In The Soil Arts Festival: Something For Everyone
By David DeRocco
Indie rock legends Rheostatics, Kids In The Hall alumni Bruce McCulloch, locals brass-hop band My Son the Hurricane and over 150 music, theatre, dance, poetry, comedy and arts experiences are just part of the schedule now set for the 9th annual IN THE SOIL ARTS FESTIVAL April 28 through 30 in downtown St. Catharines.
In The Soil brings artists from a wide range of creative disciplines together for a three-day festival designed to provide unique audience experiences while showcasing contemporary performing and literary artists, musicians and media artists from across Niagara and around the province. It’s more a cultural event than a typical mainstream music festival that strives to engage both the passionate and the curious according to organizers.
“We’ve got a pretty wide target and it’s something we think about each year,” said Deanna Lynn Jones, In The Soil’s Artistic Director and co-founder of Suitcase In Point Theatre Company. “We’re mandated to be offering new work in all the different genres but also to have things that are unique for young children and families to explore and experience. The millennial generation is a big part of our festival in terms of volunteers and artists. We continue to try and widen the reach each year. It’s something specifically for and about our community, and also be accessible to people who many not experience these types and variety of work on a regular basis.”
With 11 theatre and comedy acts, dozens of live bands, and the unique theatrical pieces involved in the festival’s RHIZOMES exhibits, In The Soil offers an eclectic mix of audience experiences spread across multiple locations, including the James Street hug, the Marilyn I. Walker School of Find and Perfomring Arts and the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre. Organizers have once again delivered a stellar line-up of activities for the festival, so there should be something to appeal to everyone’s tastes according to Jones.
“Absolutely we have great headlines,” said Jones. “It’s fantastic to be able to be bringing Bruce McCulloch back to the community for example. There’s an outstanding original production called Gnaw from A.N. Myer High School. The Toronto theatre company Lemontree Creations will be presenting Men Seeking Men, an exploration of on-line dating culture. There’s lots of comedy, including a performance of Making Love In A Canoe, a slew of bands at the Hub, and a 12-hour Saturday marathon with Band On A Couch on Saturday. There’s just so much going on. We’re really excited about this year’s festival.”
Even with all the last-minute organizing that goes into staging a festival of this size, Jones and her team are already in planning mode for In The Soil’s 10th anniversary in 2018. And if all goes according to plan, Jones will finally have the headliner she’s been hoping to secure.
“Personally I would love to feature A Tribe Called Red. We’ve been trying to push and get them. That’s the big dream and wish. Beyond that in planning for year ten we’re already programming, we’re already looking ahead. We have already got a great roster of theatre shows and all sorts of people coming. I can see us in five or ten years having the whole downtown core full of big stages. We’ve got our fingers crossed.”
In The Soil is an all-ages festival with some ticketed events. For a full schedule of events and performances visit http://www.inthesoil.on.ca/2017-festival/schedule/.
