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Thursday, October 22nd
OPENING CIRCLE
Time: 09:00 PDT
This session is the official welcome to the Virtual Edition of the Northern Exposure Conference. Please join this offering of introduction and intention setting, led by Meeka Noelle Morgan and Julie Fowler.
EMERGENT CHANGE WORKSHOP - SYSTEMS CHANGE IN THE BC ARTS ECOSYSTEM
Time: 10:00 - 12:00 PDT
Facilitated by Carla Stephenson
What is emergence? How can we begin to design for progress and break out of the status quo? Our current system is only working for a few. How can we change the system to be more inclusive and more representational of the many varied voices of BC artists?
This session will provide a good introduction to the work of Systems change. We wilI explore models use real examples from the BC Arts ecosystem. Participants are asked to bring their ideas as we work toward mapping a new way forward.
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UNITE: IN CONVERSATION WITH ERIN BENJAMIN
Time: 13:00 -14:00 PDT
Join us for a conversation with Erin Benjamin!
President & CEO of the Canadian Live Music Association since its creation in 2014, Erin Benjamin has worked in the Canadian music industry for over 25 years – first as a touring and recording artist and then as executive director of both Folk Music Ontario (2001) and the Canadian Arts Presenting Association (2008). Founder of the Ottawa Women in the Music Industry group and a passionate, highly-regarded leader, Erin currently serves on the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sports’ Ontario Live Music Working Group as co-chair, Ontario Creates (formerly the OMDC) Music Industry Advisory Committee, Algonquin College’s Music Industry Arts Advisory Committee and is a board member the Unison Benevolent Fund, MEGAPHONO and RBC Ottawa Bluesfest. In 2017 she enjoyed roles as both the vice-chair of the Ottawa Juno Host Committee and co-chair of Canadian Music Week. In May 2019, she was honoured with the United Way’s Community Ambassador of the Year Award for her work in leading and producing the impactful “After the Storm” benefit concert, raising tens of thousands of dollars for victims of Ottawa’s devastating September, 2018 tornadoes. Erin lives in a vibrant downtown Ottawa neighbourhood with her awesome kids, son Oliver and daughter Toby.
AFTERNOON SHOWCASE | LAL + THE MELAWMEN COLLECTIVE
Time: 14:00 - 15:00 PDT
Enjoy a set from Polaris Prize long-listed electronic duo LAL (Toronto's downtempo soul saviours comprised of Rosina Kazi and Nicholas Murray); and The Melawmen Collective, a contemporary Indigenous alternative fusion woven together with elements of hip/trip hop, rock/folk, righteous rhymes and rich harmonies, drawing in a wide variety of listeners through sharing their own journeys of life through their musical evolution together.
Expanded bios for showcase artists can be found here: http://support-imarts.com/neshowcase
BUILDING COMMUNITY: KEYNOTE WITH ROSINA KAZI OF LAL
Time: 15:30 - 16:30 PDT
Rose from the electronic protest duo LAL will speak about how LAL's vision is about creating and sustaining an ecosystem in the arts versus focusing on industry
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EVENING SHOWCASE | NAOMI SHORE
Time: 19:00 - 19:30 PDT
Before diving into the evenings panel, join us for a set from Fort St John’s Naomi Shore. With surging vocals buoying vulnerable songwriting, Shore is sure to deliver a performance that is contemplative and clever.
Expanded bios for showcase artists can be found here: http://support-imarts.com/neshowcase
BEEN THERE, DONE IT: A PECHA KUCHA ON WHAT WE LEARNED IN 2020
Time: 19:30 - 20:30** PDT
20 slides, 20 seconds each, 7 minutes: Join us for this fast-format sharing session designed to keep us moving and learning. We’ll hear from some folks who pivoted well in 2020, the cost reality of the changes we’ve made, and what people planning for 2021.
Speakers include Sydney Black (Nelson District Arts Council), Julie Fowler (Island Mountain Arts + ArtsWells), and Erin Collins (Cygnet Folk Festival). moderated by Inga Petri.
About Sydney Black: Sydney Black is the Executive Director of the Nelson and District Arts Council (NDAC),which presents a number of projects each year intended to foster the arts in Nelson and District including Nelson ArtWalk, Hidden Creek Artist Residency, Appetite for Art, the Dance Educator’s Showcase, the Rural Artist Support Weekend, the Nelson International Mural Festival and Bigby Place Arts Initiative.
About Julie Fowler: Julie Fowler is the Executive and Artistic Director for Island Mountain Arts and the ArtsWells Festival. With over 17 years of experience in non-profit management and festival direction, Julie is a resource in all aspects of organizational development. Julie also sits on the boards of Arts BC and Folk Music Canada.
About Erin Collins: The multi-talented Erin Collins is a musician and songwriter; writer and composer; Arts administrator and programmer; and naturopath. Erin is the Artistic Director of the Cygnet Folk Festival (TAS, Australia), held 2nd weekend in January every year. Cygnet Folk Festival has developed a reputation as one of the premier cultural events in Tasmania's arts calendar. Every year in January the small community of this southern Tasmanian town presents a tremendous variety of music, dance, and related arts, over three wonderful days.
**This session will be followed by informal time to hang out via zoom - fix yourself an evening beverage and let’s chat!
Friday, October 23
THE DAILY DONUT*
Time: 09:00 – 09:15 PDT
Routine is like a pair of sweatpants - maybe not glamorous, but oh so comfortable! So circle up today (and Saturday/Sunday at the same time) and sprinkle a little networking into your morning - this is your chance to talk informally with other virtual attendees before we jump into work for the day!
