PIQSIQ with Oh Pray Tell - Double Bill
The Trail & District Arts Council presents Inuit style throat singers PIQSIQ at The Bailey Theatre on Saturday, March 7 at 7:30 pm as part of the Performing Arts Trail series. They will be joined in the double bill by Oh Pray Tell who are gospel, rhythm & blues, roots music and folk storytelling singers.
With a style perpetually galvanized by darkness and haunting northern beauty, sisters Tiffany Ayalik and Inuksuk Mackay come together to create an Inuit style throat singing duo, PIQSIQ. They perform ancient traditional songs and eerie new compositions with improvisational looping. In Inuktitut, a “piqsiq” is a storm where the snow seems as if it is falling back up towards the sky.
PIQSIQ have toured internationally and performed at the NONAM (North American Native Museum in Zurich), The German American Centre in Stuttgart, Germany, the Linden Museum and the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC as part of the Library of Congress concert series. They also performed for the High Commission to Canada in London for a tribute concert alongside Susan Aglukark.
They have recorded a television special for APTN’s “Indigenous Day Live Winter Solstice”
and for the Chan Centre for the Arts Dot Com Series. And PIQSIQ’s music has been licensed for several films including “Food for the Rest of Us”, directed by Caroline Cox and produced by Tiffany Ayalik, and “The Magnitude of All Things”, directed by Jennifer Abbot.
They even partnered with Coloma Guitars in Vancouver to create a one-of-a-kind instrument made of an entire caribou antler mount with a baleen whale bow.
Their 2020 album “Taaqtuq Ubluriaq: Dark Star” charted for several months nationally in the top 30 for Electronic and National categories and one of the songs off the album, “Arctic Hallows”, was listed by CBC as one of the top 100 songs of 2020.
Listen to the haunting throat singing composition "Echoes & Electricity" by Kayley Inuksuk Mackay sung during a lightning storm on the shores of the big lake where water meets sky. https://youtu.be/IKR5DwbaDj0
Oh Pray Tell is Betty Supple, Sally Titasey and Shayna Jones whose three part harmonies grounded in banjo and stomp-clap-cajon rhythms carry poetry, stories and spoken word. They offer up an original, soulful sound influenced by gospel, rhythm & blues, roots music and folk story-telling. Shayna is a recent and rejoiced addition to the group.
Oh Pray tell is based in British Columbia, Turtle Island — Sally and Shayna on Sinixt Territory and Betty moving consistently between territories, most often landing in that of the Sinixt, Haudenosaunee, Anishnaabe, Huron Wendat, Quw’utsun and Snuneymuxw Peoples.
Single tickets are $30. Under 30 years is $15.
7-show pass $188 or Pick Your Own season by becoming a Patron Member for $25 and get 20% off Trail Arts Council presentations and other benefits. All tickets available online at trail-arts.com, by phone at 250-368-9669, and in person at the Bailey Box Office at 1501 Cedar Ave., Trail.
Reminder - please do not wear strong smelling perfumes or colognes to the Bailey Theatre as the building is a scent free zone. Thank you for your cooperation.
This performance is made possible thanks to the support of our funders the BC Arts Council, BC Live Performance Network, and the Government of Canada. We also gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia.
Ballet Jörgen: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
The Trail & District Arts Council presents Canada's preeminent classical touring ballet company Ballet Jörgen: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, at The Bailey Theatre on Wednesday, February 18 at 7:00 pm as part of the Performing Arts Trail series.
Ballet Jörgen presents William Shakespeare’s classic comedy with a Canadian twist.
William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of his most beloved comedies. As four Athenians mixed up in love and lost in a forest while trying to escape their families, a group of fairies, engaged in their own emotional misunderstandings, manipulate the humans.
The ballet is a lighthearted, humourous, and fun tale of love and, often misguided, magic set in motion by the mischievous trickster Puck.
Bengt Jörgen will bring this story to life in his own original ballet version as a tribute to Canada’s North. Ballet Jörgen’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream will bring out the magic of Northern Canada’s woodland and tundra landscapes and creatures of the forest such as moose, beavers, bears, and squirrels.
