Tuesday 29 May 2012

Large crowd cover Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival Toronto Media Launch

Full house at the Media Launch of this year's Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival Toronto festival. Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto


New events. New locations. New supporters.
Three weeks of reasons to Jump Up

May 29, 2012  (Toronto) –In Toronto the carnival season has just begun.  At a Tuesday morning press conference at the Royal Ontario Museum, the media was briefed on what is in store for Canada’s biggest annual outdoor event.  This is the 45th year for the festival and the Festival Management Committee is preparing for a huge summer in the streets and parks of Toronto.
“This year we have moved a couple of the events – the children’s parade and the international Rugby Match – to new locations to answer the demands of a growing audience,” explained co-CEO Denise Herrera-Jackson. “And, this year we making sure that each and ever event that we manage donates to a different community charity, most noteably Sickle Cell Anemia.”
The Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival is already getting ready for the big parade is August 4th.  This is the 45th year for the festival formally known as Caribana, and not only is going to be bigger; it has new events, new locations and additional corporate sponsors.
It all starts July 17th at Toronto’s Nathan Phillip’s Square. The City Hall square is jammed to see the Official Public Launch for the festival. Dancers, musician, calypso singers come out and perform to get the city and this always-huge crowd in the mood for Carnival.
  MPP Michael Couteau opens presser
On July 21st the first BIG event takes place at Downsview Park when the Junior Carnival Parade takes place. Think of it as a Kiddie’s version of the big parade.  Last year over 2,000 children performed for the judges and played Mas along the streets of the Jane Finch corridor. Downsview Park, better suited to handle the growing number of children taking part is the new location of the parade.
Sport fans will want to take in the Canada versus the best of the Jamaica Rugby League in a Festival Cup Match that will be held downtown at the Lamport Stadium on the 21st of July. Last year Canada won the match at a field in north Markham.
Dress for most Festival goings on is casual.  However, there is one event where formal wear is the rule of the evening.  The Annual Gala is a dress up affair to honour the rich history of the festival and to sample the Caribbean arts. This year it all happens on July 27th at the Liberty Grande Ballroom inside the CNE grounds.
Many of the world’s best Calypso performers live in Toronto.  They will be showing their stuff in the annual Monarch Contest on July 28th and then again on the 31st at the All-Star Showcase at Harbourfront. 
 
Jason Woodman (l), El Dorado Rum, the official  rum of Festival. 
And the events keep coming.  There is a huge outdoor Pan Alive battle of the steel pan orchestras planned for August 3rd at Lamport Stadium.  The King and Queen contest, the day before on August 2nd is always a sell-out, so this year Lamport Stadium has been reconfigured to allow for almost 20,000 spectators – up from 11,000.
 The August 4th Parade along Toronto’s waterfront is still the largest outdoor event in Canada!  And this year people are invited to stay up all night.  After the parade has ended people are invited into Ontario Place to take part in the all-new night all night Fish Fry (10 pm – 4 am), and stay for daytime Sunday food festival. The festival includes a lime and breakfast on Ontario Place’s South Beach followed by a retro J’ouvert. This is Caribbean style parade party with Bahamian Jankanoo, French Creole Kompas and Zouk, and Grenadian ShortKnee performers.  As the day progresses, people will enjoy the live performers and steelpan music. Take an island hop to tasty morsels such as jerk cuisine and rum cocktails. Then everyone will wind-down at sunset with an exciting closing concert.
“We have expanded our programming in part because of we have expanded our corporate sponsorship base,” continued Denise Herrera Jackson. “ Scotibank is of course our keynote sponsor. CTV, CP-24, the Toronto Star and Sway Magazine continue to be our very generous and supportive media partners. We have added El Dorado Rum as the official sponsor of our Gala; FLOW radio is back and is taking a bigger role with the festival.  We have just added WIN TV and WIN Radio --a popular Caribbean radio and television station based in Trinidad -- as our Caribbean media sponsor and will be live streaming the parade back to Trinidad. “
CP-24's Stephen Ledrew interviews ROM curator live at even
 About Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival

The Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival is an exciting three-week cultural explosion of Caribbean music, cuisine, revelry as well as visual and performing arts. Now in its 45th year, it has become a major international event and the largest cultural festival of its kind in North America. As Carnival is an international cultural phenomenon, the great metropolis of Toronto and its environs will come alive as the city explodes with the pulsating rhythms and melodies of Calypso, Soca, Reggae, Chutney, Steel Pan and Brass Bands. The Festival Management Committee oversees the running of North America’s largest outdoor festival.

Corporate sponsors of this year’s festival include: Scotiabank, The Toronto Star, Sway Magazine, CTV, CP-24, FLOW fm, WinTV, WinRadio, El Dorado Rum, The Canadian Federal Government, The Province of Ontario, City of Toronto, Tourism Toronto, The Greater Toronto Airports Authority, Ontario Place, Royal Ontario Museum, Ontario Science Centre, Toronto Public Library, Yorkgate Mall, Liberty Grand, and Grace Kennedy Foods.