*Donuts not included
WHAT COULD REAL INCLUSION AND EQUITY LOOK LIKE? - AN EMERGENT CHANGE WORKSHOP
Time: 09:15 -10:15 PDT
Facilitated by Carla Stephenson
Using a combination, of presentation, self-reflection exercises and teamwork, participants will learn the foundations of diversity and inclusion frameworks and language. We will discuss the effects of colonialism that we are all products of.
This work is inclusive and is meant not to isolate or blame, but rather to get us all working in the same direction, laying the groundwork for authentic inclusion. We will begin to discuss how to move our industry deeper into this work.
FUNDING & SUPPORT ROUND UP
Time: 10:30 - 12:00 PDT
Featuring:
Jessica Isman - Department of Canadian Heritage
Julie Dobbin - Associate Program Officer for Creating, Knowing and Sharing: The Arts and Cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples programs at Canada Council for the Arts
Jennifer McKerral - Program Officer with the Explore and Create arts granting programs at Canada Council for the Arts
Jimmy Leitch - Program Manager for the Music BC Industry Association (and expert in all things FACTOR)
Joanna Maratta - Executive Director, BC Touring Council
Elliott Hearte - Director, Programs & Services, Arts BC
Derek Baker - Director, Economic Development, Northern Development Initiative Trust
Moderated by Elyssia Sasaki
Northern Exposure has invited funders and support organizations to share what opportunities are available, including the Canada Council for the Arts, Canadian Heritage, Music BC (FACTOR), Northern Development Initiative Trust, Arts BC, and the BC Touring Council.
Time: 12:00 - 13:30 PDT
Funding Rooms - Zoom breakouts
Direct from the previous session, panelists from the previous session will break out into individual rooms. This is your chance to ask specialized questions about the programs they offer.
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AFTERNOON SHOWCASE | ONLY A VISITOR + HUJUNĒ
Time: 14:00 -15:00 PDT
This afternoon provides melodical delights in the keys of Art Pop and Indigenous Contemporary…
Only A Visitor is a quintet that blurs genre boundaries by straddling the line between art music and pop. Classically trained, composer and arranger Robyn Jacob’s eclectic songwriting showcases vocal techniques and arrangements that feature asymmetrical rhythms twisted around a pop skeleton.
From Hujunē:
Hadih! Hujunē means , those who sing in Dakelh , the language of our people . We chose this name accurately as we often have guests perform with us ,as you will see in our showcase we have one of our brilliant elders,Angie Todd-Dennis and our dear friend , poet and musician Meeka Morgan-Hall. Hujunē would like to dedicate our performance to all those who are actively healing ..... thus adding to the collective healing of our Mother Earth and all life upon her.
Expanded bios for showcase artists can be found here: http://support-imarts.com/neshowcase
NAVIGATING THE GREAT DIVIDES WITH S.M. STEELE
A CASE STUDY OF LI KEUR, RIEL'S HEART OF THE NORTH ON CROSS-CULTURAL BOUNDARIES, FISCAL MANAGEMENT, AND THE ECOLOGIES OF INDIGENOUS ENGAGEMENT WITH EUROPEAN OPERA
Time: 15:00 - 16:30 PDT
Led by Dr. Suzanne Steele
This session looks at the experience of writing and co-managing a cross-cultural, half-million-dollar project over the course of several years. Steele will offer lessons learned on managing the good, the bad, and the challenging of this complex work written in six languages (70% of the script is in Indigenous languages), and placed within the context of Truth and Reconciliation, and now, during COVID. Participants are encouraged to share thoughts and experiences in what promises to be a fruitful conversation for our times.
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EVENING SHOWCASE | SARAH OSBORNE
Time: 19:00 - 19:30 PDT
Sarah Osborne serves up sultry folk from the west coast. This songstress and seaqueen blends jazz, blues, country and the weather. Self taught on guitar, and a voice that emulates divas of the past.
Expanded bios for showcase artists can be found here: http://support-imarts.com/neshowcase
2 RIVERS REMIX: THE MAKING OF THE VIRTUAL FEAST**
Time: 19:30 - 20:30 PDT
2 Rivers Remix: The Making of The Virtual Feast features Meeka Morgan (Artistic Director) and Sabina Dennis (Artist & Supportive advisor) as they delve into the experience to create the all Indigenous 2 Rivers Remix virtual festival this year.
Founder of the Indigenous arts and music group & band The Melawmen Collective, Meeka Noelle Morgan, M.A., is Secwepemc /Nuu-Chah-Nulth/St'at'imc/ Nlaka'pamux from the interior of what is now know as BC and Vancouver Island - a singer/songwriter, writer, storyteller, workshop designer, facilitator, producer, that is currently the Artistic Director of 2 Rivers Remix Festival, an all Indigenous Music and Arts festival, which was produced virtually this year. Sabina Dennis is a Dakelh woman, mother, artist and activist who formed the band Hujunē, which aims to transmit ancient knowledge passed on by her ancestors for the purpose we carry as 2 legged ... caretakers, protectors, stewards, natural law enforcers, who has been dedicating much of her life's energy to the defense of Mother Earth, especially alongside the Wet'suwet'en people, lands and waters.
Meeka & Sabina share their journey of kinship that formed their bond of activism and artistry today, which took them on divergent paths leading to the same vision: How to carry on the lessons of our ancestors in these 'modern' (yet seemingly primitive) times in contemporary ways, in our own unique ways, that still have an impact on being the caretakers, protectors, stewards, natural law enforcers, that we have been since time immemorial. How can we continue developing our kaleidoscope connections of artists, activists,and allies while finding ways to carry out our Indigenous values, traditions and cultures in our own unique ways? In this evolution of our culture, how can we continue to assert (as our ancestors have had to in even harsher ways), and summon the blood memory within the land and people who occupy these lands in the here and now, into the future, in a way that holds fast to our utmost values of reciprocity, respect, true care and love?
