World’s largest Indigenous festival comes to Harbourfront Centre

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Planet IndigenUS Festival Co-Produced by Woodland Cultural Centre

Aug 10-19, 2012

TORONTO, ON It’s a festival so big, it only happens once every three years: Harbourfront Centre is pleased to announce the return of the world’s largest multi-disciplinary, contemporary, international Indigenous arts festival. Planet IndigenUS, co-produced by Woodland Cultural Centre, is a ten-day region-wide celebration, August 10-19, bookended by festival weekends at Harbourfront Centre.

The festival celebrates the future of Indigenous culture while honouring the past by presenting international artists steeped in local traditions and devoted to pushing their art forms into new realms. An amazing array of talent will be on display at Harbourfront Centre and at dozens of partner sites across the region.

Planet IndigenUS highlights include:

• Music from an international assortment of artists including: Derek Miller’s Robbie Robertson tribute; Hanggai’s Mongolian folk via Beijing, mind-blowing didjetronica from Tjupurru (Australia), space-aged cellist Cris Derksen; Transjoik’s Nordic throat-singing meets rap and muezzin prayer-call, A Tribe Called Red’s multi-media Electric Pow-Wow;
• The North American premier of Susuriwka – Willow Bridge, a collaboration between Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, Yokohama Noh Theatre and Ainu (Japan) musician Oki;
• A multi-disciplinary Opening Night Spectacle hosted by Wab Kinew and Sarah Podemski;
• Visual artist Raymond Boisjoly’s take on the roots of “Toronto” and several group exhibitions;
• Comedy night at Woodland Cultural Cetnre featuring Don Burnstick and Charlie Hill;
• …and much more!

A portion of the listings information for events at Harbourfront Centre and Woodland Cultural Centre is attached, with more to follow in the coming weeks. More info is available at the festival website, harbourfrontcentre.com/planetindigenus. For additional information and complete event listings, the public may visit harbourfrontcentre.com/summer or call the Information Hotline at 416-973-4000. Harbourfront Centre is located at 235 Queens Quay West in the heart of downtown Toronto’s waterfront.

ABOUT HARBOURFRONT CENTRE SUMMER FESTIVALS

Harbourfront Centre is an innovative, non-profit cultural organization which provides internationally renowned programming in the arts, culture, education and recreation, in the heart of Toronto's downtown waterfront. Our summer festival season runs from Victoria Day weekend through Thanksgiving weekend, and features over 20 festivals and events that offer The World in One Place. For more information visit harbourfrontcentre.com/summer

ABOUT WOODLAND CULTURAL CENTRE

The Woodland Cultural Centre is a non-profit organization which preserves and promotes the culture and heritage of the First Nations of the Eastern Woodland area.

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Media Contact: Jon Campbell | jcampbell@harbourfrontcentre.com | 416 973 4655