Flin Flon’s population skyrocketed last weekend as arts leaders and artists gathered for Manitoba Showcase 2015, a conference and networking event for Manitoba arts organizations.
Three performing arts showcases were a focus of the weekend: at these events, arts council members have a chance to preview acts as they put together their communities’ performance lineups for the following year. Members of the public could also purchase tickets to the Flin Flon showcases, getting a glimpse of some of the country’s hottest talents.
Fifteen performing acts, pre-selected from a wide swath of applicants, took to the stage during the showcases on Friday and Saturday; each performer distilled his or her talent into a fifteen-minute set followed by a short interview with M.C. Dianne Russell. From the lyrical ballads of Winnipeg folk singer-songwriter Raine Hamilton to the enchanting, playful rhythms of Quebec pianists Duo Fortin-Poirier, the showcases offered a thrilling, fast-paced tour of modern performing arts.
The weekend was jam-packed for the 150-plus arts and cultural workers and 60 artists who took part in Manitoba Showcase, with workshops, a reading series, and one-on-one sessions with provincial arts leaders. Visiting delegates caught a glimpse of Flin Flon’s own arts scene via exhibits at the NorVA Centre, a Northern Artists Panel hosted by The Pas’ multimedia artist Frances Cooper, and three open mic nights at The Unwinder, where local musicians took to the stage alongside visiting talents.
“Your community has such a lively, vibrant and thriving arts and cultural scene,” said Alix Reynolds, marketing and visual arts coordinator for the Manitoba Arts Network, which coordinates the conference in a different rural community each year. “Not only was everyone commenting on the stunning beauty of the landscape, and the friendliness of the people, but the city of Flin Flon is just such a great example of all that’s possible in the rural arts scene.”
