KIYOOKA OHE ARTS CENTRE INSIDE OUT THEATRE DEFINING INSPIRATION
CIFF PREPARES TO EVOLVE AS FILMMAKING & FILM WATCHING CHANGE IN CALGARY
14 COVER
Both film watching and filmmaking have changed since the Calgary International Film Festival started 25 years ago. And there are more changes in store as the organization plans for the future with a bold new plan for a “constellation” of screens.
The Globe Cinema,
of
We acknowledge the traditional territories and the value of the traditional and current oral practices of the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Tsuut’ina, the Iyarhe Nakoda Nations, the Otipemisiwak Métis Government of the Métis Nation within Alberta District 6, and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.
Cover Photograph: Jared Sych
Publisher and Acting Editor Käthe Lemon, klemon@redpointmedia.ca
Sarah Comber, Cam Hayden, Benjamin Heisler, Arroy (AJ) Jacob, Jared Sych, Krista Sylvester, Mary-Lynn Wardle, Alana Willerton
4 ACT 1, SCENE 1
What to do and see this month.
8 ON THE SCENE
The weather might be cooling off, but the arts season is heating up. Artistic Directors from a number of companies told us what they are most excited about for the fall arts season.
10 ART SCENE
Fall is the perfect time to check out the Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre.
12 FILM SCENE
Season three of Abracadavers by Calgary-based Numera Films’ wrapped filming in May. We caught up with the team to find out more.
20 THEATRE SCENE
Inside Out Theatre celebrates opening its new Beltline theatre, The Erratics’ Indie Arts Club, with a new show about playwright Ashley King’s personal experience of going blind.
24 ARTS SCENE
Emerging artists programs and supports help to create opportunities for young artists to build their careers in Calgary.
26 MUSIC SCENE
Once every three years, the Honens International Piano Competition awards a new laureate. In the years between awards (including this year) Honens hosts a piano festival that attracts international talent.
28 CREATIVE SCENE
Inspiration — for artists and creatives it’s the secret sauce that catalyzes new work. But can we define it, let alone foster it? 30
Client Support Coordinator Alice Meilleur
Senior Account Executive
Jocelyn Erhardt
Account Executives
Nadine Benoit, Vicki Braaten
Administrative and HR Manager
Tara Brand
CEO and co-owner Roger Jewett
President and co-owner Käthe Lemon
Design Director Steve Collins
PROJECTORS AT THE GRAND. PHOTOS: PUBLIC DOMAIN (GLENBOW ARCHIVES)
one
the only remaining downtown movie theatres, will host CIFF screenings this month.
ACT 1 SCENE 1
What to do in September
BY ALANA WILLERTON
DANDYFEST 2024
Dandy Brewing Company has officially been around for a decade, and you can celebrate the local brewery’s exciting milestone during DandyFest on September 7. The outdoor beer festival features samples from North American breweries and cideries, live music and more. Visit thedandybrewingcompany.com for more information and tickets.
HIGH PARK: MOVIES WITH A VIEW
Hosted by the Beltline Neighbourhoods Association, Movies with a View is a series of outdoor movie screenings that have been taking place at High Park, a rooftop public park on the City Centre Parkade, all summer. On September 12, you can catch the last free screening featuring the Academy Award-winning film Everything Everywhere All at Once. Bring your own snacks (or buy some popcorn at the event) and settle in for a cinematic evening with a view. Visit beltlineyyc. ca/movies for more information.
SKYCASTLE ROLLER RINK
Skate the night away at the newest addition to the local roller skating scene. Located within New Horizon Mall, SkyCastle Roller Rink offers “learn to skate” and “roller dancing” classes, arcade games and a bar with drinks and food. Skate rentals are available for $8. Visit skycastleroller.ca for more information and tickets.
OUR FATHERS, SONS, LOVERS AND LITTLE BROTHERS
Written and performed by Makambe K. Simamba, this powerful one-person show follows the after-life journey of Slimm, a 17-year-old Black boy in a hoodie, as he grapples with the life he lived and the death he didn’t choose. The opening show of the Handsome Alice Theatre 2024/25 season, Our Fathers, Sons, Lovers and Little Brothers runs from September 13 to 28 at the Big Secret Theatre in Arts Commons. Visit handsomealice.com for more information and tickets.
