Scurried away in the lush greenery of Rideau Lakes, less than an hour away from one of the great hubs of student life in Canada and the general surrounding suburbs of Limestone City, is No.9 Gardens.On September 10th, the idyllic space will be home to DJs and artists from across the country as Kingston becomes the epicentre for Cloud 9, an eco-art and electronic music festival with local Kingston vendors. 

The morning I spoke with some of the team behind Cloud 9, Reily, Co-Founder and Festival Director, zoomed in from one of the yurts on site. No.9 Gardens was launched in 2018 and is described as “Canada’s First Cultural Centre for Sustainability and Reconciliation”. The centre is passionate about its role in empowering youth in the journey to building a sustainable future. It features various opportunities for individuals to learn about waste management, alternative energy, green building design, and civic engagement through hands-on activities, workshops and “eco-glamping”. 

So it should be no surprise that this space would be the perfect environment to host a music festival celebrating the power of young creativity and the potential for a sustainable future. 

Rupert Davies, Creative Director and founding member of the festival, describes the connection between the physical space and the principles of the festival as one that is deeply intertwined. He emphasises that the target audience for No.9 Garden and Cloud 9 are “the same''— both seek out the younger generation. He is a founding member and creative director of Cloud 9, and his parents Elizabeth and Andrew are the duo behind No.9 Gardens. Last summer, when the gardens hired 5 interns to help with their programs, he and Hanna Davies (Co-Founder and Festival Manager of Cloud 9) found comfort and excitement meeting like-minded young adults who are also passionate about sustainability and ingenuity. 

Reily was one of these summer interns, and her journey with Cloud 9 is also intertwined with the physical space of No.9 gardens. She spent her summer living in the gardens in a guest house, noting that even today, she feels “inspired and leaves feeling fresh and rejuvenated” whenever she leaves the space. Perhaps the serene gardens are responsible for the spark of creativity that struck Rupert, Hanna, and Emily Pope (also a Co-Founder and Manager of Partnerships and Volunteering). They spent their summer admiring the environment and they discovered how perfect it would be for a music festival. At the time, it was amid COVID-19. Rupert explains that one of the potential positive impacts of a pandemic that forced people to work remotely was that there was “a reduction in environmental impact” and individuals working from home “allowed for connection with their families''. He explains that the group noticed that this newfound personal connection and the opportunity to prioritise the environment meant that in a post-pandemic world, generation z could see that they “have the power and say in changes that could be made in our personal lives, and in the lives around us”. 

And so the planning began. This was to be no regular music festival, but one that promoted all the values that No 9 Gardens was founded on. 

Reily notes that the basis of their music festival might surprise some. “Music festivals have this association with not being great for the environment”, she explains, noting that an overwhelming amount of plastic use and noise pollution contribute to the environmental impact these massive events have. She asserts that Cloud 9 will not succumb to the same wasteful practices; “our focus was to rewrite and reimagine what music festivals are perceived as”. The team is incredibly transparent about its sustainability. Rupert adds that the festival is currently in conversation with an ESG company, Canada Forests Trust. The company offsets carbon emissions by building what they refer to as "smart" forests, “if this turns into an annual thing, the next time we do it it will be all carbon net zero”. 

Reily further explains how the festival is ensuring that they are sustainable; one example includes the couches being made for the VIP areas stuffed with hay that will be composted after the festival is over. Whether it is seen in these innovative solutions or understood with the mission statement of the gardens itself, it is clear that sustainability is at the heart of this project. Rupert affirms this, offering that “leading a sustainable life holds many definitions at its core, what it’s about is sharing valuable experiences with people you love, supporting your greater community, and connecting to your land”. One of the main attractions featured at Cloud 9, amongst the musical performances and Kingston food and drink vendors, is the opportunity to see eight Canadian-made installations of “eco art”. Eco art is art specifically created by artists who are concerned with the state of the environment and use their art to share their message. The art at the festival grounds vary in topics and styles, but are all incredibly powerful in the way that they combine artistic elements to be reminiscent of natural environmental features, with many of the artists making statements against ecological harmful practices such as the harm of global shipping. 

