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Your guide to the 2017 Queer Arts Festival

Get your art on! This year’s lineup for the Queer Arts Festival (June 17-29) includes a wide variety of engagements for visual arts, dance, theatre, music and spoken-word enthusiasts on the theme of two-spirit and indigenous identity.
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Vanessa Dion Fletcher is among the featured artists of QAF's visual arts exhibition, UnSettled. Pictured: Dion Fletcher's 'Menstrual Accessory Miami Beach'.

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Get your art on! This year’s lineup for the Queer Arts Festival (June 17-29) includes a wide variety of engagements for visual arts, dance, theatre, music and spoken-word enthusiasts on the theme of two-spirit and indigenous identity. Here is a complete listing of the events in store.

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Art Party! Gala Opening Reception
June 17, 7pm-11pm
Roundhouse Exhibition Hall


Art and conviviality converge at the grand opening of the Queer Arts Festival.

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Photographic work by artist Dayna Danger. - Contributed image

UnSettled
June 17-29
Roundhouse Exhibition Hall


Two-spirit Siksika (Blackfoot) visual art curator Adrian Stimson curates an exhibition of indigenous work exploring two-spirit identity, featuring:

Ahasiw Maskegon-Iskwew • Aiyyana Maracle • Barry Ace • Cease Wyss • Dayna Danger • George Littlechild • Jessie Short • John Powell • Michelle Sylliboy • Mike MacDonald • Raven John • Richard Heikkilä-Sawan • Robert Houle • Rosalie Favell • Thirza Cuthand • Ursula Johnson • Vanessa Dion Fletcher • Wanda Nanibush

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Curator Panel
June 18, 2pm
Roundhouse Performance Centre


Adrian Stimson and artists Wanda Nanibush, Vanessa Dion Fletcher, Michelle Sylliboy, John Powell, and George Littlechild discuss their art and the curated exhibition.

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Lay of the Land
June 19, 7pm
Roundhouse Exhibition Hall


Writer readings: A Night of Indigenous Erotica. Samantha Nock curates readings in this annual soirée to tantalize and titillate.

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MSM [menÌýseeking men]Ìý
June 20 and 21, 7pm with lemonTree creations
Roundhouse Performance CentreÌý


A dance deconstruction piece inspired by online ‘hook-up’ culture.Ìý

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UnsettlingÌýColonial Gender Boundaries
June 23, 7pm with VIMAF
Roundhouse Performance CentreÌý


June Scudeler and Lacie Kanerahtahsóhon Burning curate media art, including new commissions by Chandra Melting Tallow and Thirza Cuthand. Talk to follow.Ìý

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Cellist/composer Cris Derksen (centre) will be bringing compositions based around powwow pieces to the 2017 Queer Arts Festival on June 24. - Contributed photo

Cris Derksen’sÌýOrchestral Powwow
June 24, 7pm
Roundhouse Turntable PlazaÌý


Twenty-one performers, including Cris Derksen, The Chippewa Travellers, hoop dancer Nimkii Osawamick and Allegra Chamber Orchestra.Ìý

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Artist-LedÌýAfternoon
June 25, 4pm
Roundhouse Exhibition HallÌý


Site-specific and culturally focused teaching through storytelling from local media artist and ethnobotanist indigenous plant diva T’uy’t-tanat-Cease Wyss.Ìý

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TechnicalÌýKnockouts
June 26, 7pm
Roundhouse Performance CentreÌý


Poetry and electronic music: Kinnie Starr, DJ O Show and Tiffany Moses performing with guests from QAF’s young artist program.Ìý

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Greed / REsolve
June 27 and 28, 7pm with Full Circle First Nations Performance
Roundhouse Performance CentreÌý


Commerce, greed, and disenfranchisement are key themes in these paired dance works by Byron Chief-Moon and JP Longboat.Ìý

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Glitter is Forever: Queeraoke Closing Party
June 29, 7pm til late
The JunctionÌý


QAF’s final blowout – revel in community, effervescent refreshments, and karaoke with glitter.Ìý

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MC, musician and poet Kinnie Star. - Contributed photo

THE SATELLITEÌýACADEMYÌý

Dialogues, discourse, outreach.Ìý


Pride In ArtÌýCommunity Art Show
June 17–29
Roundhouse Great HallÌý


From the roots of the Queer Arts Festival, this open visual art exhibition honours our founder, two-spirit artist Robbie Hong.Ìý

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Art Salon
June 18, 4pm
Roundhouse Exhibition HallÌý


Mohawk artist Lacie Kanerahtahsóhon Burning hosts a public salon with artists and curator to discuss the themes of the visual art exhibition.Ìý

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Youth Curator Tour
June 19, 4 pm with Broadway Youth Resource Centre and Directions Youth ServicesÌý
Roundhouse Exhibition HallÌý


Curator tour of the visual art exhibition for street-involved youth.Ìý

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Technical Knockouts: QAF Young Artist Program
June 22–25, 7pm with BYRC, Directions, Qmunity, UNYA
Roundhouse Room CÌý


A female-centred music production drop-in lab for queer indigenous and allied youth, led by Kinnie Starr, DJ O Show and Tiffany Moses.Ìý

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THE GRIDÌý[a workshop]
June 24, 4:30pm with lemonTree creations and the frank theatre
Roundhouse Dance StudioÌý


LemonTree’s Indrit Kasapi leads dance and theatre artists through her organization’s creation process.

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Two-Spirit PanelÌý
June 25, 2pm with Full Circle
Roundhouse Performance CentreÌý


A panel of artists and arts presenters on questions of a two-spirit aesthetic and the influence of two-spirit identity on artistic practices.


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