Kultrun World Music Festival 2023

Neruda Arts' signature event is returning to St. Jacobs!  Kultrún is a diverse, exciting outdoor festival with something for the entire family and it's FREE! Bring a chair, and the family, and experience music from around the world, across the country and from our own backyard. The festival offers interactive workshops for children and adults alike, from drumming circles, to theatre to dance, as well as local and international vendors with their arts and crafts and delicious fare.  There will be two stages – the Main Stage at the baseball diamond in St. Jacobs, and the second stage, on our own mobile trailer, known as the Peace Stage.

THURSDAY JULY 13^th - Pre-Festival Symposium: Elevating Women in the Arts

We are inviting women to join us in the Neruda Arts Studio on Thursday July 13^th at 2pm to discuss the challenges for women in the arts. We've invited a panel women who all have unique struggles to survive in the arts. Moderated by Darlena Spencer.

Darlene Spencer (she/her/hers), M.F.A is a Canadian born actor, director, educator, and author. She adores storytelling and all aspects of theatre making and has been at it for the past forty some years.  She has directed plays, musicals, documentary, audio drama, and industrial video. Darlene has held teaching appointments at University of Waterloo, Wilfred Laurier University, York University, and Wright State University.  She is the past Artistic Director of the Randolph College for the Performing Arts.  Currently, Darlene has gone back “to the other side of the table” and is focusing on acting for theatre, film, and voice.  Her passions are new play development, interdisciplinary art, and contemporary retellings of Shakespeare and the Greeks.  At present, Darlene lives by the Stillwater River in Ohio though Ontario remains her heart home. She believes that art holds the power to challenge, transform, heal, and effect change - because it has her.

Join us in this important conversation.

THURSDAY JULY 13^TH – Feel the Music with Maru Coronado and Luta Cruz

(Mexico and Chile)

Feel the music is a concert designed for the deaf and hard of hearing. We have these amazing vibrotactile chairs that translate sound into vibration – each instrument producing a different vibration. This will be held at our studio in St. Jacobs, and is specifically for the deaf and hard of hearing, and their families. The chairs will be available during the festival for everyone to experience.

Here is a recap from our Kultrún 2022 Feel the Music Concert

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FRIDAY JULY 14^TH – Main Stage

5:00 pm Salsa DJ Gury Gury

OPENING NIGHT CONCERT at the Main Stage

Featuring the sounds of Conexión Latina (Local), and the amazing Luta Cruz (Afro-Chile).

Opening gates at 5 pm for food, vendors and DJ Music. Concert starting at 7:00 pm.

SATURDAY JULY 15^TH – Main Stage

2:00 pm Maru Coronado (Mexico) and Charlene Russell (Local)

2:50 pm Chola y Gitano (Chile)

4:00 pm Luta Cruz (Afro - Chile)

5:20 pm The Bongo Hop (Colombia - France)

6:35 pm Valerie Ekoume (Cameroon)

7:50 pm Laura Niquay (First Nations – Atikamekw)

SATURDAY JULY 15^TH – The Peace Stage

3:00 pm Rhythms & Rhymes: Baby Music Workshop - You are what you create - Courtney Harris (Local)

3:30 pm Capoeira – Rudy (Local)

4:00 pm Tu voz tiene memoria (in Spanish with translation) Maru Coronado (Mexico)

5:00 pm Drum Circle - Alison Feuerwerker (Local – Interactive Workshop)

6:00 pm Latin Dance - Gizzel Castillo (Local)

7:00 pm Camexicanus (Canada - Mexico - Interactive Workshop)

SUNDAY JULY 16^TH – Main Stage

1:00 pm Maru Coronado (Mexico)

2:00 pm Groove& (South Korea)

3:15 pm Fränder (Sweden - Estonia)

4:30 pm T.Dot Batu (National)

5:45 pm Borolo Vallenato (Local)

SUNDAY JULY 16^TH – The Peace Stage

3:00 pm Q’Jong - Robin Grant (Local)

3:30 pm Richard Garvey (National - Workshop Performance)

4:30 Making art with Junk - Trash Theatre - (Interactive Workshop)

5:00 La voz y las emociones (in Spanish with translations) - Maru Coronado

6:00 Taras Dance (Ukrania)

Our dedication to represent Indigenous peoples, BIPOC, refugees, immigrants, and other marginalized communities helps you, the audience identify with our presentations – perhaps the feeling of pride you get when the music comes from your own heritage, or by introducing you to a culture you many not know enough about. Either way, you're going to have the time of your life!

Be ready to engage, celebrate, dance, eat, meet, & remember what it's like to experience live music!

Let us know that you're planning to join us and we'll keep you up-to-date on the schedule. Use the button below to register on eventbrite now!

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