5 x 5

5 x 5 is a project for training and promoting the next wave of British Columbia francophone musical artists. This project aims to send a delegation of trainers from the Quebec region to produce a concert of original songs, which will include five singers from BC. Concurrently, the fifth edition of the event will take place in Quebec City. The five singers chosen in each province (BC and Quebec) will be involved in five showcase concerts, and afterwards, each province will host one concert of five singers coming from the other regional partner in the project.

Two concerts are planned for the city of Vancouver (Granville Island and the Vancouver Public Library for the Journée de la francophonie on March 20), a concert in Maillardville/Coquitlam, one in North or West Vancouver and one in Whistler. The participating artists perform recently-created original material, as well as poetry created specifically for the occasion. They then travel to Quebec City to perform in March 2008. Vancouver, in turn, welcomes the five young artists from the Quebec region.

The collaboration between musical artists and artisans from BC and Quebec, as well as the addition of training and career development from experts in both participating regions (the Vancouver/Whistler corridor and Quebec City), reflects the vision of the Cultural Olympiad, which seeks to promote the spirit of our nation. The plan to achieve this goal will begin this fall. The strategy is to whet the appetites of the audience and the media to maximize exposure for the artists participating in the March 2008 concerts. The selection criteria will vary from region to region, reflecting their respective situations.