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HAVE TIME WILL TRAVEL - The Heart of the City Festival
 Posted
6/5/2010 6:03:00 PM
There's nothing better in the summertime than firing up the grill, putting on some tunes and having the neighbors over for a block party.
Now imagine you could do it for not just your street... but EVERY street in your neighborhood!
That's what the organizers of Heart of the City aimed do do when they started their community festival.
It's a music and arts festival that had it's roots from a single stage at the Bissel Centre seven years ago, and it's grown from there.
Now there are artists, vendors, free workshops... and of course, music!
And new this year - the festival has expanded to TWO free days instead of one!
On Saturday, June 5th, I had a chance to shadow organizer Elise Holm and volunteer stage manager Skye Perry on the first day of the festival. I followed them around while they kept things running like clockwork. There are two stages at HotC, and that way there's no lag time between sets. Armed with their clipboards and schedules, Skye and Elise got the artists on the stage in time to perform... and kept the artists ON stage abreast of how many minutes were left in their set.
As Skye put it, there's a lot of walking, a lot of waiting and a lot of gesturing involved... but unless you were a performer or behind the scenes, you'd never know they were there - just the way stage managers like it! It offered plenty of time to enjoy the music and take in the sights. It was a really beautiful day, and great for people watching.
Skye's been working HotC for three years, while Elise has been putting it up since it began. Skye tried to get in on the ground floor though, however a series of miscommunications caused her to miss out on her chance to volunteer in year one. Instead she got lost looking for Giovanni Caboto Park... riding around downtown Edmonton... in the pouring rain... for an HOUR.
Her commitment to the festival wasn't dampened though, and - eventually - she got her shot to work it.
Skye is a seasoned stage manager; in fact, she's helping get this year's Fringe Festival off the ground as we speak! But, she says you don't need experience like her's to volunteer for HotC. She says all you need to be is "reliable, friendly and firm, and have an eye for a clock."
But stage managing is just one position the festival has to offer. Elise told me that the festival is getting more an more popular, with tons of volunteers helping out; from people building and tearing down the stages, to folks working the first aid and information tents, to people signing in artists and volunteers, to people just walking around making sure everybody stays safe.
You can even volunteer to be an Emcee. (A job I have my eye on for NEXT year!)
EVERYONE involved with HotC is a volunteer; even the performers.
There is one catch though: all the performers and artists featured at the festival need to live, work, or volunteer in the downtown core.
That is:
East of 124 Street
West of Wayne Gretzky Drive
South of Yellowhead Trail
North of the river valley
Elise says it's a gift FOR the community BY the community.
And the festival isn't the only gift for volunteers: for helping out, they walk away with a nifty shirt and a free meal!
Though for people like Skye and Elise, the biggest reward is the Festival itself.
As Elise put it, "You never think it's going to get off the ground, but every year, here it is!"
We live in a volunteer town. And it's events like Heart of the City that show what Edmontonians are willing to create... in their spare time!
And can I just say this? Everyone at the fest had excellent shoes. Check out the photos if you don't believe me!
I'm going to have to upgrade my footwear for next year!
If you have any volunteer opportunities you think people should know about... leave a comment! Or email me at morgan.smith@corusent.com.
<i>Morgan Smith
Reporter, iNews880</i>
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iNews880
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This is an awesome idea for a blog and I loved the information you gave. I also liked the piece on the radio to go along with this. That is where I heard about the idea first and then read the blog. Great News! I work at Strathcona County Volunteer Centre and I know this is appreciated by all in the area!
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Posted By
Susan
On
6/7/2010 12:54:16 PM
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