updated: FLOURISH Festival 2021 places large emphasis on free programming

Fredericton’s FLOURISH Festival returns June 10-13, sharing an exciting hybrid program. Festival performances will encompass music, art, installations, workshops, poetry, and more, in a mix of in-person and digital events.

“We’re excited to be working with so many great partners and artists across New Brunswick and beyond, to bring live events and art installations to life for the public,” said FLOURISH co-organizer, Jane Blanchard (she/her). “Our focus has always been to showcase and uplift emerging New Brunswick artists. Although we’re sad not to have out-of-province acts perform in person for 2021, the feeling of discovery and excitement that FLOURISH Festival brings is still very evident throughout our programming. We’re also hosting a wide range of online events, workshops, and art installations, which people will be able to experience anywhere in the world.”

The Festival announced last week that Les Hay Babies will join the 2021 edition, in a Sunday, June 13 outdoor show on the Tannery Stage, alongside locals Marian, and Sadie.

“We’ve partnered with The Cap to offer fantastic (and COVID safe) live performances, featuring artists new and old to the festival, including Les Hay Babies, Keith Hallet, lil omar, Flacko Finesse, Stephen Hero, Motherhood, Klarka Weinwurm and more,” Blanchard said. “We’ll also host pop-up fashion shows, and an out of this world drag show at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre, with drag performers in person from NB, and beaming in digitally from elsewhere.”

The 2021 edition of FLOURISH will place a large emphasis on free programming.

“There are some amazing online creative workshops, artist talks, and digital performances planned,” Blanchard said. “Our free programming will also span across the city, with pop up art installations in Downtown Fredericton, and a very special installation out at Killarney Lake. There will be small-scale mural projects, immersive installations, tarot reading, and more.”

FLOURISH Festival runs June 10-13 in Fredericton and online at https://www.flourish-fest.com/. The updated festival line-up features: 3 of Cups, Albert Dalton, An-Laurence Higgins, Back River Lady, Blank VHS Tapes, Book Buddies, Century Egg, Charles Harding, Cryptozoologists, Crystal Drew, David R. Elliott, Designosaur, dope.gng, Drag Artists (Freeda Whales, Cynthia Stilts, Zara Matrix, Angellica Good, Luna Lafleur, Justin TooDeep, Elle Noir, Succubus, Heather Silk), Eliza Niemi, Emily Blair, Emily Harding, Emily Kennedy, Erin Goodine, Evan Furness, Eve Parker Finley, Flacko Finesse, Heat $heets, Illestpreacha, Indigo Poirier, Jeff Arbeau, Jocelyn Anderson, Jordan Johnson, Katie Hamill, Keith Hallet, Kelsey Klip, Klarka Weinwurm, Mike Trask, La Bise, Laurel Green, Lazermortis, Les Hay Babies, lil omar, LXVNDR, Maky Lavender, Marian, Matt Carter, Motherhood, Natasha Cliche, Olivia Chrysostom, Olka Art Collective, Post Coal Prom Queen, Rebecca Salazar, Sabrina Thibodeau, Sacha Stephan, Sadie, Shelf Life, Shiftwork Collective, Thandiwe McCarthy, The Firey, and Wrin. 

“The majority of our artists are presenting work at FLOURISH for the first time, which is incredibly exciting for us,” Blanchard said. “We hope that 2022 will see the return of artists and visitors from further afield, but we’re so proud of our lineup this year, and we hope that people make the most of it.”

FULL SCHEDULE can be found HERE