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It's a film and music special!

Hello pals! It's Mary here with some (mostly) brand new pitches. First things first - you made it to April! I know that means things are getting super busy, but I just want to congratulate everyone on pushing through so far. Y'all are some tough cookies, and on top of that, you're awesome volunteers. Thanks to everyone who made it to yesterday's meeting. Don't worry if you weren't able to make it to the meeting though, because we've got you covered with the pitch email. Feel free to look through this week's pitches and let us know if any of them interest you.Before we get into pitches, there's a few announcements this week: -The Gateway is hiring! Job postings are up for a News Editor and Production Editor, so be sure to check those out if you're interested. -Do you want to be involved in the March/April MEGA magazine issue? They're still looking for diversions, so feel free to contact the magazine editor Tina, or you can reach out to Tom to put you in touch. -I'm giving a workshop on writing interview articles during next week's pitch meeting, so come by if you're interested! I'll cover some tips on transcribing, picking quotes, and structuring your article. Without further ado, here are the recurring columns:

• The Hobby Hole: Tell us about any unique hobbies you have or give a fresh take on an old favourite. It could be a passion project or an activity you do when you want to lay back, unplug your brain, and watch the hours fly by.

• Paddling up the Livestream: Wax lyrical about your favourite livestreams, put us onto some hidden-away gems, or give your hot-takes on livestream culture!

• The First Time: Try something totally new and write about your experience. It could be a cuisine you’ve heard great things about, an unfamiliar type of music, or an activity you've never tried before. Tell us about it all from the POV of a complete novice.

• Dream Team: Write about your ultimate dream collab! It might be a Stephen King children’s books series or a Billie Eilish x Tyler, the Creator supergroup. Tell us what makes your dream team such a gamechanger.

• Off-Campus Gems: Tell us about a local gem in and around the University area. It could be a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, your favourite bar, or even your go-to convenience store. Celebrate all things U of A and Old Strathcona!

• Gateway to Gastronomy: Know any fun and easy to follow recipes? Share it in this recurring segment.

• Exploring Edmonton: Do you know any cool places around Edmonton that people should visit? Write about them in this new series!

• Lunch Break: An Arts & Culture series where we share fun recipes with humorous commentary. It's wholesome and lowkey, so check it out and send an installment over!

• Brew Crew/Vino Bitches: A fun, short review of your favourite (or not-so-favourite) beers, wines, or other alcoholic beverages of choice.

• Noodle Nation: Who loves noodles? You (might) love noodles! Write a column on your favourite noodles or noodle haunts.

• Pot Thots: Write about your favourite strains, equipment, dispensaries, and more in our column on the world of legal weed.

• Eating Edmonton: Write about your favourite (or not-so-favourite) local haunts in this miscellaneous foodie column. A great way to spotlight local restaurants in a time when they really need it!

• DatApp: Have an app that’s been a gamechanger? Wax eloquently about it (or a few of your favourites) in this column.

• Top 5: Top 5 streaming shows, places to cry in public, work-from-home tips...you name it, you can write a Top 5 on it!

• Diss Track: Are there 3-4 songs that grind your gears in the worst way possible? Diss the crap out of them in this column.

• Doin’ You: Everyone has something they do exceptionally well. Wanna teach others your wizardry? Walk us step-by-step through the process of a master for this column.

• Playlists: Have killer musical taste? Share it on The Gateway with a curated playlist.

• Retro on Retro: Is some classic piece of media on your mind? Reflect on it with the distance of time in this column. Discuss the qualities, staying power, and impact of your favourite old movie, video game, album, book, play, or whatever else!

• Double Take: Love spitting fire-hot takes on pop culture? You and a friend (or foe) can team up to write opposing takes on some piece of art/entertainment/media.

• ...AND MORE! I'm always open to any pitches you might have for me!

Into the Arctic Awakening

Into the Arctic Awakening

is a documentary following Cory Trepanier in his 9-week expedition through the Arctic, where he explores with Inuit Elders, paddles the most northerly canoe route on the continent, and travels the Northwest Passage. UAlberta North and the U of A Sustainability Council are partnering to screen this film on April 8th at 7 p.m. After the screening there will be a discussion about the role of art in issues facing the Arctic. If you're interested in attending the screening to review the film and/or interviewing Trepanier, let us know!

Nuela Charles set to release latest project on April 30Nuela Charles is a three-time Juno nominated soul, pop, R&B, jazz, and hip-hop artist based in Edmonton. She's released four albums so far: Aware (2012), The Grand Hustle (2016), Distant Danger (2018), and Melt (2019). Her latest album is titled Blissful Madness and it’s set to release on April 30. The Gateway has previously profiled Nuela Charles, so let us know if you'd like to do an album review and/or interview Nuela!  

Home by Kyoko TakenakaHome is a short multimedia film about otherness in Asian-American identity by Japanese-American filmmaker Kyoko Takenaka. Takenaka recently made the film available to the public on their website. This Saturday from 6:00-6:35 p.m., Takenaka will also be partaking in a Facebook live event where they will perform their song "If We All Wait" and share segments from two of their films, including Home. Let us know if you're interested in reviewing the film, attending the event, or interviewing Takenaka. There's no need to do all three, but you could choose the option that most appeals to you!

Downtown Spark

is a series of art installations and cultural events happening across Edmonton’s downtown this spring. The first installation is Fantastic Planet, six giant illuminated humanoid structures featured near City Hall from Mar. 12 - Apr. 12. Winter Birds is an installation that is part of the Quarter Arts Society’s GLOW festival, featuring three inflatable chickadees on the rooftop of the CO*LAB courtyard (9641 102A Ave) from Mar. 21 - Apr. 30. Both of these installations would make really cool photostories or personal reflections. This pitch has gone out before, but the installations will be around for a few more weeks, so let us know if you're interested!