The 28th annual Brandon Folk, Music and Art Festival is less than a month away and organizers are busy making sure the finishing touches are complete.
Some late additions have been added to the lineup, including the group Proud Animal, the musical partnership of Vancouver artists Barbara Adler and Gavin Youngash. Singer/songwriter Rob Waddell has also been added to the list.
“We have one of the most exciting lineups I think, in a number of years,” said festival artistic director Shandra MacNeill. “And we’ve had some pretty great lineups … Everybody’s just hunkered down and putting in the long days right now, getting ready for the festival.”
Artists include Judy Collins, Jane Siberry, Great Lake Swimmers, Kinnie Starr, among many others.
The evening schedule is up online at brandonfolkfestival.ca. The full daytime schedule will be posted in about 10 days, MacNeill said.
The Brandon Folk, Music and Art Society held its annual general meeting Monday night and MacNeill said there was a very “celebratory” atmosphere.
“It was a really challenging year, with having to take care of our first deficit in years,” she said. “Everybody worked really hard and we had a number of new initiatives — our pavilion at the Lt.-Gov. Winter Festival, expansion of the emerging artist program and dealing with the growth of the festival every year.”
MacNeill said after making it through such a long and challenging year, members found themselves in a “pretty good place.”
The group is still working on another application for federal government grant money, in an effort to secure funds to renovate the Strand Theatre.
As for the next year, MacNeill said BFMAS plans to develop the initiatives that are being well received, specifically the emerging artists program, which provides workshops, mentorships and professional development opportunities for young artists.
“It has been attracting attention on a national level, which we never went after, but I think that speaks to not only the need for those kinds of programs in our own community, but the fact that we’re getting applications nationally from young artists. It’s really incredible,” MacNeill said.
The group is still looking for volunteers for the festival which runs July 20-22 on the Keystone Centre grounds. A kickoff concert will take place July 19 at the Great Western Roadhouse.
For more information, email folkfestvolunteer@gmail.com.
» jaustin@brandonsun.com
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition June 28, 2012
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