Beau Dixon To Celebrate Black Music On Emancipation Day With Free Concert

In recognition of Emancipation Day, Beau Dixon will be putting on a show of a lifetime for the Peterborough community with a one-night performance of his Freedom Cabaret: The Spirit and Legacy of Black Music on August 2.

Beau Dixon and the cast of the Freedom Cabaret: The Spirit and Legacy of Black Music performing at the Stratford Festival in 2021, photo by David Hou.

Originally presented as part of the Stratford Festival, Dixon’s Freedom Cabaret will be traveling to Peterborough. The all-Black cast is slated to deliver a heart pumping musical history of black culture at the Peterborough Square Courtyard located on the corner of Charlotte and Water Streets from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 2. Audience members will be able to experience the show free of charge.

Dixon’s Freedom Cabaret will offer audience goers an emotional exploration of Black music from the moment Black people landed on North American soil, to present day- in celebration of Black culture from church hymnals to the blues, from jazz to rock ’n’ roll, R&B and rap. The Freedom Cabaret: Spirit and Legacy of Black Music will open with local artist Niambi Tree who will deliver a deeply moving spoken word performance before the headlining cabaret show.

The Freedom Cabaret performance in Peterborough is part of a larger music project that spans across Canada and the US, funded by Music Performance Trust Fund. The music fund (MPTF) evolved from a landmark collective bargaining agreement between the American Federation of Musicians and the major recording companies as of 1948. MPTF has special funding this year for Juneteenth and Emancipation Day which will employ hundreds of Black performance artists to commemorate and recognize the abolition of slavery.

“What a privilege to be performing Freedom in my hometown. This is a deeply personal project for me. It's going to be an intense 90-minute show that will educate, entertain, and inform audience members. Our cabaret show celebrates the unsung heroes who paved the way for Black music today. I can’t wait to see the Peterborough community come out in solidarity for Emancipation Day as we collectively reflect on our shared history together,” said Dixon, award-winning actor, musician, playwright, director of Freedom Cabaret: The Spirit and Legacy of Black Music.

Last year, the Canadian government unanimously voted to mark August 1 as a civic holiday for Emancipation Day to honour people of African descent for their courage, their determination, and their resilience in the face of the transatlantic slave trade’s devastating effects on their individual freedoms, families, and cultures.

Concert goers are asked to bring their own chair or blanket for the performance. The Freedom Cabaret: The Spirit and Legacy of Black Music is sponsored by The Downtown Business Improvement Area, Peterborough Square, Union of Professional Musicians L518, Holiday Inn, and Black Honey.

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Hometown PTBO: Beau Dixon On His Favourite Venue and Eats in Peterborough

This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday catches up with actor and musician Beau Dixon about his favourite venue in Peterborough and who has the best homefries in the city.

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4th Line Theatre Announces Beau Dixon’s Sizzlin’ Series

As part of their ongoing virtual programming, Nexicom Presents 4th Line Theatre @ Home, 4th Line Theatre has announced the release of Beau Dixon’s Sizzlin’ Series. This video series will focus on regional BIPOC residents who are leading fascinating and inspiring lives.

“We are excited to present Beau's series and discover people living in our region and the contributions they are making,” says Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell. “We are committed to a more embedded strategy of inclusivity, equity and diversity here at 4th Line.”

Each episode in the series will feature an interview with a local BIPOC resident who will reflect on their occupation, career and daily life. The theatre company will release new episodes weekly on their YouTube channel starting Monday, March 1st.

Beau Dixon

Beau Dixon

“This series provides the opportunity to discover and research untold stories found within racially diverse communities,” says Sizzlin’ Series host Beau Dixon. “Join me in celebrating extraordinary citizens of the Kawarthas region who reflect our racial and cultural diversity.”

This series is sponsored by Nexicom, who have always been an advocate of the importance of community connectivity. Thanks to their generous support, all videos in the series can be accessed by the public free-of-charge. 

The four episodes will be released on 4th Line Theatre’s YouTube channel for viewing beginning Monday, March 1st at 12 p.m. New episodes will be released every Monday until March 22nd. 

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4th Line Theatre Welcomes Beau Dixon As An Artistic Associate

4th Line Theatre has announced that award-winning Canadian actor, writer and composer/musician Beau Dixon has joined the theatre as an Artistic Associate.

Dixon will assist 4th Line in further developing its inclusivity and diversity initiatives and strategies. WIth Dixon’s assistance, 4th Line Theatre’s objective is to establish a talent bank of racialized artists, uncover local racialized stories, and liaise with racialized community partners.

Beau Dixon (photo courtesy 4th Line Theatre)

Beau Dixon (photo courtesy 4th Line Theatre)

Dixon’s research, and the relationships he forges during this project, will aid in future artistic programming and play development. Dixon’s deep ties to Peterborough and area will allow him to delve deeply into the issues of inclusivity and diversity, to ensure lasting strategies for the theatre.

 “I am thrilled to welcome Beau back to 4th Line,” says Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell. “He has a long and rich creative history at the theatre. When I decided to create a formal strategy to address inclusivity and diversity at 4th Line, Beau was the first call I made, to ask for his input.”

Kim Blackwell (photo courtesy 4th Line Theatre)

Kim Blackwell (photo courtesy 4th Line Theatre)

“I'm excited to be joining the 4th Line team as an Artistic Associate, because it will allow me to contribute to bringing new stories and ideas to Peterborough's artistic community, while giving me the opportunity to discover and research untold stories found within the racially diverse communities around the theatre,” says Beau Dixon.

“I will explore the creation of new forms of storytelling and share other people's history, that have been embedded in the Peterborough and Kawartha region for centuries,” Dixon adds.

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Beau Dixon Among Those Honoured At Pathway Of Fame Ceremonies Saturday

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Howard Hospital Fundraiser Takes Place Saturday Night At Market Hall

 

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[Contributed by PtboCanada's Julie Morris]

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