Music Is Powerful

Your Gift Can Make a Difference

The Winnipeg Folk Festival’s Education and Outreach programs nurture young talent and provide opportunities for thousands to share in the gift of music through the summer Festival and all year long.

Here are ways that your donation can help:

• $50 can inspire imaginations through free Festival-style library and community concerts for inner city families
• $100 brings the magic of attending the Festival to someone who can’t afford to buy a ticket
• $200 impacts the lives of youth and new Canadians as they discover the spirit of volunteering through the Apprentice and Community Folk programs
• $500 brings together at-risk students with established mentoring artists for a music education opportunity that builds confidence and inspires creativity

Every gift is important to the Winnipeg Folk Festival. No matter what the size, every gift does make a difference.

A Song For All of Us

Thanks to the ongoing generosity of donors, the powerful nature of music is reaching new audiences at our annual Festival – many who may not ever have had such an opportunity.

And far beyond our signature summer event at Birds Hill Provincial Park, the impact of music is felt through programs that actively contribute to our broader community all year long. More than 12,000 people have experienced these initiatives in the past year.

Here is look at what your gift to Education and Outreach can do:

Free Concerts in the Heart of the City

• The Festival concert series presents free noon-hour concerts during the summer in the historic Exchange District.
• The Folk Exchange is the Festival’s own year-round venue for concerts, workshops, open mics, art exhibits and craft sales.

Inspiring Inner-City Youth

• The Festival brings the spirit of discovery into high schools through the Musical Mentors Program, providing 120 students with the opportunity to make musical instruments out of found objects, write songs and create a music video. Participants perform in a culminating performance at the Park Theatre and are given an opportunity to record their original work in a full recording studio.

Fostering Youth Leadership

• The Apprentice Program builds community volunteerism in 200 youth each year.

Training Emerging Musicians

• More than 40 performers and visual artists participate in training and artist development programs each year.
• Numerous participants in the Festival’s Young Performers and Folk Music Camp programs have gone on to pursue professional careers and Manitobans like Del Barber, Sierra Noble, Sheena Grobb, Brandy Zdan, Jordan McConnell and Cara Luft have since come back to perform on Festival stages.

Building Community

• More than 700 free tickets to the Winnipeg Folk Festival are distributed through over 50 local community organizations. Included with the tickets are transportation, meals and a personal tour of the Festival in action.
• The Newcomers Program provides volunteer orientation and opportunities for those new to Canada or the Festival. Over 30 participants discover the Festival and its volunteer community each year and are welcomed to return as part of the volunteer core in subsequent years.

Enriching Young Hearts & Minds

• The Festival offers  free family concerts and Festival-style workshops in partnership with the Winnipeg Public Library at the downtown Millennium location.
• Over 3,500 children learn the value of music and artistic expression through the Festival’s Family Area and our year-round family concerts.