Festival by the Marsh is an integrated arts festival featuring high quality theatre and music performances, fine arts displays and demonstrations, other forms of artistic expression, and educational programmes for young people.

The 2010 Festival by the Marsh Event Schedule is ready! Download a pdf. Our Event Schedule is also online - click here for the most up-to-date listing of events.

The flagship event of the 2010 festival will be a two-week run of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.

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Press Release
For Immediate Release

Writers Fest Day in Sackville July 24

The Fourth Annual Writers Fest Day (presented in collaboration with Festival by the Marsh) will be held Saturday, July 24 all around Sackville New Brunswick. The day includes a wide variety of events, along with a new “Community Reads” initiative presented in collaboration with Tidewater Books. The fest begins with a “Breakfast with local Young Writers” event at 9 a.m., featuring author Kate Inglis, who will read from her work and conduct a workshop. At 10:30 a.m., there follows a reading by Dr. Kevin O’Brien of "An Apostle for the Arts – Oscar Wilde in Canada" and the performance of the play "The Importance of the House Beautiful – Oscar Wilde in Moncton" by Ron Kelly Spurles at the Boultenhouse Heritage Centre. At 11:45 a.m., Beth Powning will host a Writer’s Workshop (for those interested in talking with a published writer about the art and the trade), and at 1 p.m., Charlie Scobie will read from his book "Roberts Country: Sir Charles G.D. Roberts and the Tantramar". Both of these events also take place at the Heritage Centre. At 4:30 p.m., a “Dining with Writers” event (sponsored by Mount Allison University) will take place at Cranewood, which will lead into the readings of Beth Powning and Lisa Moore at the Heritage Centre at 6 and 7 p.m. respectively. The closing reception will take place with original music by Landon Braverman at Joey’s Restaurant at 10 p.m. featuring the Festival Poet-in-Resident Kenzie Reid.

Kate Inglis, who will host the “Breakfast with local Young Writers” event, is a writer and photographer and lives on the far eastern coastline of Nova Scotia where she was born. She aided in the founding of “Glow in the Woods,” a collaborative blog for baby-lost parents which has established an affectionate and embracing online community, and has also been a founding contributor to “Shutter Sisters.” Her first novel, "The Dread Crew: Pirates of the Backwoods", was published in November 2009 with a second edition being released earlier this year, and has been acclaimed as “a spirited tale, gorgeously rendered,” by January Magazine. It is from this novel for young people that Kate Inglis will be reading, which will be closely followed by a workshop for young writers, all taking place at Cranewood on Main St.

Kevin O’Brien, who will read from his work "An Apostle for the Arts – Oscar Wilde in Canada" at 10:30 a.m., was an English professor at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, NS, for thirty four years beginning in 1966. With his research interests in the biographies of literary figures, he has published numerous biographical studies of Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), Robert Harborough Sherard (1861-1943), and Irene Osgood (1869-1922), among others. The new edition of the work from which he will be reading will be published in the summer of 2010.

Parallel to this reading will be the performance of "The Importance of the House Beautiful - Oscar Wilde in Moncton", a new play written by Festival by the Marsh Artistic Producer Ron Kelly Spurles. Spurles has based the play on true details from Wilde's 1882 visit to Canada, creating a comedic love story in the very style of Wilde's plays. Originally produced for the Capitol Theatre's "Resurgo Redux" Festival in June, it is now being remounted to be presented alongside Dr. O'Brien's talk on Wilde's visit to Canada.
At 11:45 a.m., the fest continues with Beth Powning and her writer’s workshop at the Boultenhouse Heritage Centre. Currently living in Sussex, NB, and considered one of Eastern Canada’s rising literary stars, Beth Powning is the author of two novels, "The Hatbox Letters" (2004) and "The Sea Captain’s Wife" (2010), the memoir, "Shadow Child: An Apprenticeship in Love and Loss" (1999), and the non-fiction essay "Edge Seasons" (2005), among other significant works.

Charlie Scobie, who reads at 1 p.m. at the Boultenhouse, is a native of Scotland, and taught at McGill University in Montreal before taking up the position of Professor and Head of the Department of Religious Studies at Mount Allison University beginning in 1972. Retiring in 1998, Scobie has written many books and articles in the field of Biblical Studies, but has equally contributed several books on Maritime history, including a study on "The Father of Canadian Literature" entitled "Roberts Country: Sir Charles G.D. Roberts and the Tantramar", which was published in 2008.

At 4:30 p.m. the “Dining with Writers” event takes place at Cranewood. At this event members of the public will have the chance to interact with the featured authors and other book literary enthusiasts. Beth Powning will follow the dining with a reading at the Boultenhouse Heritage Centre at 6 p.m. from her novel "The Ship Captain’s Wife".

