Jazz will be a little less interactive at the 2011 Ottawa Festival: the afternoon workshop series is not returning this year.

For the past three years, first with the Ottawa Composers' Collective in 2008 and 2009, and then with afternoon improvisatory workshops in 2009 and 2010, the festival provided opportunities for local musicians to work together to produce new sounds and ideas. In 2010 the nine workshop themes ranged mainstream vocals, to free improvisation, to a face-off between electronic and acoustic music, to a Balloon Orchestra.

The festival's new programming director, Petr Cancura, was involved in all three years: he curated the afternoon Workshops for the last two years, and acted as resident artist and coordinator for the Composers Collective.

"We were very happy with it, but it's dependent on grant funding," said Cancura, and the funding was not received in 2011.

"That stuff is dependent year-to-year."

Related stories

• Less outdoor and more indoor jazz at the 2011 Ottawa Jazz Festival
  
• Ottawa Jazz Festival Programmer Petr Cancura talks about the 2011 Festival
  
• 2011 Ottawa Jazz Festival Jam sessions move 4 blocks closer
• One fewer stage at the 2011 Ottawa Jazz Festival
• 2011 Ottawa Jazz Festival lineup: what's on
  

See OttawaJazzScene.ca's coverage of the 2010 workshops:

• Local artists present eclectic mix at first of three OLG Workshops
  
• Festival's Jazz Workshop Series offered eclectic treats