MANITOWANING—It has been 16 years since the first 6-Foot Festival but the momentum has never waned. This year, the festival is being held Friday, September 26 to Saturday, September 27 at the Debajehmujig Creation Centre at 43 Queen Street in Manitowaning with the theme ‘Aki Noo’ooma’ or “The Earth’s Language.”
“This year we have 16 artists taking part in the festival,” said festival artistic director Ashley Manitowbi. He noted that the number of artists coinciding with the festival’s anniversary was just that, coincidental.
“There are going to be a wide variety of artists in the festival this year,” said Mr. Manitowabi. “The theme is to celebrate the land, art and food in unity.”
The form of the festival is centred around a six-foot cube, hence the name of the festival. Each artist is constrained by the limits of the cube, whether they are performing artists, visual artists or musicians, and enjoy an opportunity to think outside the box even as they are limited to the space within.
The result is a festival offering stunning variety of creativity along with some outstanding food and entertainment while learning and expanding horizons of both artist and viewers.
Day one runs from 9 am to 9 pm and includes a fall harvest market in the back lot where you can purchase local food from Manitoulin’s finest food producers; a raw hide dying workshop (9 am to 5 pm) with Dan Maracle; Island baker Gino Cacciotti will be teaching phyllo pastry (10 am to 5 pm) in the art studio kitchen; an artist talk with Waabbizii (4 pm to 4:30 pm) will take place by the front mural; and at 5:15 pm there will be the official opening with speakers Elder Jacob Wemigwans, Ashley Manitowabi (wearing his artist hat), followed by a Harvest Feast courtesy of Jennifer Recollet where various food options will be available. At 6 pm, Lynda Trudeau will be holding a workshop, ‘Collaborative caretaking about the circle of life, the known and the unknown.’ From 7 pm to 10 MC Dustin Trudeau will be hosting an open mic with both a variety of guest artists and an improv performance.
On day two of the festival, from 9 am to 3 pm, there will be an opportunity to meet the artists at their installations; from 10 am to 12 pm Ashley Manitowabi will be holding a board art workshop on ‘Speaking with wood in Studio B;’ from 12 to 1 pm there will be a Harvest Lunch with Chef Jennifer Recollet; from 12:15 pm to 12:30 a dance performance ‘Moving with the Land’ by Candace Irwin will take place; from 12 to 1 pm Ethan Mejaki will host a workshop where participants can learn how to make scone over an open fire and partake of scone with Debajehmujig maple syrup while listening to legends; and from 1 to 2 pm Cheyanne Pitawanakwat will host a workshop in the back lot on teaching how to tan fish hides.
Mr. Manitowabi offered a heartfelt miigwetch “to our partners and supporters, Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council and Canadian Heritage, and Ontario Culture Days.”
