Originally from Wakefield, Quebec, Aron has studied extensively in the realms of clown, bouffon and masked comedy. He is a graduate of the University of Ottawa, the International School of Comic Acting (Italy), Ecole Philippe Gaulier (France), and holds an MFA in theatre studies from the University of Calgary. Aron has also studied with the likes of John Turner, Mark Christman, David Smuckler, Antonio Fava and Linda Keer Scott.

He has taught clown-based theatre performance at various institutions such as the University of Ottawa, University of Calgary, Odyssey Theatre and the City of Ottawa as well as been invited to host a variety of independent workshops. Aside from his work with Theatrophy through 6 full length productions, Aron has performed across the country with Meta-physical Theatre, A Company of Fools, and WhyNot Theatre. Aron currently works with Cirque du Soleil as a both a performer and trainer. Aron will lead a serious clowning workshop on Saturday afternoon. See Workshops for more details.

Bahamas is Afie Jurvanen, and for the last many years he’s been playing other people’s music– PasoMino, Great Lake Swimmers, The Stills, Howie Beck, Amy Millan, Jason Collett, Hayden and Zeus. He’s recently spent time playing piano and guitar with Feist. He walks with a strange and haunted gait, due to a horrible knee injury suffered while on tour, and it’s rumored that this might be what led to the appalling “shorts on stage” incident. No photo’s of the crime have surfaced and the indie rock police are asking anyone with information to come forward. Pink Strat, the title of Afie’s debut record,  is most likely an homage to the very old, and very wimpy sounding Fender Stratocaster that he’s been known to play. Bahamas and his musical posse will take to the stage at the venerable Blacksheep Inn on Saturday night. Tickets are $15 plus tax and you’re encourage to pick them up in advance to avoid being disappointed. See events for ticket info. www.bahamasmusic.net

Beltaine is an Ottawa-based group of fire-spinnners and musicians who began to talk about collaborating in the summer of 2010. In May 2011, we took the name Beltaine, after the ancient Celtic fire-festival celebrated at that time of year. A Beltaine happening consists of hoop and poi fire-spinning accompanied by a variety of percussion and rare and unusual woodwind instruments, which include six foot-long overtone flutes, didgeridoo and bagpipes. Our live music, which thrives on improvisation and spontaneity. Our primary aim is to go beyond mere performance and, when possible, to invite the audience to “become the event” and join in drumming, dancing and even fire-spinning, for those experienced in the art. Beltaine is Duncan Gillis, Rob Graves and Emily Norgang. www.beltaine.ca

Bruce Taylor is a two-time winner of the A.M. Klein Award for Poetry. He has published four acclaimed books of poetry: Getting On with the Era, Cold Rubber Feet, Facts, and No End in Strangeness (New and Selected Poems). He has been a teacher, a puppeteer, and a freelance journalist. He lives in Wakefield, Quebec.

Chris Ross is a Toronto-based filmmaker with a background in visual arts, who is currently developing her first feature. Her films So Yellow and (Petit) Pink will be featured in the Minute Film Fest screening Friday night. You can check out her short films and paintings online at www.chrisrossartandfilm.com.

Interdisciplinary artist best known for large art + groundbreaking projects with non-arts groups.  Soon unveiling 14th public commission, 15 granite/bronze pieces, Preston Street. Practice includes drawing, sculpture, shields, video, writing, performance and pilot projects for social-justice and social-entrepreneurship education.  Collections: Canada Council, Workers Heritage Museum, City of Ottawa, Daimon/SAW New Media Centres.  Began art on trees after moving to Wakefield in the ‘80s.

