The Dream Catchers Cross-Country Tour to Recognize Canada 150

June 20, 2017

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – The dreams of Canada’s youth will be centre stage this summer as The Dream Catchers tour the country to celebrate the ambitions, hopes and dreams of Canada’s next generation.
Earlier this year, Confederation Centre of the Arts sent a creative team across Canada as part of a special Canada 150 project. The team worked with dozens of young people in each province and territory, exploring their dreams for the future, with a focus toward the environment, inclusion, and reconciliation. The youth worked with playwright and arts educator Mary Francis Moore and indigenous artists Nick Huard and Watio Splicer to learn about the significance of the traditional dreamcatcher and other dream traditions across the country. Hundreds of other Canadian youth submitted their dreams online, and those collective wishes inspired the creation of this unique performance.

Mary Francis Moore, Associate Artistic Director of The 2017 Charlottetown Festival, transformed these dreams into a high-energy, one-hour musical that will tour the country from coast to coast this summer. The Dream Catchers musical features the TD Confederation Centre Young Company, interpreting through music and dance the ambitions, hopes and dreams of Canada’s next generation. The 26 performers in the TD Confederation Centre Young Company were selected from each province and territory; one troupe will perform the free show Monday to Saturday at Confederation Centre, and the other 13 performers will tour the show across the country.

The Dream Catchers show combines hip hop, spoken word and folk, and blends it with contemporary and Indigenous dance to create a vibrant music and dance-filled spectacle that acknowledges Canada’s sesquicentennial anniversary.

The Dream Catchers includes original music, dance and story from a variety of Canadian artists such as City Natives, Emm Gryner, Kinnie Starr, Paper Lions, Khodi Dill, Fred Penner, Nikki Payne, Carmen Braden, Tiny Emperor, Daniel Maté, Riley Simpson-Fowler, Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory, Caroline Savoie and Twin Flames.

The Dream Catchers is a Canada 150 Signature project, funded by the Government of Canada, sponsored by TD, produced by Confederation Centre of the Arts and features The TD Confederation Centre Young Company. The show is written by Mary Francis Moore, directed by ahdri zhina mandiela, choreographed by Barbara Diabo, and musical direction is provided by Scott Christian.

The Dream Catchers will perform more than 35 free shows over the next three months in cities and towns coast to coast. To see the Canadian tour schedule visit: http://www.dreamingcanada.ca/en/the-performance

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Media Contact:
Fraser McCallum, Communications Manager | Gérant des communications
Confederation Centre of the Arts | Le Centre des arts de la Confédération
902.628.6135 (office | bureau) | fmccallum@confederationcentre.com
facebook.com/confedcentre / facebook.com/dreamingcanada | Twitter/Instagram: @confedcentre / @revecanadadream | confederationcentre.com

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