENTRAL LIBRARY – PAUL O’REGAN HALL

Performance by El Jones and screening of The Glass House followed by Session 3, a discusion led by the OMID Foundation.

C 9:00pm-Midnight COMPANY HOUSE

Broken English Karaoke

DAY 3:

FRIDAY SEPT 23

A 9:30am

CENTRAL LIBRARY – PAUL O’REGAN HALL

Session 4: A Reconciliation 109 years in the Making performance by Barbara Diabo, followed by a panel dicussion. Performance by Allysa Flint

A 11:45am

CENTRAL LIBRARY – PAUL O’REGAN HALL

Cris Derksen

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Most events are FREE and open to all ages.

Events marked with are ticketed.

RSVP these events are free but space is limited.

Reservation recommended for RSVP / purchase tickets: www.prismaticfestival.com

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B 5:00pm

A 1:00pm

BUS STOP THEATRE

CENTRAL LIBRARY – PAUL O’REGAN HALL

Sylvia D. Hamilton Poetry and Film Screening

 5:00pm B

BUS STOP THEATRE

RSVP

Meena Natarajan Workshop 1 - Active Equity: Directing & Ensemble Creation Workshop (women only)

C 7:00pm ($10 ea) COMPANY HOUSE

Solawa, El jones, Diyet, Eljuri

C 9:00pm-Midnight COMPANY HOUSE

Broken English Karaoke

DAY 4:

SATURDAY SEPT 24

A 9:30am

CENTRAL LIBRARY –RBC LEARNING CENTRE

Session 5: Speaking Up and Speaking Out with El Jones, with performance

by Allysa Flint

A 11:30am

CENTRAL LIBRARY – PAUL O’REGAN HALL

Eljuri

A 12:00pm

CENTRAL LIBRARY – RBC LEARNING CENTRE

Session 6: Arts at the Grassroots with Tamar Dina

A 12:00pm to 6:00pm

CENTRAL LIBRARY – PROGRAM ROOM

Ursula Johnson Performance. Audience may attend at any time during the performance.

B 1:00pm

BUS STOP THEATRE

Play Reading: Janet Munsil's That Elusive Spark

A 4:00pm

CENTRAL LIBRARY – RBC LEARNING CENTRE

Artist Talk: Najet Ghanai

RSVP

Meena Natarajan Workshop 2 - Comparative Practice: Eastern and Western Theater and Aesthetics (women only)

C 7:00pm ($10 ea) COMPANY HOUSE

Cris Derksen, Rebecca Thomas, Maarja Nuut, Diyet

C 9:00pm-Midnight COMPANY HOUSE

Broken English Karaoke

DAY 5:

SUNDAY SEPT 25

E 7:00pm ($16 ea)

PIER 21 - KENNETH C. ROWE HALL

Finale Concert: Cris Derksen, El Jones, Reeny Smith, Rebecca Thomas, Maarja Nuut, Diyet, Eljuri

C 10:00pm-Midnight COMPANY HOUSE

Broken English Karaoke

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BARBARA DIABO P rofessional dancer and choreographer Barbara Diabo, originally comes

from the Mohawk Nation of Kahnawake and now resides in Montreal. She has been performing for over 25 years and presently specializes in both traditional and contemporary Aboriginal dance, especially in hoop dance.

At Prismatic 2016 she will be performing Sky Dancers: The Quebec Bridge Disaster. In 1907, when the Quebec Bridge collapsed during construction, 33 Mohawk ironworkers from the small reserve of Kahnawake fell to their deaths, causing a wave of after-effects that stretched out to the whole world. Barbara is a direct descendant of this disaster and has choreographed this dance piece that brings the past to the present. It will haunt you, charm you, and bring new understandings of Indigenous people.

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The performance of the Quebec Bridge Disaster will be part of Session 4 of The TALK: A Reconciliation 109 Years in the Making. In this session, Barbara will be joined by historians and members of the engineering community to explore how the Quebec bridge collapse affected different communities over the past century.

Prismatic is thrilled to present Barbara’s work and to facilitate a conversation with the wider community about the wide-ranging impacts of the 1907 Quebec Bridge collapse.

