Canadian Stage Announces Details for 2011 Festival of Ideas & Creation

Canadian Stage shares programming details for the Festival of Ideas & Creation, the company's annual festival supporting the development of artists and new works, taking place at the Berkeley Street Theatre (26 Berkeley Street) from May 9 to 21, 2011. The Festival will include over 30 exciting free events that explore the future of theatre with award-winning artists including Atom Egoyan, Robert Carsen, Will Power, Weyni Mengesha, Moynan King, Fides Krucker, Allen Cole, Patrice Naiambana, Surahata Susso, Chris Earle and Canadian Stage Artistic & General Director Matthew Jocelyn. Curated by Festival Director Natasha Mytnowych and Associate Festival Director Claire Calnan, Festival events include public readings, forums and industry-oriented workshops.

The 2011 Festival focuses on the future of theatrical performance through cross-disciplinary collaboration and explores how Contemporary Theatre is evolving with the changing perceptions of both creators and audiences. All Festival events, performances and workshops will explore the increasing presence of non-traditional influences in 21st Century Theatre - including dance, opera, visual art, and more - featuring established international leaders and emerging local artists.

"The Festival showcases work from the artists who are at the cutting edge of cross-disciplinary creation," said Natasha Mytnowych, Festival Director. "The programming offers so many hybrids of theatre - with dance, music, hip hop, film, opera - including people and experts who aren't necessarily artists. This year we're excited to launch almost two dozen new projects, each exploring the ‘future' of the theatrical medium."

Audiences and creators are invited to participate in the free talkback series called In Conversation where artistic leaders Matthew Jocelyn and film and stage director Atom Egoyan will discuss their upcoming collaboration Cruel and Tender , (part of the 2011.2012 Canadian Stage season) as well as other speakers who will focus on techniques that fuse theatre with dance, African music, opera, hip-hop, visual art, improv, as well as non-theatricAl Fields like architecture and research and non-fiction texts. The public can also enjoy: a free performance of the improvised antics of The National Theatre of the World; a new creation by Montreal's Sidemart Theatrical Grocery; The Decameron: Things We Left Behind at the Thompson Landry Gallery; a youth interdisciplinary workshop with Patrice Naiambana and Surahata Susso; a "social" for female artists' Winterbird's Starling Art Party!; and the year-end celebration of Canadian Stage's emerging artists program: the GYM Playoffs.

Artist Intensives are available for industry workers to learn from world-class leaders such as Atom Egoyan, renowned opera director Robert Carsen, Second City improv expert Chris Earle, music-infused creators Patrice Naiambana and Surahata Susso and groundbreaking hip-hop artist and playwright Will Power.

As always, The Festival of Ideas & Creation will hold a series of free readings and workshop performances of over a dozen new cross-disciplinary works from some of Toronto's most exciting talents, including Weyni Mengesha's Emoticonics, Jordan Tannahill's Peter Fechter: 52 Minutes, Jessica Moss's Modern Love, Beth Kates and Steven McCarthy's The Synesthesia Project, Liza Balkan's Dustings, Moynan King's The Proust Project, Yvonne Ng's Cradlesong and the youth in the Canadian Stage Young Company and the Innovators Directors Program. These works, and more, will be featured in the New Creations series highlighting the innovative merging of theatre and dance, multimedia and non-fiction influences.

The Festival of Ideas & Creation aims to encourage discussion and exchange between local, national, and International Artists, both emerging and established, to inspire new projects that will push theatre into exciting and unexplored directions. It was designed to bring audiences and creators together to explore the process of creation, reflect on current trends, and look toward the future.

For a full schedule of events, and all programming details visit www.canadianstage.com/festival.
Ticket reservations can be made by emailing festival@canadianstage.com or by calling 416.368.3110.
Artist Intensive registration forms available at www.canadianstage.com/festival

Festival Partners include Arraymusic, b current, Canadian Opera Company, Candles Are For Burning, Equity Showcase Theatre, Human Cargo, Princess Productions, Suburban Beast, The Second City and Thompson Landry Gallery.

About the 2011 Festival of Ideas & Creation:
The 2011 Festival of Ideas & Creation: Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration will take over the Berkeley Street Theatre and focus on the creative processes adopted by international and Canadian artists. Established in 2006, the Festival is Canadian Stage's flagship event supporting the development of artists and new works. The Festival supports established artists and fosters the next generation of artistic innovators and brings together local, national and International Artists to spark new creative projects and encourages cross-pollination between artistic disciplines. The Festival features public readings, forums and workshops as an opportunity for audiences to look behind the scenes to explore and participate in the development of new work.

About Canadian Stage:
Founded in 1987 with the merger of CentreStage and Toronto Free Theatre, Canadian Stage is one of Canada's leading not-for-profit Contemporary Theatre companies. Led by Artistic & General Director Matthew Jocelyn, Canadian Stage produces and showcases innovative theatre work from Canada and around the world, allowing its audience to encounter daring work guided by a strong directorial vision and a 21st-century aesthetic. The company prides itself on presenting trans-disciplinary work and work in translation that pushes the boundaries of form and style. The company reinforces the presence of Canadian art and artists within an international context through work that mirrors the cultural diversity of Toronto. Canadian Stage has a long-standing commitment to education and enhancement programs for the public and investing in the art form by nurturing and developing theatre professionals while producing thought-provoking theatre and quality entertainment in Toronto, one of North America's largest theatre centres. For more information, refer to canadianstage.com.