“at its core, it is connected to rebellion and reunification and going against the status quo”

Possibly the most intriguing aspect of the festival is the fact that it features electronic music, a niche interest that most would not associate with the ideas of a sustainable future. Rupert and Reily are both fans of the genre, with Rupert studying electronic music at Berkeley College of Music, but their personal bias is not what led to the lineup of Canadian DJs and artists. “Whenever I think of myself happiest, it's in creating and experiencing electronic music”, Rupert explains, noting that the genre has such a strong energy that mirrors the high excitement and passion that surrounded the founding of Cloud 9. 

Reily echoes the significance of what electronic music stands for, and how it compliments the festival’s mission; “at its core, it is connected to rebellion and reunification and going against the status quo”. Rupert goes into an explanation of electronic music and how it has been utilised for cultural shifts; the genre has a long history that can be traced back to the American emergence of house and techno and the significance of electronic music after the fall of the Berlin Wall in Europe. The genre began underground but soon started to trickle through the cracks and grow in popularity. Electronic music brought, as Rupert puts it, “life to forgotten spaces”, and he emphasises the power that the genre has. He shares that when he experienced clubbing in Berlin, it was fascinating to see how people prioritise the musical experience, “[In western culture] music, for the most part, only aids in your other objectives to drink a lot and meet a lot of people…the reason why you go out [in Berlin] is to dance and enjoy music with your friends”. 

While the visually stunning and mind-provoking eco art and the sustainable practices of the festival are equally as intriguing, the electronic music lineup is probably what will attract most attendees—and is likely what is most unexpected about the festival. Reily is a current Queens master's student, and attended the university for her undergrad; “my first two years were very centred around the university culture at Queen’s”. For most students at Queens, their musical experiences are limited to the top 40 that act as the soundtrack for their weekend bar-hopping. The “Queen’s Silo” as Reily puts it, means that one can get wrapped up in the binge-drinking and fast-paced lifestyle. This bubble does not necessarily provide for truly enriching musical experiences or inspire the sort of innovation that Cloud 9 hopes its guests walk away with. The techno scene is most commonly associated with bustling and busy cities like Toronto and Montreal, but the team behind Cloud 9 is thrilled to bring people together to enjoy artists like Handsome Tiger and Ouri in Kingston. After 2 years of festivals and club spaces being shut down, Reily emphasised how crucial it was to create a festival that promoted a sense of belonging. The team demonstrates a genuine desire to create a creatively enriching and freeing experience, which will be achieved with the long-awaited opportunity in a post-pandemic world to go dancing. Reily stresses that "dance floors are a space for people to be themselves. Dancing has no age, religion, border, no colour, no gender….that’s how it should be”. 

“The minds behind Cloud 9 encourage the younger generation to not only attend their event and support local artists and vendors, but to join them in this vision - a future where sustainability and creativity flourish”

These values of belonging and inclusion, pure happiness and acceptance, are ones that seem to be of more importance to the younger generation than our elders; the passion behind Cloud 9 is likely correlated to the fact that the entire team is made up of young adults. Alongside this raw creativity and attention given to enjoyment is the attention given to inclusion and safety. Zakary is the EDII director, and they explain how festival volunteers are being given anti-oppression and conflict and de-escalation training. Zakary goes on to emphasise that a vital part of their EDII policy is creating a safe space tent on site so that guests can have support if needed. This genuine care for creating a safe space makes this festival stand out in the world of live performances. Zakary explains the young minds behind the project are so “engaged with the mission”, and there is such a clear drive behind this project to not only inspire but nurture the attendees. 

The minds behind Cloud 9 encourage the younger generation to not only attend their event and support local artists and vendors, but to join them in this vision - a future where sustainability and creativity flourish. On the weekend of the festival, they seem confident that these principles will be rampant, and attendees will have a chance to be inspired by the environmentally conscious art, the innovation within Kingston, and the power of young teamwork in pushing the boundaries of what we understand a musical festival to represent. 

And at the very least, they’ll have the opportunity to dance. 

To learn more about Cloud 9, visit the Cloud 9 Website. You can purchase tickets also use the code “MUSE15” to receive a discount exclusive to MUSE readers.

To visit the Cloud 9 x MUSE photoshoot, click here.

Header Image: From “Cloud 9 State of Mind” Shoot

Creative director: Rida Chaudhry

Creative assistant: Michael Passler

Hair & Make-up: Rida Chaudhry

Photographer: Taryn Resende

Clothing sourced from Montreal Street Collective