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ALLYSA FLINT A llysa Flint, a local Halifax spoken word artist, is joining us once again at this

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year’s Prismatic Arts Festival! Allysa’s powerful performance at the Opening Gala at Prismatic 2015 blew audiences away proving that she has a bright future ahead. Allysa has been writing poetry since she was 12 years old and in recent years she has been establishing herself as an outstanding spoken word performer. Her writing reflects the topics she feels most passionate about; the issues facing youth in this day and age - including sexual violence, suicide, bullying, and drugs and alcohol. A sensitive and passionate youth artist, Allysa strives to convey an insightful message to her fellow youth through spoken word.

We are excited to have Allysa Flint on the Prismatic stage once again!

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DIYET B orn in a tent, raised in a two-room cabin, classically trained in opera, and now an alternative folk artist…but the cool doesn’t stop there...she is a sub-Arctic-Southern Tutchone-Japanese-Tlingit-Scottish-Yukoner. Diyet’s music is like her life – a mix of this and that but deeply rooted in the values of a traditional Northern life.

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Her career began with a music degree in Vancouver – she then returned to her hometown of Burwash Landing determined to chart her own musical course. Her debut album, The Breaking Point, received nominations for “Best New Artist” and “Songwriter of the Year” at the Aboriginal People’s Choice Music Awards in 2010 and 2011 and “Album of the Year” at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards. Published in Japan, Canada and Europe, Diyet engages her worldly audience in an intimate, uplifting experience as she invites them into a soundscape of rhythm, melody and storytelling.

Diyet’s adventurous and sometimes chaotic life is on full display in her music and she often says, “yesterday, fishing for our dinner on the ice, the next day, on the stage singing for you.” Original, innovative, authentic and heartfelt – Prismatic is proud to present Diyet.

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EL JONES El Jones is a spoken-word artist and teacher from Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Her poems are themed around social-political issues surrounding race and gender. El has graced local and national stages and events as Halifax’s fifth poet laureate; two-time National Spoken Word Champion, an activist, and a college and university instructor. She feels a constant and urgent need to continue action on behalf of marginalized people against oppression, racism, gender and sexual discrimination and colonization. She leads by example, as she believes that big actions will not gain respect but rather hard work and the smaller tasks will make a difference.

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Finding her political heart in the African Nova Scotian community, El Jones continuously makes her voice and purpose heard. She believes that poetry can empower the powerless and give voice to the voiceless. El’s spoken word performances speak truth to power and Prismatic is honoured to bring El Jones and her work to the stage.

In addition to spoken word performances throughout the festival, El will lead Session 5 of The TALK: Speaking up and Speaking Out which will explore the challenges of bridging the gap between mainstream and minority communities through one’s professional work.

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JANET MUNSIL J anet Munsil is a playwright and producer who has been working in Canadian theatre for decades. Born in Seattle, raised in British Columbia, Janet is a graduate of the University of Victoria’s Theatre Program. She is an internationally produced playwright, the producer of over 50 arts festivals, the longest-serving Canadian Fringe Producer, and was the Artistic Director of Intrepid Theatre Victoria for 25 years. She is the 2016 Artist in Residence at U of Vic’s Centre for Studies in Religion and Society.

THAT ELUSIVE SPARK SYNOPSIS

SEPT. 24 (1:00PM) B

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Helen Harlow is an expert at understanding the human brain, and yet her own remains a mystery. On the run from her own once-brilliant future as a neuro-psychologist, Helen takes a room in a frat-house basement and an unsuitable job at a small college teaching Psych 101 to clueless freshmen. Meanwhile in 1848, railway construction worker Phineas Gage survives the passage of an iron rod through through his head, and a dramatic change in personality. Attended to and observed by the young doctor, James Harlow, Helen’s ancestor, the legacy of Phineas’s dramatic story shows both how much we have learned about the brain, and how little we comprehend of our own hearts and minds.

We are honoured to have Janet present a staged reading of her award-winning play That Elusive Spark on the Prismatic stage.

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ELJURI E ljuri creates a sonic reflecting pool. This energizing musician and

performer absorbs drops of influence from all over the world - from cultures that she calls her own and others into which she dives to discover their treasures. Her music is sometimes a mirror lake reflecting this generation’s global fusion and sometimes a turbulent sea churning with cultural clashes.

