The Electric City Culture Council (EC3) is proud to launch Artsweek SHIFT, a six-month-long arts program featuring art pop-ups across the city and online, and the start of Artsweek SHIFT’s curated project, Downtown, a multi-event initiative featuring some of Peterborough’s best-known painters, poets and spoken word artists.
Artsweek SHIFT is a special COVID-19 project developed by EC3 in response to the postponement, until September 2021, of Artsweek Peterborough, the 10-day, biennial multidisciplinary arts festival, which normally would take place this year, but was delayed due to the pandemic. Artsweek SHIFT includes an upcoming Open Call for Proposals and two curated projects, Downtown and Post-Code Tour. All Artsweek SHIFT events are FREE!
Downtown, curated by local poet Justin Million, celebrates local visual artists, poets, and spoken word artists who live and work in Peterborough's downtown core.
“Artists and art lovers in Peterborough are used to a bustling and vast scene, replete with discussions, gatherings, arguments, debate, performance, and reflection. This project brings together a selection of artists who never stopped working during the pandemic, and who deserve to be seen and heard as much as possible, whose crucial labour bears witness to the current moment.” --Downtown curator Justin Million
Downtown 1: Menacing Beauty – The John Climenhage Storefront Project, is an exhibition of “en plein air” works by Peterborough visual artist John Climenhage, depicting Peterborough’s downtown during lthe pandemic ockdown. The paintings will be shown at local stores, cafes, and restaurants between October 30 and November 13. (Link.)
Downtown 2: What the Poets Are Doing is a series of readings by local poets and spoken word artists. The first public reading took place last week in the parking lot behind The Theatre on King (photos attached at bottom). The next reading is November 7 at 3pm at The Theatre on King (171 King St, Peterborough, ON), and will feature poets Katherine Heigh, Shaun Phuah, and Nick Taylor, as well as Million. (Link.)
What the Poets Are Doing also features a Private Reading Giveaway. Anyone in Peterborough can enter to win one of two private poetry readings, to take place outside at their home, or over Zoom, with local poets Jon Hedderwick, Elizabeth Jenkins, Ziysah, and Million. This Giveaway runs until November 4 at 12pm ET. (Link.)
Post-Code Tour, organized by Artsweek veteran curator Hannah Keating, challenges three artists – writer Derek Newman-Stille, visual artist Bethany LeBlonc, and multidisciplinary performance artist Sioux Lilly – to reimagine Peterborough’s downtown in the future, redesigning iconic Peterborough landmarks with a focus on inclusion and accessibility. (Link.)
“The goal is to explore new realities that are shaped by lived disabled experiences, using a critical lens and humour to seek beauty and delight in inclusive public access that can exist within and beyond official accessibility codes and legislation.” --Post-Code Tour curator Hannah Keating
The results will be posted to the Post-Code Tour Instagram page (@post_code_tour) between November 9 and 30. This will be followed by a series of events and discussions both in-person and online.
The next phase of Artsweek SHIFT is an Open Call for Proposals, where local artists and arts organizations will be invited to submit proposals for projects, to take place over the next six months. Details on the Open Call for Proposals will be released in early November.
Details on all Artsweek SHIFT projects can be found on Artsweek SHIFT’s website, and regular updates will be provided on Artsweek’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Our Upcoming Events section is brought to you by Patrick McAuley of Bowes & Cocks LTD Brokerage.
