Festival INSPIRE to bring colours to Edmundston!

Jun 16, 2022

The Inspire Festival, which annually invites international artists to paint outdoor murals in the Greater Moncton, is now touring New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. The first edition in Edmundston will be held from June 20 to 25.

With more than 65 giant murals across the province, Inspire has made its mark over the past seven years. This summer, the festival remains true to itself as the murals will still be the keystone of this 8th edition, as Lisa Griffin, director of the organization, explains.

"We're really excited to be alive after eight years. This year, we're bringing all the Maritime provinces (and a little bit beyond) together to celebrate the anniversary. She explains what inspired this year's theme: "Transformation is central. The format of the festival has changed since the pandemic and we've gone from a one-city event to a travelling festival. So we're looking to provide a space for people to share their stories about how they've changed over the last two years. So the question we're asking is: considering the caterpillar you were in 2019, what three words would you use to describe the butterfly you are today?"

At least three monumental murals will be painted in downtown Edmundston by muralists from the Madawaska area and elsewhere in the country.

The Inspire Festival also offers six days of free artistic programming. Several flagship events are on the program, including :

• Balade Vélo-Disco, a bike ride for the whole family, where costumes and disco music are de rigueur. Follow the golf cart, decorated with pink flamingos and glitter, all in music and light, to discover the new murals!
• Drive-in evening, after the Balade Vélo-Disco, in partnership with the Festival international du film francophone (FICFA), end the evening by watching a short film. Popcorn included!
• Double-header concert, with neo-soul jazz band Le Coude and none other than electro-punk-disco band Spoutnique. Yes, that's free too!

The Inspire Tent will be setting up shop for the first time at the park located at the intersection of Canada Road and De l'Église Street from Wednesday to Saturday evening. Local drinks will be served on the terrace of the tent with the best view in town. The site will also host the Inspire family event featuring live music, artists and artisans, giant bubbles, circus workshops, acrobatics, performance art and a fire show.

Throughout the week, the Tent will host fun events for adults and children.

For Christine Lavoie, Director of the City of Edmundston's Arts and Culture Department and the Arts Centre, these murals are a legacy to the people of Edmundston.

"In addition to bringing beauty to our daily lives, they will reflect the image of our city - creative, open, inclusive and full of nature. They will contribute to a sense of belonging, civic engagement and tourism. The Arts Centre is proud to be a supporter of this great project."

The coming of the Inspire Festival to Edmundston will also encourage cultural development in the region, thanks to a mentoring program for young muralists, networking meetings for the industry and superb visibility for local artists in the festival's programming.

For the past five years, Inspire has also aimed to be the greenest festival in the Atlantic. Organizers rely heavily on recycling to create their sets and installations. Aerosol paints are used as little as possible and cans are recycled into furniture and lamps. It is even possible to bring your favourite piece of clothing on which you would like the Inspire logo to be painted!

The full programme can be downloaded and viewed HERE. 

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Media contacts:

Lisa Griffin, Executive Director Inspire Festival (506) 988-2601, lisa.griffin@festivalinspire.com

Christine Lavoie, Director, Arts and Culture Service and Edmundston Arts Centre (506) 739-2127, christine.lavoie@edmundston.ca