Supporting and advising one another in their work, Sabina and Meeka discuss the significance of events like 2 Rivers Remix Festival ~ the effect it has on the organizers, the artists, and the audience, as well as the bonds it builds and sustains ~ and what kind of ripple effect that has into our reality, our world, our universe, into ourselves, leading us to fundamental change.
Moderated by Julie Fowler.
**This session will be followed by informal time to hang out via zoom!
Saturday, October 24
THE DAILY DONUT
Time: 09:00 PDT - 09:15 PDT
SPACES OF BELONGING - INTERSECTIONALITY AND DECOLONIZING BC ARTS
09:15 - 10:00 PDT
Facilitated by Carla Stephenson
How do we build spaces of true belonging? How do we create safer, braver spaces that allow people to enter with their whole selves? This session will look at intersectionality and decolonizing and how our organizations can be truly open to all folx.
For an introduction to intersectionality -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViDtnfQ9FHc
For an introduction to decolonization + its role in the arts -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP9x1NnCWNY
APPRECIATION, EXPLOITATION, EXTRACTION- A PANEL TO DISCUSS CULTURAL APPROPRIATION IN THE ARTS (CANCELLED)
Time: 10:00 - 12:00 PDT
Presented with support from The Penticton Art Gallery
Featuring Panelists George Elliott Clarke, Kia Kadiri, Chelsea D.E Johnson, Shakura S’Aida
Moderated by Carla Stephenson + Paul Crawford
Earlier this summer, the Penticton Art Gallery exhibited an incredible show of Bob Ross’ work. At the opening event some attendees dressed in Bob’s signature curly-haired wig. There was a complaint sighting cultural appropriation. Is a perm/afro wig appropriation? What larger questions are there about appropriation. Paul Crawford, curator, and ED of the P.A.G. has invited these artists together to discuss and dig deeper.
This Event is presented with support from the Penticton Art Gallery, and free for the public to attend.
PANEL IS FOLLOWED BY LUNCH BREAKOUTS - EMERGENT TOPICS
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AFTERNOON SHOWCASE | HALF/ASIAN WITH AMY THE CODA + AIRIK CLARK
Time: 14:00 - 15:00
HALF/ASIAN with Amy the CODA is a mixed race (Cantonese/British) musician making retro-synth pop on an 80's synth and a Child Of Deaf Adult interpreting the lyrics in her mother tongue; sign language.
Airik Clark is a Toronto transplant based in Northern BC creating a musical mix of toe tapping acoustic rhythms and ear tickling, soulful vocal expression.
Together, they make up Saturday afternoon’s dreamy musical showcase
Expanded bios for showcase artists can be found here: http://support-imarts.com/neshowcase.
PAST>NOW>NEXT
Time: 15:00 - 16:15
Panelists: Deb Beaton Smith - Beat Music Management
Don Parman - ActSafe BC
Carla Stephenson - Session Moderator
Elyssia Sasaki - Session Assistant
A presentation on the project to create a standardized Music Festival Survey with subsequent Economic and Socio-Cultural Reports. Deb’s research project, funded by Creative BC, was done during the 2019 festival season. What was the potential value of the sum of data for the music sector? How did this idea come about? What were the results? Could this survey be a provincial standard? Then along came COVID ...full stop....followed by the formation of the BC Music Festival Collective and then the provincial request to create reopening guidelines for BC Festivals and Outdoor Events. There were many contributors to the guideline report, including Don Parman from ActSafe. Don will talk next about the health restrictions and protocols during COVID-19, now and moving into 2021. We’d like to end the session by opening it up for discussion on ways we can best move forward keeping health, vitality and prosperity of our community at front of mind..
A HEALTHY INDUSTRY
Time: 16:30 - 17:30
Led by Chandler McMurray-Ives
Anxiety, Depression, Addictions, Chronic Pain, Hormone issues, Digestive issues, and a host of other chronic stress related diseases are super prevalent in the music industry, both for artists, as well as industry leaders, which is even more pervasive during this time of unknown, loss, and daily pivoting. This workshop will look at these symptoms head on, discuss contributing root causes, open discussion into bigger issues, and give you usable information on how you can positively impact your health, now.
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EVENING SHOWCASE | THE NORTHWEST KID
Time: 19:00 -19:30 PDT
The Northwest Kid (aka NWK) performs Alternative Hip-Hop music and has been actively performing within the Canadian music scene for the last decade. Some of NWK's previous releases include Mixed-blood Mixtape, Mob Medicine, Dozy & NWK and Transformation.
Expanded bios for showcase artists can be found here: http://support-imarts.com/neshowcase
BRIDGING THE GAP: ACCESSIBILITY IN THE ARTS
Time: 19:30 - 20:30** PDT
Featuring Amy Braun, Laurie Landry and Kait Blake of Kickstart
Moderated by Elliott Hearte
Presented with support from Arts BC
Presented with ASL interpretation from Lisz and Stephanie
This session will explore Deaf and disability arts and culture, allyship, and sustainable change. How are artists and arts administrators working to bring Deaf and disability cultures and experiences to their work and the sector? How do we move beyond accommodation towards meaningful inclusion, collaboration, and co-creation?
Please Note, this presentation includes a recording of a live, unrehearsed interpretation, targeted to a specific audience. Interpreting services provided electronically are often subject to vagaries of the internet and audio connections and, in addition, may include errors or omissions. Thank you for your understanding.
Looking for ASL for your programs?
Contact Lisz Keallen A.S.L. INTERPRETING INC. E-mail: asl.interpreting@telus.net
**This session will be followed by informal time to hang out via zoom.
Sunday, October 25
THE DAILY DONUT
Time: 09:00 - 09:30 PDT
IRL + DIGITAL REALITIES FOR RURAL PRESENTERS AND FESTIVALS
Time: 09:30 - 11:00 PDT
Facilitated by Inga Petri
The rush to digital due to the public health response to COVID-19 has made clear that the Canadian performing arts eco-system has been ill-equipped to take advantage of the opportunities of the digital realm, and to mitigate its challenges. But more than COVID, the touring sector and festivals had already been discussing their responsibilities and response to climate change. With the advent of 5G networks new kinds of digital opportunities will inevitably arise.
