ARCfest

TORONTO’S HUMAN RIGHTS ARTS FESTIVAL
October 13th – 17th (Exhibit Launch on October 12th)

ARCfest (Art for Real Change) is a five-day festival that will combine multiple forms of artistic _expression_ with panel discussions and speakers to explore human rights issues within Canada. Drawing primarily on members from Toronto’s artistic community, the Festival will showcase theatre, music, film, poetry, dance, photography as well as panel discussions and speakers.

With over 55 politically and socially conscious artists coming together under the banner of ‘Art for Real Change’, ARCfest promises to be a source of inspiration, education and motivation to all who participate and attend. Check out a synopsis of our festival program listed below or visit our website for more details

website: www.arcfest.org
email: general@arcfest.org.
hotline: 416-538-4637

ARCfest Highlights:

VENUES:

Gladstone Hotel 1214 Queen Street West (East of Dufferin)
The Workman Theatre 1001 Queen Street West (at Ossington)
Gallery 61 61 Ossington (North of Queen)
Le Gallery 1183 Dundas St West (West of Ossington)
Tranzac Club 292 Brunskwick (South of Bloor)

Visual Arts for Real Change--Exhibit Launch
Tuesday, Oct. 12th 5:30-7:30pm
Gallery 61 and Le Gallery: Free
The five artists represented in this provocative exhibit use the visual arts to challenge and explore human rights issues within Canada. Featured artists include Matt Bahen, Daryl Bucar, Syrus Ware, Hollis Baptiste, and Jenna Mclennan. Join us at Gallery 61 for a drink and an opportunity to interact with the artists as we celebrate our first event of the festival we will then walk over to Le Gallery for a presentation of Faces an interactive video installation on censorship in Canada created by Geoff Pugen.

Human Rights and The Arts: A Canadian Context
An introductory address By Haroon Siddiqui
Wednesday, Oct. 13th 8:00-8:30pm, The Workman Theatre. Free
Join renowned journalist Haroon Siddiqui in an exploration of the central theme of the festival: In what way can the arts be used to address human rights issues within Canada.

El Contrato-- Documentary Film directed by Min Sook Lee
Wednesday Oct. 13th 8:45-10:45pm, The Workman Theatre.
El Contrato follows Teodoro Bello Martinez, a poverty-stricken father of four living in Central Mexico, and several of his countrymen as they make an annual migration to the Southern Ontario town of Leamington. Under a well-meaning government program that allows growers to monitor themselves, the opportunity to exploit workers is as ripe as the fruit they pick.

Tales Of An Urban Indian
Staged Reading written/performed by Darrel Dennis followed by a Q&A with the artist
Thursday Oct. 14th 9:00-10:30pm, The Workman Theatre.

Poets For Real Change
An evening of Spoken Word hosted by Dwayne Morgan with D’bi Young, Shawna, and Spin. Thursday Oct. 14th 10:00–12:00 midnight, The Gladstone Hotel.

Fifteen Minutes to Change the World
Performance and Discussion presented by Cahoots Theatre and PEN Canada
Friday Oct. 15th 8:00-10:00pm, The Gladstone Hotel.
An evening of political dramas written by Emma Beltrán, George Seremba, Silvija Jestrovic, and Goran Simic - playwrights from PEN Canada's Writers In Exile Program.

Speaking Out: Queer Youth In Toronto
Documentary Films followed by a panel discussion
Saturday Oct. 16th 2:00-4:00pm, The Workman Theatre.
Featuring two compelling and intimate documentaries: Christian Porn, Directed By Roy Mitchell and Class Queers Directed By Melissa Levin and Roxana Spicer

Threadbare (a work in progress)
Saturday Oct. 16th 8:00-10:00pm, The Workman Theatre. Documentary Film written and directed by Arshad Khan about the18 Pakistani and one Indian Muslim Man who were arrested, detained, and then deported by the RCMP without ever being charged.

Arts and Activism
Sunday Oct. 17th 3:00-4:30pm, TRANZAC Club. Free
This panel will feature a variety of artists and activists, including singer/activist Rosina Kazi of LAL, arts-activist Syrus Ware, disabilities acitivist and artist Don Peuramaki, activist and poet Spin and Professors Daniel Fischlin. Martha Nandorfy co-authors of The No Nonsense Guide To Human Rights forThe New Internationalist.

Thank you to our sponsors: Canadian Heritage Human Rights Program, The Toronto Arts Council, Canadian Race Relations Foundation, and The Rights and Democracy Network.