Welcome to the St. Albert LIVE Newsletter December 2020

EXPERIENCING ARTS & CULTURE

In good times and bad we turn to the arts to entertain, to inspire, to educate and to support and boost our mental health. The arts illuminate our lives and enrich our emotional world. As we approach the holiday season, take time to appreciate and cherish each other and our communities so that we come out of this stronger and more resilient.  While some businesses are reducing hours and capacities they also rely on this season to set them up for a successful year end. To that end we encourage you to shop local and support local whenever possible as many artists are still struggling. *Top image: Colour Fields II (detail) by Angela Grootelaar located at 4 St. Joseph Street.  From our families to your Happy Holidays 

IT'S BEGINING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS

The Arden Theatre is pleased to present Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy's Celtic Family Christmas...at home. The Juno Award-winning fiddle virtuosos will perform an intimate and unique virtual livestream concert with their talented children, playing Celtic and holiday favourites that are fun for the whole family.

The concert will stream, Saturday, December 5, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. As this is a virtual concert, only one ticket is required per household and can be purchased for $25 through this special link.  As a special bonus, we've been informed that your unique viewing link will allow you to watch the performance more than once and will be available to enjoy until Dec 25. So if you cannot join us December 5, you can still enjoy the concert for the month.

With their annual musical production on hold, St. Albert Children's Theatre has shifted gears and produced a special holiday treat. Enlisting the talents of past and present performers from the nearly 40 years of operation, St. Albert Children's Theatre invite you and your families to enjoy nightly performances of songs and stories and more. Rumour has it that one of the nights they even have a special introduction message from Oscar and Tony Award winners Benj Pasek & Justin Paul. Tune in nightly December 12 to 23, at 7:30 p.m. on the sact.ca website or the Culture YouTube channel and enjoy holiday and musical favourites and making new memories with us. As an added bonus, we are excited to announce we'll have a special episode of The 12 Days of Christmas that will air December 22 to January 5 on Telus Optik TV channels 611 and 710.

HOLIDAY PLAYLIST

Have a Holly Jolly Christmas For the past few years Troy, a member of our marketing team, has created a holiday compilation for our staff to enjoy. We've decided to turn his tradition in to a "greatest hits" playlist on Spotify and to share it with you all.  Enjoy!

WINTER PERFORMING ARTS CLASSES

Join a Performing Arts class in the new year. There is a great array of classes offered for all ages and skill levels. Classes will be presented in a blended approach and begin exclusively online with the option of evolving to in-person delivery only when advised it is safe to do so and in adherence with all Alberta Health physical-distancing protocols. Please note, this blended approach allows for you (the participant) to choose for yourself, your level of in-person involvement. If in-person classes become an option, you can still take the class from home. Our goal is to ensure the comfort and safety of all involved and to run classes uninterrupted. Keep an eye on our registration page for class listings and registration links: www.stalbert.ca/arts-classes.

SUPPORT SERVICES

If you need support services for you or your family: Connect with the Social Development team online Call the Community Supports line at 780-459-1756, Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Subscribe to the monthly Community Vibes newsletter

St. Albert's collection is both engaging and surprising and because it can be found all over town it's accessibility provides the opportunity to experience and interact with art as part of your everyday life. On a lovely winter day we recommend taking our self-guided public art tour.

CITY OF ST. ALBERT COVID-19 RESPONSE

The City of St. Albert continues to take a thoughtful and measured approach in its response to COVID-19 and thanks its residents, patrons and participants for their support and patience. For more information on the City's response to COVID-19 visit stalbert.ca/covid19

For more information about St. Albert LIVE or to suggest an upcoming art or cultural event listing for our next newsletter, contact Kathleen Bell at kbell@stalbert.ca.