In-Person Workshops and IceJams Return for Coldsnap 2024!
January 12, 2024 - Prince George, BC
For Immediate Release
Mark your calendars! With generous support from Integris Credit Union, Omineca Arts Centre, Lheidli T’enneh First Nation, The Prince George Public Library, the Prince George Conservatory of Music, Island Mountain Arts and CFUR Radio Society, Coldsnap’s free-to-attend daytime series of workshops and IceJams are back for Coldsnap 2024. For those unfamiliar, ‘IceJams’ are free-to-attend afternoon mini-concerts featuring Coldsnap artists. and workshops are more hands-on, education-based sessions led by musicians talking about the art of making music. A full schedule of events is available on our website - www.coldsnapfestival.com.
On Saturday, February 3rd at 10:15 AM, we kick off with an ‘IceJam’ for kids at the Prince George Public Library with nationally-recognized educator and former CBC Kids TV star, Will Stroet of Will’s Jams. Expect to have the kids up dancing to the beat and their parents grooving in their seats! At noon, celebrated hip-hop artists Sinzere and Mouraine will share their personal journeys and insights into the world of hip-hop music in Canada at Omineca Arts Centre with ‘Northern Beats’. Then we’ll have an IceJam session (also at Omineca!) at 1:30 PM with Inn Echo – ‘Celtic Jam’ – bring your fiddle! On Sunday, February 4th at noon, the workshop ‘Folk Tales & Fretboards’ will feature Northern BC’s own Big Fancy and Clayton Linthicum of Kacy & Clayton, where they’ll trade songs, share insights on various playing styles, and explore the origins of their instruments. ¡Viva La Musica! begins at 3:00 PM at Trinity United Church, this extraordinary concert will be a musical fiesta like no other featuring the accomplished faculty of the Prince George Conservatory of Music. This event is ‘pay-what-you-can’, with proceeds going directly to the PGCM. On Monday, February 5th at noon, the IceJam ‘Together, in Tune’ will have Ndidi O lead us on a journey of joyful and comforting melodies, reminding us of the strength we find in unity and the solace music can bring. On Tuesday, February 6th at noon, ‘Learning Through Creation’ will delve into the story behind Saltwater Hank's new album 'G̱al’üünx wil lu Holtga Liimi' ('Bentwood Box Full of Songs'). Jeremy Pahl, known as Saltwater Hank, will share his journey of reconnection with his ancestral language, Sm'algya̱x, and how it inspired his latest work. At ‘Non-Romantic Love Songs’ at noon on Wednesday, February 7th, connect and enjoy the melody of friendship with Kimberley MacGregor, who will perform and discuss the significance of platonic love in music, highlighting its often overlooked importance. At 4:00 PM at the Prince George Public Library, Canadian Artists for Reconcilliation and Education (C.A.R.E.) will host a Sharing Circle with special guest, Marcel Gagnon. On Thursday, February 8th at noon, ‘Harmony in the Making’ will feature conversation and song as Abigail Lapell, Jeff Stuart and Lindsay Pratt walk us through their songwriting process. At 1:30 PM, the workshop ‘Beyond Acknowledgement’ will have participants exploring the true impact and responsibility of land acknowledgements. This interactive workshop will be guided and facilitated by Marek Tyler. On Friday, February 9th at noon at Omineca Arts Centre, join singer-songwriter Wyatt C. Louis for a casual and intimate IceJam. On February 10th at noon, Empanadas Ilegales and Oktopus will join forces to present ‘Fusion of Traditions’ where both groups will explore their various instruments, their roles in musical arrangements, and their origins in distinct cultural traditions. To end things on a high note, we have partnered with Island Mountain Arts to host ‘Northern IDEA’s’ at 1:30 PM at Omineca Arts Centre, to explore the principles of inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility and how they apply to the arts and culture scene in the region.
Media Enquiries – Katherine Benny – katherine@coldsnapfestival.com