Cecilia Villar Eljuri was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador and raised in New York City. From a young age she was immersed in music and the arts, demonstrating a singular focus for her passion. Sensitive and committed, of Latin blood and heart, she is a passionate singer, accomplished guitarist and award-winning songwriter who has toured all over the U.S., Mexico, South America and debuted in Canada in 2015. Her third studio album will be released in Fall 2016 and features a collection of songs that are fresh and of the times – her times and your times.

SEPT. 23 (7:00PM), SEPT 24 (11:30AM), SEPT 25 (7:00PM) A

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Her inspiration: “I continue to look at myself, my journeys passed and my path forward — I’m evolving and embracing it. The themes of my new songs center around stopping injustice and searching for a better way. I’m using my voice and guitar to drive and inspire positive social change.”

We are thrilled to present Eljuri – she is going to rock the Prismatic stage with her global rhythms and universal truths.

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MEENA NATARAJAN M eena Natarajan is a playwright, director and is the Executive and Literary

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Director of Pangea World Theater in Minneapolis, a progressive, international ensemble space for theater and dialogue. She has led Pangea's growth since its founding in 1995. Meena's scripts have been professionally produced both in the U.S. and India. She is currently on the boards of the National Performance Network, the Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists and is a National Theater Projects Advisor at New England Foundation of the Arts. Meena is also a past President of Women Playwrights International.

Prismatic is thrilled to have Meena join us in Halifax and to be able to count our Festival in the many organizations and events that have benefited from her skill and artistry. Meena will be leading two workshops at this year’s Prismatic: Workshop 1 - Activate Equity: Directing & Ensemble Creation Workshop

WOMEN ONLY SEPT. 23 (5:00PM) SEPT. 24 (5:00PM) B

BUS STOP THEATRE

Presented by:

This experiential, practice-based session will engage your bodies, as well as your minds, and creative spirits. With exercises coming out of the National Institute for Directing & Ensemble Creation co-led by Pangea World Theater, you will explore the challenges of discussing cultural and gender equity in our field, and the practices emerging from artists of color, diasporic artists and women directors working in theater today. The workshop will take a fun, participatory approach to articulating aesthetic differences, and the creative conflicts that ensembles and directors sometimes face in the process of devising original work as a starting point for dialogue and exploration, leading to an embodied understanding of how we can activate equity and social justice practices in the field of theatre.

Workshop 2 - Comparative Practice: Eastern and Western Theater and Aesthetics This workshop will compare Bharatha’s Natya Shastra from India and Aristotle’s Poetics in a comparative session of practices from non-western theater and western theater. This will include embodied practice as well as a generative discussion of aesthetics and will aid in a wider engagement of differences and similarities in set design, narrative structure, story-telling methodologies and performance styles.

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MAARJA NUUT M aarja Nuut is a fiddler and singer from Northern Estonia. Her music

combines traditional dance tunes, songs, and stories with live electronics to create an intricate layered soundscape in a space where minimalism and experimental music meet the village musical traditions of pre-war Europe.

It is like nothing you have heard, and without realizing, you will be whistling her repetitious tunes for hours after watching her perform.

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Maarja is a storyteller and her tools are her fiddle, voice and modern electronics. In performance, Maarja creates a lively, relaxed state – entrancing the audience and prolonging being in the moment while altering the ways of seeing, hearing and perceiving.

Her debut album Soolo was released in 2013 and her second album Une meeles was released internationally in June 2016.

Bringing the sounds and stories of Northern Estonia all the way to the Halifax stage – Prismatic presents musical storyteller Maarja Nuut.

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MUSIC LIBERATORY TAMAR DINA M usic Liberatory is a Halifax-based non-profit, grassroots organization,

founded by Tamar Dina, that works to dramatically increase the number of female instrumentalists by providing free music programs to women and girls with emphasis on developing and maintaining the cultural leadership of women of colour.

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Girls Got Song is a weekly singing group, founded by Music Liberatory, that promotes sisterhood and musical expression between girls aged 9-13.

Girls have the opportunity to cover music written by female songwriters/ musicians, as well as create and record original music created by the group.

