March 22nd Communiqué - thanks and get ready !!!

Thanks to all those who helped us bring in the spring with a bang at Sunday's Flip the Goat: the bands, dancers and performers for donating their talent, the if agents and infringement organizers for donating their time and all those who came and gave us much-needed cash.

Also, thanks to Phillippe and Giselle and all the team at le petit Campus for making this possible.

Now that the goat has been flipped, the free beers from the stage (thanks, Egotestical) have been drank and the tar and feathers...well, let's just leave it at that...its time to get ready for our final infringeAGAIN event before the festival.

Its at Pub St-Ciboire (1693 St-Denis) on Saturday, April 30th, and the lineup will be announced soon.After that, its truly time to infringe (June 9th-19th). Our list of acts is growing daily and while we're always open to new submissions, you need to apply before May 1st to be guaranteed a spot in our program. If you'd like to join one of our existing shows or your show is looking for performers, please let me know and we'll list you in our infringement Classifieds (up soon).

We're also currently seeking technicians experienced in theatre, music and film projection, people who want to volunteer their time as if Agents and a full-time graphic designer.

Submission information can be found online. For techs, graphic designers and the classifieds, please contact this adress.Thanks once again and hope to see you all out reclaiming your culture and having a great time doing it this summer !!!

'till next time

Jason C. McLean
Chaos OrganizerMontréal's Second-Annual infringement Festival
www.infringementfestival.com

infringement Comes to the Big Apple !!!

Dear infringers,

In order to help us add New York City to the infringement international touring circuit, Donovan King will be hosting a meeting of interested critical artists.

We are asking all of you to help us get the NYC infringement off the ground by forwarding the following to as many people who might be able to attend as possible:

Meeting to establish a NYC infringement festival

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9 2005, 7:00 pm
Bluestockings Book Store

Hello THAW friends, theatre activists, critical artists and culture-jammers in NYC!

I am writing today to invite you to an important meeting in New York City, with the purpose of establishing an infringement festival in the Big Apple.

WHEN: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9 2005, 7:00 pm

WHERE: Bluestockings Book Store, 172 Allen Street, Manhatten, Lower East Side (see below for directions).

WHAT: A meeting regarding the establishment of an infringement festival in NYC and video presentation of some infringement arts.

WHO: Hosted by Donovan King of the Montreal infringement festival, this meeting is open to anyone interested in seeing the birth of a festival in NYC.

WHY: The infringement festival is an annual festival for theatre activism, culture-jamming & critical arts. Protesting the corporate takeover and trademarking of the “Fringe”, the infringement is an alternative people’s festival that celebrates cultural resistance and activism (especially anti-war and anti-oppression). At the moment there are 6 infringement festivals, and hopefully many more to come soon. Some information is available online, including an map of existing festivals and a DIY guidebook:
http://www.infringementfestival.com/cities.html

NYC is deemed as important for the circuit, largely because it is a hotbed of theatre activism, culture-jamming and creative pioneering. Lots of touring acts want to go there, and we want to provide NYC artists and activists the opportunity to take their performances on the road and inter-connect with like-minded folks in other cities. Setting up a festival is very easy to do, doesn’t require many resources, and it is sure to grow. The more festivals the better – it is a great opportunity for critical artists to collaborate, share strategies, resources, ideas, and create powerful works of critical performance.

At the moment there are over 30 Fringe festivals worldwide, many of them belonging to a corporate Toronto-based franchise (CAFF), which holds the “Fringe” trademark. Corporatization is rampant - artists are being forced to pay-to-play, service charges are added on tickets, unethical sponsors like Starbucks and Diesel Jeans are calling the shots, critical artists are being kicked out, and a host of other corporate issues infests the Fringe™. Ironically, the original 1947 Fringe in Edinburgh, Scotland began as one such protest against corporatization of theatre in their city. Now, in the 21st Century, the Fringe is co-opted and history is repeating itself. Because the original Fringe is a good idea, and because it has a viral effect of spreading to different cities around the globe, we are modeling the infringement on the original, with preventative measures against co-opting.

HOW: If you would like to attend this meeting, please contact Donovan to reserve a spot at optatif@gmail.com - or just show up. The meeting is free to attend.

I hope to see many of you on Wednesday!

Donovan King, Artistic FacilitatorOptative Theatrical Laboratories (www.optative.net)
"Art is not a mirror to reflect reality, but a hammer with which to shape it." - Bertolt Brecht

*** Directions: Bluestockings is located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan at 172 Allen Street between Stanton and Rivington - which means that they are 1 block south of Houston and 1st Avenue.

By train: We are 1 block south of the F train's 1st Avenue stop and just 5 blocks from the JMZ-line's Essex / Delancey Steet stop.

By car: If you take the Houston exit off of the FDR, then turn left onto Essex (aka Avenue A), then right on Rivington, and finally right on Allen, you will be very, very close.
To learn more about Bluestockings, please visit: http://www.bluestockings.com/

*** Please FWD & REPOST widely ***