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Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is honoured to be the International Media Centre for the 2025 G7 Summit, taking place in Kananaskis, Alberta in June 2025. Please see the FAQ below to answer any questions you may have about access to campus, Banff Centre programming, and why we're taking part in the event. If your question is not answered here, please email communications@banffcentre.ca. 

Thank you!

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FAQ about Banff Centre operations as the International Media Centre for the 2025 G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta.
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FAQ

What is the G7?

The G7 (Group of Seven) is a gathering of world leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Together, they meet annually to discuss global priorities like economic growth, climate change, and international security. Canada will host the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, from June 15–17, 2025.

How is Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity involved?

Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity will be the International Media Centre for the G7 Summit. From approximately June 14–18, 2025, our campus will welcome over 500 international journalists, broadcasters, technicians, and government delegates. While the G7 Summit itself is happening 50 kilometers away in Kananaskis, Banff Centre will serve as the central hub for media coverage. Many journalists will be travelling daily between Banff Centre and Kananaskis to cover G7 Summit activities. Others will remain on Banff Centre campus to cover proceedings remotely, using our conference and production facilities.

Will G7 leaders be at Banff Centre?

No, there is no scheduled leadership presence at Banff Centre. The site will be used for G7 media operations only.

When will G7 Summit activities occur on Banff Centre campus?

Visitors to Banff Centre will notice increased activity on campus as of May 31, 2025, when the G7 contract begins. It will end on June 20, 2025, when the contract ends. It may take us some time to return operations to normal, so the public can expect campus operations to resume as usual on June 22, 2025.

What will be open at Banff Centre during the G7?

Banff Centre is remaining open to the public. While certain areas of the campus will be restricted for G7 media operations, Banff Centre will continue to operate throughout this period. It is recommended to have up-to-date identification with you while on campus.

The following spaces will remain open to the public: 


•    Sally Borden Fitness and Recreation: The upper fitness room, aquatic centre, and climbing gym will remain open (the lower fitness room and running track will be closed May 29 to June 20, 2025). Please note that there will be no on-campus parking available May 31 to June 20, 2025.

•    Walter Phillips Gallery: The summer exhibition Elliptical Lineages will be on view as of June 7, 2025. Walter Phillips Gallery will be open and free to the public as usual, Wednesdays through Sundays from 12:30–5 p.m. Please note that there will be no on-campus parking available May 31 to June 20, 2025.

•    Participant & Faculty areas: Banff Centre is striving to preserve the participant and faculty experience on campus during G7 activities, please see your program communications for details. 

•    Ken Madsen Path: Visitors can access Banff Centre campus from the town as usual through the Ken Madsen pathway. 

Are there any Banff Centre events I can engage with in June?

Yes! Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity will be celebrating National Indigenous History Month through the month of June, including: 
•    Leela Gilday Live performing in the Jenny Belzberg Theatre at Banff Centre on Wednesday, June 4 at 7:30 p.m.
•    Fox Fur Earring Workshop with facilitator Suzan Marie on Wednesday, June 11 at 1:30 p.m. at the Whyte Museum 
•    Seal Skin Bracelet and Earring Workshop with facilitator Suzan Marie on Thursday, June 12 at 1:30 p.m. at the Whyte Museum
•    Pow Wow Dance Workshop with Cherith Mark and Jaylin Simeon on Monday, June 16 at 4 p.m. at artsPlace Canmore

For more details, see our 2025 National Indigenous History Month programming.

 

The Walter Phillips Gallery exhibition Elliptical Lineages will also open on June 7, 2025. Entrance is free to the public as usual, Wednesdays through Sundays from 12:30–5 p.m. 

 

Artist Jason Baerg, faculty of the Visual Arts program Kapishkum: Métis Gathering, will be giving a lecture in our Visual Arts Open Lecture Series on Friday, June 6 at 4 p.m.
 