In addition to our professional dancers, each performance will include up to 10 age-appropriate roles for local young aspiring dancers, ages 9 to 17, through Ballet Jörgen’s Local Participant Program.
The ballet adaptation is set to Mendelssohn’s 1827 concert overture and 1843 instrumental score which includes the famous “Wedding March.”
This family-friendly ballet will captivate audiences of all ages and will warm the hearts of young and old alike.
The show includes 15-18 dancers including parts for up to 10 local participants.
Choreography: Bengt Jörgen, C.M. Music: Felix Mendelssohn
The show lasts for 2 hours (including one 20-minute intermission)
ABOUT BALLET JÖRGEN
Founded in 1987, Ballet Jörgen is a national organization headquartered in Toronto that is focused on making the arts accessible for all Canadians, with a special focus on underserved communities and demographics. Known for the warmth and beauty of its productions, Ballet Jörgen offers a range of performances, dance classes and community engagement events involving over 70,000 participants annually across North America.
Ballet Jörgen is the 2011 winner of The National Arts Centre Award for Distinguished Contribution to Touring. In 2019 Artistic Director & CEO Bengt Jörgen was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada “for his commitment to promoting ballet in Canada as a choreographer and artistic director.”
Single tickets are $42. Under 30 years and Community Access Card tickets are $21.
7-show pass $188 or Pick Your Own season by becoming a Patron Member for $25 and get 20% off Trail Arts Council presentations and other benefits. All tickets available online at trail-arts.com, by phone at 250-368-9669, and in person at the Bailey Box Office at 1501 Cedar Ave., Trail.
Reminder - please do not wear strong smelling perfumes or colognes to the Bailey Theatre as the building is a scent free zone. Thank you for your cooperation.
This performance is made possible thanks to the support of the BC Arts Council, BC Live Performance Network, and the Government of Canada. We also gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia.
Josephine, A Burlesque Cabaret Dream Play
The Trail & District Arts Council presents international award-winning one-woman biographical musical Josephine, a burlesque cabaret dream play, at The Bailey Theatre on Monday, February 2 at 7:30 pm as part of the Performing Arts Trail series.
Critically-acclaimed off-Broadway and International touring show Josephine, a burlesque cabaret dream play returns to the West Kootenays with new content, new songs, and some stunning new costumes. A combination of cabaret, theatre and dance, Tymisha Harristells the story of the iconic Josephine Baker, the first African-American international superstar and one of the most remarkable figures of the 20th Century.
Josephine Baker was born in St. Louis in 1906, and while only achieving moderate success in the United States, she became an international superstar after moving to France in the early 1920’s. She starred alongside white romantic leading men in films in the 30’s, had multiple interracial marriages and homosexual relationships, and performed in men’s clothing before the term “drag” existed in the lexicon.
Josephine was also a spy for the French Resistance, a civil rights activist, and the mother of 12 adopted children from 4 continents. Her success in France and Europe often gave her the opportunity to live freely without the racial oppression of her home nation, though she never stopped yearning for acceptance in America.
Josephine debuted at the 2016 San Diego Fringe Festival where it won "Outstanding Solo Performance" and "Best Show". Josephine toured throughout North America in 2017, picking up awards and 5 star reviews at every stop, including the 2017 Fringe Encore series award for “Outstanding Production” award. For the off-Broadway run at Soho Playhouse, where it sold out performances and received high critical acclaim., Tymisha Harris was nominated for a 2018 Vivian Robinson AUDELCO Award for Outstanding Solo Performance.
Then, in the summer of 2018, the show traveled across Canada to five festivals, and was the top selling show at every one of them, earning another dozen awards. And, in 2020, the show received rave reviews, sold out and extended its run at the Adelaide Fringe Festival (the second largest in the world), and received a coveted “Critics Circle Award”.
