12th annual Toronto Queer Arts and Culture Festival August 10-18, 2012 August 10, 2012

Friday August 10 - Toronto Queer Arts & Culture Festival - Launch Party @ Le Steamée 1602 Dundas St W. A Montreal stylized french dance party in a Portuguese neighbourhood. You can’t get any queerer than that….A place where young cool professionals can meet other people that just may be gay or lesbian as well.
The Launch Party is a hospitality evening for Queer West Arts Collective volunteers, Artists, sponsors, media, stakeholders, local retailers, All Politiical parties (No speeches) and of course the Toronto LGBTQ community is invited too, A spectrum of five Edgy Women DJ’s spinning throughout the night ~ one an hour ~ open format. 5 hours of non-stop dancing with some of Gay Toronto’s best women Disk Jockey’s DJ Cozmic Cat, DJ Quinces, DJ Chiclet, DJ Lindzrox and DJ Countess Christsmasher. The Details Le Steamée, 1602 Dundas St W. (North side) (Street Map) a few doors east of Brock Avenue. 8 PM to 2 AM No Cover (Instead We will be passing the hat, please give generously to tip our DJs, who are waving their $100 hr fee for this event) Brockton Village, Toronto Ontario 9 pm to 2 am. Information Line 416-8797954 Web Site: http://artsfestival.queerwest.org/

Saturday August 11- Toronto Queer Arts & Culture Festival - Mix and Mingle Community Fair and Sexy Craft Show @ The Rhino (Up to 25 tables will be available for Community groups, knitters, crafters, zinesters, card makers, and artists of all types. 1249 Queen St W. Parkdale in Sky Light Lounge Floor, not wheelchair accessible Runs 11 AM to 4PM List of all craft artists, community groups and vendors vendors soon Information Line 416-8797954 Web Site: http://artsfestival.queerwest.org/

Sunday August 12 – Toronto Queer Arts & Culture Festival - 2nd annual Smash Words Festival @ The Press Club. A night of Queer Poetry and Cabaret. Performers: Kirk DeMatas, David Bateman, Philip Cairns as host, Dianne M Moore (a lesbian poet) and Lizzie Violet (a poetess) Frank Hull has been added to the list of performers. He is a modern dancer who is in a wheelchair. He is currently performing in New York and he’s amazing. The Press Club 850 Dundas St. West Cover $5 from 7pm to 10 pm ( Street Map) Information Line 416-8797954 Web Site: http://artsfestival.queerwest.org/

Monday August 13 - Toronto Queer Arts & Culture Festival - Historical tour of the Queer West Village by Bicycle.Not just queer history, but local history of Parkdale, Roncesvalles, Brockton and Trinty Bellwoods villages and the birth of Queer West Toronto (Frequent stops along the route for a history lesson). The route will be 9 KM, through residential neighbourhoods along Queen West,, Roncesvalles, Dundas W. Gladstone, Argyle to Trinity Bellwoods Park and back to starting point at the Gladstone Hotel for after party. This event is Free. Information Line 416-8797954 Web Site: http://artsfestival.queerwest.org/

Tuesday August 14 - Toronto Queer Arts & Culture Festival - SHOUT Youth Unconference @ The Byzantium Restaurant 499 Church Street Toronto, Ontario (Church and Wellesley gay village neighborhood). "ShOUT is an Unconference" A Participant-Facilitated Discussion, Where everyone is a facilitator. Date, Topic and youth panelists TBA Information Line 416-8797954 Web Site: http://artsfestival.queerwest.org/

Wednesday August 15 - Toronto Queer Arts & Culture Festival - The 3rd annual tour of west end art galleries by bicycle. Close to 100 cyclists did this tour last year, few of the galleries have small spaces, cyclist then entered in smaller groups. A security guard looks after the bicycles at each stop along the route. Runs from 7 PM to 9:30 PM. Starts out from Trinity Bellwoods Park. A FREE fun-filled introduction to Queer West Village exciting art scene! ALL AGES are welcome; from queer cyclists; to art lovers to couples, friends to total strangers, come and cycle with us. Discover galleries that you may not know and see art of all kinds including glass, painting, fabric, and sculpture as we cycling at a slow pace, through back-alleys and side streets to each gallery. You’ll meet gallery art curators, artists, have art discussions, see the best artwork, photographs, sculptures, listen to guest speakers at every stop…followed up by Festive Outdoor Patio After- party 9:30 PM to close. (We hope to have all galleries listed by July 16th.) Information Line 416-8797954 Web Site: http://artsfestival.queerwest.org/

Thursday August 16 - Toronto Queer Arts & Culture Festival and Glad Day Bookshop in the Church and Wellesley traditional gay village are teaming up to bring the city an exciting new event. Glad Day has been located upstairs at 598A Yonge Street in Toronto for nearly 30 years. There are plans to create a bookmobile service called Books on Wheels, so customers can request part of the collection be brought to a café, seniors’ centre, or other location for browsing. http://www.gladdaybookshop.com/ 416-961 4161 Full details on or by first week in July Information Line 416-8797954 Web Site: http://artsfestival.queerwest.org/

Friday August 17 - Toronto Queer Arts & Culture Festival - Alterna-Queer Music Night @ The Sister - showcases alternative queer artists that support the underground music scene of punk, folk, industrial, electro, reggae, indie, hip hop, spank rock, new wave and no wave. Mitzi's holds 200 and 40 on Patio, place was packed last year. The word ALTERNAQUEER is not owned by anyone. It was actually coined in 2004 by the organizers of Montreal's Divers/Cité. The Radical Queer Semaine group in Montreal are using Alterna-Queer to describe their annual festival. We think it's the right name, to describe this unusual event. Performers: TROY JACKSON, ZARA AHMED, MICHAEL MARTINS and CRIZTAL-JAY The Details: Where: The Sister – Restaurant Capacity 142 and 35 on the patio. Address: 1554 Queen Street West (Street Map) Doors: 7 PM for dinner Show Start: 8 PM Cover:$5 Show Runs 8 pm to 2 Am. Information Line 416-8797954 Web Site: http://artsfestival.queerwest.org/

Saturday August 18 - Toronto Queer Arts & Culture Festival - 5th annual Queer West Film Festival @ Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. This event will run from 7:30 to 9:30 pm. The Evening ends at 10 pm. Ticket prices at Queer West Film Festival are very reasonable for a night out at the movies! Admission $5:00 Volunteers Get in Free. Saturday August 18 @ buddies in Bad Times Theatre. Buddies is our official SPONSOR for the film festival this year. Buddies is located at 12 Alexander St just off Yonge Street, in the Church and Wellesley gay village. Information Line 416-8797954 Web Site: http://artsfestival.queerwest.org/

The Toronto Queer Arts Festival is produced and managed, by Gay West Community Network Inc. A not-for-profit corporation. Mailing Address 562 Dufferin St. 2nd floor B1 Toronto ON M6K 2A9. Visits By Appointment Only. 416-879-7954 queerwestartsfestival@gmail.com

Official Website: http://artsfestival.queerwest.org/