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When you google “SHIFTER” you immediately see “SHIFTER Magazine – Business. Art. Film. Music. Fashion.”
If you are an artist who sees their film, music, or fashion work as a business…then keep reading.
On Saturday, May 5, 2018, the first annual ALSO Arts Law Conference is taking place at Arts Court (2 Daly Avenue, Ottawa).
What’s ALSO?
Artists’ Legal Services Ottawa is an organization that for the last five years has organized legal panels featuring local lawyers and artist professionals sharing legal tips and ideas on topics ranging from contracts to copyright, tax to labour law issues.
Five (of the many) reasons to attend:
1. Value. While all ALSO events to date have been free, this is an eight-hour event, with a lot of great content, and the ticket price includes the cost lunch.
2. Penny McCann. The morning includes a key note address from media artist and outgoing SAW Video director Penny McCann, who will also be showing her short film entitled, Gibraltar Point (transformed). She describes it as follows: “Erratic flashes of light spark across a flickering expanse of water and sky. The image can’t be contained as light and debris spill outside the frame. The random alchemy of hand-processing techniques creates a landscape that transcends the observable, edging into the sublime.” It’s her ninth work in an ongoing series of poetic landscape films. Her key note is entitled, “Precarity and Persistence: Navigating a Career in the Arts,” and will focus on her 25+ year career in the arts in Ottawa, keeping body and soul together as an administrator while persisting as a filmmaker.
3. This is for ALL Artists. The full itinerary is available at artslawottawa.ca, and while there are focused sessions on fine arts, music and media arts (for example for filmmakers, produces of web series, etc.), the day is appropriate for any artist who wants some proactive legal tips, whether the artist is a photographer or fashion designer, choreographer or writer.
4. Access. There are opportunities to meet with the presenters and other mentors during the mentor café taking place over lunch.
5. The Future of Copyright Law. There will also be a session about copyright law and the upcoming changes presented by lawyer Howard Knopf (Moffat & Co. – Macera & Jarzyna LLP)
The volunteer team who run ALSO are members of the legal and arts community. They have been planning this event since the summer and are hoping for a great turnout of people from many artist disciplines.
ALSO is run by a team of dedicated volunteers, including:
1. Lyndra Griffith is a lawyer and adjudicator working throughout Ontario. She is passionate about the arts and in her spare time she is a writer and has performed as part of the GCTC’s annual lawyer play fundraisers.
2. Max McGuire is a feature film writer, director and occasional producer, currently directing movies in Ottawa.
3. Lise Rivet is a lawyer and legal educator who has always had a great interest in the arts. She is an amateur fine artist and creator herself during her spare time.
4. Natasha Gulati is lawyer at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP practicing in their Intellectual Property Group.
5. Alex Verrilli is a recent law school graduate from the University of Ottawa. He’s a guitarist in two bands, including AIME ILY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS0PMEOPH_g&t=) and always tries to find time to get involved in the community.
6. Byron Pascoe is an entertainment lawyer with Edwards PC, Creative Law, and before law school was a full time TV/new media producer.
More Information
Itinerary and Press Release: www.artslawottawa.ca
Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/211238329456738/
Tickets ($25): https://bit.ly/2F3XukK
By Byron Pascoe
Byron Pascoe is an entertainment lawyer with Edwards PC, Creative Law (www.edwardslaw.ca)