Music Liberatory exemplifies Prismatic’s motto: Art for Everyone. We are pleased to share the work of Girls Got Song and Music Liberatory throughout Prismatic 2016. Also, Tamar Dina will be leading Session 6 of The TALK: Arts at the Grassroots, which will explore arts education as a tool of empowerment.

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REENY SMITH R eeny Smith is an award winning singer/songwriter, from the musical

powerhouse Smith family of North Preston, Nova Scotia. Commonly referred to as the “Canadian Alicia Keys,” Reeny has a smooth tone and powerful voice that will make you get in touch with your emotions as she takes you on a journey that will soothe your soul.

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Reeny started singing and playing the piano as a young child and her roots singing in church provided a solid foundation for a promising career. An award-winning performer and the winner of the 2015 Casino Nova Scotia Artist in Residence Competition, Reeny has been part of the Prismatic Arts Festival since 2008. Her impeccable vocals leave audiences wanting more and Prismatic is thrilled to have her back this year to bring her outstanding musical talents to a national audience.

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REBECCA THOMAS R ebecca Thomas is a Nova Scotia-based Indigenous slam poet. She is the current Poet Laureate for Halifax who works in Student Services and provides Indigenous Support.

Rebecca serves as an ambassador to her community and an advocate for literacy. She says that, "Poetry can give a voice to the voiceless. Poetry can make a powerless person feel powerful. This is why I speak."

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Rebecca’s goal is to raise awareness and educate people about the history of First Nations people within Halifax and the issues her community faces today. She also is active in supporting youth engagement and diversity education with the use of her skills in poetry.

Rebecca will be performing her spoken word works at Prismatic 2016 and will be part of the TALK. Prismatic is honoured to have Halifax’s Poet Laureate take such an active role in Prismatic 2016.

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CRIS DERKSEN C ris Derksen is a Juno-nominated Indigenous cellist and composer known for building sound layers in captivating performances. Her music braids the traditional and contemporary in multiple dimensions, weaving her classical training and her Indigenous ancestry with new school electronics, creating genre-defying music.

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Originally from Northern Alberta, Cris Derksen hails from a line of chiefs from North Tall Cree reserve on her father’s side and a line of strong Mennonite homesteaders on her mother’s side. She earned a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance at UBC and shared the title of Principal Cellist with the UBC Symphony Orchestra. She was also Curator in Residence at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre.

Cris Derksen was nominated for the Instrumental Album of the year at the 2016 Juno Awards.

We are thrilled to bring genre-defying musician Cris Derksen’s amazing sound to the Prismatic stage.

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NAJET GHANAI N ajet Ghanai is a Canadian-Libyan visual artist who creates sculptures and installations from construction materials and foraged natural elements.

Her work is an investigation of the dynamic coexistence of nature and industry. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from NSCAD University and also studied furniture design and fabrication during a semester-long exchange at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco.

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Najet exhibited at the 2016 StART Festival and will now bring her installation, TransPlant - Nature vs Industry to Prismatic 2016. On display will be scanographic and video documentation of an intervention in which identical objects were purchased from a large chain corporation and foraged from nature. These objects were then switched, returning the purchased objects to nature, and the foraged objects to the store. She demonstrates the prevalence of colonial desire to pillage the land for profit, while examining the contextual worth of natural resources.

Currently Najet is living in Vancouver, British Columbia pursuing work as a sculptor in the film industry but is looking forward to coming back to Halifax to take her well-deserved place on the Prismatic stage.

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SHAUNTAY GRANT S hauntay Grant is a writer and storyteller from Halifax, Nova Scotia. A descendant of Black Loyalists, Jamaican Maroons, and Black Refugees who came to Canada – Shauntay’s love of language stretches back to her storytelling roots in Nova Scotia’s historic black communities.

She is a multidisciplinary artist with professional degrees and training in creative writing, music, and theatre, and her home grown artistic practice embraces African Nova Scotian folk tradition as well as contemporary approaches to literature and performance.

12 performances: 8 minutes and 1 audience member per performance.