Josephine "…is a perfect piece of theatre for the time we are currently in" ★★★★★ - Plays To See NYC
“In a period of profound division in the world, we are excited to present the story of a woman who broke boundaries of race, gender, and sexuality in a time before America had begun coming to terms with the concept of diversity.” - Producer/Director/co-Creator Michael Marinaccio
Tymisha Harris (aka “Tush”) has been performing professionally for over 25 years. Her early credits include assistant choreographer and backup dancing for the 90’s pop group N*SYNC, backup dancer for LFO, and a featured role in the hit movie series “Bring It On”. More recent endeavors include the national tour of “Rock of Ages”, a European tour with the innovative and world-renowned Pilobulus Dance Theater Company, and founding member and Assistant Director/Choreographer of the successful Orlando based troupe, VarieTease.
About the company:
Created by Tymisha Harris, Michael Marinaccio, and Tod Kimbro
Performed by Tymisha Harris
Directed and Produced by Michael Marinaccio
Book and Music Direction by Tod Kimbro
Additional Choreography and Direction by Sean Cheeseman (So You Think You Can Dance)
Single tickets are $30. Under 30 years is $15.
7-show pass $188 or Pick Your Own season by becoming a Patron Member for $25 and get 20% off Trail Arts Council presentations and other benefits. All tickets available online at trail-arts.com, by phone at 250-368-9669, and in person at the Bailey Box Office at 1501 Cedar Ave., Trail.
Reminder - please do not wear strong smelling perfumes or colognes to the Bailey Theatre as the building is a scent free zone. Thank you for your cooperation.
This performance celebrates Black History month and is made possible thanks to the support of our funders the BC Arts Council, BC Live Performance Network, and the Government of Canada. We also gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia.
The Fretless with Madeleine Roger
The Trail & District Arts Council presents Juno award-winners The Fretless with Madeleine Roger at The Bailey Theatre on Tuesday, January 27 at 7:30 pm as part of the Performing Arts Trail series.
The Fretless is a Canadian string group reimagining folk music for today. With deep traditional roots and a modern edge, they blend old-school sounds with fresh energy—making traditional music feel new, exciting, and totally relevant. This quartet pushes the boundaries of what a string quartet can do. With a distinctly rich and multi-layered sound, they transform fiddle tunes and folk melodies into intricate, beautiful, high-energy arrangements.
The Fretless is Trent Freeman (Fiddle/Viola), Karrnnel Sawitsky (Fiddle/Viola), Ben Plotnick(Fiddle/Viola), and Eric Wright (Cello).
Awards:
“Waterbound” in 2012: Winner of Instrumental Album of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards (WCMA) and Instrumental Group of the Year and Ensemble of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards (CFMA).
“The Fretless” in 2014: Winner of Instrumental Album of the Year (WCMA) and Ensemble of the Year (CFMA).
"Live from the Art Farm" in 2019: Winner of Instrumental Album of the Year (CFMA).
“Bird’s Nest” In 2017: Winner of the JUNO award for Instrumental Album of The Year.
The Fretless are just as likely to perform at a concert hall (most recently, halls such as the Royal Glasgow Concert Hall in Scotland, The Colon Philharmonie in Germany, or the National Arts Centre in Ottawa) as a folk festival (such as Vancouver Island Folk Fest, Winnipeg Folk Fest, Memoirs et Racines). They can be found playing a pub one day and a chamber music festival the next.
The band is taking their innovative and vibrant version of a string quartet to countless corners of the musical world, bringing audiences on a journey that transcends genre, defies stereotypes, and can only be described as The Fretless.
“It isn’t often that you come across instrumental music so beautiful that each track feels like brush strokes in a piece of artwork.” - Ben Ray, Cherwell
Joining them on this tour for a night of passionately expressive music is incredible singer-songwriter Madeleine Roger, whose lyrical prowess and breathtaking melodies linger long after they are sung. Her regular collaborations with The Fretless include live performances and recordings as a vocalist and co-writer.
