HOW TO HOMESIDE
Remember how being at Island Stage for your favourite band meant you couldn’t also be at the Lake Stage for your second-favourite band because they were on at the same time? Homeside releases you from all of that pressure, giving you the opportunity to curate your own schedule from a feast of offerings that will be available online for about 54 hours July 23-25, 2021. So, play artistic director this weekend, and make your own playlist from over 100 performances and workshops. They will all be gone by Monday morning, so don’t wander off weeding and making a bird feeder from bottle caps this weekend: you’ll miss everything!
How much is Hillside Homeside?
It’s free!
However, if you feel inspired to pay something for the experience, please visit our Donate page.
Who’s playing?
Check out our lineup page for artists and workshop presenters. Or scroll down the Home page and select an area to visit and browse the videos you will find there.
When does it start? Is there a schedule?
The festival opens at 6:00pm on Friday with our Welcome from the Main Stage. At 6:15pm, most* of the programming will be available on the different stages/pages of our website (you might have to refresh the page if you open it earlier). The videos will be available all weekend, and by Monday morning they will all be gone.
*Livestreamed performances are scheduled for the following dates and times (and will be available as recorded videos for the remainder of the weekend):
Dan Mangan: Friday, July 23, 2021 at 9:00pm EST.
Tim Baker: Saturday, July 24, 2021 at 7:00pm EST.
Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar: Saturday, July 24, 2021 at 9:00pm EST.
Clerel: Sunday, July 25, 2021 at 4:00pm EST.
How do I access the livestreams?
Dan Mangan live and interactive on Zoom via Side Door. Register for free tickets.
Tim Baker live and interactive on Zoom via Side Door. Register for free tickets.
Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar live from the River Run Centre via Vimeo right here on our website.
Clerel live from the River Run Centre via Vimeo right here on our website.
Are you offering what you usually do at the summer festival?
We are trying to offer as much as we can in the way of programming on the Main Stage, Lake Stage, Island Stage, Rainbow Stage, Sun Stage, Workshops “Tents,” and Drum and Dance area. We even have a Food section where you can cook along with some of our culinary artists, learn about preparing meals for wilderness camping and learn the fascinating science of making ice cream.
How do we watch performances?
On the festival weekend, you can access performances in three ways: watch videos by going to an artist’s page, watch them by going to the Stage pages, or watch them by going to a playlist that we have set up per Stage. Or you can combine these approaches. For now, until the festival is underway, you can click on artists’ and presenters’ names on our Lineup pages to learn more about them. This is how you become your own festival curator and artistic director.
On each stage of the summer festival, here’s what you will find:
Main Stage – Opening / Music performances, both pre-recorded and live streamed, plus our Now & Then series of films from the past (sometimes interwoven with artist interviews and present-day performances).
Island Stage – pre-recorded music performances of professional and emerging artists + a film featuring Belle Orchestre
Lake Stage – Pre-recorded music performances + Youth Showcase!
Sun Stage – Poetry (+ music by poets!)/ Readings / Theatre/ Spoken Word
Rainbow Stage – Performances and children’s workshops
Indigenous Circle – Message
Drum & Dance – Performances and workshops
Workshops – Active Living / Body and Mind / DIY / Interplay / Performing Arts
Food – Cooking with culinary artists
Artisan Market – Links to online shops
I’m planning a watch party with friends. How should I plan out the weekend?
Think about mixing time being a spectator with time being a participant. Spend some time scrolling through the workshop descriptions now so you can gather any materials you might need for the weekend. Have drum sticks on hand for the percussion workshop with found objects, for instance.
What children’s activities do you have?
We have music and workshops! Five singer-songwriters, 2 children’s writers, 1 dramatist, 3 crafty artists who will teach kids how to face-paint, and make plant pots and bookmarks, and 2 nature and science workshops!
How can I stay informed about lineup announcements and other information about Hillside?
You can subscribe to our newsletter by clicking on this link. You’ll receive updates and announcements before the general public does and you’ll get to read interviews with artists.
Will there be merchandise for sale?
Yes, we are selling t-shirts and bandanas imprinted with this year’s wonderful artwork by Christopher Michael Duffy. Click here to see the options. The merch is going fast!
Who are the funders, collaborators, and major sponsors for Hillside Homeside 2021?
So many wonderful people and organizations have put the wind in our sails! You can find them here. Our partners and collaborators hold our hands through many adventures: Active Events Scotland, Downtown Guelph Business Association, Eden Mills Writers’ Festival, Globalquerque, Guelph Black Heritage Society, Guelph Dance Festival, Guelph Film Festival, the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation, JAM School, Koerner Hall (Ontario Conservatory of Music), Mission Folk Festival, National Arts Centre, Northern Lights Festival Boréal, POP Montreal, and Wellington Brewery.