UM Today UM Today University of Manitoba UM Today UM Today UM Today

Wpg Free Press: The ‘endless possibilities’ of alumni-founded festival

March 26, 2015 — 

The Winnipeg Free Press published a story on the annual multi-arts festival co-founded and run by U of M students (now alumni) Luke Nickel and Heidi Oullette in 2008. Cluster Festival of Music + Integrated Art kicks off this Friday.

“We want anyone with a sense of adventure and possibility to come,” says the U.K.-based Nickel, 26, a co-director of the eight-day fete. “And the way we curate our programs has always allowed for the possibility of seeing and hearing new things.”

The annual extravaganza co-founded in 2008 by Nickel and city composer Heidi Ouellette ([Eliot] Britton joined this year as third co-director) has quickly honed its reputation as a fresh new face on the city’s artistic block.

Described by Ouellette (like Nickel and Britton, a graduate of the University of Manitoba’s Desautels Faculty of Music) as a “chaotic yet carefully curated mash-up of performances and installations and workshops,” the festival’s edgy vibe has created a loyal following over the past six years. This year’s event, which runs through April 3, offers four cutting-edge concerts showcasing local, national and international artists, visual art exhibitions, plus several free public events that push the boundaries of what art is — or can be.

[Read more.]

,

© University of Manitoba • Winnipeg, Manitoba • Canada • R3T 2N2

Emergency: 204-474-9341