*** MAYWORKS HALIFAX 2010 ***
*** http://www.mayworkshalifax.ca ***
Start Time: Saturday, May 1, 2010 at 7:00pm
End Time: Saturday, May 8, 2010 at 11:45am
Location: Halifax / Dartmouth & Area, Nova Scotia
Mayworks is a week-long festival of working people and the arts and includes music, theatre, stand up comedy, and participatory events including karaoke and a workshop on how to use arts and crafts for political purposes.
This festival is a project of the Halifax-Dartmouth and District Labour Council.
For detailed event (8 days, seven events!) and ticket information, Visit the website at: http://www.mayworkshalifax.ca
Mayworks Halifax is a celebration of arts and artists, of workers and their work; people that are building a culture and society that celebrates and recognizes the history and struggle of the working people of Nova Scotia. The festival is centred on May Day – May 1st - the internationally recognized workers day.
Mayworks’ goal is to promote the interests of cultural workers and trade unionists, and to bring working-class culture from the margins of cultural activity onto centre stage. We are presenting stand-up comedy, theatre, visual arts and music. We hope to make this an annual event and plan to send out requests for participation in next year's festival as early as this summer.
The Festival is built on the premise that workers and artists share a common struggle for decent wages, healthy working conditions and a living culture. We want to build more bridges and create a true working class culture in Nova Scotia that we can be proud of – we have to create the society we want to live in.
All events are free or low cost. We want all the arts to be accessible to everyday people, so come out and join us for one or all events.
We are artists and workers, we have music from our Nova Scotian history, and music from the front pages of today's paper. This celebration hopes to fill us all with joy and anger, hope and pride, determination and motivation, a sense of history, a sense of our historic moment and some visions of the future.
Check out the events listings below for a short list of events and venues, and join us in celebrating social justice, labour and working class culture, in Halifax.
• SATURDAY May 1st – 8pm | Workers Take the Mic
Colby Ale House Cole Harbour, Colby Village Plaza
Admission: Free
A fun kick-off to Halifax’ first Mayworks festival. Karaoke and prizes are the theme of this event where workers can belt, croon and warble their hearts out. We have always sung the songs of our history, and the songs of our lives when we get together. You will find us singing at Union organizing conferences, with other union members at meetings, celebrating victories, sharing sadness and becoming a community. There will be a variety of prizes but the fun, will be in the singing.
• SUNDAY May 2nd – 6pm | Visualize Justice
Art & Jules Gallery, Gottingen Street, Halifax
Admission: FREE
Visualize Justice is a gallery exhibit of the work of Rick Slye a longtime local activist/artist.
There will be locally sourced snacks, great art and an amazing opportunity to discuss, engage and be inspired.
• TUESDAY May 4th – 7pm | Art For Activism
Bloomfield Centre, Halifax
Admission: FREE
From slogans to design, placards and postcards to arm bands and social media there is a richness to the aesthetics of resistance culture. From the raised fists to the “hey, hey, ho, hos” culture and art play a significant role in the social justice movement. A set of people empowered with the skills to print, paint, fold, craft, publish and organize have set up a night of skill sharing for people who love people.
Whether your action involves taking theatre to the streets, raising a placard in the name of human rights or campaigning on facebook you are sure to acquire the tools to do so at Art for Activism. Take your design to the street with style, creativity and heart, join us.
• WEDNESDAY May 5th – 8pm | Songwriter’s Solidarity Session
The Company House, Gottingen Street, Halifax
Admission: $5
The Solidarity Session is an opportunity to get up close. It’s more than just a song, it’s a songwriter discussing, explaining, identifying with the art they are creating. You get the back story, you learn the significance and hear the music in a whole new way.
Led by Slowcoaster’s Steve MacDougall the Solidarity Session will certainly inspire; shedding light on various issues of social justice with that subtle maritime charm.
• THURSDAY May 6th – 7pm | Café DaPoPo
JustUs Cafe Spring Garden Road
Admission $8.00
DaPoPo’s signature performance night, Café DaPoPo, has something to say! Come check out our labour-themed menu to commemorate Halifax’s Mayworks Festival … presented at Just Us! Coffee house on Spring Garden Rd.
Café Dapopo’s unique performance style, taking a dramatic order from a menu at your table, and having your order delivered as a live event, at your table.
Seating limited; first come, first-served.
• FRIDAY May 7th – 10pm | The Mayworks Mainstage Concert
North Street Church, North Street & Fuller Terrace, Halifax
Admission: $5
The Mayworks Concert is a mainstage event, taking place at the North Street Church, a truly community-based venue that has played host to everything from activism to theatre to community parties to great rock shows.
Our line-up shines with indie goodness and reaches out to the thriving local music scene. With everything from the hali-folk sounds of Archie Gillis to the indie-rock undertones of the Light Brights we’re sure to please anyone seeking something new, great and a better world.
• SATURDAY May 8th – 8pm | Stand Up For Workers
Venue: TBD
Admission: $8.00
An evening of local stand-up comedy sure to leave your laughing until next year’s festival! A night of hilarious stand-up comedy about our lives.
“More and more Nova Scotians are on minimum wage, Credit Card rates are through the roof, my boss is a bully, my kids are in Alberta and what the hell is the punchline?”
Want more? Visit the website:
http://www.mayworkshalifax.ca
Invite your friends on Facebook
The site for the Halifax local of The Media Co-op has been archived and will no longer be updated. Please visit the main Media Co-op website to learn more about the organization.
