.@newconstell Mentorship Program Expands: Shad and Moe Clark Added As Mentors

NEW CONSTELLATIONS Music Mentorship Program Expands to Include 

Shad and Moe Clark as Digital Mentors, Extends Deadline for Applications

– Deadline for Online Mentorship applications extended to Friday, November 17 – 

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Due to an overwhelming response in applications, the Mentorship Program -- part of NEW CONSTELLATIONS, a nation(s)wide tour of music and arts -- is expanding, adding two brand new Digital Mentors -- hip-hop artist and JUNO Award winner Shad, who hosts Peabody award-winning and Emmy-nominated documentary series Hip Hop Evolution (HBO Canada / Netflix), and multidisciplinary Métis artist Moe Clark, founder of transformational arts organization nistamîkwan, and host of Indigenous music showcase mâmawi musique (Espace autochtones). Shad and Moe Clark join an incredible roster of acclaimed music and literary Mentors who will connect with Indigenous youth online and in a series of community-based arts and music workshops. The deadline for Digital Mentorship applications has been extended to Friday, November 17 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Registration for the In-Community workshops remains open. Indigenous artists and youth can apply to participate in both parts of the mentorship program at newconstellations.ca/mentorship.

“Building creative kinships is essential to being an artist today,” said Moe Clark, multidisciplinary Métis artist and poet, and Digital Mentor with New Constellations. “I’m excited to share, support and learn from emerging Indigenous artists through this mentorship program.”

NEW CONSTELLATIONS is a nation(s)wide touring project featuring special guest appearances by an interstellar lineup of Indigenous and non-Indigenous music and literary artists coming together for the first time, including: Feist, A Tribe Called Red, July Talk, Lido Pimienta, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Naomi Klein, Sam Roberts, 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. The tour will travel to 13 cities and communities across the country starting Thursday, November 23 in Saskatoon, and has already sold out shows in Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg. For the full schedule visit: https://www.newconstellations.ca/schedule/

Providing mentorship opportunities to Indigenous artists and communities is a key aspect of the NEW CONSTELLATIONS project. The Digital Mentorship program offers one-on-one mentorship from established artists like Shad, Moe Clark, 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, and singer Jasmyn Burke (Weaves); while In-Community Workshops hosted at six tour stops, including two Indigenous communities, will allow Indigenous youth to learn creative writing, songwriting, music creation, and DJ/production skills with artists from the tour and local artist mentors.

Among the six stops: Thunder Bay is set to host participants from an entire high school for their In-Community workshop, and touring artists Leah and Peter from July Talk will co-teach music in Wiikwemkoong. Anishinaabe producer Boogey the Beat teaches music production in Winnipeg, while Kitigan Zibi sees 2017 Polaris Prize winner Lido Pimienta teach songwriting. Edmonton’s stop includes a writing workshop from Billy-Ray Belcourt, a poet from Driftpile Cree Nation, whose debut collection of poems This Wound is a World is a breakthrough success. 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

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.