Denis has been a builder/carpenter for more than twenty years, and he’s also the owner of Boiserie Du Ruisseau. He specializes in making unique and beautiful furniture from reclaimed wood and quality pine. Along with Hannah Ranger, he has been commissioned by Wakefest to create a multi-media sculpture that will eventually find its home in Wakefield’s new Community Centre. www.boiserieduruisseau.com

Emily is an interdisciplinary artist working at the intersections of community development, civic participation, performance, and land art. In recent years, her experimental and socially driven practice has resulted in a series of performances incorporating living ‘sproutfits’ and tapestries, a guerilla gardener’s ensemble, an electronic book designed to be reproduced and remixed by others (roerichproject.artefati.ca) and the Roerich Garden Project – a three-year land art project in a post-industrial railyard turned urban meadow. She currently divides her time between the Gatineau Hills and Montreal. Emily’s installation, ‘like veins across heart’, will be on display throughout Wakefest at the junction of the La Peche and Gatineau Rivers beside Sur La Lune ice cream shop.

Originally from East Germany, Franziska is now based in Wakefield, Quebec. Franziska’s work has been published, exhibited, criticized and celebrated. The 2011 edition of her ‘Nudes of Wakefield’ calendar will be revealed during Wakefest’s Naked Launch.

www.franziskaheinze.com

Greg Stone has been a performing musician since 1985 and a professional music teacher since 1998. He previously held the position of Director of Music at Brighton Secondary College, Melbourne, Australia where he taught and administered over 250 music students each year. Greg has vast experience at leading both professional and student bands and has written over 80 musical arrangements including salsa, pop, soundtrack and Motown. Greg plays drums, percussion, bass, guitar, piano, harmonica and trumpet. Greg will be giving a Stage Readiness workshop on Sunday at 10:30. See Workshops for more info. Greg will also help lead the backing band for the musical-muse tribute to Steve and Stacey Earle.

A seasoned visual artist and teacher, Hannah discovered feltmaking 2006 and was drawn in by the sensual, alchemical process of creating with this medium. Her interests lie in projects that involve community, and draw attention to the warmth and presence that felted art provides by inviting touch and a connection with the intrinsic creativity alive in each of us.

Heather Horak is a writer-poet-blogger-journalist-humorist-songwriter, plays the piano-guitar-banjo-fiddle-tinwhistle-ukelele-clarinet-etc, but not the brass family, and does all this mostly at home. She is interested in mundane rural topics such as mud, chickens, municipal tralala, garbage, art-from-junk, hitchiking, old stuff, and lost monkey dogs, as well as more heady, global topics such as immigration patterns, gentrification, community economic development, urban planning, political unrest and learning languages.  She has a fan base of at least one, including Gary Martin and possibly Erin. She’ll be giving a sneak peek into her latest sound recording project during the Words Between Beats event Friday night at Le Hibou.

Vocalist Kellylee Evans continues to evolve her distinctive sound with her 2011 Juno Award-winning release Nina, a beautiful tribute to one of jazz’s greatest vocalists and pianists, Nina Simone. Evans received accolades for The Good Girl, the alternative-soul pop follow up to the 2006 critically acclaimed urban-jazz debut, fight or flight?, which helped garner the Toronto native Juno and Gemini Award nominations in 2007, as well as a win for Best Female Artist at the Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards.  Evans even took second place in the prestigious Thelonius Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition, whose judges included Quincy Jones and Al Jarreau.  Her energy-charged live shows have led to opening spots for George Benson, Tony Bennett, Chris Botti, Maceo Parker and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. We are thrilled that Kellylee has agreed to give a vocal workshop on Saturday afternoon. See Workshops for details. www.kellyleeevans.com

Kevin Connolly is a Toronto poet, editor, and arts journalist. Connolly has published four collections of poems. His second collection, Happyland, was published to wide acclaim in 2002; and his third, drift, won the Trillium Book Award for Poetry. His latest book, Revolver, was shortlisted for both the Trillium Award and the esteemed Griffin Poetry Prize.

For the past thirteen years Kim Collier has been Artistic Director of Electric Company Theatre, a creation-based ensemble she co-founded with Jonathon Young, Kevin Kerr, and David Hudgins and with whom she has co-authored seven of their original plays. For Electric Company, Kim has directed such productions as Tear the Curtain!, The Score, The One That Got Away, Studies in Motion, and a live film version of Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit. Co-directing credits with Electric Company include Brilliant!, The Wake, Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands, Flop, and At Home With Dick and Jane. Kim’s productions have toured nationally and internationally to the National Arts Centre, Magnetic North Theatre Festival, Festival Trans Amérique, Vancouver Playhouse, The Belfy Theatre, Yukon Arts Centre, San Jose Stage Company, Edinburgh Fringe and others.

