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The Living Rivers Festival Report Summary (2002) PDF Print E-mail
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Monday, 23 June 2008

The City of Toronto's Culture Division joined Festive Earth as the host-sponsor of Toronto's largest-family eco-celebration, the Living Rivers Festival at the Don Valley Brick Works on Sunday, May 5. Over 75 exhibitors, numerous artists, art groups, and over 120 volunteers participated in making this, the 6th eco-celebration, a great success.

The Festival attracted more than 2,000 visitors and engaged them in environmental learning through the arts, information sharing, shopping and celebration. The festival was a spectacular culmination of the 3rd annual Clean Up the Don Campaign, put on in partnership with 9 Stewardship Groups located in the Don watershed, stretching from the Oak Ridges Moraine down to Lake Ontario.

Festival Highlights:

An Eco Marketplace:

  • 28 businesses promoting earth friendly products and services
  • 28 environmental and health organizations providing educational resources and interactive learning opportunities
  • 7 Don Watershed Stewardship Groups
  • 5 Event Sponsors
  • For images of some of our exhibitors, click here

Direct Arts Experiences:

  • The Imagination Garden featured 4 festival "make and take" environmental art workshops, inviting participants to wear or carry their creations of Wildlife Masks, Eco Flags and Earth Sound instruments in the Living Rivers Procession and Water Ceremony, sponsored by TD Canada Trust
  • 6 Community Arts organizations offered a variety of activities including eco arts and crafts, theatre and a labyrinth
  • 4 Festival stages showcased some of Toronto's finest music and theatre talent
  • Toronto artists animated community participation and involvement in the festival theme with a pre-festival mural project in a local school led by artist Debbie O'Rourke and sponsored by Gerrard Square
  • The choreography of the Living Rivers and Ariel Dancers (recruited, rehearsed and performed for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies at the festival) was the result of the efforts of choreographer Rebecca Todd
  • For images of some of our direct arts experiences, click here

Environmental & Site-Specific Learning:
  • Ed Freeman, local historian, provided quarry tours of the Don Valley Brick Works
  • Jock McAndrews showcased a Royal Ontario Museum exhibit of Don Valley Brick Works fossils
  • The Todmorden Mills Museum exhibit provided an historical overview of the Brick Work's industrial past
  • Festive Earth's Eco Whiz Quiz, sponsored by Glen Bernard Camp, prompted onsite research by festival participants, who hunted for answers found among exhibitors onsite
  • Click here for images of some of our learning activities at the Festival

In Recognition:

The contribution of artists, volunteers, exhibitors, sponsors, community advertisers and staff, made the 3rd annual Clean Up the Don Campaign and Living Rivers Festival a grand accomplishment. Our thanks go out to all those who contributed and assisted in the collective efforts of the Don Watershed community!

The City of Toronto acknowledged and commended the Festive Earth Society's contributions to Toronto; Deputy Mayor Case Ootes presented Mayor Mel Lastman's Living Rivers Day PROCLAMATION!

For images of our contributors, sponsors, and of the Don Valley Brick Works, click here.

For background information, visit the Festival program and our Media Room.

Last Updated ( Thursday, 03 July 2008 )
 
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