Poetic Social Mission countdown begins as Guy Laliberte prepares for launch of Expedition 21 aboard Soyuz-TMA 16 spacecraft

       Actors Matthew McConaughey and Salma Hayek, singers Joss Stone
         and Elisapie Isaac, musical group Ladysmith Black Mambazo,
           Bolshoi Ballet principal dancer  Nicolai Tsiskaridze and
         poet Touria Ikbal join former U.S. Vice President Al Gore,
       U2, and others in the effort to tackle the global water crisis

BAIKONUR COSMODROME, Kazakhstan, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire/ - Guy Laliberte announces confirmed participation of additional world-renowned celebrities and musicians in his Poetic Social Mission, as he prepares for the Expedition 21 launch. A 120-minute global event featuring musical performances by major international artists and the reading of a poetic tale by well-known celebrities, the Poetic Social Mission seeks to raise awareness through artistic illustration of the humanitarian struggles and solutions associated with water.

Actors Matthew McConaughey and Salma Hayek, singers Joss Stone, Elisapie Isaac, Helene Segara, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Michel Fugain, Natasha St Pier, Lorie and Zazie, musical group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Bolshoi Ballet principal dancer Nicolai Tsiskaridze and poet Touria Ikbal join their voices with previously announced Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, A. R. Rahman, Cirque du Soleil, Claude Challe, Dr. David Suzuki, Fnaire, Frank De Winne, Garou, Gilberto Gil, Gregory Colbert, Jean Lemire, Julie Payette, Maud Fontenoy, Patrick Bruel, Peter Gabriel, Peter Lik, Shakira, Simon Carpentier, Tatuya Ishii, Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, Tiffany Speight, U2, Vandana Shiva and Yann Arthus-Bertrand.

The event will take place simultaneously on October 9th at 20:00 EDT (-4 GMT) in Montreal, Moscow, Santa Monica, New York City, Johannesburg, Mumbai, Marrakesh, Sydney, Osaka, Tampa, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, Paris, London and the International Space Station.

A global webcast and broadcast

RDI, Le Reseau de l'information of Societe Radio-Canada will act as exclusive host broadcaster in Canada and DIRECTV, the world's leading provider of satellite television, will broadcast the global artistic event in standard and high definition on The 101 Network in the United States, and via DIRECTV Latin America on Channels 999 and 1004. Other international broadcasters may join in to present part or all of this event. The artistic event "Moving Stars and Earth for Water" will also be made available live in its entirety on onedrop.org.

For 120 minutes, the earth will gaze up at the stars and resonate to the rhythms of artists and world-renowned figures who will demonstrate their commitment to water and pay tribute to this vitally important natural resource.

This first social artistic mission in space is made possible by Space Adventures, the company that has arranged all the previous private spaceflights.

    For more information about Cirque du Soleil, visit cirquedusoleil.com.
    To find out more about the One Drop Foundation, visit onedrop.org.
    For more information, please visit spaceadventures.com.

SOURCE CIRQUE DU SOLEIL