containR BURNS BRIGHT IN 2021

THANK YOU to the artists and community that made the 2021 season such a heart warming and high spirited success.

ART and COMMUNITY are VIBRANT and CONNECTED at containR. 

The 2021 ContainR season surpassed expectations and was a great success. From June 1 - Sept 31, 2021 over 3700 people gathered for art and community. Connecting with joy and curiosity - after COVID’s winter grip - we were together at last, sharing in the belief that art and creative ideas can connect community in a regenerative state of collective wellbeing. Since the closure of venues in the fall of 2020, Springboard’s containR has been one of a treasured few sites that could safely usher in the return of the summer events for Calgarians.

A graphic containing statistics on the Summer 2021 season at containR:

400 artists featured, 2 film screenings, 34 partners, 39 creators, 4 sponsors, 3 markets, 96 events, 1 festival

ContainR was home to a splendid range of acts and events that allowed many different communities to connect with our space, with local artists and with each other. The season lent a fun and exciting energy to the surrounding community and provided unique, enriching cultural experiences. As a public space, ContainR proved once again that there is room for arts to engage with the everyday lives of people living in the city of Calgary.

The quiet tranquility of ContainR on a sunny day unfolds much like a picture book; a gathering space, a stage, a patio bar, sound equipment, tables, and box office all pop out and we see the space transformed into a venue, a marketplace, an orchestra, a cinema, playground, and gallery. Springboard’s team was hard at work creating a place for the public to enjoy arts in an accessible and approachable environment.

The site is an open air gallery for commissioned murals by local artists. And includes a designated Free Wall for sanctioned self expression. The space is one of possibility, transforming with each event and community this is further evidenced in how the space is transformed whenever an event occurs.

There was a wide variety of programming that engaged many different sectors of arts and business in Calgary. The vast array of programming offered something for everyone and even when someone happened to stumble by the site in happenstance, the space welcomed them in and invited them to dance together, sing together and feel together. The best example of this diversity was ContainR fest, a weeklong festival of artistic programming that received support from RISE Up Calgary, Calgary Arts Development, Parks Foundation, and the City of Calgary. ContainR fest was a perfect microcosm of the work hosted at ContainR. It featured musical acts ranging from the Hip Hop artists Sinzere, to the enchanting melodies of I Am The Mountain, to the eclectic marching ensemble, Cowtown Collection. ContainR fest also held a plethora of non-music events including the Bloom Market, giving independent vendors and artisans space to sell their wares outdoors under the vast Calgary sky. On the final day of ContainR fest, a performance of the University of Calgary’s Wagonstage children’s show was followed by a drag brunch. This is the Calgary we are proud of and encourage community and artists to explore and connect.

Later in the summer the Honens Fest brought two grand pianos to the site to sweep audiences up in the glory of outstanding pianists playing in the afternoon sunshine.

2021 Youth Mural Artists clap during a Questions & Answers session

Or perhaps you gathered at the launch of the youth mural project where young artists photographers and writers gathered to create murals and share the process under the watchful eye of Antyx art leaders.

Or did you celebrate theatre within Wagonstage, Shakespeare on the Go, Major Matt Mason Collective, and Quest Theatre

And what about the 5 events curated by young curators from our fold, including a celebration of the local dance community, and investigation of Calgary’s history of rock and an R&B inspired music and poetry chill zone.

Or did you love the artisan markets with Bloom, did you partake in a libation within Village Brewery, Sunnycider and Sugar Water?  Did you celebrate in a  food truck frenzy of taste sensations?

The Alcove: Retro rugs and furniture transform the containR space into a cozy hub for open mic

Where you there the day that couches strewn across the courtyard made containR an outdoor rec room under the event design and community activists The Alcove.

Did you ground yourself with yoga in the courtyard enveloped in the sunset, or dog walking with coffees in the morning? Did you help in the permaculture garden or listen to a creative ideas talk within TEDx? 

In a time filled with uncertainty surrounding indoor gatherings and events, ContainR provided an outdoor space for artists to share their stories and help create new ones. Keith’s Hootenanny was a bi-monthly concert series featuring multiple artists playing in succession. On a late august night, Memphis and the Grand was playing their set, their sound bolstered and refined from a summer full of performances at ContainR, musicians dressed in cow costumes roamed the audience. A tall rancher whispers his concerns that his cows have gone loose, and by the time Memphis and the Grand have finished their set the cows have been wrangled to the stage. The herd and Memphis break out into a last collaborative song that explodes with a powerful wave that takes the audience by storm. When the dust settles the audience cheers and claps and we’re introduced to The Cowtown Collection who carries this energy, people have been crowding at the fence of ContainR to listen to the beautiful music coming out from the site, the building across the train tracks find its balcony crowded by interested spectators. This energy builds until the clap of thunder demands its immediate conclusion. This is just one story from a space that allowed for people to discover, share and experience art with one another, something the coronavirus has revealed to be a vital need.

Curator Keith Dundas plays the accordion during a house performance by Memphis and the Grande

Springboard wasn’t alone, its team was bolstered by event assistants, volunteers, and university students hired under Canada Summer Jobs and the Venture for Canada Employment program. Springboard provided different avenues to get involved and really make this space a place where people can gain experience and work closely in the promotion and development of the arts. Big thank you to our business sponsors Village Brewery, Sunnycider, Print3, and Sidewalk Citizen.

Springboard always remained in touch with the community and responded to the neighborhood; adapting to the requests of the community as needed and continuing to build on the relationships we have established with neighbours over the years. The neighborhood responded in kind, often times coming over to catch the variety of programming. 

Of course, this wouldn’t have been possible without funding provided by the Parks Foundation, RiseUpYYC, The City of Calgary, Canada Council, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Calgary Arts Development, ArtsVest, Venture for Canada, and Canada Summer Jobs. We are incredibly grateful that with their financial support we could support local artists and integrate their work with the lives of Calgarians this summer. 

In difficult times, such as the past few years contending with COVID-19, it’s the arts that allow us to reconnect with humanity and find the soul in community. This is exactly why a site like containR is vital. 

We hope to bring the warm glow of connection to the site with select events during the winter (a first for us!), and then look forward to creating space and time together in the summer of 2022.