In this workshop, Inga will outline the current situation in digitizing the performing arts across Canada, share examples of successes achieved and leading work of relevance to festivals in rural and remote locations. She'll offer her practitioner's perspectives of the pitfalls and opportunities both in real life and in the digital world as artists, and present a profound hope for the future of festivals, venues and artists that are looking for ways to remain viable and sustainable in the long run.
THE WAY FORWARD FOR THE BC ARTS ECOSYSTEM
Time: 11:00- 12:30 PDT
Facilitated by Carla Stephenson
In this session, we will synthesize all of the ideas that we have gathered from the conference.
We will co-create a living document that participants will have moving forward as we take our work into the world.
ONE TO ONES - CONFERENCE LUNCH DATES
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AFTERNOON SHOWCASE | GR GRITT
Time: 14:00 - 14:30 PDT
G.R. Gritt is a Juno Award-winning, Transgender, Anishinaabe/Métis artist, pulling effortlessly from the past to create soulful futurisms, weaving vocals, guitar and electronic melodies.
Expanded bios for showcase artists can be found here: http://support-imarts.com/neshowcase
BE SEEN BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY BE HEARD - LIVE STREAMING 101 WORKSHOP
Time: 14:30 - 15:30 PDT
Led by G.R. Gritt
In this workshop, G.R. Gritt will breakdown the basics of setting up your live stream, common barriers that performers/streamers have and troubleshooting your streaming setup, including audio hardware, broadcasting/streaming software, and recording/creation software.
RESEARCH 2 RESILIENCE W/ RONNIE DEAN HARRIS
Time: 15:30 - 17:00 PDT
Research 2 Resilience is a look at how research can be a tool for resurgence and revitalization of culture, history, cosmology and existence within a framework of sovereignty + nationhood.
Over the past 5 years, Ronnie aka Ostwelve aka Malō:yhleq has focused on cultural + ethnographic research of his ancestors + connected communities + cosmologies. The findings have led him to many new understandings and even more questions on how we will use research as a collective contribution to real relational change within the colonial framework.
FINAL WRAP UP AND CLOSING CIRCLE
Time: 17:00 PDT
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Northern Exposure Conference 2019
Northern Exposure at ArtsWells Festival 2019 is Supported by Creative BC, Province of British Columbia & FACTOR.
The Northern Exposure Conference, provides professional development, networking and showcase opportunities for rural BC music industry and musicians. Instead of a stand alone conference in October, as IMA has done for the last four years, it will deliver Northern Exposure as part of the ArtsWells Festival, July 29 – August 5, 2019.
Thursday
Creative BC BC Info Session | 7:30pm at the Wells School Class Room
Join Creative BC staff to learn about Amplify BC funding programs. Get all the details on how to apply!
Saturday
Event Consent & Harm Reduction Outreach Workshop
1pm in at The Wells Legion
An interactive training session with Good Night Out Vancouver, who will provide ready to use tools to help multi-day festivals better promote consent culture.
Touring Panel for Musicians
2pm at The Wells Legion
A panel with industry professionals Doug Cox, who is both a touring musician and AD of the Vancouver Island MusicFest, Jane Aurora of the Producer’s Lounge and Arrival Sounds Studio, as well as, an international touring artist, Deb Beaton Smith, artist manager and director of Rifflandia Gathering Conference 2018 and producer of Juno Career Days Victoria and Linda McRae, A Canadian-Nashville based multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter she has 37 years’ experience touring and teaching both nationally and internationally.
Creative BC Amplify BC Info Session
3pm at The Wells Legion
Join Creative BC staff to learn about Amplify BC funding programs. Get all the details on how to apply!
Sundowner Private Function for BC Festival Directors and Artists
5pm- 7pm at the Northwoods Restaurant
Sunday
Festival Directors Round Table
11am - 12.30pm in the Ballet Room at the Wells Community Hall
Producer’s Lounge with Jane Aurora
3pm in the Downstairs of the Wells Community Hall
The Producers Lounge elevates and educates female & non-binary identifying music producers, mixers and engineers from BC. If this sounds like you, come along to this workshop to enhance your technical and creative knowledge. Explore the key components of a compelling recording, and learn about accessible technology to help bring your creative ideas to life. This is an inclusive, supportive environment where you’ll be encouraged to ask questions and connect with other creatives in a group setting.
Monday
Becoming: A Storytelling Session facilitated by Suzanne Steele
2pm in the Downstairs of the Wells Community Hall
Becoming, is a storytelling session with Indigenous creatives Snotty Nose Rez Kids and SM Steele. In her new opera, Li Keur: Riel's Heart of the North, Steele writes a becoming story of the peoples in her opera, lii Michif. Note, this is not a creation story based on the cultural provenance of peoples (hers and other cultures). This session looks at the becoming story, and challenges participants to listen, scribe, tell their own becoming stories, and challenge cultural assumption
All BC and Canadian festival directors and music presenters are invited to participate in workshops and events at Northern Exposure at ArtsWells 2019 aimed at professional development and providing exposure to exciting new BC artists. If you are a BC or Canadian festival director and/or music presenter please get in touch with Julie Fowler at evie@imarts.com to receive your industry pass.
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There are unique opportunities and challenges faced by those who create, produce or present the arts in rural settings. The 4th Annual Northern Exposure Conference aims to explore this reality and strengthen the rural arts and culture sector.