There are several faculty and participant concerts as part of Banff Centre’s Art of Piano program taking place in June, including:
•    James Anagnoson & Micah Yui featuring works by Brahms, Dvořák, Debussy, and Gershwin by two faculty performers on Sunday, June 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the Rolston Recital Hall
•    Joanna MacGregor returning after a celebrated performance in Art of Piano in 2024 on Tuesday, June 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the Rolston Recital Hall
•    Four Participant Showcases at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. from June 5-6, 2025, all free to attend at the Rolston Recital Hall

Onsite parking will be available for the concerts listed above. For more information, see our Events page.

What areas at Banff Centre will be closed?

•    Maclab Bistro and Vistas Dining Room: Maclab Bistro will be closed to the public June 13–17, 2025, inclusive, and Vistas Dining Room will be closed to the public June 14–17, inclusive.


•    Sally Borden Fitness and Recreation: The lower fitness room and running track will be closed from May 29 to June 20, inclusive. There will also be no on-campus parking available May 31 to June 20, 2025.


•    Becker Hall Parking Lot: The parking lot next to the Professional Development Centre on the south side of Banff Centre campus (closest to Surprise Corner) is restricted to G7 operations from May 31 to June 20, 2025, inclusive, and requires security clearance to access.


•    Banff Centre Parkade: Both levels of the Banff Centre parkade (located below our Music and Sound Building) will be closed from May 31 to June 20, 2025, except for attendees at Banff Centre arts events during that time, including the Art of Piano concerts and our National Indigenous History Month concert with Leela Gilday.


•    Tunnel Mountain Summit Trailhead Parking Lot: The parking lot at the trailhead of the Tunnel Mountain Summit Trail will be used for Banff Centre parking and will be extremely limited from May 31 to June 20, 2025. However, the trail will remain open and cyclists and pedestrians will have access.

Will this affect parking or cause road closures at Banff Centre?

Yes, for the period of May 31 to June 20, 2025, all parking on campus—except for public attendance at Banff Centre concerts—will be designated for G7 International Media Centre use. 

The parking lot on the south side of campus (near Becker Hall, next to the Professional Development Centre) will be closed from May 31 to June 20, 2025, inclusive. Please see the above point for more information.

In addition, road closures near Banff Centre will be in effect from June 13–17, 2025, reopening on June 18, 2025: 
•    St. Julien Road will be closed between Wolverine Street and St. Julien Way
•    St. Julien Way will be closed at its intersection with Tunnel Mountain Drive

Vehicle access to the Tunnel Mountain Trailhead parking lot will also be restricted during this time. Cyclists and pedestrians will still be able to use the road and reach the trailhead.  

This is a temporary measure to help ensure the safety of Summit participants, local residents, and visitors. 

Access to both areas will be controlled by traffic personnel and security staff. The Tunnel Mountain Summit Trail will remain open, however the parking lot at the Tunnel Mountain Summit trailhead will be closed to the public.

However–it's June in Banff! We highly encourage visitors to walk or bike when coming to campus. There is ample bike parking on site, which will be open for public use.  
 

Why is Banff Centre taking part in the G7 Summit?

As an organization dedicated to providing space for conversations that can enrich our world, Banff Centre is honoured and excited to become part of the G7 legacy.

We believe in the universal power of creativity to inspire leaders, conceive powerful ideas, and build connections locally and globally. This mission aligns with the purpose of G7—bringing together leaders from around the world to address the most important issues affecting our world today.

In addition, the G7 Summit will bring lasting infrastructure upgrades to our campus, like improved Wi-Fi and communication systems, which will support our artists, guests, faculty, and staff for years to come. All Banff residents will likewise benefit from these upgrades in connectivity and infrastructure to the area.

This is an important time in the landscape of global politics. It is a privilege to ground these discussions and decisions within the values of this region, the timeless wisdom of the mountains, and the power of Albertan ingenuity.

How else will the Town of Banff be impacted by G7 activities?

Though the bulk of activity will take place in Kananaskis, the Town may experience higher traffic, road closures, and other disruptions. We highly encourage you to read the Town of Banff’s G7 Summit web page for more information.

Should I be alert for any security risks?

