Artists participate in festival

Robert Penner — June 1984

TORONTO – On June, 30th Toronto’s Peace community will stage a new type of event to promote the cause of nuclear disarmament. The eight-hour Toronto Peace Festival will be heavy on entertainment and light on .speakers but the focus on disarmament will remain. The festival is organized by the Toronto Disarmament Network (TDN) in support of the Peace Petition Caravan Campaign, and will be held on the Toronto Islands.

Confirmed artists so far include Nancy White; Louise Lambert and the Humner Sisters. There will also be classical musicians and many other performers. The stage show is being coordinated through the TDN by Performing Artists for Nuclear Disarmament (PAND).

Lynn Connell of PAND says the response from the arts community has been very enthusiastic. “The growth and credibility if the peace movement can very definitely be seen in the numbers of performers who are now willing to commit their time and talent for peace,” she says.

There will also be short speeches throughout the afternoon, but the emphasis will definitely be on having a good time and promoting a positive public profile for the Peace Petition Caravan Campaign.

“The festival is a non-threatening way to introduce people to the peace movement,” says Danya Agar, whose group East End Peace Action (EEPA) brought the idea to the TDN. For the past two years EEPA has organized, with great success, a similar but smaller-scale event in Toronto’s Beaches community.

The festival is seen as a way of culminating the first phase of the Peace Petition Caravan Campaign. The first three months of canvassing will be complete, and the festival will bring people together for a festive climax before the inevitable lull in summer activity.

The festival takes place on Hanlan’s Point on Toronto Islands from 12 noon to 8 pm on Saturday, June 30, rain or shine. Peace related groups are invited to set up displays.

For further information about the Toronto Peace Festival, contact the TDN at xxx-xxxx or xxx-xxxx.

The Peace Calendar

Canadian Disarmament Information Service, 1983-1984

Artists participate in festival