Northern Exposure’s dynamic model of information sharing creates a solid foundation for the development of a strong network amongst the arts organizers and artists in attendance. Round table discussions, collaborative panels, workshops and open floor discussions allow for attendees to be heard and for solutions to be discovered with input from many sources.
In addition to workshops, round tables and networking, Northern Exposure also includes artist showcases to provide exposure to local, regional and provincial acts. Showcase applications are now closed for 2018.
Kelly Poirier of White Raven Consulting will again be facilitating the weekend, along with her co-facilitator, Nene Kraneveldt.
They both specialize in:
Working with groups to design and host community conversations, meetings, retreats and longer-term change and transformation projects.
Teaching and coaching The Circle Way as a transformative and collaborative meeting and management and leadership process.
Creating innovative conference experiences to bring more connection and authentic engagement.
Co-leading Art of Hosting Participatory Leadership learning experiences.
Hosting workshops and retreats on methods and practices related to personal and participatory leadership.
The core of our work is held through the Art of Hosting, and, circle process: The Art of Hosting is a highly effective way of harnessing the collective wisdom and self-organizing capacity of groups of any size. Based on the assumption that people give their energy and lend their resources to what matters most to them – in work as in life – the Art of Hosting blends a suite of powerful conversational processes to invite people to step in and take charge of the challenges and opportunities facing them.
download 2018 program here
2018 REGISTRATION:
Fee: $250 for Thursday night Welcome Reception & Showcases, Friday & Saturday all day, including evening showcases and Sunday afternoon. Some meals included. Accessibility is a priority; bursaries available for those with financial need.
Fee with 50% Bursary: $125 (Bursary Rate is available for those with financial need, please indicate on the registration form why you need a bursary), 100% bursaries are also possible if the need exists.
Breakfast & Lunch is included. Dinners will be at local restaurants in Wells.
If finances are a barrier to attendance please let us know, we want to make it possible for you to attend.
If you have questions please call IMA at 1-800-442-2787 or email info@imarts.com
SHOWCASEs AT NORTHERN EXPOSURE:
As part of the Northern Exposure Conference, musicians from across the province and beyond will be performing at both the Sunset Theatre and Barkerville on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, as well as out in Barkerville on Sunday afternoon.
The public can buy a 3 night pass for $20, or $10 for a single night. Showcases are included in conference registration.
2018 ACCOMMODATIONS:
WELLS
The Wells Hotel
1-800-860-2299
10% discount for Northern Exposure delegates
The Hubs Motel
1-866-994-3313
$15 off per night for Northern Exposure delegates
The Willow River
Ph: 250.994.2345 Email: info@stayinwells.ca
Only available to Northern Exposure Participants.
BARKERVILLE
New Barkerville Cottages
Newly built cottages at Barkerville, each with three-bedrooms, shared kitchen, bathroom and laundry.
The Kelly House B & B and the King House B & B
Ph: 250.994.3328 Email: kellyhouse@barkerville.bc.ca
Heritage building with all feather beds, footed tubs, and antique furnishings
In October 2015 IMA ran the first Northern Exposure Conference, which brought together festival and arts organizers from across the province to network, get professional development and share ideas. The conference also featured showcases by performing artists.
In 2016 we held Northern Exposure: Festival Edition, which focused specifically on rural festival organizers.
Both conferences helped to strengthen a network of arts organizers in rural communities and the main consensus is that these kind of gatherings our vital to our success and sustainability.
2017 has been a challenging year for many of us in rural BC as the wildfires forced cancellation or reduced attendance of many festivals, events and arts gatherings & workshops across the province. We have all learned a lot and have a lot to share. Northern Exposure 2017 will make time for discussion around disaster planning and emergency preparedness. 2017 is also the year of Canada 150 celebrations, but it is also a time to be activated in the process of reconciliation with the First Peoples of the land, who have been here much longer than 150 years. Northern Exposure 2017 will also have a focus on Indigenous engagement and what responsibility the arts have in reconciliation. We are excited to have Kelly Poirier of White Raven Consulting as our facilitator for the weekend and to guide conversation around meaningful Indigenous engagement.
Social Media will also be a focus of the conference this year with industry experts Alexandra Staseson of Move Through Communications and Evie Lavers, to provide information on effective use of social media.
Scroll down for Registration and the full schedule. We are excited to welcome rural arts & festival organizers back to Wells for the 3rd instalment of Northern Exposure. In addition to the conference sessions and discussions, there will also be musical showcases every evening.
Funding for Northern Exposure 2017 is provided by Creative BC and Heritage Canada.
REGISTRATION:
Register online below.
Fee: $250 for Thursday night Welcome Reception & Showcases, Friday & Saturday all day, including evening showcases and Sunday afternoon. Some meals included. Accessibility is a priority; bursaries available for those with financial need.
Fee with 50% Bursary: $125 (Bursary Rate is available for those with financial need, please indicate on the registration form why you need a bursary), 100% bursaries are also possible if the need exists.
Breakfast & Lunch is included.
If finances are a barier to attendance please let us know, we want to make it possible for you to attend.
If you have questions please call IMA at 1-800-442-2787 or email info@imarts.com
ACCOMMODATIONS:
The Nest (IMAs Artist-in-Residence Building) - Hostel style accommodations, shared bathroom/kitchen. Shared & Private room options. $20 - $65/night. Call IMA at 1-800-442-2787 or email outreach@imarts.com.
Hubs Motel - $15 off per night for conference participants
St. George Hotel in Barkerville - Special Conference Rate, must book for all three nights
SHOWCASEs AT NORTHERN EXPOSURE:
As part of the Northern Exposure Conference, musicians from across the province will be performing at both the Sunset Theatre and the Wells Hotel Pub on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night.
The Public can buy a 3 night pass for $20, or $10 for a single night. Showcases are included in conference registration.
