Mar 24 - Mar 28, 2010

March 24 - 28, times vary. Please read on for exact details.

THE CULTURE CONGRESS as part of FREE FALL '10, presented by Harbourfront Centre and The Theatre Centre

This year The Culture Congress poses the question How do we come together? – artist to artist, artist to presenter and artist to audience. Through a series of informal talks, roundtable discussions, post-show parties and game nights, The Culture Congress intends to break down the walls that can separate artist, presenter, audience all of whom are necessary to any creative work.

Irish Focus
We have invited artistic programmers from Ireland to join this discussion. They will share and compare their Irish experiences – as a culture similar to ours and yet so profoundly different in its world perspective. Discussion topics include mentorship, the Canadian presenting ecology and building community. The Theatre Centre and Harbourfront Centre acknowledge
the support of Theatre Junction and Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture in making the Irish Delegation possible.

Mentorship
Mentorship is the cornerstone of this year’s Free Fall. The Culture Congress provides a forum to explore and express our national mentorship identity. Over three days, our afternoon series will feature Free Fall senior artists Tanya Mars (performance art), Hillar Liitoja (theatre),and Bill James (dance), who continue to build their careers pushing the boundaries of performance. Each mentorship talk will spotlight one of these vital creators in conversation with artists they have mentored over their long careers.

Please continue to visit this page for updates.

Events are Free. For further information and to register please email culturecongress@harbourfrontcentre.com or culturecongress@theatrecentre.org.

------------

MARCH 24
REGISTRATION, MEET & GREET, and TOUR OF THE THEATRE CENTRE
The Theatre Centre – 1pm
Pick up your Culture Congress schedule. Chat with other participants, the festival co-curators and meet the artists. Those curious can sneak a backstage look at The Theatre Centre.

OPENING PARTY
Watermark Restaurant, Queens Quay Terminal – 10pm
The Culture Congress opens with a Stampede ‘Late-Night’ Breakfast in conjunction with Theatre Junction’s On the Side of the Road (Calgary).

MARCH 25
MENTORSHIP IN CONVERSATION
Hillar Liitoja / DNA Theatre (theatre)
Harbourfront Centre, Miss Lou’s Room – 3pm-4.30pm
Founded in 1982 by artistic director Hillar Liitoja, DNA Theatre immediately captured the public's attention with its unique style of overlapping texts with shifting, breathtaking imagery. DNA's latest work, Wit in Love, is featured at part of Free Fall. Hillar will be speaking with 'mentees' Cathy Gordon and Magdalena Vasko.

COMMUNITY INFO SESSION
with Programming Directors of Harbourfront Centre Harbourfront Centre, Miss Lou’s Room - 5.30pm-7pm
This is a unique opportunity to get an overview of the various programming departments at Harbourfront (literary, visual arts, craft, performance and community and education programmes). You will hear from Directors and Artistic Associates about their curatoral framewlro and vision, how they work with artists and outside partners, and the processes they go through in order to bring a project to fruition.

POST-SHOW PARTY
The Theatre Centre / Cream Tangerine Gallery & Café – 10pm
Mix and mingle after the show at the festival hot-spot Cream Tangerine in celebration of opening night of The Chop Theatre’s KISMET one to one hundred (Vancouver).