Rhythm & Revelry: Cultivate delivers
Cultivate Performing and Arts Festival began on Wednesday, July 10th and ended on Sunday, July 14th with headliner Jim Byrnes. This year Cultivate featured five days of arts and culture for everyone to enjoy.
The Gabriola Arts Council proudly presented a festival that reflects the essence of Gabriola. Programming was featured at a variety of venues around the island reflecting our theme: find your rhythm.
Cultivate x Brickyard Music and Arts Festival
Cultivate kicked off on July 10 with the Brickyard Music and Arts Festival at Brickyard Beach. This colourfully curated arts and community evening began with a potluck and continued with a high-quality open-mic style live music event with full lights and sound setup, all in front of a beautiful Vancouver Island sunset.
Ceremonial Opening
The festival officially opened on Thursday, July 11 and featured The Indigenous Women Rise Drum Group, representing First Nations, Metis, and Inuit women from across Turtle Island. We were fortunate to have Snuneymuxw Elder Geraldine Manson (C’tasi:a) as part of our opening ceremony, along with Member of Parliament Lisa Marie Barron, MLA Sheila Malcolmson, and Islands Trust representative Tobi Elliott and of course GAC’s Program Manager, Chelsea Ruston.
Music to Our Ears: A Gabriola Variety Show
Celtic Folk and Indie Folk
The weekend kicked off on Friday, July 12 with Clanna Morna and Dana Sipos. Clanna Morna treated us to a unique take on the Celtic folk genre with influences from traditional Irish, Scottish, and English music that we captivated us all evening. Acclaimed indie, folk singer-songwriter Dana Sipos follows with her rich spiralling vocals and textured instrumentation set to bold production choices. Her between song banter kept us thoroughly entertained and wanting more.
Sound Meditation
Charlie Gates (they/them), on Saturday, July 13, created a weave between sound mediation, somatic and restorative practices, mythopoetic, and deep listening as only they can do. Those that participated in Charlie’s session reported feeling a sense of enchantment and a deep calmness the moment they left the poetry yurt at the Gabriola Commons.
Find them on Instagram at @soundsbycharlie
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Faery Fun for Kids of All Ages
Saturday, July 13 was also a fun day for children of all ages, big and small. Rainbow the Harp Faery enchanted audience members with her whimsical melodies and captivating tales.
Post performance included drop-in Faery Face Painting. The enchanting journey continues on Instagram @theharpfaery
Hailey Rose Film Screening with Em Caine and the Queer Cinema Archive
Hailey Rose was screened later in the day on Saturday, July 13 at the Gabriola Theatre Centre. This contemporary family comedy about love in all its expressions made audience members experience a myriad of emotions. The film is a comically tragic and heart-warming tale about running away, facing your past and accepting your loved ones, old and new. We were fortunate to have lead actor, Em Haine, for a Q&A, along with Derek Le Beau, the principal researcher of the Queer Cinema Archive.
Omolara with Pozitive Rebellion
On the evening of Saturday, July 13, Omolara and Pozitive Rebellion brought reggae and worldbeat rhythms and dancing spirit to the Cultivate stage. This was the first time Omolara has performed with Pozitive Rebellion and we were here for it!
Harpoonist
Harpoonist, known to family, friends, and hardcore fans as Shawn Hall, brought down the house with his harpoon/harmonica/harp virtuoso energy on a beautiful evening at the Gabriola Commons, following Omolara.
His raw and energetic fusion of rock, funk, and soul made us all get up and dance, including a big, friendly dog that was up on the stage. Hope the puppers had a guest pass!
Puppet Show and Workshop – Fun!
On Sunday, July 14, with re-purposed and recycled materials, using puppetry, live music, and storytelling, Pico’s Puppet Palace captivated young islanders and gave their caregivers a much needed break. Following the show was a puppet-making workshop.
Find Pico’s Puppet Palace on Instagram and Facebook, @picospuppetpalace
Gabriola Players present ART
On the afternoon of Sunday, July 14, the Gabriola Players delighted audience members with another opportunity to see this delightful play about the nature of art and friendship. It all started out with a painting…
John Capon Quartet
Our festival closed with two shows on the evening of Sunday, July 14. First on the bill was The John Capon Quartet featuring John Capon, trombone and vocals, Brad Shipley, guitar and vocals, Brian McMahon, string bass and vocals and Jesse Capon, drum set. They warmed up the crowd perfectly and set the tone for the festival finale.
Festival Finale Jim Byrnes
We experienced the magic of Jim Byrnes on Sunday, July 14, as he graced the Cultivate stage with his enchanting crooning, soulful drawl, and captivating storytelling. His evocative, smoky vocals were a celebration in themselves, affirming his status as a living musical treasure. And what a privilege it was to witness this at the Gabriola Commons.
Recently honored with the Order of Canada, Jim Byrnes is celebrated not only for his profound influence on the Canadian arts scene but also for his philanthropic contributions. With a string of award-winning albums—spanning the Maple Blues Awards, WCMAs, Junos, and Canadian Folk Music Awards—and a stellar acting career to match his legendary music status, Jim Byrnes illuminated the stage with his remarkable songs and tales. We danced with joy and reveled in the extraordinary moment of having him perform right before us.
You can download a copy of The Cultivate 2024 brochure to read more about this incredible event.
