Travel to downtown Edmonton, Alberta for the top theatre, art, dance, opera and music in western Canada.
The city of Edmonton, Alberta has been named the Canadian Cultural Capital of 2007. Follow the downtown crowd to the city's theatre, art, dance, opera and music scene for the latest installations and performances by top Canadian talent.
Located in western Canada and in the northern region of the province of Alberta, Edmonton is desired for its local arts and culture scene. This year's theme "Building Connections" will feature a yearlong poetry festival. As well, light displays and performances will be highlighted in Nightworks and visual and media arts will take the stage in Edmonton Explorations.
Heading up the drama is The Citadel Theatre, Canada's largest regional and western Canada's only classical theatre. On a smaller scale, there are around 20 theatre companies and a few dozen acting co-ops to satisfy the taste of everyone. With eight companies based in the Old Strathcona district and dinner theatre an always-popular option, there never has to be a dull night out.
With more than 60 galleries in the city, there is an abundance of talent to fill them with great pieces. The Art Gallery of Alberta tops the group with more than 5,000 works and is the longest running cultural institution in Alberta. During the fall and spring, visitors are treated to the Gallery Walk, an unguided walking tour that includes eight galleries in a nine-block radius.
Pull out the rhythm for dance downtown. Alberta Ballet is the third largest dance company in Canada and performs at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, while the Brian Webb Dance Company runs a complete season of contemporary dance each year.
The Francis Winspear Centre for Music is home to the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. Its large, 1,900-seat concert hall has the largest concert organ in Canada. On another note, folk music is very much alive, with a connection to Folkways Records in New York. It provides documents, preserves history and is a reference for folk music study and research.
Edmonton brings live music during the summer with the Edmonton’s Blues Festival, Symphony Under The Sky, Yardbird Jazz Festival and the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. If theatre is more suitable, annual performances include the Edmonton International Fringe Festival, Festival of Dance, the Edmonton International Film Festival and the VisualEyez Festival of Performance Art.
Same-day tickets are available at a discounted rate from TIX on the Square, located in Churchill Square.
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