As most of you know, the first-ever We Are Many Festival is quickly approaching (August 22-24 at Saskatoon's Diefenbaker Park).

In addition to being a hoppin' good time, it's a unique event that we hope will put Saskatoon and Saskatchewan on the map as a leader in making positive changes toward environmental sustainability.

It's a pay-what-you-can event (accessible to everyone) and includes the following:

• DELICIOUS FOOD made locally
• MUSIC by Joel Plaskett, Brad Johner, Theresa Sokyrka, Fred Penner (yes, THAT Fred Penner), Tom Jackson (North of 60), The Weakerthans, Boots Riley and Silk-E of The Coup, and your favourite local bands (visit our website for details)
• CHILDREN'S TENT featuring some of Saskatchewan's acclaimed children's entertainers, organisations, and environmentalists
• WORKSHOPS and PRESENTATIONS by local experts on all things sustainable
• BEER by Saskatoon's own Great Western Brewing Company
• PEACE and LITERARY TENT featuring workshops by some of the most prominent and up-and-coming writers on the prairies
• SCIC GLOBAL JUSTICE TENT with presentations and arts workshops for making connections among the environment, development, and global partnerships
• SUMMER OUTDOOR GOODNESS – SOAK IT IN BEFORE WINTER STRIKES!

If you REALLY want to experience the festival, join our amazing (and constantly growing) group of volunteers! 

Our last volunteer orientation session will be held at the Meewasin Valley Centre:

Wednesday, August 20th from 7:00pm-8:00pm

Are you from out of town?  No problem!  Take advantage of the rooms that the Saskatoon Confederation Inn is offering at the reduced rate of $50 to WAM participants (call in advance -- space is limited).  Once you're here, hop on a city bus:  In honour of WAM, bus rates have been dropped to $1 for the entire weekend!  Also, buses will be taking extra trips to and from Diefenbaker Park to accommodate festival participants.  Bring your own cup, bowl, and spoon!  You will be green AND save on food and beverage costs throughout the site.  If you really can't make it but want to support the cause, you can still help out by visiting our website and clicking "Donate" – every little bit helps!  Since we're a non-profit organisation and are trying to make this accessible to everyone, we rely largely on donations.  Also, keep exploring our website to find solutions for making your life greener. 

Heather Lake

h.lake@wearemanyfestival.com

SuperWAM is on the loose!

What is this all about?

Check this space for more installments as they are released.

Spread the word, and see you on Friday!

You can read the full article HERE

COVER STORY · AUG 14 2008 - Planet S

WAM FESTIVAL PROMOTES PERSONAL CHANGE AS FIRST STEP TOWARDS GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY
by Joel Cherry

Sporting a solid line-up of environmentally conscious musicians (ranging from The Weakerthans and Joel Plaskett Emergency to Boots Riley, Fred Penner — yes, that Fred Penner! — and a ton of local stars) and boasting dozens of workshops showcasing everything from composting to solar panel installation, the We Are Many (WAM) Festival hits Diefenbaker Park August 22nd to 24th.

The goal of the non-profit festival is to attract a large portion of Saskatoon’s population — ideally up to 20 per cent of the city’s residents — and equip them with both the skills and enthusiasm necessary for personal waste reduction and environmental responsibility, all against a backdrop of musical, literary, theatrical and children’s attractions. Attendees will also have a chance to sign the WAM pact, a list of personal commitments to environmentally-friendly activities. The idea is that if each signatory commits to at least one such action, the wider impact will be immediate and visible.

Produced largely by a crew of dedicated young Saskatonians who have returned home for the summer to work on the project, WAM has attracted strong interest and support both at home and abroad. As a one-of-a-kind project fashioned to be a model for other mid-sized cities, WAM has garnered kudos from the likes of Jane Goodall and former U.N. special envoy Stephen Lewis, and received a significant grant from the U.S.-based Hunt Alternatives Fund... Read the full article.

On Friday, August 22^nd from 12pm – 6pm, our colleagues from Alberta Council for Global Cooperation, Pedro Rodriguez and Diana Coumantarakis will present a Public Art Workshop on using visual art, especially murals, for social change. They will discuss the history of public art and how it is being used today. They will then facilitate the group’s painting of a canvas mural on the UN Millennium Development Goals , which will be used as the backdrop for the theatre performances/workshops taking place on Saturday and Sunday.

The World is a Stage theatre performance, facilitated and directed by SCIC staff, is made up of touching and inspiring scenes and stories based on the Millennium Development Goals . It was created by a talented group of Saskatchewan people* who have come together over their search for global justice , and their desire to make a difference. Together they have created a transformative piece of theatre and they hope that you will come out and experience it! Their performance will take place on the hour Saturday at noon, 1:00, 2:00 and 3:00pm and Sunday at 12:00 and 1:00 pm .

The Popular Theatre Experience is a chance for audience members of the performance to come back and participate as “spectactors” in a theatre workshop led by SCIC Education Officer Tracey Mitchell. As a spectactor, whether you choose to place yourself on stage or not, you will see how you can be an agent of change. You will have the opportunity to push the edges of your self-perception and be an actor in the global partnership for development. There are two opportunities to participate in this workshop: Saturday 4:00-6:30 pm or Sunday 2-4:30pm.

All of the above activities take place in the SCIC Global Justice and Environment Tent.

*The World is a Stage Cast:

Cathy Bendle

Marina Bendle

Amber Christensen

Joel Entwistle

Megan Entwistle

Jardena Gertler-Jaffe

Maxim Gertler-Jaffe

Angela Goldsmith

Azur Goldsmith

Jo Ann Jaffe

Donavon Johnson

Liz Quinlan

Marilyn Totten

Agnese Vilde

Three weeks from now, August 22nd-24th, We Are Many arts and environmental festival will be kicking off at Diefenbaker Park!

We held a press conference to make three really exciting announcements. We got two articles in this past Friday's StarPhoenix in which WAM is covered twice (pages A4 and C1) and Planet S magazine where there's a full page article about our festival and also a full page colour ad. We were also covered on Global and CTV. All in all we had a great turnout—the Star Phoenix, NewTalkRadio, CTV, Global, and Shaw all came out to the press conference. A big thank-you to City Councillor Charlie Clark, City Transit Operations Manager Russ Dixon, and Booker Prize-winner Yann Martel for coming out!

Here's what we announced:

1)    The provincial government through the Department of Tourism, Parks, Culture, and Sport very generously pledged $22,500 to WAM, matching a previous donation of the same amount from the city of Saskatoon. The participation of both municipal and provincial governments demonstrates widespread support for this youth run festival, and has our organizers exited about the festival and its message of environmental sustainability – a message we hope will echo throughout the entire province of Saskatchewan and beyond.

2)    As part of a joint initiative between Saskatoon Transit and the We Are Many Festival (WAM), from August 22-24th, 2008 Saskatoon Transit fares will be offered at a special reduced rate of one dollar per passenger throughout the city. On-site parking spaces will only be available to cars with multiple occupants, and as a result, alternative modes of transportation, such riding the bus, biking, or walking are greatly encouraged.

3)    We Announced our Confirmed Performer Lineup!

-The Weakerthans
-Books Riley and Silk—E of the Coup,
-Tom Jackson of North of 60 fame,
-Fred Penner,
-Thersa Sokyrka

Local artists Maybe Smith, the Fjords, Yann Martel, Guy Vanderhaeghe, and Brenda Baker will also be participating in the festival. And keep checking for more confirmed artists!!

Have an awesome weekend!

Alix Stoicheff
Media and Outreach Coordinator
alix@wearemanyfestival.com