June 2023 delivers us into the summer of snapping out of old ways and dialing into whatever that is you see in the distance—further along the winding path, through the haze of your daily routine—that glowing, enticing, mysterious something.

Cluster 2023 is here to guide you, with four incredible concerts premiering new and exciting music from world-class artists, an interactive audio visual installation for maximum audio-tactile satisfaction, and workshops for the curious and creative. Dance, cry, shake, breathe, experiment, renew. It’s all good, nbd.

— Artistic Director Ashley Au

Cluster 2023 Events

5 DRONES

A sound installation by Brady Allard, Co-presented with Video Pool Media Arts Centre

June 2–16, 2023
The Poolside Gallery, Video Pool Media Arts Centre
100 Arthur Street

Taking inspiration from the musical term "drone," Allard invites audiences to explore their relationships to the drones we find in nature, our working culture and state-sanctioned surveillance, including worker bees, pilotless aircraft, and mindless office workers. This interactive audio visual installation allows users to engage in sonic worldbuilding.

ZAKI IBRAHIM

A co-presentation with GORGE

Friday, June 2, 2023
Doors/Show: 7:30/8:00pm
Room 201, the Forks

Described as “a retro-Afrofuturist vision sending listeners on a journey through 40 years of electronic music,” (Nuvo) Zaki Ibrahim’s music brings elements of spoken word, hip hop, soul, house and 70s pop together, filtered through the prismatic and often contradictory lenses of personal, historical and scientific relativities. Even the concept of diaspora seems to fall short of capturing the vivid vibrational multitudes of Ibrahim’s scope, more than the sum of static geographic parts.

Along with performances from local lovelies, this is an evening that serves up a gorgeous offering of world-class queer artistry.

This event is made possible with the support of The Forks Renewal Corporation, Pride Winnipeg and the Downtown Winnipeg Biz.

LOOKING GLASS

Christine Fellows // Matt Foster—double feature

Friday, June 9, 2023
Doors/Show: 7:30/8:00pm
The West End Cultural Centre
586 Ellice Avenue

A genre-defying double-feature with musician and interdisciplinary artist Christine Fellows premiering a new body of work, a song cycle titled Stuff We All Get. This work for chamber quartet combines poetic lyricism, textural soundscapes and collage stop-motion animation. Christine will be joined by bassist Ashley Au, percussionist Jason Tait and cellist Leanne Zacharias.

Never quite what you’d expect, Matt Foster is truly unplaceable. Each song is a snapshot, a short scene in a novel. A glimpse in on a moment, or a feeling, a character. Each song is a spell ready to draw magic out, around, and up close. Accompanied by visuals by multidisciplinary artist Carla Hernandez, Matt Foster brings us a 8-pc chamber ensemble featuring newly minted extended arrangements by composer Julian Beutel for woodwinds (Suzu Enns + Sean Irvine), harp (Janelle Nadeau) and vibraphone (Jason Tait), joining the usual suspects, Eric Robert on drums, Natalie Borhn on bass, and Quintin Bart on hurdy gurdy.

This concert is presented in partnership with the West End Cultural Centre.

AMBIENCES

Meanspath // Mutable Body // Brady Allard // memorypond

Saturday, June 10, 2023
Doors/Show: 7:00/7:30pm
The Output, Video Pool Media Arts Centre
100 Arthur Street

AMBIENCES is a showcase of local electroacoustic composers and experimental sound artists who utilize the language, forms, processes and sound palettes of late 1960s, early 1970s ambient music movement in their contemporary practices.

Zone out, focus in, let your mind wander, tell yourself stories, face the truth, give it a little kiss on the forehead.

Featuring local sound artists meanspath, Mutable Body, Brady Allard, and memorypond.

SENSE MEMORY

respectfulchild // Roxanne Nesbitt & Ben Brown

Sunday, June 11, 2023
Doors/show: 7:30/8:00pm
The West End Cultural Centre
586 Ellice Avenue

respectfulchild (Saskatoon, SK) premieres a new work for violin and electronics, guiding a blindfolded audience into an otherworldly sonic landscape. Lush textures, suspended ambiences, whispers from another dimension.

Composer and musician Roxanne Nesbitt (Vancouver, BC) brings us Symbiotic Instruments, a collection of improvisatory compositions for ceramic instruments and prepared piano with drummer Ben Brown. Symbiotic Instruments is an on-going project exploring interactions between traditional and experimental instruments.

This concert is presented in partnership with the West End Cultural Centre

SOUND BETTER: Next Gen. Audio Documentation

Eliot Britton
Tuesday, June 6, 2023, 7:00pm
VideoPool Media Arts Centre
100 Arthur Street

Artist Talk

respectfulchild
Thursday, June 8, 2022, 7:00pm
VideoPool Media Arts Centre
100 Arthur Street

PLAY: Sound Artist Skill Share

Saturday, June 10, 2023, 1:00pm
VideoPool Media Arts Centre
100 Arthur Street

Cluster 2023 Artists

Ashley Au / Brady Allard / Quintin Bart / Julian Beutel / Natalie Bohrn / Eliot Britton / Ben Brown / Christine Fellows / Matt Foster / Suzu Enns / Carla Hernandez / Zaki Ibrahim / Sean Irvine / meanspath / memorypond / mutablebody / Janelle Nadeau / Roxanne Nesbitt / respectfulchild / Eric Roberts / Jason Tait / Leanne Zacharias / … and more

Cluster is one of Winnipeg’s “most dynamic arts events”
(Winnipeg Free Press, 2015)

Presenting thought-provoking events and an annual core festival in Winnipeg, Cluster is a platform for artists to create, to experiment, and to collaborate. Cluster is propelled by strength found in numbers and the energy created by integrating diverse artistic communities – combining collective mentality with individual sensibility.

Past Festivals

Over its first eight festivals, Cluster has presented more than 250 artists from around the world, commissioning 13 large-scale artworks and over 60 smaller-scale artworks.

Past Photos

View photos from Cluster Festivals past.

Past Programs

View programs from Cluster Festivals past.

Who's Involved?

Cluster is made up of our Artistic Director, supported by a board of directors and seasonal volunteers.

  • Ashley Au

    is a Treaty 1-based musician, composer, and queer creative who, through the lens of collaborative community building, loves cross-pollinating disciplines, audiences and play creative match-maker with artists.

Board of Directors

Claire Boning • Eliot Britton • Daniel Britton • Gordon Fitzell • Leigh Anne Parry

Cluster: New Music + Integrated Arts Festival is operated out of Treaty 1 Territory, the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota and Dene peoples as well as the homeland of the Métis Nation.

Contact us for more information

info@clusterfestival.com