Come visit the *MG Collection booth Sunday, September 20th @ Nathan Phillips SquareFestival of Community & Culture
5 days. 8 venues. 120+ artists. One city.
September 16 - 20 2009
www.themanifesto.ca
This is our manifesto. Make it yours.
Toronto, ON – August 20, 2009 – Once in a while music, art, culture and technology collide in a way that opens up unique possibilities and shifts consciousness – a catalyst for creative evolution and social change. Get ready Toronto - MANIFESTO returns for their Third Annual Festival of Community & Culture from September 16th – 20th! Toronto will host events around the city with live musical performances, art exhibitions, a film festival, a professional breakdance competition, workshops, an artists’ market and a massive after party showcasing local, national and international artists in the hip hop community.
Event highlights for this year’s festival include the Manifesto Film Festival that will debut a secret cinema in the heart of the city; the high energy, crowd-pleasing Canada Pro Bboy Championship that will see top crews from across North America battle for a $5,000 cash prize; a 3-floor Art Exhibition featuring top notch, cutting edge artists in graffiti, street art, design, illustration, photography and new media with guests that include Montreal’s Roadsworth and world-renowned street artist NUNCA from Brazil; two block parties spotlighting GTA-wide community talent at the Parkdale Youth Festival and 106 & York Urban Arts Festival, a Featured Party with special guest and superstar producer 9th Wonder, the dual-venue Manifesto After Party with special guest DJ’s to be announced; and of course the festival’s Main Event – a FREE family-friendly day of arts and music at Nathan Phillips Square that escalates into an epic outdoor concert, this year featuring a rare free performance by headliners and hip hop royalty Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek as REFLECTION ETERNAL! The Main Event also includes the “Freshest Goods” market where young designers and collectives sell merchandise and gain exposure; “Know Your Craft” workshops including capoeira, hand drumming, breakdancing, DJing, and a variety of other art forms; a 70-foot mural painted live throughout the day by Toronto’s cream of the crop, and an open collaborative mural and community dance floor for those itching to get involved!
More special guests are being added to the Manifesto Festival 2009 lineup. The final lineup will be announced by September 8th.
“We are honoured and excited to announce the 3rd annual Manifesto Festival of Community & Culture. Thanks to the commitment of countless community members, mentors and visionaries, this year’s lineup respects the festival's past while setting an ambitious vision for its future. To see things grow to these levels in such a short time is truly a beautiful thing and is a testament to the amazing foundation that we have had the privilege to build on. As we grow, we never forget the heart and soul of this movement; built on people power, ingenuity, generational exchanges of knowledge and a common goal of building stronger communities. Let's do this right, as our elders have taught us, and remember throughout this festival and beyond the essence of hip hop: peace, love, unity and safely having fun. Toronto is undoubtedly making its mark internationally as a leading cultural capital; so Toronto, we ask you to stand up and join us in celebrating the vibrant and thrilling youth arts movements brimming with endless potential that exist in our city at this year's festival. Come learn experience, get involved, and share in once again making the annual Manifesto Festival a legendary part of Canadian history.” – Che Kothari, Executive Director
Check out videos of some of the magic Manifesto has created over the past two years and highlights from Canada’s biggest and most innovative hip hop festival:
http://vimeo.com/themanifesto
http://www.youtube.com/user/ManifestoFestival
MANIFESTO EVENT LISTINGS:
• Film Festival – Wednesday, September 16th 6:00pm – 11:00pm
• Dance Competition – Thursday, September 17th 8:00pm – 2:00am
• Art Exhibition Opening– Friday, September 18th 8:00pm – 2:00am
• Parkdale Youth Festival – Saturday, September 19th 12:00pm – 7:00pm
• 106 & York Urban Arts Festival – Saturday, September 19th 6:00pm – 10:00pm.
• Featured Party – Saturday, September 19th 10:00pm – 2:00am
• Main Event, Nathan Phillips Square – Sunday, September 20th 12:00pm – 11:00pm
• Manifesto After Party – Sunday, September 20th 10:00pm – 2:00am
About Manifesto:
Manifesto Community Projects is a non-profit grassroots organization working to unite, energize and celebrate Toronto’s vibrant and diverse music and arts community and find innovative ways of working together towards common goals. Growing to be the largest and most unique festival of its kind in just three short years, the critically acclaimed Manifesto Festival of Community & Culture brings together hundreds of artists & performers, and thousands of spectators to showcase our city’s talented arts community and strengthen its foundations by building a collective sense of pride and possibility.
The Manifesto Festival is supported by Canadian Heritage, The Government of Ontario, The Ontario Trillium Foundation, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Culture, Toronto Arts Council, Laidlaw Foundation, TD Canada Trust and Playstation as well as a large network of grassroots arts organizations, arts institutions, media outlets and other community partners.
www.themanifesto.ca