From October 25th through to October 30th the Manitoba Arts Network will be holding its “Manitoba Showcase” This is an annual visual & performing arts conference that features some of the best Canadian artists, from a wide range of genres. The Showcase connects Manitoban presenters and galleries, connecting them with future opportunities and collaboration possibilities. This is the preeminent event of its kind in Manitoba, the showcase engages over 150 artists, presenters, agents, managers, and industry stakeholders to exchange ideas and develop and rekindle relationships.

The Manitoba Arts Network (MAN) is a non-profit organization whose mandate is to connect artists and employers throughout the Province of Manitoba. It organizes concerts, and visual art exhibitions with presenters such as hotels, restaurants and other venues, all the while fostering the growth of emerging artists.

On October 25th MAN will be holding their annual conference. As Leah Borchert, Performing Arts Coordinator with the MAN says “The conference is designed for presenters from rural Manitoba, as well as for artists and agents…anyone who is looking to get their name out there and make these connections.”

“The artists come from across Canada but are all willing to travel to Manitoba to perform,” Borchert says. All of the artists in the conference are selected from a jury, which means all presenters and agents will be introduced to high quality performers and visual artists.

Due to COVID, this year’s MAN conference is taking place online. The online aspect makes for some wonderful new possibilities that have never been done before at the conference. As Borchert says, “The virtual showcase is being offered on thepitch.ca… we’re really excited to be using this new platform! It is raising some new opportunities, for instance the ability to present more theatre, which can be difficult to present in an in-person conference just because of the difficulties of bringing in a theatre show.”

There is also a professional development aspect to the MAN conference. Topics such as marketing and, ticketing will be covered in a variety of lectures, as well as the issue of returning to live performance in a post-COVID era and what that might look like. These are just a few of the topics that will be covered for participants of the conference.

To register for and artists, agents or presenters who want to register the Manitoba Arts Network conference click here:

https://pheedloop.com/register/EVEESRUYKLMFF/attendee/

To see Chris Wolf’s conversation with Leah Borchert Performing Arts Coordinator from The Manitoba Arts Network click here: