September 17 to 19, The International Festival of Arts and Innovation will be coming to Chautauqua Institution for the second time this year.
The festival comes to Chautauqua to introduce people from all over to the arts in a way they may not usually experience, said co-founder Margret Johnson.
The festival kicks off at 7:30 p.m. on Friday with the play “Do Not Go Gentle,” an adaptation of Dylan Thomas’ poems. Two more performances will take place the following day at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. for $30. However, Friday nights’ performance can offer you more than just a play; for $40 people can have a meet and greet with the artist.
For those interested in creating their own plays, there is a special two-part “Dramatic Writing for Stage and Screen” workshop for $25. This workshop will help people take their own original work and transform it into something ready for spotlights and audiences. The two-part workshop takes place Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Those who participate in the workshop may be able to see their work portrayed by actors.
On Sunday, a workshop for music lovers will be held at 1 p.m.
Mark O’Connor, the famous fiddler/violinist will be holding a 90-minute seminar; $30 for adults and $20 for ages 16 and under.
O’Connor has taught across the nation at some of the most prestigious music schools, including Juilliard. Beyond that, O’Connor is also a Grammy award-winning artist. At 6 p.m. on Sunday the curtain rises for a performance by Mark O’Connor and “Hot Swing”. Tickets for the show are $35 per person.
The purpose of the festival is to “appeal to the younger more adventurous audience … we wanted to provide interactive experiences for people with the arts,” said co-founder Bonnie Nelson Schwartz. “It’s really meant to compliment the Chautauqua summer season with something that’s challenging and innovative.” Johnson adds, “The festival is designed to appeal to all people of all ages who are interested in the arts.”
The International Festival of Arts and Innovation works in collaboration with many different entities: The Toronto International Film Festival, The Stratford Shakespeare Festival of Ontario, The Disney Corporation, Carnegie Mellon University and The Shaw Festival.
Most festivals differ from each other by using different aspects of each entity. “Some of our festivals focus on traditional forms of the performing arts, while others will focus on more innovation or the blending of art and technology,” Schwartz said. The Chautauqua festival collaborates more this year with Stratford and the inspirations of the Shaw Festival.
All ages are welcome to attend any part of the festival: “anyone between 7 and 70 is welcome … it’s just the quintessential perfect melding of all people,” Johnson said.
Tickets can be purchased by logging onto www.lakeartsfoundation.org.
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