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As Halifax’s third Poet Laureate (2009-11), Shauntay organized Canada’s first national gathering of Canadian Poets Laureate. She is one of four Canadian authors selected by the Writers’ Trust of Canada for its prestigious Berton House Writers Retreat in 2016. Her awards and honours include a Best Atlantic-Published Book prize from the Atlantic Book Awards, a Poet of Honour prize from Spoken Word Canada, and a Joseph S. Stauffer Prize in Writing and Publishing from the Canada Council for the Arts.

Prismatic is excited to bring Shauntay Grant’s original and thoughtprovoking performance art piece to the national stage.

SEPT. 21 (NOON) SEPT 22 (NOON & 6:00PM)

WORD

BUS STOP THEATRE

WORD is an intimate listening experience for one audience member at a time. Where conventional spoken word performances are staged for moderate to large crowds, WORD plays with the expectation of audience and performer in a brief but ardent 8-minute presentation.

Presented by:

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SOLAWA H ailing from Montreal – Solawa is a band composed of five incredibly

talented, multi-dimensional artists. The music takes you away with a crisp, colourful multi-dimensional sound. With something for everyone they perform in Plains Cree, French, Spanish and English. Together they bridge their musical and cultural universes and bring you – Solawa.

Moe Clark is a Métis multidisciplinary artist who specializes in vocals and spoken word. Éveline Grégoire-Rousseau is a harpist and singer who is always working on new, exciting projects. Damian Nisenson is a composer, singer, and saxophonist – who is heavily inspired by Jewish, Argentinian and Jazz music. Jean Félix Mailloux is a double bassist who is inspired by various genres from Jazz to World music. Ziya Tabassian is an Iranian percussionist who specializes in Baroque, Persian and Mediterranean music.

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5 artists. 4 languages. 1 band. Bridging different musical cultures and universes – Prismatic is honoured to bring you a band that showcases the richness and true diversity of contemporary Canada.

Personnel: Moe Clark (vocals), Éveline Grégoire-Rousseau (harp and vocals), Damian Nisenson (sax, guitar, vocals), Jean Félix Mailloux (bass and vocals), Ziya Tabassian (percussions and vocals)

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SYLVIA D. HAMILTON Sylvia D. Hamilton is a filmmaker, writer, and educator from Beechville, Nova Scotia. She is widely respected for her documentaries that re-examine Canadian history with a focus on the perspective of African Canadians.

Sylvia has been widely recognized for her work. Her awards include: a Gemini, The Portia White Prize, the CBC Television Pioneer Award, and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, among others. She is well known locally and nationally for her award-winning documentary films, publications, and extensive volunteer work with various organizations.

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Sylvia was a mentor with the Trudeau Foundation, has received three honorary degrees, and has held The Nancy’s Chair in Women’s Studies at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax. She also has served on and chaired many arts-related juries and was the national chair of the Women in Media Foundation. She is currently a professor at the University of King’s College – educating future journalists in the field of documentaries.

Prismatic is honoured to have Sylvia to join us to present samples from both her film and literary works. We will screen Portia White: Think On Me, her documentary about the legendary Nova Scotian Portia White, and she will read from And I Alone Escaped To Tell You, her recent collection of poetry published by Gaspereau Press of Kentville, NS.

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STEPHANIE YEE Stephanie Yee is a visual artist and cultural worker originally from Barrie, Ontario, currently based in Halifax. Though she began her academic career in theatre, she graduated with a BFA from NSCAD in 2012.

Her practice interrogates concepts of communication and identity. Using performance, video, sculpture and installation, she creates spaces where she and the audience can negotiate a work's meaning together. Blurring the lines between real and imagined scenarios, Stephanie’s practice aims to re-examine notions of everyday life. She has exhibited around the Atlantic Provinces, Ontario, as well as New York City.

Stephanie is pleased to present Broken English Karaoke at Prismatic again this year and hopes to see you on stage, mic in hand!

BROKEN ENGLISH KARAOKE Returning to the Prismatic Arts Festival for its third year, Broken English Karaoke is a crowd favourite. Festivalgoers are invited to end each night with us either on the stage or in the audience of this interactive performance installation by Stephanie Yee. All within the length of a song, each opportunity challenges the participant to navigate the boundaries between the familiar and unfamiliar.

