Cultural Olympiad 2010 artists take the show across Canada

National Presentation and Touring Program highlights Canadian talent in dance, theatre and music

VANCOUVER , Jan. 13 /CNW/ - In celebration of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, up-and-coming Canadian musicians, dancers and actors involved in the Cultural Olympiad are hitting the road with a national touring program featuring over 40 shows in cities large and small.

For the second time in two years, the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad, presented by Bell, is stretching beyond British Columbia to communities across Canada to connect the entire country in the culture, spirit and excitement of Canada's Games. The performances in some locations start on January 19 and carry on into March during the Paralympic Winter Games.

Performers and artistic companies involved in the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad National Presentation and Touring Program include: The Alberta Ballet and its presentation of Joni Mitchell's The Fiddle and The Drum, Quebec-based Compagnie Marie Chouinard and Cirque Éloize, as well as musical performances by Nova Scotia's Jenn Grant, Saskatchewan's Jason Plumb & the Willing, Yukon's Spring Breakup, and Alberta's John Wort Hannam. For tour dates and information on how to purchase tickets see below or visit www.vancouver2010.com/culturalolympiad.

"We want all Canadians to feel they can share in the cultural celebrations surrounding the 2010 Winter Games in their own hometowns," said Burke Taylor, vice president of culture and celebrations for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC).

"For our second and final Cultural Olympiad National Presentation and Touring Program, we've worked closely with our corporate, government and artistic partners to create an exciting lineup of Canadian projects that include ballet, theatre, up-and-coming musicians, and even puppetry. We invite everyone to come out when they stop in your area and enjoy a taste of the cultural excitement of the Games."

The performers will travel widely and visit the country from coast to coast to coast, with stops, ranging from Victoria, BC, Medicine Hat, AB, Wolfville, NS, to Yellowknife, NWT, supported by their home provinces and territories (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island , Quebec , Saskatchewan, and the Yukon) together with the Government of Canada and Canada Council for the Arts.

The tours will coincide with hundreds of free and ticketed performances and exhibitions that make up the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad festival, which kicks off January 22, 2010 in Metro Vancouver and British Columbia's Sea to Sky corridor. The festival features almost 200 incredibly diverse projects by artists from across Canada and around the world in music, theatre, visual arts, dance, and digital programming projects. Tickets and information are available at www.vancouver2010.com/culturalolympiad.

The Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad National Presentation and Touring Program acts are:

Where the Blood Mixes - Playhouse Theatre Company

Emerging Canadian playwright Kevin Loring goes beneath the surface of the Aboriginal residential school system and celebrates its survivors. Visiting Victoria, BC, ( January 19 to 24, 26 to 31, February 2 to 7, 9 to 14, and 16 to 21), followed by Winnipeg , MB, ( March 11 to 14, 16 to 20) and Ottawa , ON, ( March 23 to 27, March 30 to April 3).

Nevermore - Catalyst Theatre

Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe , the great master of the macabre, this whimsical, chilling musical fairytale by Edmonton's Catalyst Theatre reveals the psychology of a man whose haunting writings continue to resonate. Playing in Edmonton , AB, from February 12 to 21.

The Erotic Anguish of Don Juan - The Old Trout Puppet Workshop

The ghost of the infamous Spanish seducer Don Juan comes back from hell to harangue the audience in the name of cosmic love. Is he a sinner or a saint? With puppets! Visiting Vernon, BC, (February 20), followed by Whitehorse, YT, ( March 24 to 26) and Edmonton , AB, ( March 30 to April 4 , April 6 to 11 and 13 to 18).

Joni Mitchell's The Fiddle and The Drum - Alberta Ballet

This extended, full-length collaboration production of the dazzling ballet features four additional Joni Mitchell songs, illuminated by her latest artwork and the choreography of Alberta Ballet's artistic director Jean Grand Maître. Visiting Vernon (January 19), Victoria ( January 27 to 28) and Nanaimo ( January 30 ) in British Columbia.

Compagnie Marie Chouinard - World Premiere

This newly-commissioned group piece by Canada's reigning queen of contemporary dance is based on the notion of time recaptured. For the first time, Marie Chouinard will create an accompanying vocal score. Visiting Victoria, BC, on March 16 .

