Isaac Bond features at Word Up Wednesday, May 15, Doors at 7pm, $5

532228_10152742747365246_765651528_nFeature poet Isaac Bond has been performing hip hop and spoken word for about 12 years. In 2012 and 2013, he has performed at four national poetry festivals. Isaac’s poetry is kind of like the euphonic swish of a basketball net soloing over the cacophonous oral expressions of the human condition. He enjoys listening and being lost in thought almost as much as being at a loss for words. All the inspirational silence in his life makes it impossible to stop writing, especially when that silence is broken by all the poet friends he’s met in his home of Saskatoon and across the nation.

We’ll also have our regular poetry slam – a high-spirited show-down of words and wit, in which some of Regina’s finest performance poets battle it out for the prestige of being Regina’s top word warrior!

Admission $5

An open mic will follow, time permitting.

Doors at 7pm. Volunteers and slammers should arrive by 7:15.

To register for the slam, or for more information, e-mail wordupwednesday@gmail.com.

 

Grant Davidson with Devon Floyd, March 9, Doors at 7:30, $10

Many artists struggle tirelessly to carve out a unique musical identity, an image or sound to separate themselves from the crowd. Grant Davidson, by contrast, effortlessly straddles the intersecting lines of various genres and styles. Folk, soul, country, rock n’ roll have all worked their way into his songwriting, creating something that is of all these and yet none. His newest album, which he is set to record in the winter of 2013, marks a clear and conscious evolution towards further modernizing his sound while maintaining a firm footing in the sounds of decades past; walking a terrain that’s both familiar and rife with possibility. Grant will be performing at the CCC on March 9th. Devon Floyd from The Lonesome Weekends will be opening the show!

Winnipeg, Manitoba born and raised, Davidson spent time on the coffeehouse circuit before recording a lo-fi solo record, Freestyle Walking (2006), which saw a limited release. He then eased into a fuller trio set-up with which he recorded his first officially released album, Tired Limbs for Ashes (2009), a hard-luck roots record, lauded for delivering gut-wrenching heartache with all the warmth and intimacy that makes feeling sad feel good. “It was around this time that I started really listening to old country records: The Carter Family, Hank Williams, and the sort, as well as the 70’s outlaw country scene like Jerry Jeff Walker and Billy Joe Shaver, so that sound really crept into the making of that album.”

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Togs, Talent and Turkey Dinner: Fall arrives at the Creative City Centre

I have no idea where September went. I swear it was here a second ago and now I’m hauling myself out of a turkey-induced coma to write October’s blog.  [Read more...]

Culture Days: “Say “Yes!” – An introduction to Theatrical Improvisation with Judy Wensel, September 29, 1 to 3pm

In this workshop, participants will be encouraged to get over that voice in our heads that makes us question, cower and cringe! Learn to trust your instincts and capitalize on your impulses in order to create scenes, stories and characters. Perfect for beginners, advanced improvisers or anyone in between who has ever been curious about the act of making it up in the moment! Click ‘read more’ to register. [Read more...]

Culture Days: Wordplay – A Creative Writing Workshop with Shayna Stock, September 30, 1-4pm

In an interactive and light-hearted group environment, Shayna will guide participants through a series of exercises aimed at accessing and enhancing creativity. Learn how to work with and move beyond the inner critic in order to find your inner poet! The workshop will focus on process over product. Writers and non-writers are equally encouraged to attend. Click ‘read more’ to register. [Read more...]

Culture Days: Nick Faye, Tara Holloway, Tiny, September 30, Doors at 7:30

We are celebrating the final day of Culture Days 2012, with a great concert with a killer lineup, Nick Faye, Tara Holloway, and Tiny! Doors will open at 7:30 and music will start at 8pm. Same as all other Culture Days, this event is free of charge.

Nick Faye is a musician from the dusty metropolis of Regina, SK. After composing his first songs at the age of 16, music took root in Faye like a wild prairie flower. A collection of EP’s and basement recordings followed. The Last Best West is Faye’s latest full-band offering that was released on Urban Planning Records on May 5, 2011. The Last Best West is an eight song collection of windswept thoughts and Prairie contemplations by Nick Faye and the Deputies. Written by Nick Faye over the summer and fall of 2010, the songs revisit vivid memories of small towns and family farms, lost romances and carefree summers spent along the sun soaked Qu’Appelle Valley. Faye’s music was written to be enjoyed while driving with the windows down on a muddy Saskatchewan back road.

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Alexis Normand in concert, Thursday, February 2, doors at 7:30 pm, $10

During Culture Days 2011, we presented a number of artists on our stage. Some of those performances were arranged by Culture Days animateur Johanna Bundon, who introduced us to the musical talents of Alexis Normand.  Alexis is an incredibly gifted songwriter, vocalist and performer.  We are delighted that she has chosen to return to our stage, as part of her 2012 tour of Canada, which is supported by the Saskatchewan Arts Board.  Alexis has a smooth vocal style that both captivates and inspires.  This show is scheduled for Thursday, February 2nd, with doors opening at 7:30 pm.  The music will begin at 8:00 pm.  The opening act is Rebecca Lascue, one of Regina’s up and coming new artists.  Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door.

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Canadian Women in Music: Gabrielle Papillon and Kim Wempe, Saturday, October 8, 8 pm doors

Now that fall is upon us, we are getting serious about promoting a monthly concert series featuring “Canadian Women in Music”.  We started that series in May when we opened with a concert featuring Toronto’s Lis Soderberg, but the efforts of getting this building up and running forced us to put our marketing plans on hold.  So, even though we have presented a wide variety of “Canadian women in music” in the past few months (Redbird, Ann Vriend, Olenka, Jen Lane, Belle Plaine, Carrie Catherine, etc.), this concert is finally going to be presented under our banner: Canadian Women In Music!  We are delighted to present two outstanding talents, Gabrielle Papillon from Montreal, and Kim Wempe from Nova Scotia (born in Saskatchewan!).  Tickets are $8 advance and $10 at the door.

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Andy Shauf! Free noon hour concert, Sept 28! At noon! Free!

Andy Shauf

We have a last minute addition to our Culture Days line-up, and it’s a really good one!  Andy Shauf will be performing a free noon hour show on Wednesday, September 28.  Born in Estevan, Saskatchewan, Andy has moved his youth around the prairies, acquiring a unique respect for western life and an impressive collection of hometowns. Song writing and performing became deeply ingrained, from his final year of high school into the nomadic final teen years, when Andy began to hone the skill and commitment of an artist. The results of these years are assembled on his debut album, Darker Days, on which Andy handles all of the instrumentation himself, the incredible vocal arrangements and song writing. [Read more...]

Bead Working with Sharon Pelletier, Sunday, October 2, 1 pm – 5 pm

Another Culture Days activity!  Our friend Sharon Pelletier will be conducting four one hour long bead work workshops from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 2, 2011 at the Creative City Centre.  A maximum of 4 – 5  participants per hour will learn two forms of bead work. Materials will be provided for free.

Sharon Pelletier was born in Yorkton, Saskatchewan.  Her roots are Saulteaux and Cree heritage.  She is a visual and performance artist.  Sharon completed a Bachelor of Administration degree in 1998 and a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2008.  She continues to work on art production on a part time basis.

The workshop is free of charge, but we do need you to register in advance if possible!  Click here for the registration form.  Please make sure you include your phone number, as we will be contacting you to confirm which hour you can attend.