the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia presents both The East Coast Literary Awards and the Atlantic Writing Competition, each geared towards celebrating local talent and exceptional reads. The East Coast Literary Awards jurors sifted through 64 submitted titles from all over the Atlantic provinces to come up with this tight little list of nine. Winners […]
Stephanie Johns
flossin'
off on a natural charge bon voyage
Posted inArts + Music
Who to see at Word on the Street
Though it’s only one day long, the Word on the Street Festival packs in the special guests and artfully highlights local talent. Ending with the East Coast Literary Awards, this is an unofficial literary week in Halifax. Our powerful poet laureate El Jones releases her debut book Thursday night, and reads at WOTS on Sunday. […]
Posted inArts + Music
Pick your (dance) poison
“I remember when I first started listening to electronic music in 1999-2000, my opinion was that it all sounded the same,” says HelmFest organizer Sidney Elwood, laughing. “That’s what I remember thinking. But of course there are subgenres, and from those genres there are sub-subgenres.” When planning the lineup, Elwood and his team tried to […]
Posted inArts + Music
The end of the Microgallery
A small but seismic change has rocked NSCAD, a tiny difference that had enormous reverberations and elicited emotional responses from students—in short, never underestimate the power of a brick. NSCAD’s Microgallery was a mini gallery in a hollowed-out brick in the stairwell of the 5163 Duke Street. A few months ago, it was ticking along […]
Posted inArts + Music
Hodor (OK, Kristian Nairn) to DJ in Halifax
The one and only Hodor, Kristian Nairn, who can definitely say more than one word irl, is coming to town for Hal-Con (Nov 7-9, WTCC), and while he’s here, he’s stepping behind the decks at the Marquee Ballroom November 8 as part of his Rave of Thrones tour, because of course he is. Nairn is […]
Posted inArts + Music
Halifax Pop Explosion schedule is now live!
Let the planning begin! Halifax Pop Explosion has launched the schedule to rule all schedules and you should click on it now. And they’ve added Nick Thune, Mounties, Smalltown DJs, Ain’t No Love and Gay Nineties to the already pretty stacked lineup, no less. The festival runs from October 21-25, 2014. Passes for the event […]
Posted inArts + Music
FIRST LISTEN: Stream VKNGS new album here
It took eight years, but it’ll cause about eight years of eardrum damage in one go—so don’t fret, VKNGS didn’t forget about your post-hardcore needs all these years. The debut full-length will be released Tuesday, September 16 by both Noyes Records and Acadian Embassy on clear vinyl. Inside the vinyl will be fine, angular, very […]
Posted inArts + Music
Fall Arts Preview – November 2014
1 Vile Passéist Theatre: We love you. Keep doing what you do, you crazy diamonds. Devoted to performing strictly early modern plays, this not-for-profit art society pushes audiences past Shakespeare and into worthwhile scripts by lesser-known playwrights from the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras. Coming up in November at the Bus Stop Theatre, John Lyly’s Gallathea, […]
Posted inArts + Music
Fall Arts Preview – September 2014
11 The Coast Fall Arts Preview hits the streets! You’ve got one, you’re OK. Atlantic Film Festival kicks off today, running to September 18, read our coverage on page 16 to plan your fest. 12 Darrin Rose brings his live stand-up show, My Dad’s Other Son, to the Neptune Theatre. Read more on page 22. […]
Posted inArts + Music
Fall Arts Preview October 2014
1 Who doesn’t love a good photo? Photopolis is the biggest photography festival in Atlantic Canada and for 31 days in October, the city will be covered with beautiful, provocative and moving photographs in 35 exhibits. Major international exhibits include a glimpse into Andy Warhol’s photography in Little Red Book at the AGNS and Syria […]
Posted inArts + Music
Have a nice Trippin’
“It was my wise idea to do this,” says Trippin‘s co-writer-actor-director Jackie Torrens, laughing. “I think you have to seize any opportunity you can to be creative, that’s how you stay creative. There’s lot of jobs that you take just to get money to pay light bill, but then there are other jobs—ie Fringe—that you […]
Posted inArts + Music
So ho, by so judges not
“It actually began as an assignment. I read The Birth of Merlin and the way he wrote the mom was I guess appropriate to the time period, but it was really misogynistic,” says playwright Sarah Higgins of So ho, by so. “So I got angry and wrote the play in response.” All students not writing […]