Mayworks Halifax Festival 2014
The 5th annual MayworksHalifax Festival of Working People & the Arts runs from April 23 to May 2nd. The festival stems from May 1st which around the world is recognized as International Workers’ Day or May Day. Mayworks Festivals are held in various cities and seek to bring workers and artists together; an eclectic range of events showcase art, in various forms, that explore social, environmental, economic and other justice issues.
“First of all it's a way for workers in general to recognize artists as cultural workers that share a common struggle for decent wages, healthy working conditions and a vibrant, relevant culture that reflects their lives,” says Mayworks Halifax organizer Sébastien Labelle. “It's also a way to invite artists to produce works of art that reflect the interests of workers, equity-seeking groups and people in poverty. Works of this nature often have difficulty finding venues and support, so the festival provides a vehicle for artists to address political issues that matter to them or communities they are part of.”
AE reached out to some of the artists, creators,
performers…who will be showcasing their works and passions during the festival.
They’ve offered a glimpse of their thoughts on some of the poignant questions
raised through such happenings as Mayworks. “First of all it's a way for workers in general to recognize artists as cultural workers that share a common struggle for decent wages, healthy working conditions and a vibrant, relevant culture that reflects their lives,” says Mayworks Halifax organizer Sébastien Labelle. “It's also a way to invite artists to produce works of art that reflect the interests of workers, equity-seeking groups and people in poverty. Works of this nature often have difficulty finding venues and support, so the festival provides a vehicle for artists to address political issues that matter to them or communities they are part of.”
A Society of Law
A new play (Us vs Them Theatre
Cooperative)
April 24-April 27;
8:00 pm; The Bus Stop Theatre; $10
“Art as an all encompassing medium can
be seen throughout history as a form of rebellion against the constraints
of societal norms. It is an unadulterated representation of
ourselves. With A Society of Law we explore the
distinctions between Law and Justice and the personal beliefs which lead
individuals to potentially compromise one for the other.” ~ Pasha Ebrahimi, Co-Creator of and Performer in A Society of Law
A Show of Force
April 25-May 13; Plan B Merchants Co-op (2180 Gottingen St); free
Opening Reception: April 25 (5-8pm)
Organized By ART+ACTIVISM@NSCAD
Supported by PLAN B Merchants Coop, Mayworks Halifax Festival 2014 and Justseeds Artist Collective
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Screenprint by Alex MacAskill,
featured in A Show of Force
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“… ‘A Show of Force’ was conceived
as a community-sourced exhibition that would draw on the significant role
print-media can play in social agitation, activism, and collective action in
addressing pertinent local social justice issues. The exhibition grew out of a
two-day public workshop at the NSCAD University printshop, where [over 35]
attendees learned different strategies for creating imagery in response to
social justice issues…Resulting themes include labour rights, aboriginal
rights, fisheries, the state of the Commons, student rights, and the decline of
community art spaces in the city, to name a few…”
“…The printshop at NSCAD is communal and
social in nature, where many people work together in a shared space and can
collaborate on common goals. This seemed especially appropriate for the
Mayworks Festival, even more so when considering the broader and interrelated
implications of the issues presented as well as the history of grassroots
propaganda production and the ongoing role of visual culture in the service of
protest and activism.” ~ Ericka Walker (ART+ACTIVISM@NSCAD), Printmaking Professor at NSCAD
Book Launch
Crises of Imagination, Crises of Power:
Capitalism, Creativity and the Commons by Max
Haiven, published by Fernwood Publishing
April 26;
7:00 pm; The Bus Stop Theatre; free
"The idea that artists aren't also
workers, or that workers aren't also artists, is a problem. But, today, most
artists are systematically denied any impact on society and relegated to
poverty, and most workers never get a chance to exercise their creativity or
see it recognized in any meaningful way. We need to build a world beyond
capitalism, where the creativity of everyone can be valued, and where we can
see the impacts of our creativity in the fabric of our daily lives and on
society at large." ~ Author Max Haiven
“… the festival also provides the labour movement a means through which to share its values and mission to the general public. All too often, unions are misrepresented in the media creating confusion about their purpose. The festival allows us to demystify unions and celebrate through art what we're really about: social justice, democracy, equity and collective empowerment - not only in the workplace, but throughout our communities.” ~ Mayworks Halifax organizer, Sébastien Labelle (SEIU Local 2, Nova Scotia)
Cafe DaPoPo
Order monologues, music and mayhem off the menu!
“We,
as artists, see ourselves as workers. It's not surprising when we share many of
the experiences, positive or negative, that workers in other fields do. We use
performance as a tool to share those stories, to give voice to what pleases us
and to what displeases us. The conversation between art workers and those
workers outside of the arts community is essential to making sure that
important stories are told.” ~ Actor Zach Faye, DaPoPo Theatre
Reel Justice
Admission: By
Donation to The Burnley “Rocky” Jones Education Fund
“I am basically interested in the human being, irrespective of
faith, colour, social strata considering the fact that many of us are living in
difficult times at a national or an international level: functional illiteracy,
unpredictable economies, associated with unnecessary polarization have widened
the gap and affected the natural/transparent way we should typically
interact. I feel that gaps there must be bridged and that will be my
mission in future documentaries, which is what I've aimed to accomplish with
the documentary film Pushed Out…”
“… In my latest documentary Continuing The Legacy I follow
up with the legendary music group 'The Wailers' experiencing their journey of
spearing the message of promoting peace, love, unity and equality through their
music. Similarly, currently we're at the last stages of production with the
documentary film Reeny that mainly follow a talented artist in North
Preston, Reeny Smith, who aims to restore a stronger sense of hope with an
optimistic vision in her community through her music.” ~ Fateh Ahmed, Filmmaker and Centre for
Arts Tapes’ Digital Filmmaking Program Manager
Admission: By Donation to The Burnley “Rocky” Jones Education Fund
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Fateh Ahmed’s film Reeny will
be one of 11
featured at the Reel Justice event.
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This year’s Mayworks Halifax
Festival kicks off on Wednesday with what sounds like an amazing evening at the Dalhousie Art Gallery, the venue currently exhibiting
Beat Nation: Art, Hip Hop & Aboriginal Culture. The night’s
lineup will include traditional Mi’kmaw ceremonies, a screening of Seeking
Netukulimk and a panel discussion entitled Art and Indigenous Resistance.
To find out more about the
festival and what other events are going on:
Mayworks Halifax 2014 Festival
April 23-May 2, 2014