Vounteer for NORTHERN EXPOSURE:
We are looking for volunteers to help with a variety of jobs! We need Stagehands, Kitchen helpers, Front of House folks, and Bar/Concession attendants. By completing a few hours you get access to all showcases and workshops for the whole weekend. Please email outreach@imarts.com to sign up to volunteer!
SCHEDULE:
Thursday, October 12
7pm - Welcome Reception and Musical Showcases begin (Sunset Theatre)
Friday, October 13 - Wells Community Hall
7:45 - 8:15am - Stretch and Move with Michael Margolick. No experience necessary; suitable for anyone who can walk comfortably. Wear loose clothing and bare feet/socks or flat shoes (no mats or props).
Michael Margolick started practicing Tai Chi in 1982 because, after years of strenuous athletics such as karate and distance running, I wanted a break and it looked easy. I was wrong but it was the right thing to do. I have also practiced yoga since 2008 and completed the Open Door Yoga teacher training program in 2015. I live, teach and practice in Vancouver and Sointula BC. My vision is a world where everyone has the passion and opportunity to fulfill themselves through the practice of their art.
Breakfast starts 8:30am – included in registration
9am - 10am - Check in Circle – What are you coming for, what do you hope to realize out of the time? Why are you/we REALLY here?
Kelly Poirier of White Raven Consulting will be our facilitator all weekend, helping to maximize our time together using her fifteen years of experience in meeting facilitation to create productive spaces for healthy and engaged dialogue, team building and the sharing of ideas.
Kelly holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in Vancouver. Kelly has an in-depth understanding of First Nations' arts and culture, having grown up on Tseshaht territory and attended Haa-huu-payak School. She learned song, dance and language studies from elders Carrie Little and Cathy Robinson. Throughout her studies, Kelly also obtained unique job skill sets, working in various part-time positions – always linking herself to the arts or First Nations organizations. Kelly has demonstrated leadership, organization, creative problem solving, and research skills, as well as a strong communication and teamwork background having served as a marketing and publicity coordinator for several non-profit arts and cultural organizations. Kelly continues to develop her understanding of Nuu-chah-nulth and West Coast First Nations' culture, organization and politics, which unearths further knowledge of protocol and cultural appropriateness. Kelly also understands the application of public relations and fundraising. Kelly's vision is to bridge the gaps between disparate interest groups, and economic and cultural sectors within communities.
10:15am - 12pm - Strengthening Networks and Communities – World Café
12 - 1:30pm - Lunch - included in registration
1:30pm - 4:00pm – Social Media Intensive
1:30pm – 2:15pm - 45 minutes – Evie Lavers - Social Media
The recent heated disasters over the summer had enormous consequences on many cultural & tourism events as well as a devastating loss on many small businesses in the Cariboo Region. With the escalating hunger of news feeds for content and the media’s insatiable appetite for a story it can be tricky to know how to communicate with your target market. Whether they be general members of the public, tourists, festival tickets buyers, funding bodies, media, artists, or local officials. Disaster can strike at any time but having a strong communication plan (including some do & don’t) can avoid punters with broken hearts, closure of events and lawsuits from angry ticket buyers.
In this 45 minute session Evie Lavers will give an overview on online communications with e-commerce and the arts in mind. Integrating a range of social media channels, mixed with a balance of print and radio promotion and mailing list development to create a strong marketing campaign and communication strategy for your business or event.
Evie Lavers is an innovative arts administrator from Australia, with over 6 years of experience, delivering online communications, strong social media campaigns and niche marketing PR services. After completing her Advanced Diploma in Music Business from CMIT, Perth, Western Australia she developed skills and relationships to coordinate large outdoor events that delivered live music, culture and art to over 15,000 attendees various times a year.
She now lives in Nelson, BC and has vast knowledge of the music industry including touring circuits, music publishing, artist rights and copyright laws, record labels online streaming services and crowdfunding business structures.
With this experience comes the knowledge and ability to assist in all areas of: publicity & marketing strategy and implementation, social media strategy and management, event management, artist and festival curation, programming and contract management, client and membership database management and brand development.
2:30pm – 3:15pm – Alexandra Staseson, Move Through Communications
Powerfully Unfolding Your Live-Event Story VS Unraveling Under the Pressure of Real-Time Variables
In this chat and open-discussion,
We will discuss the specific and often unforeseen challenges of running dynamic, effective and valuable social media / communications campaigns before, during, and after live events, festivals, productions and arts/entertainment endeavours. Within this we will uncover opportunities for planning and optimizing social media timelines, community-building and communications for your event or organizations. We'll take a look at ways to create through-lines of communication and social media efforts, connecting the dots for all aspects of your outreach and engagement to support the others' exponentially. Given that each organization and individual attending Northern Exposure, myself included, is coming from a different place in terms of scope of operation, together as a group we'll share our experiences to learn and grow, share knowledge around how we can powerfully move through the 'countdowns' to the events, and how we manage communications during the events. We'll look at all aspects of live-event production and learn to shift our lenses from 'promoting', into identifying areas where community-building can occur within each arm of our event, where moments can be extracted, created and put forward as online content, and where from here discoverability can occur for new eyeballs, new followers, and translating that into new attendees/ customers. These are the often forgotten areas whereby dynamic social media data can be later measured and utilized to increasingly sharpen and hone your marketing efforts and potency of engagement for the sake of improvement and for the sake of wooing or keeping sponsors and funding or media support. Together, we'll look at how to maximize what are often limited budgets available for marketing and we'll be touching upon where 'missed opportunities' most often occur, where bottlenecking and scrambling tends to occur the most, and what the potential impacts of that can be. We will look within these un-determined and always changing variables, where and how to achieve preparedness, and where and how we can set up systems to be at the steering wheel of 'the scramble' as much as possible, with maximum potency. So that come event time, we can as simply and powerfully as possible, let the 'story' unfold.