Madeleine has toured extensively across Canada, Europe, USA, and the UK sharing her music live at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, Shetland Island Folk Festival, Vancouver Island Music Festival, Stan Rogers Folk Festival, Summerfolk Festival of Arts and Crafts, among others. She has been nominated for awards as English Songwriter of the Year (2020 Canadian Folk Music Awards) and Producer of the Year 2019 Western Canadian Music Awards).
Listen to The Fretless and Madeleine Roger perform their rendition of Feist's “My Moon My Man” together https://youtu.be/FdB7wcaVNKI .
For more Fretless visit their YouTube channel https://bit.ly/3GNFSPE .
Single tickets are $30. Under 30 years is $15. Common Access Card is $15.
7-show pass $188 or Pick Your Own season by becoming a Patron Member for $25 and get 20% off Trail Arts Council presentations and other benefits. All tickets available online at trail-arts.com, by phone at 250-368-9669, and in person at the Bailey Box Office at 1501 Cedar Ave., Trail.
Reminder - please do not wear strong smelling perfumes or colognes to the Bailey Theatre as the building is a scent free zone. Thank you for your cooperation.
This performance is made possible thanks to the support of our funders the BC Arts Council, BC Live Performance Network, and the Government of Canada. We also gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia.
Montreal Guitar Trio: Christmas Around the World
The Trail & District Arts Council presents Montreal Guitar Trio: Christmas Around the World. Back by popular demand, MG3 features three classically trained acoustic guitarists with an entire world of musical influences, returning to The Bailey Theatre on Tuesday, December 16 at 7:30 pm as part of the Performing Arts Trail series.
The Montreal Guitar Trio surprises, amazes, exalts, and ignites audiences with their dynamic and breathtaking stage presence. For the holiday season, the three brilliant guitarists have brought together some of the best music to celebrate Christmas in their own ingenious, unique and unbeatable way: The Nutcracker (Tchaikovsky), The Nightmare Before Christmas (Danny Elfman), A Charlie Brown Christmas (Vince Guaraldi) and other titles!
This passionate trio has been sharing their work with fervor for over 25 years. In addition to their three guitars, multi-instrumentalists Sébastien Deshaies, Glenn Lévesque, and Marc Morin, also sing and play the violin, mandolin, bass, accordion and more.
MG3 performs hundreds of concerts a year in the most renowned concert halls in America and around the world.
The trio performs classical and modern covers, as well as their own original compositions and arrangements, and their performances have taken them all over the world.
Watch the trailer https://youtu.be/Zea8167lbgU
Single tickets are $30. Under 30 years is $15.
7-show pass $188 or Pick Your Own season by becoming a Patron Member for $25 and get 20% off Trail Arts Council presentations and other benefits. All tickets available online at trail-arts.com, by phone at 250-368-9669, and in person at the Bailey Box Office at 1501 Cedar Ave., Trail.
Reminder - please do not wear strong smelling perfumes or colognes to the Bailey Theatre as the building is a scent free zone. Thank you for your cooperation.
This performance is made possible thanks to the support of our funders the BC Arts Council, BC Live Performance Network, and the Government of Canada. We also gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia.
Cirque Kalabanté: Afrique en Cirque
The Trail & District Arts Council presents Cirque Kalabanté: Afrique en Cirque, a group of amazing acrobats and live musicians, celebrating the diversity of traditional African arts combined with the virtuosity of the North American modern circus. Part of the Performing Arts Trail series, on Saturday, October 11 at 7:30 pm in The Bailey Theatre.
“Afrique En Cirque” symbolizes the strength, agility and joy of life found in African youth. A handful of daring acrobats perform accompanied by the pulsating rhythm of the djembes of Guinea, and the melodious sound of the Kora. Take a trip to Africa where the sets and costumes pay homage to the Guinean diaspora through high-level acrobatics, innovative choreography and colourful rhythms.
Watch the trailer https://youtu.be/Z-aYGeBsDFI.