Rain - Cirque Éloize

Montreal's Cirque Éloize brings the wonder of childhood to vivid life in this amazing circus arts performance. The company expresses its innovative nature by combining circus arts with music, dance and theatre. Visiting New Brunswick (Saint John and Fredericton) on February 23 and 25; Charlottetown, PEI, on February 27 ; Medicine Hat, AB, on March 5 to 7; Edmonton , AB, on March 10 to 11; as well as Vernon, BC, on March 14 .

Drumheller

Toronto's Drumheller defines the inside and outside of that city's contemporary jazz scene. This five-piece often sounds twice its size. Drummer Nick Fraser and bassist Rob Clutton supply a nearly old-fashioned chromatic swing that permits alto saxophonist Brodie West, trombonist Doug Tielli, and guitarist Eric Chenaux to chase unpredictable squiggles and swirls. Visiting Toronto (ON) on February 6 ; Regina, SK, on February 19 ; Brandon, MB, on February 24 ; Winnipeg , MB, on February 25 ; Edmonton , AB, on February 26 ; and Calgary , AB, on February 27 .

Spring Breakup and John Wort Hannam

Spring Breakup is a new band with very old souls. It is the lovely but unlikely marriage of Yukon singer-songwriter Kim Barlow and Mathias Kom, singer and songwriter for the Ontario folk orchestra The Burning Hell. John Wort Hannam, the winner of three grand prizes at the 2009 Calgary Folk Festival songwriting contest, delivers roots music straight from Alberta's southern prairies. Visiting Yellowknife, NWT, on January 26 ; Winnipeg , MB, on February 10 ; Regina, SK, on February 11 ; Medicine Hat, SK, on February 12 ; Saskatoon, SK, on February 13 ; and Whitehorse, YT, on February 14 .

Jenn Grant and Jason Plumb & the Willing

Jenn Grant writes and performs complex folk-pop with hints of jazz and swing. Her 2009 album Echoes earned three East Coast Music Awards nominations. Jason Plumb was one of the driving forces behind '90s alternative band The Waltons and has been crafting signature solo albums and soundtracks for over 20 years. He will be backed by The Willing. Visiting Wolfville, NS, on January 28 ; St. John's , NL, on January 29 ; Charlottetown, PEI, on January 30 ; Fredericton, NB, on January 31 ; Québec, QC, on February 3 ; Wakefield, ON, on February 4 ; Sudbury, ON, on February 6 ; Winnipeg , MB, on February 9 ; Regina, SK, on February 10 ; Saskatoon, SK, on February 11 ; Edmonton , AB, on February 13 ; and Calgary , AB, on February 14 .

About the Cultural Olympiad

The Cultural Olympiad, presented by Bell, is a series of multidisciplinary festivals and digital programs showcasing the best in Canadian and international arts and popular culture. Launched in 2008, the program culminates in the 60-day Cultural Olympiad 2010 ( January 22 to March 21 , 2010), which begins before and continues throughout the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. CODE is the Cultural Olympiad's digital edition, a series of programs developed to creatively engage national and global audiences through the use of digital technology.

Partnerships

About Bell

Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing consumers and business with solutions to all their communications needs, including Bell Mobility wireless, high-speed Bell Internet, Bell TV direct-to-home satellite television, Bell Home phone local and long distance, and IP-broadband and information and communications technology (ICT) services. Bell is proud to be a Premier National Partner and the Exclusive Telecommunications Partner to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE). For information on Bell's products and services, please visit www.bell.ca. For corporate information on BCE, please visit www.bce.ca.

Canada Council for the Arts

The Canada Council for the Arts is a federal Crown corporation created by an Act of Parliament in 1957. The role of the Council is to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts. To fulfill this mandate, the Council offers a broad range of grants and services to professional Canadian artists and arts organizations in dance, integrated arts, media arts, music, theatre, visual arts, and writing and publishing. It also promotes public awareness of the arts through its communications, research and arts promotion activities. Visit www.canadacouncil.ca for more information.

Government

The Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad is grateful for the support of the Government of Canada and the governments of all of Canada's provinces and territories and their respective cultural agencies: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec , Nova Scotia, New Brunswick , Prince Edward Island , Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Yukon. In addition to the Cultural Olympiad's government and corporate partners, CODE is proudly supported by the Canada Council for the Arts and the National Film Board of Canada . New Media BC and Wavefront Innovation Society are also both active participants in the project. The National Presentation and Touring Program is generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.

About VANOC

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

For further information: Media contact: Janet Miller, VANOC Communications, Tel.: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]