Sure, it’s spring, but delayed Winterruption is still a win

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/03/2022 (1645 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This year’s Winterruption festival is less about socializing during the depths of winter and more about making the most of unforeseen interruptions.

The multi-venue music festival was originally set to take place in January, but organizers were forced to reschedule at the height of the Omicron wave of COVID-19.

“It was a nightmare before Christmas for us,” says Jorge Requena Ramos, artistic director of Winterruption and the West End Cultural Centre. “There were over 100 shows that we had planned.”

Winterruption begins tonight and runs until April 15 with more than 25 free and ticketed shows at seven different venues in Winnipeg’s central neighbourhoods. The festival has been operating locally since 2020 and is an offshoot of events in Saskatoon, Regina, Edmonton and Calgary.

The past three months have been spent scrambling to rebook as many artists as possible while co-ordinating with venues and navigating shifting pandemic restrictions. After presenting a virtual festival last year, organizers are erring on the side of caution and will require concertgoers to wear masks and show proof of vaccination.

“It feels like a big win to be able to do this. Of course it’s a little bit of a bittersweet thing because we know we’re not completely safe yet… we’re trying to be as safe as possible,” Requena Ramos says. “It’s a huge level of organization to present a festival that doesn’t all happen in one place and all of the partner locations have been incredibly generous with their time and efforts.”

The lineup features a bevy of Canadian and local artists — such as JP Hoe, the Lytics, Diaphanie, Papa Mambo and Ila Baker — with a focus on inclusivity. In 2020, the WECC introduced an anti-racism and anti-oppression strategic mandate, which has heavily informed this year’s Winterruption programming.

“It’s the most diverse lineup I think I’ve seen in a festival since I’ve lived in Winnipeg,” Requena Ramos says, adding that the goal was to better reflect the city and the neighbourhoods in which the festival is operating. “We’re celebrating the urbanity of our city, which is where the majority of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) peoples live in Manitoba.”

Encouraging attendees to think about the state of downtown while taking in shows the West End, the Good Will Social Club, the Handsome Daughter, X-Cues Cafe & Lounge, Feast Cafe Bistro, The Forks and True North Square was a major priority.

For the first time, the festival includes a free three-day conference, called the Winterruption Tactical Urbanism Summit, designed to spark conversations about urban design and community.

The conference, presented in partnership with the Winnipeg Trails Association and Art City, runs Thursday to Saturday online and in-person at the WECC. Speakers include local architects, city planners, community organizers and accessibility experts. Ivan De la Lanza, a sustainable urban mobility specialist from Mexico City, will give a keynote address.

“We can really learn from a city that has enormous, insane density and how to do things for a lot of people,” Requena Ramos says. “We want to help people imagine a completely new Winnipeg.”

Visit winterruptionwpg.ca for concert tickets and a full schedule. Shows at Feast, True North Square and The Forks are free to attend and the WECC is hosting an outdoor party this Friday and Saturday at 6 p.m.

eva.wasney@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @evawasney