Keep Hope Alive Festival

On behalf of the amazing DIY space in Guelph and the crew of exceptional volunteers, board members, and our wonderful ED Scarlett Raczycki––WELCOME to what is going to be a special festival next weekend: September 28 through October 1 , 2023 @ Silence (46 Essex Street, Guelph). https://silencesounds.ca/keep-hope-alive-festival/ This year, Keep Hope Alive will consist of 9 shows over 4 days featuring 32 artists contributing across multiple genres. The festival includes the North American premiere of a film about improviser extraordinaire Eddie Prévost; innovative combinations of players working across diverse art forms; a musical celebration of the life of Alan Armstrong, a beloved member of the Silence board; and a SilenceSoloists embedded series featuring some remarkable voices. Keep Hope Alive is our way of honouring DIY not-for-profit venues (many dying or gone as we speak) and all the musicians who keep the hope alive in those spaces. The title comes from William Parker’s aphorism, “in order to survive, we must keep hope alive.” Silence has also launched a fundraising campaign in conjunction with the festival, asking community members to “Take and Vow of Silence” (https://silencesounds.ca/vowofsilence/) by committing to a $10 monthly donation through Canada Helps in support of our mission to nurture and celebrate adventurous music and art in a welcoming, accessible venue in downtown Guelph.