GEMS OF THE PARK
On September 14, Heritage Park will transport you back to the 1920s during its Gems of the Park fall fundraiser. Don’t miss an exciting night filled with dinner, silent/live auctions, 1920s-themed activities along the promenade and more, all while celebrating Heritage Park’s 60th anniversary. Visit heritagepark.ca for more information and tickets.
BEAKERHEAD
For its 11th year, Beakerhead makes the move to Telus Spark from September 20 to 22. Casting a spotlight on science, engineering, technology and art, the festival offers an exciting and inspiring weekend of programming. From a fire-breathing aluminum bronco sculpture to a giant, interactive octopus installation that plays music, there’s no
shortage of fascinating things to check out. Visit beakerhead.com for more information and tickets.
YYC PIZZA FEST
Calling all pizza fans, it’s officially your favourite month of the year. YYC Pizza Fest is back from September 20 to October 6 with delicious pizza creations from local restaurants. Part of the proceeds from these featured festival pizzas will go toward supporting Calgary Meals on Wheels, so try as many as you can and vote for your favourite pies online.Visit yycpizzafest.com for more information.
PUMPKINS AFTER DARK
These are not your average jack-o’-lanterns. At Pumpkins After Dark, you’ll see more than 10,000 pumpkins with incredible carvings. Walk
through the experience to see all the displays, enjoy some treats and check out live pumpkin carving demonstrations. This year’s event runs on select days from September 20 to October 31 at WinSport. Visit calgary.pumpkinsafterdark. com for more information and tickets.
NIGHT LIGHT FESTIVAL
The last weekend of September may also be the brightest, as Victoria Park lights up with light-art installations, projection-mapped architecture and more during the second Night Light Festival. From September 26 to 28, the free event highlights local artists through installations and live performances that are sure to dazzle the whole family. Visit nightlightvicpark.ca for more information.
THE BEACH YYC
Summer might be over but that doesn’t mean you can’t still hit the beach. The Beach YYC is the city’s only indoor beach with more than 700 tons of sand spread across 13,000 square feet in Ramsay. Whether you’re looking to join a beach volleyball or ultimate frisbee league, for a fun private event space for friends or a corporate group or even for a unique kids’ party idea, The Beach YYC will provide an experience you won’t soon forget. Beach-curious but don’t want to commit to a league or private rental — drop-in passes are also available. Visit thebeachyyc.ca for more information.
NATIONAL DAY FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, September 30, falls on a Monday this year, so some local organizations will be observing the day on September 29 with special programming and events. Heritage Park will have a day of programming on the 29th and self-identified Indigenous people will receive free admission. Visit heritagepark.ca for more information. Arts Commons will host a series of events to celebrate Indigenous ways of knowing on the 30th itself. Activities include an Indigenous Makers Market in the lobby of the Jack Singer and the Elders Story Project in the Jack Singer Concert Hall starting at 6:30. Visit artscommons.ca for more information.
SkyCastle Roller Rink
PHOTO: MACH MEDIA MARKETING
Onstage in September
BY NATHAN ILES
GUAYACÁN ORCHESTRA
Hailing from the Colombian capital Bogotá, Guayacán Orchestra will make you dance all night with its contagious rhythms and hip-shaking take on salsa music. September 1, 7 p.m. at Genesis Centre, 7555 Falconridge Blvd. N.E., colombianosenalberta.ca
BLUE JAY SESSIONS: 5TH ANNIVERSARY SPECTACULAR
Calgary’s fabled country and folk songwriters’ series is hosting a two-night event in honour of its 5th anniversary and recent CCMA Award nomination. Blue Jay’s founder Dan Clapson hosts each night, alongside local artists Mariya Stokes and Zenon, as over a dozen musicians from across Canada take the stage backed by a band and a string section. September 5 and 6, 7 p.m. at Mamdani Opera Centre, 1315 7 St. S.W., thebluejaysessions.com
GUSTAF W/ STUCCO & PARISIAN ORGY
The post-punk wobble and playful vocals of Gustaf were a highlight of last year’s Sled Island. If you missed both of those shows, you can’t miss this one. September 7, 8 p.m. at The Palomino, 109 7 Ave. S.W., thepalomino.ca
PHIL IN THE PARK + BEAT BEETHOVEN
For the seventh year in a row, Calgary Phil and Run Calgary join forces for an afternoon filled with Beethoven’s music and movement. And
if you feel super active, strap on your runners and run in the Beat Beethoven 4 or 8 km race. September 8, 2 p.m. at Prince’s Island Park, calgaryphil.com
ZEN GARDEN MUSIC FESTIVAL
Waterfront Park transforms into three dance floors of tech-house and DnB music with lush surroundings. Headliners this year include Derrick Carter and DJ Heather. September 14, 2 p.m. at Waterfront Park, 5225 101 St. N.W., zengardenfestival.com
NEKROGOBLIKON W/ ENTERPRISE EARTH & DEAD ICARUS
Is it melodic death metal, or is it goblin rock? Find out when Nekrogoblikon crushes the Dickens stage this fall, fronted by new vocalist Dickie Allen and a literal goblin hype man. September 16, 6 p.m. at Dickens, 1000 9 Ave. S.W., dickensyyc.com
TOKYO POLICE CLUB W/ BORN RUFFIANS
East-Canadian indie rockers Tokyo Police Club are calling it quits after nearly 20 years on the road. This might be your last chance to catch them in Calgary — ever. September 17, 7 p.m. at The Palace Theatre, 219 8 Ave. S.W., thepalacetheatre.ca
AVRIL LAVIGNE
Yes, Avril Lavigne is a bona fide pop-punk legend, and yes, you can catch all of her greatest hits at the Dome this month. Don’t make things so com-
FROM COLOMBIAN SALSA MUSIC TO WEST COAST HIP-HOP AND DANCEY POST-PUNK, SEPTEMBER IS ALL ABOUT THE SONICALLY CURIOUS IN CALGARY.
plicated. September 18, 7 p.m. at Scotiabank Saddledome, 555 Saddledome Rise S.E., scotiabanksaddledome.com
A TRIBUTE TO PINK FLOYD
The Wall, The Dark Side of the Moon, Animals — Pink Floyd’s discography speaks for itself, and touring act Jeans ‘n Classics is bringing these prog rock classics to life, backed by your Calgary Phil. September 20 and 21, 7:30 p.m. at Jack Singer Concert Hall, 205 8 Ave. S.E., calgaryphil.com
MIDNIGHT CHANNEL
With a distinctly ‘bertan take on free jazz and an electric live show, Midnight Channel has been making waves across the province. Catch them on the music mile and see what all the fuss is about. September 20, 8 p.m. at The Attic, 1413 9 Ave. S.E., theatticyyc.ca
JERRO
Carte Blanche Saturdays at Sub Rosa is an ongoing series of house music shows, and this edition features dance-y wunderkind Jerro on tour for his newest album Chromatic. September 21, 9 p.m. at Sub Rosa, 200 8 Ave. S.W., subrosayyc.com
SOCIAL DISTORTION W/ THE BELLRAYS
For over 30 years, Social Distortion has been crafting a potent blend of punk, bluesy rock n’ roll, and outlaw country. Catch some punk rock history at Mac Hall this September. September 23, 8 p.m. at Macewan Hall, 2500 University Dr.
