Celebrating the intersection of labour and the arts for the past 15 years, Mayworks Kjipuktuk/Halifax returns to a full offering of live in-person events in 2023 for its anniversary year.
We’ve got a very diverse program of events to enjoy throughout the month of May and beyond in celebration of our 15th anniversary. – Sébastien Labelle
“After a long focus on the digital, we’re now getting physical, really physical,” says festival director Sébastien Labelle. “The human body as a vehicle for sharing stories is a recurring theme this year, and so are the body’s connections to our past and future. We’ve got a very diverse program of events to enjoy throughout the month of May and beyond in celebration of our 15th anniversary.”
Mayworks kicks off on April 30 with a return of the revamped walking tour, Scratching the Surface. This tour of the working-class heritage of downtown Halifax returns on May 13 and 21.
On May 3 & 10, Radstorm hosts I See You. Part life drawing session, part performance art, it explores the relationship between artist and subject.
2023 is a big year for dance at Mayworks. On May 4, the House of Eights Studio provides a lesson from Aly Keita in Doundounba, a Mandingo traditional dance. Keita will also perform in Djata: Conversations of the Manden, a dance performance based in African oral storytelling, on May 5 & 6 at the Bus Stop Theatre Co-op. The performances will feature an opening performance of Reequel Smith’s Unfold.
Also on May 6, Zuppa and Climate Change & Other Small Talk present a sneak peek of In the Dumps, a new audio play written by Shauntay Grant. The short story about environmental racism in the wake of the Africville apology takes place at Africville Park.
In collaboration with Eastern Front Theatre, Zuppa will also present The Movements, a theatre/dance show about the global economy, in the form of a 90-minute workout routine.
Mayworks’ annual partnership with AFX – The Animation Festival of Halifax returns with Being Present: Spotlight on Martins Madumere, a showcase of emerging animator’s works presented at the Natural History Museum on May 13.
On May 18 at the Bus Stop, Carbon Arc Cinema partners with Mayworks for a screening of A More Radiant Sphere, a documentary about Joe Wallace, a seminal Canadian Communist poet.
On the 17th, the sense collective presents Folding Together, a community art event exploring the labour of mothers and motherhood. In collaboration with Eyelevel Artist-Run Centre and the Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery, Mayworks also presents an exhibit by the sense collective called This Body of Work from May 26 to June 18.
Finally, Mayworks is back with a new edition of its Social Justice Trading Cards, celebrating the last 15 years. This year’s cards feature past Mayworks artists, including Aquakultre, Liliona Quarmyne, Garry Williams, Raven Davis, and Colleen MacIsaac.
Mayworks Kjipuktuk/Halifax runs at various locations in Halifax from April 30 through June 6. Visit mayworkskjipuktukhfx.ca for tickets and information.