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While karaoke pervades everyday life in many Asian countries, the presence of karaoke in North America is usually confined to aspiring celebrities and drinking culture. Adopting the platform of karaoke, and its myriad associations, this piece replaces the lyrics of popular American songs with broken English translations. The end result allows for a fun experience that not only exposes the complexities of language, but social anxieties as well. Come join us and have a good time as we delve into and explore the lively state of being lost and found in translation.

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URSULA JOHNSON U rsula Johnson is an emerging Mi’kmaq performance and installation

artist. She graduated from the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design and has participated in over 30 group shows and 5 solo exhibitions. Her performances are often place-based and employ cooperative didactic intervention. She has presented publicly in lectures, keynotes and community forums around topics of Indigenous Self-Determination, Renegotiating Conservation in Canadian Institutions, Environmental Responsibility and Sustainability, and Impacts of Economics on The Indigenous Object. Johnson has been selected as a finalist for the Salt Spring National Art Prize and has twice been long listed for the Sobey Art Award.

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The Prep Room A Cataloguing Party with Ursula Johnson The Archive Room' from the Nationally touring solo exhibition 'Mi'kwite'tmn (Do You Remember)' by Ursula Johnson is making some new acquisitions; but in order for that to happen there needs to be a community collaborative intervention in the style of a Cataloguing Party!!

There will be brief introductions to the process and the project, then you will be invited to participate in a fully interactive museological intervention for the new pieces for the archive!!

The Prep Room will be open from 12pm to 6pm, with 3 scheduled introductions to the process: 12:00pm, 2:00pm, 4:00pm.

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THE GLASS HOUSE The Glass House is a 2009 Iranian documentary film by Hamid Rahmanian (director and editor) and Melissa Hibbard (producer and script writer).

The documentary gives insight into the life of four young girls who are trying to lift themselves out of the margins of society by attending a support center run by the Omid Foundation in uptown Tehran. Through this film, viewers will meet Samira, aged 14, who is taken in by the program after being found unconscious on the street by the local police. Her mother is in the business of drugs: crystal meth, pills, hashish, and opium. The film also features Mitra, aged 16, a young writer who lives with her emotionally abusive father and brother; Nazila, aged 19, a musician facing legal restrictions on her ability to perform and record music; and 20 year-old Sussan, who is on the edge after years of sexual abuse by her brothers.

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This revolutionary documentary shows a side of Iran that is lesser known.

It brings viewers face-to-face with young women trying to overcome social and political barriers and the organization that supports and guides them on their journeys.

The Glass House will be screened in conjunction with Session 3 of The TALK: Resilience and Rebirth. The screening will be followed be a discussion, featuring representatives of the Omid foundation, on the role that arts play in bridging the cultural and linguistic gaps to raise awareness of global and local issues.

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PIER 21 - KENNETH C. ROWE HALL Prismatic 2016 is honoured to welcome Simon Brault, O.C., O.Q., Director and CEO Canada Council for the Arts / Directeur et chef de la direction, Conseil des arts du Canada. Mr. Brault will be giving the Prismatic 2016 keynote address at the Opening Gala.

Also, the Opening Gala will include performances by Cris Derksen, Barbara Diabo, Rebecca Thomas, and will be followed by a reception.

SESSION 1:

STATUES AND SILENCE

September 22, 9:30AM – 11:30AM CENTRAL LIBRARY - PROGRAM ROOM How are Canadian communities addressing the tension between commemorating the settler history of Canada and recognizing the harms that colonialism have visited upon Indigenous peoples?

Picking up on a recent failure of the Halifax Regional Municipality to support engagement around calls to remove the statue of Edward Cornwallis, the colonial authority that introduced genocidal policies that encouraged scalping Mi’kmaq men, women and children - Prismatic hosts a community discussion on efforts to reconcile through a critical analysis of local histories.

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September 21, 6:00PM – 9:00PM

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The TALK at Prismatic 2016 brings stakeholders together to engage in dialogue and professional development.

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The Atlantica Hotel is this year's Prismatic Festival Hotel. To make reservations please call 1-888-810-7288 or email reservations@ atlanticahalifax.com.

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Hosted by Kaitlin Verge, B. Ed., this discussion will provide an opportunity to examine how different communities are addressing historical realities and giving voice to communities that have been silenced.