While we expect the G7 Summit and any demonstration in its vicinity to be peaceful and productive, there is a risk this event will attract unlawful activity. Security to Banff residents, Banff Centre participants, staff, and attendees of the G7 Media Centre is of the utmost importance, so if you see something potentially suspicious, be proactive and alert the appropriate authorities.

Learn more about what to look for in suspicious activity here.

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Mary Mazurek is a GRAMMY-nominated recording engineer, audio educator, and author. Her book Aesthetic Noise: The Philosophy of Intentional Listening is available from Routledge.  She is currently an assistant professor of Digital Audio Arts at the University of Lethbridge.

Dolson Rhona

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Cyril Baldy is a dancer, choreographer, educator, rehearsal director and stager, born in France in 1980. He studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris from 1993 to 1997. As a dancer, he joined his first professional company in 1997 named “Le Jeune Ballet de France”. From 1998 to 2002, he successively was part of Nederland Dans Theatre II and Nederland Dans Theatre I under the direction of Jiri Kylian. In 2002, he became a member of Frankfurt Ballet then The Forsythe Company from 2005 to 2014 under the artistic direction of William Forsythe. In 2014, he became a freelancer, taking on the role of choreographer, educator, rehearsal director and stager for William Forsythe. 

He choreographed notable dances such as Nonsense And Other Matters (Arts Umbrella Vancouver - 2024), Divertissement (CNSMD Lyon - 2023), Choreographic Exercise (HfMDK - 2022), Steps Of Dance (HfMDK - 2020), Variation(s) For A Few (Tanzplattform Rhein-Main in Frankfurt - 2019), A Dance For Many (for KOST at the Athens Festival in Athens - 2019), Variation By Ashley Wright (premiered at Treloarland in Melbourne - 2018), Variation(s) (Pact Zollverein- Germany - 2017), Variation III: On The Theme Of William Hay (Neuer Kunstverein in Wuppertal - 2017), Variation(s) By Louella May Hogan (premiered at Treloarland in Melbourne - 2017). His choreographies extends to film with This Is Not Raymonda But Whatever It Contains (2015), William Hay (2017), HTCTW #8 (2018), In Preparation For (2018), unattended choreography (2019) and Studio Works Collection: HTCTW (since 2017). 

Through his choreography, he developed a dance practice called Sentient Method taught to PARTS, HZT, DOCH, DFDC, PNB, Musée de la Danse, Hubbard Street Dance Company, STRUT, PACT Zollverein, K3, CNDC Anger, Lyon Opera Ballet, among others. As a dancer, since 2014 he performed in A Quiet Evening Of Dance by William Forsythe, Bastards. We Are All Illegitimate Children and Remains Persist by Moriah Evans.

 

Image by Dominik Mentzos

Dolson Rhona

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Marie Gyselbrecht worked with Alain Platel and Arne Sierens' Allemaal Indiaan as a teenager and toured internationally. In 1997, her dance solo was nominated for the "Best Belgian Dance Solo" award organized by Victoria and Alain Platel. In 2005, she graduated from the Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance. In 2004, she co-founded the Belgium-based Collectiv.At. She has been part of the theatre collective Peeping Tom since 2008. With the ensemble she created the productions La Visita, 32 rue Vandenbranden, A Louer, Vader, The Land, Moeder, Kind and Dido and Aeneas. In 2017, she played in Chef de Corps directed by Raphaëlle Latini. She also directed Taverne, a dance theatre performance with the Hotel col-lectiu escènic, which premiered at Sala Hiroshima in Barcelona in June 2018. In 2021, she created the site-specific performance Nest, which premiered at the Sismògraf festival in Olot, Spain, in April 2022. In addition to her work for the stage, she was involved in the short film Drôle d'Oiseau (2015), which won several prizes at international film festivals, and the feature film Mijn vader is een saucisse (2019). Both films were directed by Anouk Fortunier. Marie has a strong interest in photography and visual art. Her installation Waiting Room - A life in Transit was shown at the Brussels Gallery Weekend and on tour with Peeping Tom. 
 