Kalabanté Productions was created by Yamoussa Bangoura, a multidisciplinary artist of Guinean origin. As a child, Yamoussa studied the circus performers he saw on European TV and the Nyamakala tradition of circus, practiced by the Fula people of West Africa. He eventually joined Guinea’s original circus company, Circus Baobob. with whom he toured Africa and Europe. Then, in the early 2000’s, he was recruited to come to Canada with Cirque Eloize, a Montreal based company, and he also performed with Cirque du Soleil and Cavalia (cirque with horses).
In 2007 Yamoussa realized his dream and opened his own company, Kalabanté Productions in Montreal Canada. He recruited many of his extended family members to join the company, including his twin sisters, brothers, and cousins. His aim was to found a school of circus arts specializing in the African arts. As the company director he develops his own shows that combine these elements and his shows have been performed worldwide.
Yamoussa Bangoura, artistic director of the company, works to pass on and share his values and passions in the circus arts through his school. He teaches various artistic disciplines, such as African dance and traditional music of West Africa, that in turn helps one to master the circus arts,
Kalabante Productions is proud to be able to share their original work, achievements, and also assist with the humanitarian mission to help the Guinean community of which Yamoussa and many of his company members come from.
Single tickets are $42. Under 30 years is $21.
7-show pass $188 or Pick Your Own season by becoming a Patron Member for $25 and get 20% off Trail Arts Council presentations and other benefits. All tickets available online at trail-arts.com, by phone at 250-368-9669, and in person at the Bailey Box Office at 1501 Cedar Ave., Trail.
Reminder - please do not wear strong smelling perfumes or colognes to the Bailey Theatre as the building is a scent free zone. Thank you for your cooperation.
This performance is made possible thanks to the support of our funders the BC Arts Council, BC Live Performance Network, and the Government of Canada. We also gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia.
VACANT LOT: Ichigo-Ichieh New Theatre at The Bailey Theatre in Trail
The Trail & District Arts Council presents VACANT LOT from Ichigo-Ichieh New Theatre, a contemporary dance/theatre piece directed and choreographed by Hiromoto Ida, as part of the Performing Arts Trail series, on Saturday, October 4 at 7:30 pm in The Bailey Theatre.
A long-married couple visit the vacant lot where their house once stood. They innocently share memories of their life together, of the house, and of their kids. Soon after, they realize how short this life is, and that our existence in the universe is so fragile.
Lindsay Clague and Hiromoto Ida embody the married couple, storytelling through movement, dialogue, and at times, stillness. This work is a balance between spoken theatre and dance theatre, revealing the loneliness of human existence and our longing to connect to each other and to the universe. While the overarching themes are existential, the play is also filled with delightful comedic moments that tickle the soul.
VACANT LOT is based on the play “SARACHI” by contemporary Japanese theatre artist, Shogo Ota.
Hiromoto Ida, who is based in Nelson, won a Screen Actors Guild Award this year in the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a TV Drama Series for his portrayal of Japanese warlord Lord Kiyama, in “Shōgun”.
The production team for VACANT LOT includes John Tucker (sound designer), Sharon Huizinga (lighting designer), Ian Johnston (stage designer), Lindsay Clague (assistant director), and Hannah Stevens (stage manager).
About the company
Ichigo-Ichieh New Theatre was established in 2006 by Hiromoto Ida. Previous
works include “SENTAKU”, “KESSA”, “The Gift”, “DETOUR” (part of The Capitol Theatre season series), “BIRTHDAY PRESENT TO MYSELF” and “HOMECOMING”.
The company is named after the Japanese notion of a unique occasion. If you meet someone, it is considered a unique occasion that happens only once, in that moment, in an entire lifetime. Even if you meet the same person the next day under the same circumstances, this exact same moment can never reoccur. This idea is built into the philosophy of the Japanese tea ceremony, not unlike a theatre performance, which has a host preparing a ceremony for a guest. Each ceremony is represented by a theme, with subtle intention provided by the host.
Every small thing has a purpose and a position - even imperfections, are carefully attended while the host is kept away from the centre of the ceremony. A tea ceremony’s main focus is always given to perfecting a cup of tea to present to the guest with ichigo-ichieh in their mind.
