GUELPH POLITICAST #395 – Silence is Golden

Silence has been around for 11 years now. In the fall of 2012, it was founded to provide an outlet for the presentation and creation of new, creative and non-idiomatic music in the fields of improvisation, electro-acoustics, post-rock, jazz, chamber music, computer music, noise, ambient, sound art and more. Silence's niches have niches, but how are they managing in the midst of all the post-pandemic challenge?

You may recall that city council passed the new Culture Plan last week, which was created to address issues affecting the cultural sector like a lack of affordable exhibition and performance space, the limited representation and opportunities for equity-deserving community members, and the difficulties attracting community support and audiences. These are definitely issues, but these are also three boxes that Silence was built to check off. 

Because of the work they do, and the artists they support, it might have been understandable if Silence had disappeared like other establishments, some of them much older, but Silence continues to endure with all manner of music and events. They've also now  launched a monthly subscription campaign called “Vow of Silence” to generate some sustainability going forward. So is Silence proof that there’s life after the pandemic, or are they just luckier than others?

Scarlett Raczycki, who is the executive director of Silence, will lend some insight into those questions and others. She will talk about the history of Silence, why it does the things it does, and their role in the cultural landscape in Guelph. Raczycki will also talk about how Silence weathered the pandemic, balancing artistic growth and the audience desire to just see a good show, and the ways that Silence is supported to meet those two goals. Plus, what does the future of Silence look like? 

So let's talk about Silence on this week's Guelph Politicast!

Coming up at Silence is MOOCH with Still Sound on Thursday November 2 at 7 pm and Ursa: A Folk Musical in Concert on Saturday November 11 at 7:30 pm. The next art show in the gallery is “Eve” by Zoe Dougherty, and the opening reception is this Saturday, November 4 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. For all upcoming Silence events or to learn more about how you can get involved and support Silence, go to their website.

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