A graduate of Studio 58 Acting Program, Kim has also trained in Toronto at Mime Unlimited and at the University of Victoria’s Department of Theatre. As an actor she has performed with Dance Arts, Vancouver Playhouse, National Arts Center, Felix Culpa, Western Canada Theatre, Richmond Gateway Theatre, Touchstone Theatre, Graphic Mime, Limelight Theatre and others. In November 2010, Kim was awarded the presitigious Siminovitch Prize in Theatre for directing – a $100,000 award that she shared with protégé director, Anita Rochon.

A believer in the power of community and the collaborative process, Kim spearheaded the formation of Progress Lab, an affiliation of some of Vancouver’s most exciting creation-based independent theatre companies. Along with providing emerging artists with numerous opportunities through mentorship positions in nearly every Electric Company production, Kim has also taught UBC’s department of Theatre, sits on the Studio 58 Advisory Council, and has appeared as guest speaker in numerous workshops and conferences.  She lives and works with actor/writer Jonathon Young.  Wakefest is thrilled that Kim will lead a workshop on Collective Creation Saturday afternoon. See the Workshops section for more information on registration.

Lindsay Ferguson’s music lies somewhere between chaos & calm. She is dialed into an eclectic frequency, touching upon the fever and fury of life itself. A critically acclaimed Canadian independent musician with a rock, pop and soul sound, Lindsay immerses herself into the songs she sings. Born in Bermuda, raised in Prince Edward County Ontario she’s now based out of Wakefield Quebec. For the past year she has been honing her skills and life experience, touring and writing music in Switzerland. She just released her second full length album “Monkeys Under Stars” which she toured across Canada this summer and included a stop at Ottawa’s Bluesfest. Lindsay has a voice that can send shivers down your spine. Lindsay will be giving a songwriting workshop Sunday 2pm – 4pm at Le Hibou. She’ll also be part of Sunday’s Steve and Stacey Earle tribute. www.lindsayferguson.com

Parisien d’origine, établi depuis plus d’une quinzaine d’années en Outaouais, Marc Walter est un artiste qui axe ses interventions en art environnemental.  Particulièrement prolifique dans ce domaine, il a remporté en 2007 le Grand prix d’excellence de la Fondation pour les arts, les lettres et la culture en Outaouais et était finaliste en 2009.  Marc a participé à plus de 80 expositions individuelles ou collectives en Amérique du Nord et en Europe. Marc crée des oeuvres qui mettent à nu les émotions des sites sur lesquels il travaille. Pour WAKEFEST 2010, Marc s’est lancé le défi de faire 5 oeuvres monumentales en 5 jours à l’aide membres de la collectivité.

Marc WALTER is intrigued by how the creation of a separate piece or space on a given location will alter the ability of a visitor to perceive an emotional response. Even for a short time, his visitors become dwellers, reflecting upon the site, its history, their own path and above all, all their feelings.  His artworks are site-specific, may cause a physical or sensual change of rhythm to a site, but discretion, respect and balance are key values that he applies at all time.  For WAKEFEST 2010, Marc has taken the challenge to create 5 monumental installations over 5 days throughout the village with the help of community members.

www.ville.gatineau.qc.ca/artimage/expo.htm

www.arttourchelseawakefield.com/MWalter.htm

Marion M. Bordier is a visual artist who specializes in photo and video installation. She has had numerous solo and group exhibitions, in North America, Latin America, in Europe and Beijing, among other places. She has represented Canada at international bienniales such as Havana Bienal, Cuenca Bienal (Ecuador), The First Photography Bienniale of the Czech Republic, Bienal del Barro (Venezuela), Hamburg Triennale der Photographie, FotoAmérica (Chile). Two of Marion’s short films, Ebb and Flow and The Red Flag, will be screened as part of the Minute Film Fest on the Covered Bridge Friday evening. www.bordiermarion.ca