What time is it? IT'S ARTS 'N CULTURE PITCHES TIME!

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We're back!

To everyone who's previously volunteered with The Gateway, welcome back! If you're new and this is the first pitch email you've ever gotten, congratulations on signing up for our awesome email list!I'm Tom, the new Arts & Culture Editor taking over from Ashlynn. The most important things to know about me are that I'm a certified hip-hop head, I am very left-handed and I want to make this year awesome!In the Arts and Culture section, you can write about theatre, dance, music, film, pop culture, writing, visual art, food and pretty much whatever makes you tick. We have tons of opportunities to interview artists, get free access to events, and go behind the scenes in Edmonton's cultural scene. We also want to try some new things on different platforms this year like weekly podcasts and IG livestreams, so keep an eye out for that! The elephant in the room is obviously COVID-19 and the online fall semester, but luckily volunteering for The Gateway is very quarantine-friendly. Pitch meetings will be strictly online starting this fall, but based on the demand I might start doing virtual pitch meetings as early as this month. Let me know if you want to be added to our Slack and stay in the loop.Phew! Thanks for dealing with the long email this week, but just wanted to make sure everyone is on the same page.As usual, we have our ongoing columns and some interview and review opportunities. And if you have a pitch of your own, send it my way at:  [email protected]

And now, as always, the (COVID-19-friendly) recurring columns: 

• *NEW* 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.

• *NEW* 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!

• *NEW* 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 that you never got to try. Tell us about it all from the POV of a complete novice.

• *NEW* 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. 

• Gateway to Gastronomy: Know any fun and easy to follow recipes? Share it on 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) beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverage of choice.

• Noodle Nation: Who loves noodles? You (might) love noodles. Write 450-500 words on your favourite noodles or noodle haunts for this column.

• 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 game- or life-changer? Wax eloquently about it (or a few of your favourites) in a short 150- to 350-word installment for 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! 50-200 words per item in The Top 5.

• 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!

Award winning documentary by Faculty of Native Studies professor!

Tasha Hubbard, a filmmaker and professor in the Faculty of Native Studies, recently won Best Feature Length Documentary at the Canadian Screen Awards for her film nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up. The documentary details the death of Colton Boushie and his family's 3-year pursuit of justice, and it has also won awards from the Canadian International Documentary Festival and the Director's Guild of Canada. The full-length documentary will stream in the fall but a 44-minute version is currently available for free on CBC Gem.If you're interested writing about the documentary and interviewing Hubbard, let me know! This is a really great opportunity!

BFA class of 2020 online exhibit!

The Bachelor of Fine Arts Class of 2020 has a new virtual art exhibit Breathing Room. You can check out the exhibit

here

and write a review, all from the comfort of your own home. It would also be great to interview some of the artists or organizers if you're interested!

Five Edmonton artists receive Emerging Artists AwardFive Edmonton-based artists received the $10,000 Emerging Artists award at the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Awards. You can read more about them here. Let me know if you'd like to interview one of the artists about the honour and I can set something up.

Review Edmonton-themed Monopoly game!Outset Media just released an Edmonton-themed Monopoly spin-off, but it's available for a limited time. If you want to write a review I can arrange for a sample to be sent to you. I can also set up an interview with Outset Media's Senior Vice-President. This is a really fun story opportunity!

Nextfest is happening right now!

Nextfest is an annual festival that highlights local artists, and this year it's completely online. The festival runs from June 4-15 and all the performances, workshops and showcases can be watched for free on their site.  Write a review of a performance you're interested in, or I could even set up an interview with one of the organizers to talk about this year's Nextfest.