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| THE
FESTIVAL // FOODS+CRAFTS
// VENUES // ORGANIZATION
// PRODUCERS |
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THE
FESTIVAL
The ICA FolkFest is Victoria's
premiere and longest running multicultural arts
festival. With an annual attendance of over 150,000,
the festival is the single largest outdoor event
on Vancouver Island. Victoria's Multicultural
Arts Festival is proudly presented by the Inter-Cultural
Association (ICA) and produced by TNT
Productions Inc. This popular festival
returns this year to the Inner Harbour
and Centennial Square from June 30 to July 9, 2006. The
33rd annual FolkFest will feature
ten spectacular days of music, dance, food and
theatre from around the world. Downtown Victoria
will be filled with the sights and sounds of
1,500 performing artists, an international food
village with over a dozen food kiosks offering
flavours from around the world, a stage showcasing
world-class chefs, a stage for acrobats and
international dance performances, a craft market
featuring more than 60 artisans and an ocean-front
beer garden.
Come
for the swirling colours of a gypsy dance troupe,
the thunder of Taiko drums, the insistent beckoning
of a spicy curry, or the driving rhythms of
electronic music created for today's globally
oriented culture.
STATISTICS
ICA FolkFest is ten days long and features 1,500
performing artists (local, national and international),
as well as over 60 craft market vendors and
international food vendors.
With
an annual attendance of over 150,000, the festival
has 75% of its visitors return to the site more
than once during the run of the festival, and
93% say they will return again next year.
The
festival has a positive impact on the local
economy of over $2,000,000 annually, including
the creation of 30 full-time and part-time employment
opportunities.
The
festival utilizes the skills and efforts of
more than 1,200 volunteers, who contribute 20,000
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CULINARY
PROGRAM
Cuisine
is one of the most tangible (and tantalizing)
expressions of culture and this year the World
Feast Stage celebrates both the flavours of
the world and the burgeoning food culture of
Vancouver Island. We are continuing to improve
on past years and have developed a dynamic line
up of Chefs, farmers, storytellers, wineries,
breweries and fresh local foods to tempt the
palate and excite the imagination. The enjoyment
of food is a universal human experience that
connects us all; so come and enjoy our food
lovers program while enjoying a taste of what
makes Vancouver Island a gastronomic paradise
at the adjacent Culture Café featuring
local products, micro-breweries and wineries.
CRAFT
VENDORS
At
the craft market, (presented by Out of Hand
Craft Fairs), 60 hand picked professional
craftspeople from all over southern BC and Alberta
will be converging in Victoria, adding their
three dimensional vision to FolkFest's unique
artistic landscape.
For information on becoming a Craft Market
vendor, please go to the "getting
involved"section of this website. |
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THE
VENUES
Last year marked the first year of FolkFest's
expansion into Centennial Square, and with
its huge success, it will once again add to FolkFest's
Inner Harbour venue.
The Inner Harbour, bordered by the world
famous Empress Hotel and the BC's Legislature
buildings, hosts the International Food Village,
the Craft Market, the World
Feast Stage, the festival's Mainstage
amphitheatre, and the Bayou Bar.
The Inner Harbour is adjacent to the city
centre, Beacon Hill Park, and is a stone's throw
from the Royal British Columbia Museum.
At the Centennial Square venue, visitors
can enjoy a wide range of activities, including
Teatro Circo. Distinct from the presentations
on the Inner Harbour, Teatro Circo
is a spectacle of theatre and international dance
performances. Astounding aerialists and acrobats,
dazzling jugglers, hilarious buffoons, giant puppets
and breathtaking traditional dance ensembles will
fire the imaginations of adults and children alike.
Centennial square also features an International
Craft Market, a beer garden
and various food kiosks.
There is something for everyone at Centennial
Square!
There is convenient public facilities and it is
easily accessible by the public transportation
system. View location
maps. |
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THE
ORGANIZATION
The Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria
(ICA) was founded in 1971 to mount the inaugural
FolkFest. Several ethnic groups came together
to share their cultural heritage with the community
at large. When approached by Immigration Canada
to aid refugees, ICA adopted a mandate
to promote cultural understanding and alleviate
racism, developing a broad range of services to
immigrants including citizenship and ESL classes,
counseling, orientation, workshops and a host
family program.
Today, ICA advocates for the human rights
of people from all ethnocultural backgrounds and
maintains FolkFest as its most visible means to
promote cultural awareness.
For more information on the ICA check out
their website at www.icavictoria.org. |
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THE
PRODUCERS
Specialists in large-scale festival and event planning, TNT Productions brings experienced management to ICA FolkFest. Current clients include ESPN Original Events, IMG Global, INTRAWEST, ICA and many others. TNT has been heavily engaged in projects throughout Canada, the United States and Europe, including ESPN X Games in Los Angeles (2004-2005) and Aspen (2004-2005) and the World Ski and Snowboard Festival in Whistler (2000-2003). Ongoing projects include the ICA FolkFest, Open Air Amphitheatre and Victoria, BC’s Canada Day celebrations. CEO, Tyl van Toorn, recently served as Project Director for the FIS World Snowboard Championships (2005) in Whistler, the largest televised event of its kind. TNT enjoys a reputation for developing strategic relationships between clients and corporate sponsors, local businesses and government.
For more information on TNT Productions,
check out their website at www.tnt-productions.com. |
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