With the weather finally changing for the better, it's definitely time for us to get ready for all the events that we can't wait to do this year! One of the event series that we are excited to share is the IRAL Colour Fest!
The IRAL Colour Fest events will be used to promote and create buzz towards the Summer festivals that are set to take place in July. The idea is to generate general interest toward the major events while also providing artisans/entertainers with more opportunities to showcase their talents to audiences who are excited and willing to take in the experiences.
We want to be able to connect further with the communities on various levels by creating safe spaces for self expression as well as more opportunities to enjoy what our cultures can do by having them as the main focus of the events. We want audiences to experience something different and at the same time we want the minority groups involved to be noticed and appreciated for their efforts within their craft that they were hoping for the opportunities like this to share. The IRAL Colour Festivals that will be happening in 3 locations within Manitoba this year (Steinbach, Brandon, and Winnipeg), was created to help celebrate the life and colours that the spring season brings after a long winter. Organized by founder Neville Hamilton, this colour festival symbolizes the coming together of different cultures within Canada that strive to further encourage and come together to unify our diverse community, with the hopes of aiding in the reduction of racism and discrimination on various levels. A key part of this event is to encourage both youths and adults alike to come together within a creative space using of different colours to symbolically demonstrate how we can coexist in this country and use our race/ethnicity to form a collage of beautiful artwork that in turn decreases the social barriers between the various cultures. This festival is cultural gathering of artisans, dancers, DJ's, and local small business owners within the minority community and it is designed to not just showcase their talents, but to also provide a safe space for cultural expression from an artistic form. The idea behind the festival is inspired by the Holi festival, where coloured powder is thrown around as people dance, listen to music and come together from all cultures to celebrate life.
We hope to achieve audience interest from each event, connecting further with the local minority talent groups/individuals and give them a professional platform/space where they can showcase their skills and further connect with audiences and peer members, and be a driving force that supports the much needed inclusion of our cultures talent by removing the barriers of limited opportunity/support. We truly believe that having consistent and multiple opportunities to been seen, heard, and recognized is a key aspect that our community is missing. For too long the minority community has been limited to the few warm months within the summer season to basically cram in events to provide audiences with a limited taste of what our cultures offer as the time available is short and already crowded with bigger events where the focus is a far cry from really showcasing the true diversity that is clearly apparent within the province of Manitoba as a whole; of which we believe is no longer acceptable as there are just too many talented individuals who are hungry for the opportunity and deserve it as well. This directly comes full circle with what IRAL stands for and aims to achieve and by having the opportunity to create more opportunities, it will bring our culture closer to the forefront and eliminate the division. By going with a more artisan focus, we hope to bring more awareness to our cultures art and the beauty/excitement that it can also bring as our culture extends far beyond just music.
The events will be located within a covered tent area; allowing us to avoid most weather issues, should in case something happens beyond that we are able to have it rescheduled to a later date. Due to having already put on multiple events, we have made a lot of connections within the community so we have a great support system when it comes to having the cultural explosion of an experience. We have also chosen areas where the population is relatively high/the distance to the event location isn't to far out of reach as we are aiming to have the the local community really take in the event.
Volunteers, Vendors, Performers, Sponsors, Donations.....
Want to be apart of the event in some way?
We are always looking to connect with individuals, groups, businesses, and entertainers whenever possible. Whether you want to support or have a space to showcase, we are glad to receive you. Let's grow IRAL's community reach together!
Click the links below to join the movement of expanding cultural experiences!
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