Alexandra Staseson / MoveThrough Productions Bio
Alexandra Staseson is the owner of MoveThrough Productions, providing dynamic strategy, consultation and implementation of social media, communications outreach and content production specifically within arts and entertainment. From TV, feature films and VOD, to live event production and festivals, she has designed and lead campaigns -on and off the ground- during Toronto International Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, Whistler Film Festival, SXSW, The ESPN Awards, over 100 feature films, and 7 seasons of Network Television programs. She currently serves as Director of Social Media for Canadian Film Champion Organization FirstWeekendClub.ca and CanadaScreens.ca online VOD platform as well as passionately working with and building community for Crazy8s Film Competition, Vancouver Chinese Film Festival, The Leo Awards, National Canadian Film Day and 'Beyond 150' Celebration of Indigenous Cinema. TV highlights include serving as National Manager of Outreach for CTV / Bell Media 'Canada 150' Television film event 'Canada in a Day', by Trish Dolman and Screen Siren Productions, executive produced by Ridley Scott (Scott Free). As well as working with City/Rogers for sitcom series Package Deal, and YTV / Netflix youth sitcom series 'Some Assembly Required', both by Thunderbird Films. The series 'Blood and Water' (OMNI / Rogers) was the first trilingual TV drama and this social media campaign was lead in English, Cantonese and Mandarin. Factual / Docu. TV entertainment includes Saw Dogs (Discovery / OLN) as well as McMorris and McMorris (MTV) both with Buck Productions and Ice Racer Showdown (CMT) with Corkscrew Entertainment. Alexandra is also an on-camera host, interviewer and live event emcee and has interviewed creative talent from Richard Dreyfuss and Russell Peters, to moderating a filmmakers panel with Oliver Stone and emerging Vancouver filmmakers during Vancouver Biennale. Alexandra is a member of The Academy of Canadian Film and Television, UBCP/ ACTRA and SOCAN. Alexandra@MoveThrough.com // @MoveThrough #MoveThrough
3:30pm – 4pm – Open Discussion around Social Media
5 - 7pm Jack O’Clubs Dinner Break /Networking/Barkerville Beer Tasting (dinner can be purchased by delegates)
7pm - 11pm - Evening Musical Showcases (Sunset Theatre)
Saturday, October 14 - Wells Community Hall
7:45 - 8:15am - Stretch and Move with Michael Margolick
Breakfast starts 8:30am – included in registration
9am - 12pm – Open Space Discussion -- as small communities and festivals geography, size capacity, emergency preparedness working together through unique challenges such as forest fires. Floor will be open to topics of most importance to delegates.
Also a session on Funding including presentation by Deb Beaton Smith on Music BC, Nadine Carew on BC Arts Council, Julie Fowler on Arts BC.
12 - 1:00pm - Lunch - included in registration
1:00pm – 3pm – The Awakening of my People through Sweat Lodge with Marcel Gagnon, a production of the Sunset Theatre Exploration Series in Wells
"I don't know who you are my boy, but the drum is calling you home."
From Wolf to Raven to Frog and finally Beaver, Elder, of the Lheidli T’enneh Band and Juno Award Nominee explores the four rounds of life's journey from an Aboriginal youth come leader. Through story and song, Marcel Gagnon's main message is "The Awakening of my people thru Sweat Lodge" which is ‘The Womb of Mother Earth.'
3:00 – 5:00pm - Indigenous Engagement Story Harvest with Kym Gouchie, Jeremy Pahl (aka Saltwater Hank), Ronnie Dean Harris (aka Ostwelve) and Marcel Gagnon
5:30 – 6:30pm Dinner Break, Jack O’Clubs(dinner can be purchased by delegates)
7pm - 11pm - Evening Musical Showcases (Sunset Theatre)
Sunday, October 15 – In Barkerville Historic Town
7:45 - 8:15am - Stretch and Move with Michael Margolick
Breakfast starts 8:30am – included in registration
9am - 12pm - Conference Wrap up and Goal Setting – World Action Café
12pm Lunch in Barkerville
1:00 - 1:30pm - Ostwelve in the Methodist Church in Barkerville
2:00 - 3:00pm Tour of Barkerville, walk to the Courthouse (weather permitting).
The 2nd incarnation of Northern Exposure was held October 21-23 in Wells. Called the “Festival Edition,” it was geared specifically towards festival organizers. It was a much more informal gathering and geared towards the theme of “Working Together.” How can we help one another, share resources, tools information and ideas, leverage group buying power/insurance, pool marketing dollars etc.
The registration fee of $75 basically covers food costs. We would love to have everyone eat together, and Wells at this time of year has very few food options, so we wanted to take care of the food so we could ensure it was available. We also do not want cost to be a barrier, so let us know if you need a bursary in order to attend. As for accommodations, there are some options below. Again please let us know if you can’t afford the options and we can look at finding billets. We really want to make this accessible to all and we realize that the travel alone is a big cost for some.
Please share this information with any other festival organizer. This gathering will not be as relevant to arts councils and other arts organizers, but next year we will look at having a larger group again. Heritage Canada indicated that they would consider coming back on board with funding in 2017.
Also please use this registration form to indicate your ability to attend ASAP. If we do not have enough interest by September 30th we will look to postpone till next year.
We really hope to see you all in Wells this October,
SCHEDULE :
Friday, October 21 - 7pm Reception and meet and greet at IMA Gallery (dinner available for purchase at the Wells Hotel)
Saturday, October 22
9am - Breakfast at IMA Gallery
9:30 - 12pm
-Festival Intros (everyone shares info about their festival, we will have the capability to show images and video, 10 minutes each)
-Confirm the discussion topics for the afternoon - what are the pressing needs, what do we want to make sure to cover?
