IMPACT 09

International Multicultural Platform for Alternative Contemporary Theatre

September 24 – October 4, 2009

Vision:

The International Multicultural Platform for Alternative Contemporary Theatre (IMPACT) will be a space for artists and audiences to meet, interact, reconsider, create, collaborate and integrate. 

About IMPACT

IMPACT is a prospective biannual international theatre festival of the highest calibre. The festival will showcase national and international contemporary intercultural works.  By creating a space for contemporary theatre, IMPACT will facilitate the communication of cultural, social, philosophical and artistic concepts through performance. 

IMPACT will be an exploration and celebration of ‘similarities and differences’ through innovative theatre.  Companies and performers will be chosen from the countries of origin that make up our region’s largest immigrant populations.  IMPACT will focus on less verbal forms of theatrical performance (ie. physical and dance theatre or multimedia spectacles) in order to overcome language barriers. 

IMPACT offers a unique opportunity for the development of new audiences by engaging the high concentration of immigrants and university students in our region.  IMPACT will also encourage the regular theatre goers to view and explore new concepts and forms of performance and share their ideas and comments. 

IMPACT will be organized by The MT Space in partnership with numerous local theatre groups and facilities and local organizations and businesses. The MT Space is mandated to explore cultural diversity by working with artists from the wealth of multicultural identities living in the Waterloo Region.  It is our primary objective to increase activity between performance artists of many disciplines, cultural orientations and forms of contemporary artistic expression.  The international festival will become a forum for young and veteran performers alike to exchange ideas in workshops and lectures as well as in performance.

IMPACT will contribute to the establishment of Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and area as an active diverse centre for performance in the heart of South-Western Ontario.