Sometimes we need to dare to dream.
The Provocation Ideas Festival returns with events focused on bringing people together to talk about, explore, and understand issues that affect communities like Stratford.
This year’s theme is called City Of Dreamers, one that festival founding director Mark Rosenfeld says is the second year of a three-year programming cycle by the same name.
“The intention of the theme is to explore how the city has changed over the centuries, from the original indigenous presence to the future,” said Rosenfeld.
“What we would like to examine is how those dreams transformed Stratford, how those dreams were realized or were not realized and what would the implications be, and what would the future look like through dreaming and aspiration.”
He says while last year’s theme focused on the future city, this time it’s about comedy and how it defines us as Canadians and as a nation.
The festival will include events like Maker Multiverse: Constructing Futures, an all-ages event where you can build an imaginative cityscape using LEGO, robotics, 4D printing, and recycled materials at the Stratford Public Library.
Following Maker Multiverse is Unknown Talents, a gala where celebrated Canadians unveil things like visual art and musical performance at Revival House; Dream Weavers, which transforms the Grand Trunk site into a glowing village of story tents; Constructing Futures, a project about Stratford’s future; Flavours of Home, a storytelling culinary series; True Tapestries, a live storytelling performance from Stratford locals, and Northern Wit, a live comedy event.
Rosenfeld says they want to expand community involvement this year and look at issues from a variety of different perspectives and engage in a respectful way while having difficult conversations.
He hopes the events can draw people in to that exploration in different ways.
The festival kicks off Aug. 18, and will wrap up on Nov. 28.