12 - 1pm - Lunch
1pm - 4pm - Break out into our discussion groups
4 - 6pm - Informal networking at the Wells Hotel Pub
6pm - BBQ Dinner at the IMA Gallery
Evening - more informal networking, we have decided not to have artist showcases this year as we have no funding to pay artists, but there may be some ad hoc performances that take place at the pub that night.
Sunday, October 23
9am - Breakfast at the IMA Gallery
9:30am - 12pm - further discussions and action items
12 - 1pm - Lunch and good-byes
COST:
Registration is $75 per person and includes:
-A reception with food on Friday, October 21 at 7pm
-2 Continental Breakfasts (Saturday and Sunday)
-2 Lunches (Saturday and Sunday)
-1 Dinner on Saturday
BURSARIES:
Bursaries are available, please let us know if cost is a barrier to your attendance. We want you to come!
ACCOMMODATIONS:
Accommodations are available at our “Nest” residency building with rates ranging from $35-45/night for a room with shared bathroom and kitchen to $65/night for an ensuite bathroom and shared kitchen. Rates are based on double occupancy, and for the $65 rooms, you can fit more people in the room if you like. We have cots and extra beds that can be put in the rooms if you are up for sharing.
The Hubs Motel is also able to provide a $15/night discount for conference folks and the Wells Hotel is offering a 10% discount.
There may be some billeting option as well. Please let us know if you would like a billet and we will do our best to find one.
REGISTRATION:
Please have everyone interested in attending fill out this google form
TO PAY registration you can do that through paypal below, or phone 1-800-442-2787 to pay over the phone with a credit card, or mail a cheque to Island Mountain Arts, Box 65, Wells, BC, V0K 2R0.
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It was an action packed Thanksgiving weekend in Wells with the Northern Exposure Conference, which brought together over eighty rural arts organizers and artists from around the province to share information, learn new skills and most importably, get to know one another. I feel so grateful to have had the chance to meet and mingle with such a fantastic and dedicated bunch. The facilitator of the conference, Inga Petri guided us through the whole process, sharing her expertise in marketing, audience development and cultural tourism. Read the complete article here.
A common purpose: creating community
Speaking with Julie, we quickly established a common purpose: to build up a better networked rural festival and arts community.
My approach as facilitator and presenter was focused on creating spaces for participants to get to know each other, share knowledge and know-how, and encourage collaborative learning and action planning. Julie and her wonderful team took care of conference logistics, meals and showcases– 16 in total – at the local Sunset Theatre and the Wells Hotel. She arranged two sessions tailored for musicians. Sharing stories and action planning
On the last day of the conference we were in Barkerville.
The morning featured five inspiring stories presented by Julie Fowler, ArtsWells Festival/Island Mountain Arts; Carla Stephenson, Tiny Lights Festival; Karen Jeffery, Sunset Theatre; Deb Beaton Smith, Rifflandia; and Miriam Schilling, Xatśūll Heritage Village, Soda Creek.
The panelists – participants conversation drew the curtain back a little on how to build success, how to sustain arts in small communities and the kind of perseverance, experimentation and serendipity it takes. Everyone was eager to share their experiences and it felt like the perfect transition to move toward action planning.
But first I led a practical workshop on integrated online marketing with Fraser Hayes‘ able assistance. Fraser is the station manager of CFUR Radio in Prince George; a community radio station that has built a substantial integrated online footprint to complement its broadcasts. More insights and specific action items tumbled forth and then we were ready for lunch, a walk about this amazing restored gold rush town and the final two showcases.
Creating an open learning environment
I borrowed a networking exercise from the Yukon Arts Presenters Summit (Let’s Get Connected) which in turn the Yukon organizers had modified from SPARC. The four topics were:
• who you are and what you do
• your hopes and dreams
• what you’re seeking
• what you have to offer
I had the pleasure of working with Janet Rogers – a Mohawk/Tuscarora writer and broadcaster from the Six Nations in southern Ontario, who was born in Vancouver and has been living on the traditional lands of the Coast Salish people (Victoria, BC) since 1994 – to share information and lead a conversation on Cultural Tourism. I provided context and laid out a cultural tourism landscape. Janet led a conversation on how to access indigenous artists for festivals and events, and encouraged making the necessary contacts early in the event planning process. She proposed that in so doing we could move from the acknowledgement of traditional lands into meaningful inclusion and full participation by indigenous and non-indigenous artists. After all, Aboriginal tourism is seen as a key aspect of expanding Canada’s and BC’s cultural tourism potential.
I felt this was an important and open conversation about an area many of us want to get right but also feel some insecurity about. These protocols are new to most event organizers. What excites me is that meaningful change can happen through our individual decisions and actions, by getting to know each other and speaking openly and respectfully to each other. We don’t have to wait until everything is figured out in the big picture.
Sharing stories and action planning
The conference concluded with action planning. First I asked everyone to write down key take-aways from the conference, their next action steps and desired short and long-term results. The process requires participants to write the information out twice: one copy to take home and the second copy to be shared with participants. In this way we hope to facilitate network building. (I borrowed this format in condensed form from the Yukon Arts Presenters Summit which was facilitated by Jerry Yoshitomi.) Writing this down twice gives more time to reflect and form greater commitment to taking actions. This exercise moved seamlessly into a robust conversation around participant-identified topics. We collapsed about 10 (!) suggested topics into three broad areas: programming, operations and youth. Participants quickly gravitated toward their topic and a number of specific ideas for collaborations and resource sharing were brought forward.
It seemed everyone felt confident that this conference was not merely the culmination of a long-standing dream, but that it would be the catalyst to move forward with closer ties between participants and their organizations from all over rural BC.
There is a lot of interest in continuing the conversations that Northern Exposure ignited and Island Mountain Arts hopes to offer the conference again. imarts.com