For more information about the programmes and events, please visit the festival’s official website at www.torontocaribbeancarnival.com. The Festival Office is NOW located at 19 Waterman Avenue. Contact info: Tel: 416-391-5608; Fax: 416-391-5693; Email: info@ torontocaribbeancarnival.com.
Stephen Weir Festival Publicist. Phone 416-489-5868 Cell: 416-801-3101 Email: Stephen@stephenweir.com                                                        

Tuesday 22 May 2012

Third and Final Update: Carnival season in Toronto begins with the Media Preview tomorrow - Tuesday - with MPP Michael Couteau



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THIRD  AND FINAL UPDATE: MEDIA ALERT

  Michael Couteau, fastest rising star at Queen's Park to assist with the Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival’s 2012 Media Launch tomorrow!

Tuesday, May 29th 11am – 12 noon

New Year. New Programmes. New Sponsors. Same Name
 
May 22, 2012  (Toronto) – The media is invited to join Don Valley South MPP Michael Couteau, one of only two Caribbean Canadians in the Provincial House, at the official media launch for this year’s Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival.  The Minister will be joined at the podium with new corporate and media sponsors, and festival executives at the Royal Ontario Museum.
What:             The Festival Management Committee will be releasing key information about this year’s Caribbean Carnival.
Why:              There have been major venue changes and programme additions to this year’s three week carnival. As well, there are new corporate sponsors and a new Caribbean media sponsor supporting the Carnival this year.
Who:              Spokespeople from key stakeholders including the Bank of Nova Scotia, the Festival Management Committee, new corporate sponsors and media partners.  There will be  live Pan music.
When:             11 am to 12.15 pm
Where:           Royal Ontario Museum, BRONFMAN HALLL. Enter through the Atrium doors on University / Queens Park Circle close to the subway station stairs.  (Bloor Street entrance closed due to temporary construction)
For more information about the programmes and events, please visit the festival’s official website at www.torontocaribbeancarnival.com. The Festival Office is NOW located at 19 Waterman Avenue, Toronto. Contact info: Tel: 416-391-5608; Fax: 416-391-5693; Email: info@ torontocaribbeancarnival.com. Stephen Weir    Festival Publicist. Phone 416-489-5868 Cell: 416-801-3101 Email: Stephen@stephenweir.com                               

Tuesday 8 May 2012

Gala for Scotiabank Photography Award

MEDIA ADVISORY

 






 

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Scotiabank Photography Award
Gala Reception and Dinner
2012  Winner Announcement
 
Media are invited to attend & cover this important arts event
WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2012
The Design Exchange
234 Bay Street, Toronto
 
Reception & Exhibition  6:00 p.m.    Dinner  7:15 pm     Winner Announcement  8:30 pm
           
The formal reception will be held at Scotiabank's "Lynne Cohen: Nothing is Hidden",  a primary exhibit of the CONTACT Photography Festival.   The event also features the worldwide public book launch of her photography book of the same name.  The event is hosted by Sarabjit Marwah, Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer Scotiabank.  Renowned photographer Ed Burtynsky, Chair, Scotiabank Photography Award and Jane Nokes, Director of the Fine Art Collection and Corporate Archives, Scotiabank/Executive Director, Scotiabank Photography Award will be available to talk about this prestigious award.
 
The announcement of the 2012 Scotiabank Award Winner follows dinner.  During the evening, media will be introduced to this year's SPA finalists and retrospectives of their works:
 
Fred Herzog *                                   Arnaud Maggs                    Alain Paiement
Vancouver                                         Toronto                                  Montreal
 
The winner receives a cash prize of $50,000.00, a book of their works and a curated exhibition as part of Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival in 2013. The winner's book will be published and distributed world-wide through 15,000 booksellers by internationally-renowned art photography publisher Steidl (Germany).  In total SPA has a value of more than $100,000.00. For more information on the Scotiabank Photography Award visit: http://www.scotiabankphotoaward.com/index.html

* Fred Herzog will not be attendance. Mssrs Maggs and Paiement will.
Winner interviews available following the SPA 2012 Announcement.
 
Media Seating is available, but limited.
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Media are requested to confirm their attendance with Stephen Weir & Associates:
Stephen Weir:   416-489-5868    cell: 416-801-3101   stephen@stephenweir.com
Linda Crane:     905-257-6033    cell: 416-727-0112   cranepr@cogeco.ca
 
Please confirm for table seating by noon Tuesday, May 8th.
*Working media tables are available as well.

Monday 7 May 2012

Photography Exhibition Moves to Europe After Contact Festival Ends

Fabio Mascarin  in front his untitled Grado Island photograph
Grado waterfront landscape photographs by Fabio Mascarin
Fabio Mascarin figured early Sunday afternoon that he would rather being anywhere else in Toronto but at his Contact Festival exhibition opening. Just a case of the jitters. The opening of his show of  Italian landscape photographs was a hit, and the Toronto waterfront photographer actually looked like he was enjoying himself by the time it all ended.

Mascarin's family has owned a condo on the Italian island of Grado (located on the Adriatic Sea between Venice, Italy and Trieste, Slovena) since the 1960s.   Known for its long sandy beaches, Grado is a paradise for vacationers .... and landscape photographers like
Mascarin.  

His series of Grado beach photographs are on display at the Hotel Ocho Restaurant on lower Spadina Avenue in Toronto as part of the Contact Photography Festival.  The show opened May 1st and ends June 30th.

Won't get a chance to see the show during Canada's largest photography festival? No worries, the show will be rehung in the Galerie Spéos  in Paris, France this November. He also has a show of his black and white photographs opening in the Axel Hotel, in Berlin, Germany this  October 26th.