The Trout Festival/Homecoming weekend was awesome. The weather could have been a bit more cooperative, but inside the venues people were having fun!
But that was then and this is now! There’s no lack of arts and cultural activities coming up in the Flin Flon-Creighton-Denare Beach triangle (it’s like the Bermuda triangle, except you get to come out of it and go home).
Next week, on Thursday, July 20, the Ore Samples series will present a workshop and readings by George Elliott Clarke, the seventh Parliamentary Poet Laureate (2016-17) and fourth Poet Laureate of Toronto (2012-15).
Dr. Clarke is a seventh generation African-Canadian who has spent much of his professional life collecting and teaching African-Canadian literature, or “Africadian” literature, as he has identified it.
He graduated with his PhD from Queen’s University in 1993 and has received numerous honorary degrees, notably from the University of Alberta and St. Mary’s University. He currently teaches at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Clarke has received the Governor General’s Award for Poetry and even had one of his books, Whyla Falls, debated in the popular CBC Radio series Canada Reads. He has published at least nine books of poetry, four plays, one novel and three books of criticism. When this man speaks about writing, writers listen.
At the Flin Flon Public Library, he will lead some exercises on poetry writing that are sure to generate ideas. Writers are invited to bring pens and paper or tablets. The workshop begins at 5:45 pm and the reading begins at 7 pm.
Please come out and be sure to thank our own Saskatchewan Poet Laureate Brenda Schmidt for the wonderful work she is doing.
On Friday, July 21, Johnny’s Social Club will host “Summer Lovin’ – An Evening of Summertime Love Tunes” produced by a relatively new talent in Flin Flon, Angela Ishaka.
Angela arrived in town last year after her husband was hired as a teacher with the Flin Flon School Division. She is a mom to three lovely children ages two, four and five, so you might imagine she is busy enough, but…
Angela has a B.Mus. in voice and performance from the University of Toronto and has sung in highly regarded professional choirs in southern Ontario.
She taught voice and piano to both children and adult students, something she continues in Flin Flon.
With this kind of background, it was only a matter of time before Angela discovered, and was discovered by, the Flin Flon music scene.
She says she was totally surprised by the amazing arts and cultural life in our region and has been impressed by the open-minded and progressive people committed to making it thrive.
An example of that, Angela says, was the challenge of getting out at night to rehearse for the upcoming show (three kids, remember?). There was the difficulty of working out numbers at home without a drum kit, so someone just moved a drum kit into her house for the duration! Done and dusted.
She feels drawn to work with a choir and has chosen Borealis Chamber Choir for their energy and repertoire. She feels they are a large enough group now that they would benefit from a conductor. To that end, she is going to work with Anna Harrison and Kim Jones to share conducting responsibilities so the ensemble can still benefit from their voices. Watch for this group to perform at Culture Days.
Angela worked out the arrangements of songs to be sung by Tarun Bablani, Lane Laderoute, Jacob Harvie, Anna Harrison and Faith Krahn for the “Summer Lovin’’ show, which will be at Johnny’s Social Club on Friday, July 21. Tickets are on sale at The Orange Toad. This summer is really shaping up!
