Edmonton International Street Performers Festival Announced

Edmonton International Street Performers Festival Association has announced the appointments of Marian Brant as Executive Director and Paul Bezaire as our 2022 Festival Director.

On behalf of the EISPFA Board, Chair Karen Dalman is thrilled to introduce Executive Director, Marian Brant and 2022 Festival Director, Paul Bezaire. "With this team we anticipate returning to Sir Winston Churchill Square this summer, delivering fun and frivolity for all through our unique street performance festival."

About Marian Brant
Since November 2019 Marian has served EISPFA as Operations and Production Manager. During that time Marian worked closely with now retired Artistic Producer Shelley Switzer, producing and presenting live and virtual programming throughout challenging COVID-19 related public health lockdowns and restrictions. During Ms. Switzer's 4-month Edmonton Arts Council Arts Administrators' John Mahon Sabbatical in early 2021, Marian maintained the day-to-day operations of the organization.

From 2010 to 2017 and again in 2019, Marian's involvement included stage managing EISPFA's fundraising event, Late Night Madness.

Marian brings broad arts administration and management experience developed over 45 years as an arts manager with companies such as Workshop West Playwrights' Theatre, Concrete Theatre and Cantilon Choirs, as production manager with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Freewill Shakespeare Festival, Alberta Baroque Ensemble and the Chamber Orchestra of Edmonton, as stage manager with the Citadel Theatre, L'Unithéâtre, Theatre Network, WWPT, and Catalyst Theatre, and an educator in the MacEwan University Theatre Production Program.

Marian toured nationally with Headlines Theatre's No 'Xya (Our Footprints), Catalyst Theatre's All My Relations, Second City Expo '86 Tour, Citadel Theatre's Olympiad for the 1976 Cultural Olympics, and internationally with The House of Pootsie Plunket the Catalyst Theatre 2001 UK tour, Obsessions Octet at Carnegie Hall NYC 2012.

Awards received by Marian for outstanding achievement include the 2012 Ross Hill Award for Career Achievement in Production, 2012 Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award and in 2016, The Margaret Mooney Award for Outstanding Achievement in Administration.

About Paul Bezaire
As a teen, Paul was first exposed to Street Performers at the World-Famous Pier 49 in San Francisco where he immediately fell in love with the art-form. Soon after the Edmonton International Street Performers Festival was born "right on my doorstep", says Paul. Volunteering for the festival as a teenager provided some of his earliest experience working backstage in live theatre and events.

A second-generation Edmonton arts professional, Paul followed his father's footsteps into the live theatre scene. Over his 30+ year career Paul has worked in various roles at a number of Edmonton small to mid-sized theatres, many of the summer and winter festivals, and toured internationally with the Old Trout Puppet Workshop. Paul has spent most of his career behind the scenes as a stage manager, technician, production manager and designer, but admits that as a performer himself, there's part of him that can't get enough of being in front of a crowd.

Paul brings with him over a decade of first-hand knowledge of Edmonton Street Performing history, having worked at the Edmonton International Street Performers Festival alongside retired producer Shelley Switzer. In addition he worked alongside then festival directors Thomas Scott and Murray Utas managing the Outdoor Performer programming at the Edmonton International Fringe Festival.

The 38th Edmonton International Street Performers Festival returns July 8 - 17, 2022 at Sir Winston Churchill Square.

Need more Edmonton Theatre News in your life? Sign up for all the news on the Winter season, discounts & more...