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Presented by
Myth Country Fair
Program
Journey Song
Video Presentation
Journey Song captures sacred moments in time—the moments of personal journey one experiences in finding a place for their own “voice” in the all-encompassing Great Song of Life.
Music by Mari Alice Conrad
Words by Anna Marie Sewell
Performed by Babɛl Choir
Directed by Dr. Elaine Choi
Mari Alice Conrad is an award-winning composer currently living in Alberta, Canada. Her works have been performed by various ensembles across Canada, United States, and Europe. Anna Marie Sewell’s artistic practice centres collaborative projects at the intersections of culture, language, and modality, no doubt influenced by her pre- TRC upbringing in a defiantly mixed-race (Mi’gmaq/Anishinaabe/Polish) family. Babεl is an SATB ensemble founded in 2018 by Dr. Elaine Choi to bridge choral music between Canada and China. Elaine Choi contributes to Toronto's vibrant choral community as a conductor, educator, adjudicator, and collaborative pianist.
Hebert Poll Gutiérrez
Playwright
Hebert is an author, playwright, poet, and storyteller. Three of Hebert's plays will be showcased at Myth Country Fair: The Great Race, Yoka's Flower, and The Boys Dance (video).
"I am a Cuban Canadian artist with 16 years of experience trying to connect with the world through art. I believe in the power of stories, in the power of the art to shape realities. Art is and will be my strategy to defend my triple cultural identity: My identity as an artist, as a Cuban, and as an Afro-descendant. I have published 10 books. My last published book is: Whispers from the black Gods (Poetry) The Elite Lizzard Publishing Company, Canada, 2022. Some of my writings also appear in magazines and in more than 20 anthologies from Cuba, Venezuela, Canada, Spain, the United States, Mexico, Germany, and other countries. My theater scripts have been represented by companies from Latin America, Europe, and Canada."
Tololwa Mollel
Performer & Storyteller
With his roots as a theatre actor and dramatist in both Tanzania and Canada, Tololwa is a writer and performer of stories. He performs for all ages, sometimes solo, and other times with co-performers. He has taken part in Thousand Faces festivals over the years as a storyteller and story performer, actor, and playwright. Two of his plays have been performed at the Thousand Festivals in the past: “Anthem of Life”, in a workshop production in which he acted; and “Urashima Taro”, a play adaptation of an old Japanese story. Tololwa is also author of internationally published books for the young and the young at heart: 18 in English, and 5 in Swahili, the national language of his native country of Tanzania in East Africa. Besides his children’s books, Tololwa has published nonfiction work and several short stories for adults, and has written several plays, and stories for his solo performances. For the 2022 Thousand Faces Festival, Tololwa is happy to share “Tales of Women on Missions” at the Alberta Avenue Community Centre for Myth Country Fair on October 14 and 15, and “African Trickster Tales” for school matinees at La Cité Francophone on November 7.
Soni Dasmohapatra
Bhangra Dance Workshop Leader
Soni Dasmohapatra is a passionate consultant, educator and arts practitioner who uses yoga and somatics as pathways of self discovery, healing and artistic creation. Soni has built her career for over twenty years in the sectors of government, higher learning, non-profit, public education and philanthropy, across Canada and Internationally.
Currently she is a sessional instructor in the Arts and Cultural Management Department at MacEwan University. This term she is teaching AGAD 301, Cultural Policy and Diplomacy. Soni has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Alberta, a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Victoria and a certificate in gender studies and human rights from Oxford University, UK.
Soni has been involved in the Alberta arts, cultural and Heritage sector since she was a child. She is a trained classical Indian Kathak dancer. Soni is a choreographer of folk dances from India such as bhangra, as well as Bollywood.
O Return
Performance
O Return is a performance collaboration between 4 Edmonton Asian artists who seamlessly blend movement and martial arts, Chinese calligraphy, and live music featuring the Chinese drums and konghou (a Chinese harp).
Jia Jia Yong - khongou
Herman Lau - movement
Paul Giang (利炳坤) - calligraphy
Vanessa Jong - drums
Jia Jia Yong is a harpist and composer passionate about engaging and celebrating cultural art forms and heritage in contemporary performance art. Herman Lau roots his movement practice in his background as a martial artist and circus coach. Paul Giang (利炳坤) is a Hoa-Canadian urban planner, calligrapher and artist based in Edmonton. Vanessa Jong is the principal drummer and one of the founders of 5 Elements Drums and Lion Dance Crew.