Dolson Rhona

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Headshot of Christophe Lebreton

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Designer of interactive devices, musician and scientist by training, he has worked as a sound engineer and producer in computer music since 1989. Until 2019, he participated in the development and influence of GRAME (National Center of musical creation – Lyon – FR) , creation of recording studios, discographic productions, shows, concerts, Opera, exhibitions and has worked with many composers of contemporary music in France and abroad while confronting the realities and diversity of contemporary productions on a daily basis. Since 2003, he has focused his research and development on gesture capture and the augmented scene. He experiments with what he calls “instrumental scenography”. He is interested in all the performing arts for which his research and development are related.

Since 2013 he has been creating gestural musical applications for Smartphones (“SmartFaust”, “Smart Hand Computer”), developing the “Light Wall System” software suite oriented for pedagogy. In 2019 he founded with Jean GEOFFROY the association LiSiLoG, dedicated to technological, artistic and transmission innovation. Since 2020 he has been developing the iMSS system for multi-camera motion capture for low budget creation and production. Under his artist name Zakahamida, he creates interactive installations running from second-hand iPhones to easily edit and distribute his works. In particular, he is continuing his experiments around the concept of “Smartland post-digital garden” which he initiated in 2013 with “Smartland – Divertimento”. In 2021 he created the C.CUT-UP! exhibition and disseminated his works in France and abroad, continuing to lead workshops in art schools and various training centers while continuing his creations, compositions, research and development within LiSiLoG.

Dolson Rhona
Artist - engineer: sound, computer music producer, creator of interactive devices, new instrument making and scenographer of sound and transmedia exhibitions

Submitted by Kate King Wale… on
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Portrait of Valeria Bravo Reyes

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Valeria Bravo Reyes is a versatile audio engineer, bassist, and vocalist based in Toronto, Ontario. With a musical journey that began at the age of 3, she has evolved through many different genres of music, inspired by artists like Esperanza Spalding, Ichiko Aoba, bo en and Natalia LaFourcade. Growing up in a Venezuelan household, she has a deep passion for Latin music but has also developed a love for other genres including R&B, folk, and video game music. She has had the opportunity to work with many different artists and use top-of-the-line gear in multiple spaces, working at the Gordon Wragg studio during her time at Humber College and currently engineering at The Root Down studio in Toronto. One of Valeria’s larger goals as a queer woman is to be able to provide safe spaces for women, femme-presenting, and gender non-conforming people in the music community, working to build on already existing communities with similar values. She has created an initiative at The Root Down studio called The LadyLike Jam: an inclusive jam space that spotlights women and queer artists in Toronto, aiming to inspire and bring together a community of like-minded artists.

Description

Renowned for her spellbinding voice, poetic lyricism, and fearless artistry, four-time Juno Award nominee Sarah Slean brings her distinctive sound to an intimate evening at Banff Centre.

Joined by a string quartet featuring musicians from the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra — Donovan Seidle (violin I), Janna Sailor (violin II), Marcin Swoboda (viola), and Kathleen de Caen (cello) — this intimate evening blends elements of classical music, theatrical cabaret, and art-pop in a moving exploration of song and storytelling.

A true Renaissance artist, Slean has released 11 albums internationally, composed orchestral and chamber works, published poetry, and collaborated with leading symphonies and ensembles across Canada.

Experience one of Canada’s most compelling artists in a setting as breathtaking as her music.

Once you have heard Sarah Slean performing her music, you won’t find it easy to forget her.” — S. Pedersen, The Chronicle Herald
An awe-inspiring panorama of a mature poet and musician.” — John Terauds, The Toronto Star
One of the most compelling acts Canada has to offer.” — TIME Magazine Canada
 

Sarah Slean in a blue gown
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Four-time Juno Award nominee Sarah Slean brings her distinctive sound to an intimate evening at Banff Centre.
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Biography