SESSION 2:

CONFLICT/CULTURE/COMMUNITY

September 22, 12:30PM – 2:30PM

CENTRAL LIBRARY - PROGRAM ROOM Engaging in dialogue can be risky but it allows us to know ourselves by knowing others.

Prismatic is partnering with Mount St. Vincent University to examine how cultural exchange and dialogue help us to understand how war has impacted the diverse fabric of our Nova Scotia communities.

"The Weight We Share" is a collaboration between the Mount Network for Community-Engaged Research on War and artist Jessica Lynn Wiebe.

This interactive performance piece encourages us to engage in difficult dialogue on military conflict and experience.

Maya Eichler, assistant professor at MSVU, and local artist Jessica Lynn Wiebe model the task of sharing the weight of their stories with one another.

They seek dialogue across differences in experience and politics; sharing stories is about talking as much as it is about listening.

SESSION 3:

RESILIENCE AND REBIRTH

September 22, 5:30PM – 8:45PM CENTRAL LIBRARY - PAUL O'REGAN HALL Take an intimate look into the world of young Iranian women who are rebuilding their lives with the support of the OMID foundation. Prismatic is proud to present The Glass House, a feature length film directed by Hamid Rahmanian and produced by Melissa Hibbard. The film raises awareness of the challenges facing some young women in Iran and the work that OMID continues to provides in Tehran and beyond. The film screening will be followed by a discussion, featuring OMID Foundation representatives, on the role that arts play in bridging cultural and linguistic gaps to raise awareness of global and local issues.

OMID strengthens the social, emotional, and economic competencies of disadvantaged young women (aged 15 to 25) in Iran by providing them with a sense of self-worth, opportunities to experience future growth; while learning selfempowerment, education and training. www. omidfoundation.com

SESSION 4:

A RECONCILIATION 109 YEARS IN THE MAKING

September 23, 9:30am - 11:45am CENTRAL LIBRARY - PAUL O'REGAN HALL In 1907 - due to the neglect and poor planning of engineers - tragedy struck on a bridge under construction in Quebec City. The bridge collapsed, killing 75 men, including 33 Mohawk men from Kahnawake. This event has had long-term, but

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Join moderator, El Jones, a Halifax-based poet, educator and journalist, in a discussion that explores the challenges of bridging the gap through one’s professional work.

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This non-profit organization believes that everyone is born with musical ability and that females in particular are systemically denied opportunity to develop musical skills and are taught to underestimate their artistic capacity. Music Liberatory works to create vibrant and honest female-led music cultures. With focus on the current and potential leadership of women of colour, Music Liberatory wishes to see all women benefit from sharing music and the freedom this experience brings. http://www.musicliberatory.com More information about The TALK 2016: Everyone is invited to participate and it is free and open to the public. Prismatic is committed to ensuring that our events are accessible to all attendees. Please email kelsey@prismaticfestival.com or call 902-425-6812 to discuss ways that we can ensure that you are able to fully participate in The TALK and other Prismatic events.

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CENTRAL LIBRARY - RBC LEARNING CENTRE Arts education as a tool of empowerment.

Artistic expression to heal and grow. Music and poetry to bring people together and find strength through community. Prismatic welcomes Tamar Dina, the founder of Music Liberatory, a Halifax-based grassroots organization that aims to dramatically increase the number of female instrumentalists by providing meaningful, fun, and free music programming for women and girls.

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What role do mainstream organizations play in establishing this dialogue?

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September 24, 9:30AM – 11:00AM

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Following the performance, Ms. Diabo among others will be participating in a panel discussion to explore how a single historic event can have longterm impacts on different communities. Prismatic is partnering with the engineering community to present this showcase/conversation and to explore how this tragedy has affected different people and nations.

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Engineers wear an iron ring as a reminder that they hold people's lives in their hands. The impact on Kahnawake was wide ranging and has resonated for generations. Prismatic 2016 is presenting a dance performance, The Quebec Bridge Disaster, by Barbara Diabo. Barbara is a Mohawk choreographer and dancer that specializes in combining contemporary dance with traditional dances and Indigenous themes.

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different, effects on both the Indigenous community and the engineering profession.

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