This reading will then be followed by another at 7 p.m. at the same location by author Lisa Moore. Moore, who lives in St.John’s Newfoundland, has published several collections of work, her second of which, a collection of stories, "Open" (2002), was nominated for the Giller Prize. Her first novel, "Alligator" (2005), was also nominated for the Giller Prize, was long-listed for the 2007 IMPAC Award, and won the 2006 Commonwealth Writers' Prize Best Book Award for the Caribbean and Canada Region. Her most recent work, the novel "February" (2009), draws on the story of the oil rig Ocean Ranger which sank off the coast of Newfoundland during the Valentine's Day storm of 1982.
The Writer’s Fest Day closes with a reception at Joey’s Restaurant at 10 p.m. which will feature the Festival Poet-in-Residence Kenzie Reid. Kenzie is a nineteen-year-old writer from Sackville, NB, who currently studies at the University of Waterloo and who has often drawn inspiration for her poems, in one way or another, from the Tantramar Marsh, She has participated in several youth poetry events in both Sackville and Moncton. The reception will be accompanied with original music by Mount Allison University music student Landon Braverman, who is gaining a reputation as one the regions top up and coming songwriter/singers.

Writers Fest Day is sponsored by Sackville SaveEasy and is presented in collaboration with Festival by the Marsh. For more details please phone (506) 364-2179, toll free 1-866-890-6329 or visit www.festivalbythemarsh.ca.

Press Release
For Immediate Release

The Tantramar Heritage Trust presents “The Sundays and Tuesdays Under the Sky Festival”

The second expanded edition of the Sackville Tantramar Heritage Trust’s “Sundays and Tuesdays Under the Sky Festival” includes numerous exciting events scheduled on July 25th and 27th, and August 1st, 8th, 10th, 15th, and 17th. Taking place at the Campbell Carriage Factory Museum, all events are “pay what you can” and are outdoors in the Carriage Factory Compound (rain location is indoors - limited to 60 people, first come first served). Each week will highlight either heritage music, literature, fine arts or theatre.

At 7 p.m. on Sunday, July 25th, Sackville musician Fred Squire will be playing in concert presenting “pre-1950s music”, which will be followed by an outdoor screening of the movie “Oklahoma” – with a surrey in attendance! Some critiques claim that “Squire's voice and subtle, distorted guitar should have pushed him to the top of the Can-Indie rock list by now.” In his most recent record, featuring tracks such as “What's That Over There, a Dead Rainbow?,” “We Are All The Middle Child,” and the acoustic and piano ballad “You Sing High, We Will Sing Low,” Fred “walks [the listener] down moments of his life, never letting the pace or volume distract...from his words.”

Adapted into a musical film in 1955, the film “Oklahoma” was originally based on a 1943 musical play and was the first musical directed by the renowned Fred Zinnemann. “Oklahoma,” an instant classic, won two Academy Awards, including Best Music and Best Sound, and was nominated for two others, namely, for best cinematography and best film editing. In 2007, the film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the US National Film Registry as a culturally and historically significant work.

At 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 27th, celebrated singer/folklorist/songwriter
Clary Croft will perform music gathered by Helen Crieghton (with narration and original materials). Living today in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Clary Croft is an author, performer, folklore researcher, recording artist and producer. The Encyclopaedia of Music in Canada has recognized Clary’s, “. . . contribution to Maritime folklore studies and his ongoing research into the traditional music of the Maritime provinces.” He is best known for his work with the collection of Dr. Helen Creighton, the internationally renowned and Nova Scotia born folklore pioneer.

The focus of Sunday, August 1st, will be the literature of Sackville, beginning with Dr. Rob Summerby-Murray’s talk at 1 p.m. on "Diaries as Local literature: the family dynamics of Alice Bulmer and Ella Anderson in the 1920s and 30s" - a presentation on the diaries of these two Sackville area women. Born in New Zealand, Robert Summerby-Murray studied geography at the University of Canterbury beginning in 1981, before completing doctoral work at the University of Toronto. Since graduating with a PhD in 1992, he has taught economic, cultural and historical geography at Mount Allison University and is currently Dean of Social Sciences.

From 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Marilyn Lerch will lead a workshop on memoir writing (please register in advance by contacting the Trust). Growing up in north-western Indiana and attending Indiana University, Lerch earned degrees in English and Education while also attaining a Masters Degree from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in California. “Beginning in the late sixties in Washington, D.C., she taught high school English and participated in several movements for social change, including the Vietnam Antiwar Movement, Women's Liberation and Gay Rights.” Retiring from teaching in 1995, Lerch became a permanent resident of Sackville in 2001. Her poetry has appeared in journals both in Canada and in the U.S., including "Lambs & Llamas, Ewes & Me," a handset cycle of poems about shepherding in Alberta, and Moon Loves Its Light, published in March, 2004, which was her first collection of poetry.

On Tuesday, August 3, at 8:45 p.m., Historian Dr. Hannah Lane will speak on "The historian, the diarist, and their times," including details from the history of midwifery in the area, and will be followed by the showing of the film “A Midwife’s Tale” with several of its actors present (Ron Kelly Spurles and others). Dr. Hannah Lane teaches several courses at Mount Allison University, including courses on the history of the Atlantic Region, Colonial America, and early Canadian history.
Following these events will be the Fine Arts/Crafts week with a vintage tool show presented by the Atlantic Tool Collectors Association on Sunday, August 8th, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Formed in 1994, the Atlantic Tool Collectors Association, with currently over sixty members from across Canada and the United States, was founded with a view to promote public interest in the history and preservation of antique hand tools in the Atlantic Provinces. Its semi-annual meetings, for instance, offer an opportunity for its members to display their collections in public.

