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Raising Our Voices creates two shows for International Women's Day

A matinee and evening show take over the Maury Young Arts Centre on March 8
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More than 20 women will perform as part of Raising Our Voices on Sunday, March 8 at the Maury Young Arts Centre. Photo by Emily Serrell

Heading into its sixth year of celebrating International Women's Day, Raising Our Voices has made some changes for 2020.

While the event started out as an evening of music at Black's Pub, it has since grown into a six-hour concert, drawing an audience of 400 and featuring more than a dozen performers, at the Maury Young Arts Centre.

"Each year it's grown in length," says Susan Holden, a local musician who first started the event and co-runs it with the Howe Sound Women's Centre (HSWC). "Last year, it was way too long, but every performer fit so well and was so well received. We had an audience for over six hours, but it's too much from an operations standpoint—and maybe too much to expect from the audience." To that end, this year, the show will be in two parts: a matinee starting at 3 p.m. and an evening performance at 7:30 p.m.

"I'm hoping every year to provide better performer services, a better performers' experience, and a better audience experience," Holden says.

Rather than entry-by-donation, tickets will be $15 with all proceeds going to the HSWC, which is currently working on a five-year strategic plan that includes a Whistler emergency shelter and fully staffing a transition home in Pemberton.

Last year—with a silent auction and donations for entry—the event raised more than $16,000 for the centre.

"New this year, it's a ticketed event. It's very difficult to manage when we don't know how many people are coming," Holden says. "We do stand to make more money [for the HSWC] than by donations if we bring in just as many people, but they can fit over two shows."

The concerts themselves will be structured the same, but the total of 20 performers will be split into different shows.

Kicking things off will be a songwriter's circle featuring five musicians—including Holden. "I was trying to say, 'How can I fit in the most people?' ... It was easy enough for me to say, 'Let's put a group of songwriters together on stage and they can talk about why they wrote that song or wrote the music."

After that, solo performers will take the stage, followed by duets and culminating in bands.

"I'm thrilled; in the evening show, Cat Madden is coming with her band and Patch of Blue is closing up the matinee, which is Dawn Walsh and her band. Both those women are powerhouse female vocalists," Holden says. "There are a number of those in the show."

In the end, performing alongside so many local female musicians is a perfect way to mark International Women's Day, which is a global day dedicated to celebrating the achievements of women.

"It's always special," Holden says. "I've made new musical connections through this. One of the women I met in year three is now in my band, Poor Dirty Sylvia. Through this event I've made musical connections with other women. It's always very special to be up there."

Raising Our Voices take place on Sunday, March 8 at the Maury Young Arts Centre. Tickets are $15 at showpass.com/iwd2020.

For more information visit artswhistler.com/blog/one-big-party-international-womens-day-lineup.