Toronto’s First Annual Festival of House Culture
Announcing . . .
TORONTO’S FIRST ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF HOUSE CULTURE
July 4-6, 2014
An exciting weekend of music, theatre, food, film, visual art, poetry, lectures, workshops, conversations, and community – all in people’s back yards and living rooms!
All events are pay-what-you-wish and open to the public. The gatherings are all within walking distance and timed so you can attend as many as you want.
FRIDAY JULY 4
6 PM – Potluck Dinner at The Romero House Centre (1558 Bloor West)
730 PM – Opening Night (1558 Bloor West) – blues/soul diva Cheryl White, Anthony Moscar on micro-housing in Toronto, and silent films with live music by Marcel Au Coin
SATURDAY JULY 5
1230 PM – Songs and Preludes at Raphael’s
(2237A Dundas West) with Karyn Ellis, Michael Holt, and Erika Werry.
3 PM – Madrigal Singalong Workshop at Jane’s
(16 Jerome St).
4 PM – Philosophy Salon at Jane’s (16 Jerome St) with madrigal singalong performance, show tunes by Sarah Pelzer, and a fun philosophy conversation led by Johanna Polley.
730 PM – Headline Night at Chez Au-kyte (32 Dorval Rd) with super-creative pop band Words Around The Waist and monologues by four dramatic actors.
1145 PM – Midnight Movies at Michael’s Loft
(2466 Dundas West, suite 501) – silent films with live music by Justin Haynes.
SUNDAY JULY 6
1230 PM – Return of The Troubadours at Chez Au-kyte (32 Dorval Rd) with Katey Morley, Marc di Saverio, Daniel Renton, and Kyp Harness.
4 PM – Accordion Salon at Sara’s (33 Macaulay Ave) with multi-style accordion by Branko Dzinovic, Nora Pope on naturopathic birth control, and pop band Buckminster Fuller.
730 PM – Closing Night at Jeff’s (6 Abbott Ave) with adventurous Jazz by The Lina Allemano Four, paintings by Catherine Crowe, and world dance music by Ventanas.
WHAT IS HOUSE CULTURE???
House culture is our name for the rising tide of folks hosting cultural gatherings and activities in their own homes, for themselves, their neighbours, friends, family, and community. We (Michael Holt and Marcel Aucoin) have been running a monthly series of such events across Toronto since 2009, called The Piano Salon.
After five years of witnessing the magic that happens every time folks gather to share an experience in a cozy, intimate environment, we decided it’s time to put on a festival. And for our pilot run, we’re focusing on a single part of town – West Bend / Roncy Village / Junction Triangle – because we believe house culture is a creative and wonderful way for neighbours to meet each other and build community in their area.
NEIGHBOURS MEETING NEIGHBOURS
While everyone is welcome, we’re especially encouraging folks from the festival area to get to know their neighbours by visiting and welcoming each other at home – a practice often lost in modern life. So we’re thrilled to have Nadia Halim, international coordinator for Jane’s Walk – another neighbourhood-focused festival – on our organizing team.
INTIMATE ENGAGEMENT
The magic of house culture comes from how closely it lets people engage and participate with each other, arts, and ideas. The relaxed, cozy setting lets an intimacy arise that’s nearly impossible in concert halls, rock clubs, galleries, theatres, classrooms, bars, or even cafes. The gatherings are like parties, yet with the extra fun and togetherness that happen when a shared activity – like a game of charades or a gripping conversation – breaks out.
LOCAL IS GOOD
House culture is a way to get and create our own amusement, arts, education, connectedness, and community locally, without reliance on corporations, mass media, high-carbon venues, or other impersonal institutions that can’t respond to us as individuals. All the artists, speakers and workshop leaders at this festival are local folks you can connect with face-to-face. So come join the fun July 4-6 as we Make Our Own Culture!
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