SPECIAL EVENTS & WORKSHOPS
LAST SUMMER, PURPLE CITY WAS EXCITED TO WORK WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS & EXPERTS TO OFFER FREE EDUCATIONAL, NETWORKING & SKILL-BUILDING PROGRAMMING AT THE FESTIVAL AND WE CAN’T WAIT TO DO IT AGAIN IN 2025.
BROWSE THROUGH OUR 2024 SPECIAL EVENTS TO LEARN MORE. WE’RE ALWAYS OPEN TO NEW PARTNERSHIPS. IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA FOR A WORKSHOP OR SPECIAL EVENT, WE INVITE YOU TO REACH OUT AND CONTACT US.
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
WORKSHOPS ARE FREE & OPEN TO ALL THROUGH REGISTERING. PURPLE CITY PASSES NOT REQUIRED TO ATTEND.
FRIDAY EVENT
THE CHATEAU LACOMBE PRESENTS
Purple City is proud to be collaborating with the Edmonton Chapter of Women in Music Canada to kick off the festival at the Chateau Lacombe with this engaging opportunity for music professionals and artists to network and share experience, knowledge and expertise. This event took place at the Chateau Lacombe in the Lobby Bar and featured light refreshments, bar service and a music set by the talented AIRISUI. Plus we will be holding a draw for free weekend passes and swag bags at the end of the evening!
Airisuai
Airisuai's (pronounced iris-i) unwavering passion lies in curating immersive atmospheres and crafting mood-setting mixes. For her, music is a portal into boundless realms of emotion and time, enriching her artistic tapestry with every rhythmic pulse she finds.
THIS EVENT IS FREE TO ATTEND & OPEN TO MUSIC INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS, ARTISTS & COMMUNITY VIA REGISTRATION. PURPLE CITY PASSES ARE NOT REQUIRED TO ATTEND.
Women in Music Canada is a registered non-profit organization and one of the largest music industry associations in Canada. Through programming, community building, and online resources our goal is to strengthen the social-economic balance of the music industry.
To learn more and become a member visit: womeninmusic.ca
This event was been made possible by The Chateau Lacombe, Purple City’s official festival hotel. The Chateau Lacombe is Edmonton’s finest downtown hotel with over 300 rooms and suites and 14,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space located and River Valley views. Operated by Nova Hotels, a local family business with over 15 hotels across Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, The Chateau Lacombe is a premiere destination for visitors and locals alike.
SATURDAY WORKSHOP
Purple City Music Festival is proud to have collaborated with SHE-Q Audio to offer artists, music organizations and professionals a FREE unique opportunity to hone your grant writing skills by getting a rare look at what happens behind the scene through the jurying process.
Real grant jurors AIMÉE HILL, ARLO MAVERICK & ALLISON PFEIFER reviewed and reacted to grant applications in a live “mock jury” and shared insights tohow they apply grant scoring criteria and their overall impressions in making decisions. A Q&A session followed the live review.
SHE-Q provides a platform that benefits both women/non-binary talent and the music ecosystem and industry at large through partnerships. We focus on partnerships because they work for everyone involved, whether your goals are profit, policy, creative, or social good.
This workshop has been made possible by the Canada Council for the Arts.
MEET THE JURORS
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Aimée Hill
Musician, Music Management, Marketing Specialist & Publicist
Juror
##Read Bio##
Aimée Hill has spent over thirty years in the music industry as a band member (Captain Tractor), manager (The Rockin’ Highliners, Ann Vriend), publicist (JUNOFest, CCMAs, BreakOut West, Interstellar Rodeo, various independent clients), arts and culture columnist (The InCrowd on CBC Radio Active) and consultant.
Ms Hill has served six years on Alberta Music’s board of directors, including four as board chair. She has participated on panels, been a juror (Alberta Music, FACTOR, Edmonton Arts Council, Alberta Foundation for the Arts) and co-produced festivals and events.
Most recently, Aimée led the JUNOS Bid Committee and was subsequently the co-chair of the 2023 Edmonton JUNOs Host Committee.
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Arlo Maverick
Musician, Filmmaker, Marketing Specialist & Mentor
Juror
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##Read Bio##
Arlo Maverick, an Edmonton-based Hip-Hop artist, grant writer, and community leader, gained recognition as a member of the 3X Western Canadian Music Award-nominated group Politic Live, touring Canada and leading the Hip-Hop For Hunger initiative, which raised over 10,000 lbs of food for the Edmonton Food Bank. As a solo artist, Arlo has showcased internationally, charted on Canadian and US campus radio, and received 4 WCMA nominations. A dedicated community advocate, he hosted CJSR’s Urban Hang Suite for 11 years, mentoring aspiring artists and serving on various boards, including Alberta Music and the Juno’s Rap Advisory Committee. Recently, he has expanded his creative work into filmmaking, focusing on documentaries that highlight Edmonton's Black community.