Susan Sneath
Performer
Susan will be performing The Great Race and
Yoka's Flower by Hebert Poll Gutiérrez.
Susan Sneath is really very quiet and subdued...when she sleeps! When she’s awake, she takes the business of life very seriously, she loves to laugh! Susan was raised on the Canadian Prairies.
She’s an award- winning actress, an internet TV Talk show host of
The Change Zone, and one of the inventors of The Edmonton Fringe Theatre Festival. An eloquent, moving and dynamic storyteller,
it is her refreshing humanness that makes her energizing,
stimulating and downright fun!
El Duende
Performance
El Duende is a theatre piece based on the work of the Spanish poet Garcia Lorca. The concept of the Duende starts through Andalusia, from the rock of Jaén to the snail’s-shell of Cadiz, people constantly talk about the Duende and recognize it wherever it appears with a fine instinct.
Sebastian Barrera - creator & performer
Jen Dunford - dance & choreography
Frank Bessai - violin
Sebastian Barrera is a Chilean born musician, artist and community activist, who has captivated the hearts of many in the city by his ongoing efforts in transforming community-based arts and social projects into day to day reality. Barrera is currently working as a Relentless Outreach youth worker for YOUCAN Youth Services. To add to his repertoire, Barerra is the creator of a social movement project, CreArt dedicated to providing free, accessible spaces to facilitate arts/ music-based education for individuals who are looking for a positive outlet for self-expression.
Volya
Dance Piece
Вже весна прийшла | Spring Has Come
In the pre-‐Christian era of Kyivan-‐Rus, Ukrainians would gather in ritualistic dance to worship the elemental gods of the sun and the earth, ensuring a bountiful spring season of renewed life.
Choreography: Zhenia Bahri
Volya, meaning ‘freedom’ encompasses the unified spirit of the over 20 ensemble members. With many of Volya’s original members having studied in Ukraine, a desire existed to develop a similar academic style of dance within Canada. A strict adherence to technical training and professionalism is a philosophical belief still maintained today under the Artistic Direction of Zhenia Bahri, a former professional dancer and director from Ukraine. Zhenia has been the Artistic Director since 2000 and has brought unsurpassed passion, knowledge, and expertise to the Ensemble in his lifelong dedication to the art of Ukrainian dance. Since its inception in 1989, Volya has flourished into a vibrant ensemble consisting of dedicated members who have captivated and delighted audiences with their dynamic performances around the world. Over the years many dancers have entered Volya's studios with the same goal in mind, to dance for the love of dance and to establish an identity for the ensemble that is uniquely Volya!
Thousand Faces Festival Team
Artistic Director - Mark Henderson
General Manager - Jennifer Wanke
Festival Producer - Aidan McBride
Technical Director - Kevin Green
Venue Designer - Ami Farrow
Marketing Manager and Assistant Producer - Hunter Wild
Volunteer Coordinator and Assistant Producer - Zakiya Mubarak
Social Media & Marketing - Amanda Samuelson
Business Development - Annikka Dobko
Marketing - Brigitte Kok
Marketing - Sarah Dussome
Poster and Program Design - Lorraine Shulba
Videography - Idelin Almalexia
Technicians - Lacy Pochynok, Shawn Fedora, Jacon Lienau, Adam Bucyk
Stage Manager - Aneta Kozina
Thousand Faces Board of Directors
President - Anne Cloarec
Vice President - Owen Morris
Treasurer - Malcolm Roberts
Director - Satya Das
The food at Myth Country Fair was provided by:
Special Thanks
Theatre Prospero
Alberta Avenue Community League
Janis Irwin
Tomato Static
National Stiltwalkers of Canada
Chris Hicks
Department of Canadian Heritage
Thousand Faces Festival Association Board of Directors
Neil Roberts
Scope Printing
Print Machine
Valda Roberts
Myth Country Fair Volunteers
Sandra Der
Nadeem
Kim Nguyen
Aliyah Omar
Hani
Amal Omar
Nasrah Omar
Valda Roberts
Shawn Collins
Maggie Field
Truong Nguyen
Jennifer Spencer
Thank you to our Funders
Presenting Sponsor
