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NLIS 4 April 8, 2003 (Tourism, Culture and Recreation) Newfoundland and Labrador
artists will attend Gerry Byrne, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), and Tourism, Culture and Recreation Minister Julie Bettney, on behalf of Industry, Trade and Rural Development Minister Judy Foote, announced today that the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council will receive $38,500 to assist participants in Atlantic Scene. Atlantic Scene is a presentation of contemporary Atlantic Canadian art and culture in the national capital region from April 22 to May 4, 2003. More than 200 Atlantic Canadian artists will be invited to share their music, theatre, dance, comedy, film and literature. An exploration of the region�s visual and culinary arts will also be featured during this East Coast celebration. A production of the National Arts Centre (NAC), the Atlantic Scene is the first in what the NAC hopes will become a biennial festival series focussing on the outstanding talent unique to each region of Canada. "The arts are flourishing in Newfoundland and Labrador, and we want to share that with the rest of the country and the world," said Minister Byrne. "Atlantic Scene offers our artists an unprecedented opportunity to �strut their stuff� on a national stage. I have no doubt that when national and international arts presenters see these performers, they�ll be anxious to talk to them about bringing their work to much wider audiences." The National Arts Centre is producing and programming Atlantic Scene as part of its role in promoting culture and the performing arts across Canada. The festival will help emerging and established artists find an audience outside Atlantic Canada. The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade will make it possible for the National Arts Centre to invite international arts presenters to attend the shows and seek out new talent and touring productions for audiences beyond the two-week festival. CAPACOA, the association serving the live touring industry in Canada, also plans to invite Canadian arts presenters to gauge the talent at the festival. "Atlantic Scene is a wonderful forum to showcase our cultural tourism product beyond the shores of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is an opportunity to invite others to experience our unique culture, heritage and pristine environment," said Minister Julie Bettney. "We think this kind of initiative is essential to the long-term development of our cultural industries, and I�m very much looking forward to the event, as are each of our participants." The objectives of Atlantic Scene are to draw national attention to Atlantic Canada and give Canadians a far better understanding of the region and its culture, history, values and traditions; to showcase established and emerging talent and help the latter to find an audience outside of Atlantic Canada; and to encourage cultural tourism to New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. "We can�t keep our light �under a bushel�," said Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council Executive Director Reg Winsor. "We have an exciting product here, and it�s developing and improving by leaps and bounds. I think we are easily on a par with, and often way ahead of, the rest of Canada in this field. This is a very exciting opportunity � just the kind of thing some of these artists need to move their careers the next step along." Participating artists will appear in over a dozen venues in Ottawa-Gatineau, performing a wide range of musical genres such as classical, rock, pop, jazz, blues, world beat, folk, Celtic, Acadian, Aboriginal and more. Atlantic Scene will feature French and English theatre, stand-up comedy, dance and a major retrospective of Atlantic Canadian film. A visual arts exhibit, literary readings and culinary delicacies from the East Coast will also be part of the showcase. The Cultural and Heritage Industries Program of the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Comprehensive Economic Development Agreement is a three-year, $3.4 million fund administered federally by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Canadian Heritage, and provincially by the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. The fund is overseen by advisory committees comprised of leaders in the cultural and heritage industries in this province. Media contact:
2003 04 08 12:00 p.m. |
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