As Ottawa gets closer to celebrating Canada’s 150th anniversary, the Juno Host Committee and the Ottawa 2017 Bureau are working together to animate the city’s music scene in preparation for the country’s top music awards.
A $30,000 investment from the 2017 bureau and host committee’s budgets has been earmarked for events in the local music community leading up to the Juno Awards in April.
The fund will support events in each of the city’s 23 wards — including Somerset — with a minimum of $500 and maximum of $2,000.
The Ottawa Music Industry Coalition, a not-for-profit organization that strives to build and promote the local music community, will assess applications and manage the funds.
The five-person jury selected by the OMIC includes representatives from Ottawa’s music community and the 2017 bureau. Applicants will be selected based on how well their ideas engage the city’s diverse communities, genders, languages, ethnicities and ages.
The man at the centre of the sesquicentennial year celebration in the capital, Guy Laflamme, leads the 2017 bureau and also chairs the Juno committee.
“We want to make sure we get activation and program elements in all of the wards across the city,” Laflamme said. “We want to reach a wide spectrum in terms of an audience and local talent.”
OMIC executive director Rachel Weldon said she hopes this year will not just be an occasion to celebrate the country’s musical talents, but also the music created in Ottawa.
“We hope this program contributes to a sense that music is important to support and celebrate,” Weldon said. “We want to connect with diverse communities and cultural groups to celebrate all of the neighbourhoods in Ottawa where music happens.”
The program offers a chance for musicians, promoters and entrepreneurs to connect with new audiences through non-traditional events. Concerts in barber shops or retail stores are just a few ideas Laflamme is envisioning.
Tyrin Kelly, a 19-year-old member of the local band Spell, said the Ottawa music scene could use the infusion of funds to encourage distinctive styles and diverse performers.
“Ottawa has a thriving arts community that continues to push boundaries of unconventionality and the avant-garde,” Kelly said. “This grant program will give people opportunities to practise innovation and give back to the community. I’m happy to know people’s voices and ideas will be heard.”
This is Laflamme’s fourth year working with the Juno committee and will be the 14th time he has attended the awards. He said he hopes the event will develop a cultural legacy in the everyday life of Ottawa’s communities, even after 2017 passes.
“It’s just the effervescence and vibrancy the event will bring to our city that will generate benefits for the remainder of the year,” Laflamme said. “We want to leverage the presence of the Junos by showcasing local talents and venues, and engage the population in recognizing the calibre of talents we have in Ottawa.”
Ottawa’s landscape and infrastructure are changing significantly for 2017 — with construction of the Light Rail Transit, development of LeBreton Flats and the nearby Chaudière Islands. Laflamme and Weldon are working towards a similar redevelopment of the city’s music scene.
“(The grants) are a great way to direct some of the budget toward the community and have them determine how local music should be celebrated and promoted,” Weldon said. “It will develop the local market and make Ottawa a vibrant city where music happens.”
Laflamme added: “This is a historical opportunity for Ottawa. 2017 will be a catalyst for a newer Ottawa and a renewed sense of pride for our citizens.”
The April 1 show at the Canadian Tire Centre will mark the third time the Juno Awards have been held in Ottawa.
“It will be a transformative year — people won’t see Ottawa the same way after 2017. We are going to experience the birth of a new era for our city.”
Applications for the grants will be accepted until Nov. 30. To apply, visit: www.ottawa2017.ca/juno-micro-grants/