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Allison Pfeifer
Arts Development Consultant, Government of Alberta Executive Director of Multiculturalism & Anti-Racism
Juror
##Read Bio##
Allison Pfeifer, born and raised in Edmonton, has a diverse career supporting the music industry and not-for-profit organizations, with experience spanning roles such as Product Manager at Bodog Music, Licensing & Royalties Analyst at TVT Records, and Stage Manager at the Edmonton International Jazz Festival. Joining the Government of Alberta in 2008 as an Arts Development Consultant, she managed grant programs and produced events like Alberta Culture Days and artist showcases at major global events, including the Olympics. With over 15 years in Alberta Public Services, she is currently the Executive Director of Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism and has held various leadership positions, including Chief of Staff at Alberta Trade, Immigration, and Multiculturalism. Allison holds a Bachelor of Music, a Bachelor of Commerce, and a Master of Arts in Music Business, and is also a CPA, CMA. She is active on the West Anthem committee, regularly serves on juries for FACTOR and Alberta Music, and is involved in connecting not-for-profit organizations with CPAs as a member of the CPA Edmonton Community Ambassadors.
SUNDAY WORKSHOP
PUBLICITY, MARKETING & MEDIA LIGHTNING PANEL
Industry media professionals shared about the ins and outs of the world of working with media to promote your art. In this panel, participants had the opportunity to ask questions to a panel made of experienced professionals spanning the world of music journalism, podcasting, and marketing.
MEET THE PANELISTS
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Alex Kennedy
Music Blogger & Podcaster, Vancouver, BC
Moderator & Panelist
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##Read Bio##
Independent music blogger and podcaster, Alex is the co-founder of Vancouver-based dark alternative website I Die: You Die. Since its inception in 2011, the site has produced thousands of reviews, podcasts and interviews, with a focus on new and emerging acts in the darkwave and industrial scene, in Canada and around the globe.
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Jess Arcand
Publicist & Writer, Calgary, AB
Panelist
##Read Bio##
Jess Arcand is an experienced and innovative publicist who has committed her professional career to helping musicians, festivals, and organizations in the non-profit sector benefit by increasing their brand profile through impactful campaigns and community connection.
Before joining Take Aim Media as a Senior National Publicist, she focused her skills on music journalism, and marketing. Inspired by her city and the artists within it, she gained media experience working and collaborating with arts & culture organizations and outlets including Sled Island, Femme Wave Music and Arts Festival, Freq Magazine, Beatroute, Calgary International Film Festival, and more. She is also an elected board member for both CJSW 90.9 FM and Music Calgary.
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Kenn Enns
Writer, Editor & Social Media Strategist, Calgary, AB
Panelist
##Read Bio##
Kenn Enns is a writer, editor and social media strategist. They have worked with Reverie, BeatRoute and the Polaris Music Prize.
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Jesse Locke
Writer & Musician, Vancouver, BC
Panelist
##Read Bio##
Jesse Locke (he/him) is a writer and musician based in the traditional, unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, also known as Vancouver. He has contributed to outlets such as Pitchfork, The Wire, Spin, Stereogum, Bandcamp Daily, CBC Music, Xtra Magazine, and Aquarium Drunkard. In 2020, Jesse teamed up with cult post-punk musician Chandra Oppenheim to become the co-founders of the We Are Time record label, releasing albums from artists such as Motorists, Tough Age, and Energy Slime. Born and raised in Calgary, he currently plays drums with various bands in the Vancouver DIY scene.
Since quitting social media, you can follow Jesse's writing and other activities at the QSLJMP email newsletter: https://qsljmp.ghost.io/
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Bill LeBlanc AKA RELLIK
Radio Host & Musician, Edmonton, AB
Panelist
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##Read Bio##
Bill LeBlanc, better known as RELLIK in the entertainment world, is an accomplished recording artist, performer, and radio host hailing from Edmonton. With a career spanning 2 decades and decorated with 11 awards and 35 nominations, Rellik has solidified his presence in the industry.
Boasting nearly 1000 performances and five albums, RELLIK, a proud Métis, stands as a prominent figure in the Indigenous music scene.
Renowned for his ability to blend genres and create distinctive musical landscapes, he is not only an integral part of the Windspeaker Radio Network but also the charismatic host of "The Tribe Drive" on 89.3 The Raven in Edmonton.
Beyond his musical endeavours and radio commitments, RELLIK actively contributes to his community, embodying a true family man and a man of traditional ceremony and values when he's not on stage or in the studio. Time spent with his wife and kids is a testament to his unwavering dedication to both his art and his loved ones.
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Fish Griwkowsky
Journalist, Photographer, Cartoonist, Videographer & Music Writer Edmonton, AB
Panelist
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##Read Bio##
One of the last-standing salaried entertainment print reporters in western Canada, Fish Griwkowsky has won several international Society of Features Journalism awards. Starting out as a cartoonist and photographer and becoming the longest-serving volunteer ever at the University of Alberta’s Gateway newspaper, he accidentally landed a freelance gig as the country music writer at the Edmonton Sun by picking a fax fight with the gossip columnist.
After covering music, travel and, hilariously, “the internet” there for over a decade, he hopped over to the Journal as a dedicated art and film reporter, ever expanding his subject base as various other reporters ascended to Valhalla. During this time he also did cartoons, reviewed albums and wrote hissy political opinion columns in the sadly departed See and Vue weeklies. Also in the midst of this chaos, he’s made a number of music videos for bands like Corb Lund, The Wet Secrets and The Lad Mags, illustrated a book of monsters, had and curated gallery shows at AGA, SNAP, Latitude 53 and others, and co-wrote several screenplays with Trevor Anderson, including for the feature film Before I Change My Mind, which premiered at the strangely Italian-feeling Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland.
He’s especially proud of the serial, text-based public art project he and Dara Humniski made with iterations around the world, which follows the theme of THE END because of, you know, “reasons.”