N.W., machallconcerts.com
OPERA AFTER DARK
This month, Calgary Opera premieres a new events series called Opera After Dark, which promises immersive adventures and just a touch of opera for the musically bold and curious. September 26, 7 p.m. at Mamdani Opera Centre, 1315 7 St. S.W., calgaryopera.com
ELISAPIE
The National Music Centre presents Inuk singer-songwriter Elisapie on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Her music integrated Inuit themes and language into powerful rock ballads that linger in the mind and soul. September 30, 6:30 p.m. at Studio Bell, 850 4 St. S.E., studiobell.ca
SNAK THE RIPPER
Get ready for a distinctly West Coast Canadian take on hip-hop when Snak the Ripper comes to Calgary. That take involves fusing rock and metal influences into his indelible rhythm and beats. September 31, 8 p.m. at The Rec Room, 1180, 901 64 Ave. N.E., therecroom.com
MICHAEL MARCAGI
You’ve probably heard Michael Marcagi’s brand of wistful folk songwriting on TikTok, where his single “Scared to Start” went viral. It’s just one of the ear-worm tracks on his debut EP American Romance, released earlier this year. October 5, 7 p.m. at Commonwealth, 731 10 Ave. S.W., commonwealthbar.ca/
PHOTO: COURTESY OF BLUE JAY SESSIONS
PHOTO: BRITT ROSE
PHOTO: RENE DEFAYETTE
PHOTO: ANGELINE SIMON
Blue Jay Sessions
Zen Garden Music Festival
CPO’s Pink Floyd Tribute Midnight Channel
USE CODE SCENE40 FOR 40% OFF GENERAL ADMISSION PASSES
BMO CENTRE, STAMPEDE PARK
OCTOBER 18 & 19
Fall Performing Arts Overview
CALGARY’S STAGES ARE FOR EVERYONE THIS FALL
BY ARROY (AJ) JACOB
In 2020, Calgary’s performing arts venues sat empty for months. In 2021 and 2022, the arts story was about survival; in 2023, the focus was cautious optimism. This year’s watchword seems to be inclusion as the city’s arts organizations rebuild for broader audiences.
CALGARY OPERA
SToday, venues citywide are gearing up for world-class performances, with a focus on attracting new audiences and reviving those who stayed home during the pandemic. Artistic directors have promised to unite the community — and audiences are responding in kind.
Several artistic directors told us which shows they look forward to in the 2024-2025 season and why we should be excited.
ue Elliot, the general director and CEO of Calgary Opera, has worked with the institution since November 2023.
Throughout her career, she’s commissioned several contemporary operas. “I’ve produced a lot of very dynamic programming for people who consider themselves opera experts and also for people who are coming to operas for the first time,” she says.
To her, opera is an art form that should be available to all, as evident in Calgary Opera’s 2024 lineup. Their season kicks off with “Arias & Ales” on September 15 and November 24, in collaboration with Best of Kin Social, a local pub on 14 Street — a fresh experience that merges outdoor opera with
easygoing craft brews.
“I love it because it’s just so, so fun. You don’t have to get dressed; you just come to the pub, have some great food and drink, and listen to a little bit of the best opera.”
Another exciting event is one for the kids’ calendars.
“The Witty Squirrel” premieres on November 29, and it’s a family-friendly party for all ages.
“We’re gonna encourage everyone to come in their favourite costumes,” says Elliot. “Whether it’s an animal costume, a prince or a princess, king, queen — we’re going to embrace everyone to come as they are.”
EVEN MORE OPERA
BEAUTIFUL VOICES: The History of the Calgary Philharmonic Chorus celebrates the chorus’s repertoire, which includes opera, classical, and pop standards. September 17 at Central Library.
These shows are all aimed at being accessible to everyone. “This year, we’re hosting a sensory-friendly performance for the first time,” says Elliott. “It’s really to serve audiences of all ages who need different performing conditions to enjoy themselves. We will have a different setup for audience members who might need to disengage and decompress.”
Calgary Concert Opera brings Giuseppe Verdi’s Nabucco to life for two nights this month. September 19 at Lutheran Church of the Cross and September 21 at the Polaris Theatre.
Ammolite Opera, Calgary’s newest opera company hosts its annual Christmas concert, Deck The Halls December 20 at Grace Presbyterian Church.
Meanwhile, “Don Giovanni” launches on November 2 and tells a familiar tale of a wolf in gentlemen’s clothing. “Don Giovanni” is iconic for its dramatic score and Italian libretto, and this production will include English translations.
“Arias & Ales,” “The Witty Squirrel,” and “Don Giovanni” seek to prove that opera is not meant to be gate-kept: it’s another avenue to find community through art.
ALBERTA BALLET
Francesco Ventriglia, Alberta Ballet’s newest artistic director, has an impressive pedigree. His career spans the globe, and he has launched prestigious ballet projects in Italy, New Zealand, Australia, and Uruguay.
