Hey friends… just a little note about some stuff coming up in June. In Toronto. Fuuuuuuuuun.
For June?
Luminato - website
Now in its fourth year - an annual ten-day celebration where Toronto's stages, streets, and public spaces are illuminated with arts and creativity. Luminato is a multi-disciplinary festival of theatre, dance, classical and contemporary music, film, literature, visual arts, design and more. a charitable, not-for-profit, cultural organization whose vision is to commission and present significant local, national and international programming that reflects the city of Toronto as a diverse and accessible city that engages domestic and international audiences. It embraces three key programming principles: collaboration, accessibility, and diversity.
collaboration - creating unforgettable moments by bringing together artists from different cultures and genres. The festival encourages local, national, and international artists to discover unprecedented creative expressions through unexpected partnerships. The Luminato staff, led by CEO Janice Price, partners with the Luminato Artistic Committee, as well as the arts leadership of the City of Toronto, to shape the programming offered at the Festival. Accessibility - hallmarks include free widely accessible events, and "accidental encounters with art." Festival-goers are invited to participate, explore, and celebrate their own creative spirit. Diversity - embraces and celebrates Toronto's cultural diversity, and recognizes that creativity flourishes when cultures join together in a spirit of tolerance and respect.
Pride week (June 25th - July 4th)
(below) Longtime community stalwarts Mandy Goodhandy & Todd Klinck have been chosen as the Grand Marshals of Pride Week
Pride Toronto is the not-for-profit organization that hosts Pride Week, an annual festival held during the first weekend of July in downtown Toronto. Pride Toronto exists to celebrate the history, courage, diversity and future of Toronto's LGBTTIQQ2SA* communities and is one of the leading cultural events of its kind in the world with a total economic benefit in 2009 of $136 million. Toronto's Pride Week has been named Best Festival in Canada by the Canadian Special Events Industry in 2004, 2005 and 2009, and is recognized as one of only eight Signature Events in the City of Toronto. It is ranked one of the TOP 50 festivals in Ontario by Festivals and Events Ontario (FEO) as well as one of the 18 Marquee Festivals of Distinction in Canada. With attendance of over 1,2 million, it is the third largest Pride celebration in the world and the largest in North America. For media accreditation for the festival, please visit http://www.pridetoronto.com.
For June?
Luminato - website
Now in its fourth year - an annual ten-day celebration where Toronto's stages, streets, and public spaces are illuminated with arts and creativity. Luminato is a multi-disciplinary festival of theatre, dance, classical and contemporary music, film, literature, visual arts, design and more. a charitable, not-for-profit, cultural organization whose vision is to commission and present significant local, national and international programming that reflects the city of Toronto as a diverse and accessible city that engages domestic and international audiences. It embraces three key programming principles: collaboration, accessibility, and diversity.
collaboration - creating unforgettable moments by bringing together artists from different cultures and genres. The festival encourages local, national, and international artists to discover unprecedented creative expressions through unexpected partnerships. The Luminato staff, led by CEO Janice Price, partners with the Luminato Artistic Committee, as well as the arts leadership of the City of Toronto, to shape the programming offered at the Festival. Accessibility - hallmarks include free widely accessible events, and "accidental encounters with art." Festival-goers are invited to participate, explore, and celebrate their own creative spirit. Diversity - embraces and celebrates Toronto's cultural diversity, and recognizes that creativity flourishes when cultures join together in a spirit of tolerance and respect.
Pride week (June 25th - July 4th)
(below) Longtime community stalwarts Mandy Goodhandy & Todd Klinck have been chosen as the Grand Marshals of Pride Week
Pride Toronto is the not-for-profit organization that hosts Pride Week, an annual festival held during the first weekend of July in downtown Toronto. Pride Toronto exists to celebrate the history, courage, diversity and future of Toronto's LGBTTIQQ2SA* communities and is one of the leading cultural events of its kind in the world with a total economic benefit in 2009 of $136 million. Toronto's Pride Week has been named Best Festival in Canada by the Canadian Special Events Industry in 2004, 2005 and 2009, and is recognized as one of only eight Signature Events in the City of Toronto. It is ranked one of the TOP 50 festivals in Ontario by Festivals and Events Ontario (FEO) as well as one of the 18 Marquee Festivals of Distinction in Canada. With attendance of over 1,2 million, it is the third largest Pride celebration in the world and the largest in North America. For media accreditation for the festival, please visit http://www.pridetoronto.com. *Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer, Questioning, 2-Spirited and Allies
(great website - including their statement on the use of the words 'Israeli Apartheid'... "For that reason we asked members of Queers Against Israeli Apartheid (QuAIA) to re-evaluate their approach when participating in Pride activities - that is not only our right as a Board but our obligation. QuAIA is not being banned from this year's festival. We are restricting the use of words and phrases that can promote a poisonous atmosphere and detract from the goal of celebrating diversity within our community. No Canadian, Queer or Straight, should have to worry about their safety in a public space because of who they are or what they believe. It is regrettable that some former participants of the Parade are choosing not to participate this year but we respect the difficulty of their decision.")