Sarah Slean

Signed to Atlantic/Warner Records at the tender age of nineteen,  4-time Juno nominee and modern-day Renaissance woman Sarah Slean has since released 11 albums in over 10 countries worldwide – but perhaps the most astonishing aspect of her artistry is its breadth. Over her 25-year career, Slean has published two volumes of poetry, starred in short films and a movie musical (spawning two Gemini Award nominations), penned award-winning chamber works, held numerous exhibitions of her paintings and performed with 14 of the country’s professional orchestras. Classically trained from the age of 5, she routinely collaborates with cutting-edge contemporary classical ensembles like The Art of Time, and has been invited to sing world premieres by Canada’s leading living composers.  She composes orchestral arrangements for her own music as well as for her pop colleagues (Dan Mangan, Hawksley Workman) and her recent collaborative recording with the Symphony Nova Scotia was just nominated for both an East Coast Music Award and a Juno Award in the Classical Album category (2021). Sarah is also a recent alumna of the prestigious Canadian Film Centre's screen composing residency (2017-8) and just earned her first Canadian Screen Award  (2021).  She can also be heard on the CBC's national hybrid pop/classical radio program "About Time" as an occasional host.

Citing such diverse influences as Leonard Bernstein, philosophy, Joni Mitchell, Buddhism and Bach, her music borrows aspects of cabaret, pop, and orchestral: all knit together by the startling poetry of her lyrics, unique arranging and piano-playing, and that voice, described by the CBC as “a 19th century Kate Bush”.  In addition to headlining theatres across Canada, Sarah has also toured Europe, the US and Scandinavia and has opened internationally for such artists as Bryan Ferry, Rufus Wainwright, Alanis Morissette, Andrew Bird, Feist, Ron Sexsmith, and Chris Isaak. Her 11th solo recording, "Metaphysics", released in 2017, is described as a "breathtaking amalgamation of Slean’s dramatic orchestral arranging and her signature take on songwriting".  In 2023, Sarah completed a Master's Degree in Composition and will be composing the music for the stage musical adaptation of the award-winning film "Maudie". 

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Submitted by Kate King Wale… on
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Portrait of Jessica Ozon

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Jessica Ozon is an emerging audio engineer and composer from St. John’s, Newfoundland. She is a recent graduate from the Memorial University of Newfoundland, where she completed a Bachelor of Music with a major in composition. Jessica began working as an audio engineer during her time as an undergraduate student, and has had the opportunity to record and mix everything from solo guitar to full orchestra for student audition videos, live events, and recording sessions at MUN’s School of Music. She has also worked as an assistant engineer for recordings of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra, the Tuckamore Music Festival, and the 2024 Sound Symposium. This past summer, Jessica participated in Soundscape Festival’s Sound Recording program in Blonay, Switzerland, where she gained experience recording contemporary classical music under the mentorship of Dr. Denis Martin. She was also a participant in the Tuckamore Festival’s 2024 Young Composer program. Outside of her work as a recording engineer, Jessica teaches piano lessons at Intervals Music Studio and is a sound technician at the LSPU Hall in St. John’s.

Submitted by Kate King Wale… on
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Portrait of Murat Colak

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Murat Çolak is a Turkish-American audio engineer, producer, and composer based in New York City. He earned his master’s degree in music composition and technology in 2013 from Istanbul Technical University and completed his doctorate in music composition at Boston University in 2018. 

Murat’s first introduction to digital audio was in 2003, when he was a college student in Istanbul. He initially produced electronic dance music as an enthusiast. Years later, while creating sonically complex electroacoustic pieces as a composer, he developed a deep interest in acoustics and audio engineering. In 2018, he moved to NYC and started working as a part-time audio engineer. During the pandemic, he completed a 26-week advanced audio mastering program at Mastering Academy in Hamburg.

Since 2020, Murat has worked full-time as a mastering, mixing, and recording engineer out of his studio, GERYON. He specializes in contemporary classical and experimental music but is equally at home with EDM, rap, and pop. His engineering work can be heard on critically acclaimed art music labels like KAIROS, Edition Wandelweiser, NEOS, New Focus, Innova, Carrier, Important Records, and more.

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