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- Arts and Culture pitches! (Sept 06)
Arts and Culture pitches! (Sept 06)
Arts and Culture Pitches! 🌰
These pitches walnut disappoint!
Hey everyone, Jin here!
Welcome to all those that are getting their first Arts & Culture pitch email! I am Jin, your editor (for now)! Usually the A&C pitch email comes out on Wednesdays, but this week it's earlier to let everyone know about the Open House! Info is linked below.
For all those who didn't know — there's an open house tomorrow (Tuesday)! It'll be in-person so you can come meet me, and all the other great staff members.
is the link to sign up.
There are three slots for Tuesday, but if you can't make it but would still like to attend an open house, we will have a virtual open house on Friday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. MST. The Zoom link for that one is linked
.
Feel free to email me here if you have any questions, or if you'd like to chat! If any of these pitches catches your eye, send me a response to this email about which pitch you'd like to take, and I'll get you all set up if it's still available.
For all those who aren't seeing the newsletter for the first time — apologies for pitch repeats from last week. I wanted to ensure that there were a lot more pitches to choose from and I wanted to offer pitches that new volunteers have not seen.
This was a really long email, so let's get cracking! Here are your pitches for this week!
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! We are always open to any pitches you might have for us!
Pitches for the Week:
Alberta Culture Days is running from September 7 - 30!This year, Alberta Culture Days is celebrating printmaking with SNAP Gallery and Alberta Printmakers. Join them as they go through events like getting to know printmakers Myken McDowell and Kellen Spence, following along with a printmaking video at home, and participating in an online showcase of print work at the end of the programming!All events will be held online.Let me know if you'd be interested in getting involved, or interviewing someone involved!
Review Best Sellers, which will be available on VOD on September 17th!Best Sellers is a comedy about a publishing heir, and her book tour with a grouchy older man. This film was shot in Montreal and partly in New York City.A link is available for review purposes, and Canadian director Lina Roessler is available for interviews!
Soprano Miriam Khalil becomes a vocal instructor at the University of Alberta!Khalil is a soprano opera singer who has moved to Edmonton to take the role of vocal instructor at the U of A's Department of Music. She has an extensive history of international opera, and was even nominated for a Juno Award in 2019. Let me know if you'd be interested in interviewing Khalil!
Dancing in the Park goes online this year!Dancing in the Park online runs from September 16-19, 2021. It is being shown on YouTube for free.This year's festival features five main stage curators from across Canada as well as 12 short films by artists from Canada and beyond.Let me know if you'd like to attend or interview someone involved!
Mile Zero Dance announces SITE LINES for the 2021/2022 season.Mile Zero Dance is slowly re-entering the world of live presentations, exploring performances outside in locations like storefronts and abandoned buildings. SITE LINES embraces the return to live performance, and explores the best angles to view it from.The opening series is Salvage, held in collaboration with Lowlands Art Projects. It is happening in-person on September 17, 18, and 19.Let me know if you'd be interested in interviewing someone involved in Salvage, or attending the performance!
From now until October 2nd, SNAP Gallery is hosting three new art exhibits.
Carving Room
by Andrew Thorne,
Exit Strategies
by Sylvan Hamburger, and
Kitchen Codex
by Patrick Cruz are being featured. Hamburger will be hosting an artist's talk for
Exit Strategies
on September 23rd.
Let me know if you're interested in checking out any of the exhibits or interviewing one of the artists!
India Film Festival of Alberta shows Indian film!The India Film Festival of Alberta is a month-long celebration of India's best contemporary and classic films. The festival started Friday, September 3rd. There are 16 movies to choose from, and tickets are free.Let me know if you'd be interested in interviewing someone involved with the festival, or reviewing one of the movies showing!
Dancin' in the Street brings light and joy to Edmonton's streets!Kaleido is a family-friendly arts festival that usually occurs in September. This year their showcase weekend is September 10 - 12, and there will be a variety of activities including musicians, visual artists, and street performers, spread out across many locations.Let me know if you'd be interested in seeing this free arts festival in September and interviewing someone from their team!