Buffy Sainte-Marie highlights week of musical performances at UVic

Though you may not associate a multicultural festival and world-class musical performances with an academic conference, an event hosted by the University of Victoria from June 1 to 8 will bring all of the above—and more—to the UVic campus. Congress 2013—Canada’s largest multi-disciplinary academic gathering—will feature a wide range of performances, lectures and exhibits that are free and open to everyone.

Canadian-American Cree singer-songwriter, composer, visual artist, educator and social activist Buffy Sainte-Marie will headline on the outdoor Celebration Stage on Wednesday, June 5 at 7:30 p.m. The family-oriented evening, beginning at 4:30 p.m., will feature a number of other well-known performers, including Art Napoleon and Maureen Washington. Sainte-Marie received a JUNO award and lifetime achievement award at the Aboriginal Peoples’ Choice Music Awards in 2009, after releasing her 18th album Running for the Drum.

Daily free performances by award-winning artists on the Celebration Stage in the UVic quad are scheduled from 11:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. and 4:30 to 7 p.m. each day. Visit uviccongress2013.ca/program/social-programming/ for details. The ScholarSIP tent, serving beer and snacks, will be open to conference delegates and the public throughout the week, in addition to regular campus food outlets.

“The calibre of the performers we have booked for Congress this year is outstanding,” says Catherine Mateer, Congress 2013 chair and associate vice-president, academic planning. “This is the biggest event of our 50th anniversary year, and we are making a special effort to welcome community members to campus to enjoy the free lectures, exhibits, performances and celebrations that will be happening throughout the week.”

Organized by the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, Congress brings together internationally recognized researchers, policy-makers and practitioners to share findings, refine ideas and build partnerships that will help shape the Canada of tomorrow. The event is expected to bring more than 7,000 delegates to campus. Congress also features the Big Thinking speaker series and Canada’s largest academic book fair.

Visit uviccongress2013.ca for more information. Follow Congress on Twitter at #congress2013.
 

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