.@newconstell Adds Shad, Narcy, Desmond Cole, and David Chariandy as Performers

13-City Nation(s)wide Tour of Music and Arts

NEW CONSTELLATIONS Adds Shad, Narcy, Desmond Cole,

and David Chariandy as Performers

– One-of-a-kind tour kicked off in Saskatoon last night –

– Tickets sold out in Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Toronto  – 

____________________________________________

Kicking off last night in Saskatoon, NEW CONSTELLATIONS’ buses hit the road this week with a one-of-a-kind, cross-country tour of music and arts, and is set to make its Western Canada stops in Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton, Prince Albert, Winnipeg, and Wiikwemkoong. With tickets already sold out for the Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg shows, as well as the closing night show in Toronto, excitement is spreading fast nation(s)wide.

NEW CONSTELLATIONS also announces four exciting additions to the performance lineup to the incredible talent roster. Hip-hop artist and JUNO Award winner Shad, who hosts Emmy award-winning and Peabody award-winning documentary series Hip Hop Evolution (HBO Canada / Netflix), and Montreal-based Iraqi-Canadian hip-hop artist and educator Narcy, who starred in and directed “R.E.D.”, the MMVA award-winning video for Indigenous super-group A Tribe Called Red, have both been added to the Ottawa lineup on December 9. Shad and Narcy were previously announced as Digital Mentors in the NEW CONSTELLATIONS Mentorship Program, sharing their talent and expertise with Indigenous aspiring musicians. Celebrated Toronto-based journalist and activist Desmond Cole, and 2017 Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize winner David Chariandy help celebrate the special closing night of NEW CONSTELLATIONS, with literary performances in Toronto on December 20.

The four newly added performers join some of the country’s most celebrated musicians, writers, and poets. The interstellar lineup of Indigenous and non-Indigenous music and literary artists coming together for the first time, include: Feist, A Tribe Called Red, July Talk, Lido Pimienta, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Naomi Klein, Sam Roberts, Weaves, Jason Collett, Stars, Joel Plaskett, Leonard Sumner, Jeremy Dutcher, Mob Bounce, George​ ​Elliott Clarke, Jordan Abel, Rich Aucoin, Heather O’Neill, La Force and many more. Tickets are continuing to sell out fast. For the full schedule and to buy tickets, visit: newconstellations.ca/schedule.

With a commitment to giving back to the Indigenous community, NEW CONSTELLATIONS also features a two-part Mentorship program.The Digital Mentorship program offers one-on-one mentorship from established artists including Anishinaabe electronic musician DJ NDN, Iraqi-Canadian hip-hop artist, educator, and MMVA award-winning video director Narcy, 2017 Polaris Prize Winner Lido Pimienta, Cree/Dene musician IsKwé, singer Jasmyn Burke (Weaves), JUNO Award-winning hip-hop artist Shad, and multidisciplinary ​Métis​ ​artist​ ​​Moe​ ​Clark, while In-Community Workshops hosted at six tour stops, including two Indigenous communities, allow Indigenous youth to learn creative writing, songwriting, music creation, and DJ/production skills with artists from the tour and local artist mentors. Registration for In-Community workshops remains open in Fredericton and Kitigan Zibi. NEW CONSTELLATIONS offers new possibilities for creative collaboration across communities. For a full list of performing artists and mentors, please see newconstellations.ca/artists.

NEW CONSTELLATIONS is the brainchild of The Basement Revue and Revolutions Per Minute (RPM), two successful music organizations that have partnered to co-curate this national celebration of creative collaboration. The tour is presented with support from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba and the Government of Canada.

TICKETS

Tickets for NEW CONSTELLATIONS are now on sale. Tickets are $25 (plus service charges) and are available in person and online. For more information and for specific lineups at each stop, visit newconstellations.ca.

TOUR DATES

11/23 – Saskatoon @ The Broadway Theatre

11/24 – Calgary @ The Gateway (SOLD OUT)

11/25 – Edmonton @ The Starlite Room (SOLD OUT)

11/26 – Prince Albert @ The E.A. Rawlinson Centre

11/27 – Winnipeg @ West End

Cultural Centre (SOLD OUT)

11/28 – Thunder Bay @ Port Arthur Polish Hall

11/29 – Wiikwemkoong @ Debajehmujig

Creation Centre

12/6 – Halifax @ Spatz Theatre

12/7 – Fredericton @ Playhouse Theatre

12/8 – Montreal @ L’Astral

12/9 – Ottawa @ Bronson Centre

12/10 – Kitigan Zibi @ Kitigan Zibi Community Hall

12/20 – Toronto @ Opera House (SOLD OUT)

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Twitter: @newconstell

Facebook: @newconstellationstour

Instagram: @newconstellationstour

Website: newconstellations.ca

About NEW CONSTELLATIONS

NEW CONSTELLATIONS is a nation(s)wide tour of music and arts, featuring special guest appearances by an interstellar lineup of Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists. The project includes a 13-stop tour, a mentorship program and community-based arts and music workshop series for Indigenous youth, digital curriculum, and a tour documentary film.