Tirgan Iranian Festival
Toronto 43° 39' 12.53" N, 79° 23' 2.16" W Arts Festival Group
Tirgan Festival (Persian: جشنواره تیرگان), the largest Iranian festival in the world, is a biennial four-day celebration of Iranian arts & culture held in Toronto, Canada.
History[edit]
Originally showcased under the name Under the Azure Dome, Tirgan 2006 celebrated Nowruz (the Persian New Year) and Iranian arts & culture on a scale not previously experienced in Canada. The festival, held between March 17-19, 2006, at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre, featured over a hundred performers in dance, music, theatre, cinema, and visual arts, and drew an impressive 25,000 visitors both from within Canada and overseas. In 2008, Tirgan once again celebrated the richness and diversity of Iranian arts & culture, featuring internationally acclaimed artists such as Ostad Mohammad Reza Lotfi, Saeed Shanbehzadeh, and Shahrokh Moshkin Ghalam. Tirgan 2008 attracted over 60,000 visitors to more than 50 performances.
The Legend of Tirgan[edit]
Although there are many legends surrounding the origins of Tirgan, the most common relates to the story of Arash-e-Kamangir (lit. Arash the Archer). To settle a territorial dispute, it was decided that Arash, the most acclaimed archer among the Iranians, would shoot an arrow (‘Tir’ in Persian) from Mount Damavand whose landing place would determine the boundary between the kingdoms of Iran and Turan (the land of the Turkic peoples). After soaring from dawn until noon, the arrow finally descended on the banks of the Oxus river in Central Asia, expanding Iran’s boundaries beyond expectation. The inclusion of myriad diverse cultures in the land of Iran was a cause for celebration, and thus Tirgan was born. To this date, Iran has retained its legacy of diversity, being home to over 15 different ethnic groups, each with their own unique, yet unmistakably Iranian culture and heritage.
Highlights[edit]
In promoting Iranian arts & culture, Tirgan makes a deliberate effort to feature contributions from Iranians of all ethnicities, backgrounds, and cultural disciplines, and takes pride in celebrating and welcoming diversity. At Tirgan festivals, local as well as internationally renowned artists and performers of Iranian descent unite to celebrate Iranian culture and heritage through music, dance, theatre, cinema, literature, and visual arts. In addition, the festival showcases Iranian cuisine and exclusive arts & crafts presentations made at vendor kiosks. Altogether, these make for engaging, educating, enriching, and entertaining experiences for a wide range of audiences.
Goals[edit]
Tirgan is organized by the Iranian-Canadian Centre for Art & Culture, a non-profit, non-partisan, and non-religious organization dedicated to promoting Iranian arts & culture. Essentially, Tirgan aims to:
- Promote cross-cultural dialogue and understanding through arts & culture
- Contribute to the diverse, cultural mosaic of Canada by celebrating Iranian art, music, dance, theatre, cinema, and literature
- Build stronger communities by promoting teamwork in preparation for the celebration of arts & culture
- Raise awareness of cultural identity among Iranian Canadians, with a particular emphasis on youth
- Entertain, engage, and educate audiences from across Toronto, the GTA, and Canada
- Become a global festival that draws visitors from around the world
Funding & Support[edit]
To bring its vision to fruition, Tirgan relies primarily on donations from the community, grants from the Federal, Provincial, and Municipal tiers of the Canadian Government, and corporate sponsorships. As well, local non-profit foundations, student associations, community & professional groups, and artistic groups help promote awareness of the festival through Tirgan’s Affiliate marketing initiatives. Additionally, the Tirgan team is composed of over 300 young volunteers working across Tirgan’s five departments, who dedicate their time and energy into ensuring every Tirgan is a success.