Single tickets are $30. Under 30 years is $15. Common Access Card $15.
7-show pass $188 or Pick Your Own season by becoming a Patron Member for $25 and get 20% off Trail Arts Council presentations and other benefits. All tickets available online, by phone at 250-368-9669, and in person at the Bailey Box Office at 1501 Cedar Ave., Trail.
Reminder - please do not wear strong smelling perfumes or colognes to the Bailey Theatre as the building is a scent free zone. Thank you for your cooperation.
This performance is made possible thanks to the support of our funders the BC Arts Council, BC Live Performance Network, and the Government of Canada. We also gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia.
InSight: Creative Soma Studio
Join in on a gentle journey inward through somatic inquiry and art therapy. Using focusing oriented art therapy techniques we'll explore a felt sense to experience the body's innate wisdom to guide us towards new insight and self awareness.
Awakeneers
Hey there! We're very excited to be making it back to the Kootenays! We hope you'll join us for an evening of thoughtful, humorous, and uplifting lyrics swirled gently into an acoustic mix of all original folk sounds and sibling vocal harmonies.
Join us for an uplifting evening concert at the beautiful Nelson United.
Returning from a series of festival performances in Northern BC, Cortes Island folk band Awakeneers will be performing at Nelson United Church on Sunday, July 13th, at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door, and audience members can look forward to an evening of thoughtful, humorous, and uplifting lyrics swirled gently into an acoustic mix of all original folk sounds and sibling vocal harmonies.
“Several of us grew up in the Valley and cut our teeth as buskers on Baker Street” said Francis, songwriter who plays fiddle and cello with the Awakeneers “It’s been twelve years since our last concert at Nelson United, during that time the music has taken us across two continents and three albums — so it’s pretty swell to be coming back to the Kootenays with the band!”
The Awakeneers will also perform at the SIFCo Resiliency Centre in Winlaw on July 20th at 5:30 pm.
Currently based on Cortes Island, the Awakeneers are a nomadic tribe of multi-instrumentalist songwriters (most of whom are siblings) who offer a genre-bending blend of acoustic positivity that orbits elliptically around the idea of folk music.
The band was formed in 2020, but all members of the Awakeneers have played together for more than a decade. Collectively, they have written more than 400 songs and have performed together across the USA, Canada, and Europe, playing for audiences ranging in size from 7 to 7,000 at festivals, farms, conferences, concert halls, folk clubs, churches, eco-villages, and almost anywhere that folk music can be heard.
A fiercely independent band, they have built a strong following with a unique approach to the music business that has included touring on a wooden sailboat and giving away their music for free on a custom-built smartphone app.
If you'd like to reserve a ticket by telephone, please contact us at: (778) 788-3459
More info about the band: https://www.awakeneers.com
Patty Castle, the artistic director of the Victoria Folk Music Society, described their concert there as a "wonderfully entertaining show ... left us all with a smile on our faces and a song in our hearts!"
And Campbell River Arts Council’s Karen Seaboyer referred to the band as "One of the most talented and professional groups of musicians I’ve ever worked with.”
Dark Chapters closing event with David Garneau
David Garneau returns to the Nelson Museum with guests Susan Musgrave, Paul Seesequasis, and Fred Wah, for an artist talk and reading event, featuring excerpts from the Dark Chapters publication and amongst the artworks in Gallery A. This event is free and open to the public.
Rocks and books, bones and shadows—studied in isolation, interpreted by 17 leading artists, poets, essayists, and academics from across the country—come together in Dark Chapters, a striking project by Métis artist David Garneau. Presented as both a touring exhibition and a publication, Dark Chapters explores the tension and balance between everyday objects and powerful cultural symbols.
David Garneau (Métis) is a Professor of Visual Arts at the University of Regina. He is a painter, curator, and writer who engages creative and critical expressions of Indigenous contemporary ways of knowing, being, and doing. In 2023, he received the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Art: Outstanding Achievement and was inducted into the Royal Society of Canada.