Stratford in the Sp0tlight!

This past week-end, Sp0tlight Festival brought a weekend of free Arts activities to Stratford. I discovered it quite by accident, as a friend and I sauntered along the Avon and thought we heard music.

Ascending the hill to the band shell in Upper Queens Park, we came upon a concert in process. La La La Latin was a bit of a hidden jewel, having drawn only a small crowd. Herencia Latina, a salsa band from London, ON, entertained us with a variety of instrumental and vocal sound, presented with a driving energy and a sense of underlying joy and celebration. To our surprise the pavement in front of the stage suddenly became the venue for a couple of Latin dancers. Later on I surmised that this was part of the act, but what a sense of fun these two dancers brought to the event. Saucy, sexy, and flamboyant in style, they certainly had the moves to interpret the sound! Before the end of their show they had several members of the audience, (and even a dog!) up learning the moves of a Latin line dance. All too soon, the music came to an end, but what a beginning to the weekend events!

Having been well entertained on Friday evening, I set my sights on taking advantage of some opportunities to learn. On Saturday I attended “Writing from the Core”, a workshop presented by Charles Mountford, Poet-in-Residence for the Stratford Public Library. It was a hands-on event, which challenged the dozen or so participants to think about our writing in a new way. Sunday afternoon brought “Where do Songs Come From?” presented by Kate Ashby-Craft at the Church Restaurant. Practical chat about songwriting, interspersed with some of her original work, lent itself to an enjoyable afternoon. Treating myself to a coffee on the way home, I was delighted to find a troupe of Morris Dancers performing on the street outside the Queens Inn.

The brochure states, “ The Sp0tlight pilot project celebrates the artists who enrich our lives and make out cities vibrant places to live. Most of all it offers you the chance to witness the creative process and participate in the arts.” There were only a few taking advantage of this marvelous opportunity this year. Hopefully it is a festival that will grow and see more of our citizens enjoying the fun in the years to come.