On Tuesday, August 10, conservator Michelle Gallinger will hold a talk at 7 p.m. on the “Caring for Paintings” – learn how the Trust is working to conserve some of our art work (including a “Victorian pin-up”, originally from the Campbell Carriage Factory) and how to conserve your valuable paintings and art work – bring it along if you’d like! With an undergraduate degree in Art History in 1990, and later a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Distinction in printmaking, Gallinger attained a Master in Art Conservation in paintings from Queen's University in 1997. Today, she works with a variety of materials, offering services in the conservation of murals, frames and soapstone sculpture, with a specialization in paintings and painted objects.

Finally, the “Festival Under the Sky” will be concluded with a theatre week beginning on Sunday, August 15th at 2 p.m. until 4 p.m., with a workshop on performing historical texts - both gathered and written by the Tantramar Heritage Trust. The workshop is intended for ages 10 and above. The following Tuesday, August 17th at 7 p.m., short plays will be presented featuring Van Horne and Hammond – the story of how railroad boss William Cornelius Van Horne and Sackville artist John Hammond came to be working partners. Scenes will also be developed during the Sunday workshop, and short scenes about historical figures from the area.

More information about all Festival activities, including a schedule of events with locations and ticket information (most activities are “pay what you can”) can be found by visiting heritage.tantramar.com or phoning 536-2541.

Press Release
For Immediate Release

Festival by the Marsh Moves to Tent in Bandstand Park, Adds KIDSFEST

The sixth edition of Sackville’s Festival by the Marsh will be held July 9 to 25. This year, many of the Festival’s events will take place in a large tent at Bandstand Park on Main St. in Sackville, NB. This year’s Festival includes perennial favourites such as a fully produced Shakespeare production (this year features the comedy “Much Ado About Nothing”), several concerts in many genres of music (the Marsh Music Fest), an opening night “Gallery Hop”, Fine Arts Exhibits, Writers Fest Day, and workshops for young people. A new edition to this year’s Festival line up is a two day “Kids Fest” on July 16 and 17.

“The Festival has really exploded this year,” said Artistic Producer Ron Kelly Spurles. “Over our first five editions, we’ve tried a wide variety of events and activities. Some have stuck with us, and others have been retired. With the addition of this year’s Kids Fest, I’d say we now have a supercharged Festival that will definitely provide something for everyone to enjoy”.

“Pre-festival” activities take place on July 9 with an abbreviated performance of “You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown” by the high school musical theatre camp, and a concert by Lurrie Bell. The Fine Arts opening night is on Wednesday, July 14, and features an artist’s talk by Kitty Mykka and Lance Belanger (site-specific artists with an environmental conscience), visits to all local galleries, a first look at Rob Lyon’s new gallery on Weldon Street, and a free concert (with refreshments) at Cranewood (sponsored by Mount Allison University) featuring folk/roots independent guitarist Brian Gladstone. On July 15, there is a concert by the Jim Blewett Trio (swing music) in Bandstand Park, and the production of “Much Ado About Nothing” opens (and runs to July 25).

Kids Fest on July 16 and 17 features a wide variety of events for young people, including performances of “The Paperbag Princess”, a clown show, and concerts for young people. Elizabeth Shepard also performs on the 16th at Joey’s.

The second week of the Festival is also a very busy one, with more music (including fingerstyle guitarist Don Ross at Joey’s on the 23rd), a very busy Writers Fest Day on July 24 (featuring readings by Charlie Scobie, Beth Powning, Lisa Moore and others, as well as a talk and a play about Oscar Wilde in Moncton), and more performances of “Much Ado About Nothing”.

More information about all Festival activities, including a schedule of events with locations and ticket information (most activities are “pay what you can”) can be found by phoning 364-2179 or 1-866-890-6329.

Summer 2010 Musical Theatre Workshop
Middle School Age – July 19 – 24, 2010
High School Age and Over - July 5 – 9, 2010 (please note, there will also likely be a performance (or performances) of the final play for this section during the Festival by the Marsh on July 16, 17 and/or 18)

The Power of Musical Theatre
Instructor: Stacey Merrigan and others TBA

Registration
Early bird before March 1, 2010 - $100
March 1 - May 1, 2010 - $125, after May 1 $150

To register contact festival@mta.ca or phone 364-2179. REGISTRATION IS LIMITED

(also keep a lookout for our musical theatre workshop for ages 5 - 12 in collaboration with the Town of Sackville)

The acts of singing and of acting are as natural as breathing and being alive - and they bring joy and fulfillment to people of all ages, all around the world. We invite you to join us this summer for a week of musical theatre skill learning and performance, geared to performers of high school age and older. Learn about healthy vocal technique, acting and dancing, and perform a role in a reduced version of (a Broadway Musical) in period costume onstage, to be presented as part of the Festival by the Marsh. Share your joy in musical theatre with us this summer!
For further information or details, you may also contact festival@mta.ca or 364-2179