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January 30 2020, Ottawa. – The Ottawa Grassroots Festival (OGF) is pleased to announce an exciting partnership with Algonquin College Performing Arts called ACES! This spectacular juried event will take place at Algonquin College, Woodroffe Campus in the Studio Theatre, N112, on April 9, 7:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m. Algonquin College Entertainers Showcase (ACES) will provide students in the Performing Arts program an opportunity to perform a variety of acts highlighting their talent and creativity in front of a live studio audience.
Ottawa Grassroots Festival Founder and Producer, Bob Nesbitt, couldn’t be happier with this collaboration, “I’m thrilled to offer the winners three 45-minute spots during the daytime schedule at the festival and they will be paid gigs. Including emerging artists in our programming is a core value of the festival”, says Nesbitt. “It is my hope that participating in ACES will be a great experience for the students and will offer them a starting point in their arts careers.”
Teri Loretto who is a professor of Scriptwriting and Performing Arts at the college saw a need in her students for real life experience in the community. “Creating their material (brand) and performing it live will not only help these emerging art students build self-confidence, it will open up opportunities for them in the community” says Loretto. “Ottawa Grassroots builds their line-up with artists of all abilities and I’m really excited and grateful for their support in this new venture. In addition to teaching, Teri Loretto is also on CBC’s media weather team and has hosted CBC’s In Town and Out, when needed.
Celebrity judges will decide on the 3 winning performances to be announced at the end of the show. They will have just two weeks to hone their performances for the Festival! This truly is an exciting opportunity as it offers paid exposure to promising entertainers in the performance world.
Tickets to Ottawa Grassroots – ACES will be $5 keeping prices affordable for students. A sliding scale option with higher amounts can be selected for anyone wishing to contribute more in support of this initiative and can be purchased through Eventbrite closer to the event date. All proceeds from this event will be split equally to benefit The Ottawa Grassroots Festival and Algonquin College.
Online tickets and festival passes for the Ottawa Grassroots Festival evening performances are available via the festival website and physical tickets are available at both Compact Music locations. Tickets will also be available at the door. A festival pass is $55 (early bird online until Jan. 31); $60 at the door. Ticket prices for individual nights are: $25-Thurs., $20-Fri. and $35-Sat. The daytime programming on both Saturday and Sunday are FREE for everyone! The festival takes place April 23-26, 2020) in its new location at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 82 Kent Street (corner of Wellington), in Ottawa Centre.
The Grassroots Festival is a family-friendly gathering of folk music, dance and spoken word. This not-for-profit organization prides itself on the participatory workshops it provides, cultivating community and nurturing inclusivity and diversity in fun and friendly ways. Ottawa Grassroots is made possible by the dedication of over 100 volunteers working together to bring visitors a really special musical experience.
Media contacts Ottawa Grassroots:
Bob Nesbitt
Grace Smith
“The Ottawa Grassroots Festival: Cultivating Community.”
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