“This is my entire season,” he says. “I designed everything in the last six months... and we will open with La Sylphide in September [12].”
“La Sylphide” is Calgary’s first exposure to the iconic romantic ballet. Following this is “GRIMM” on October 17, a retelling of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales with dark undertones and impressive choreography. Ending 2024 is the holiday classic, “The Nutcracker,” premiering on December 13.
These three shows will dominate the Jubilee Auditorium, and all three are bringing new surprises to Calgary audiences. “Not only the ballet, even the music, the set, and the costumes, everything will be new for the first time on stage,” says Ventriglia.
Ventriglia believes that ballet can become essential to a Calgarian’s life. “If you have someone you love in your life — friends, family, or a special one — [that has] never been to the ballet, give ballet as a present,” he implores. “Allow them to escape into the theatre, and when the lights go out and the curtain goes up, they will experience a journey that will completely change their life.”
La Sylphide, featuring Luna Sasaki and Aaron Anker.
PHOTO: ELUVIER ACOSTA
THEATRE CALGARY + ALBERTA THEATRE PROJECTS
This fall, Calgary’s theatre community continues to evolve, and you’ll have many chances to catch a play in a (hopefully) packed house.
Arts Commons (soon to be re-christened the Werklund Centre) is a hub for Calgary’s theatre scene. Sarah Garton Stanely (SGS), the VP of Programming and a theatre director by trade, is particularly stoked for “The Lehman Trilogy,” a co-production between Arts Commons Presents and Theatre Calgary.
“The Lehman trilogy is a beautiful, beautiful show,” she says. “It’s won all the awards... It’s an amazing source of storytelling about the stock market collapse in 2008... told through the story of two brothers in mid-19th century Germany.”
EVEN MORE THEATRE
Handsome Alice Theatre begins its 24/25 season with a Tarragon Theatre/Verb Theatre co-production of Our Fathers, Sons, Lovers and Little Brothers. September 13 to 28 at the Big Secret Theatre Front Row Centre is bringing Nunsense: A Musical Comedy to the Pumphouse for a rowdy night of musical revue. September 13 to 28 at the Victor Mitchell Theatre.
But SGS is one of many artists excited about the city’s programming. Calgarian-born and raised, Haysam Kadri — known for leading the Calgary Shakespeare Company for over a decade — is now Alberta Theatre Projects’ artistic director, and he feels this season is a big one.
“Subscription numbers are the highest they’ve ever been in 15 years,” he says. “So it [this season] is a huge deal for us.”
Paul Gross, known for starring in Due South and Passchendaele, is anchoring the 50th anniversary season in ATP’s fall production of “The Sea-
EVEN MORE ORCHESTRA
Kensington Sinfonia begins its 30th season with Returns featuring Chris Sies on percussion. October 20 at St. Stephen’s Church.
Calgary Pro Musica rounds out the year with Master Series performances from the Jupiter Quartet on October 6 and 7, and Vox Luminis (a co-production with Early Music Voices) November 3 and 4.
Calgary Civic Symphony presents Women in Music on October 27 and Christmas and Neujahrskonzert on December 8 at the Jack Singer.
Calgary Jazz Orchestra is Celebrating Tony Bennett & The Complete Atomic Basie on October 23 and enjoying a Perfectly Frank Christmas on December 18 at the Bella Concert Hall.
farer.” Kadri says, “It’s a really fascinating play that delves into the world and the tumultuous seas of human frailty and redemption, and we’re stacking the deck with Calgarian [performers] in that show,” Reflecting on how ATP impacts Calgary, Kadri states, “The theatre is an essential service. We provide a very noble service to the community.”
SGS wants people to walk through the doors of Arts Commons and feel at home. “The more that can happen, the more we are helping to co-create the city that we all want. “
“This is Calgary, an unbelievably diverse place, and the stories that come with that must be on our stages.”
CALGARY PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Norwegian-born Rune Bergmann has been redefining orchestral music and kicking down doors at the local level as the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra’s music director since 2016. This year’s season will be Bermann’s last.
“Calgary [Phil] is unique in the way that we can play so many different styles,” he says. “Most orchestras only play classical, others play pop music; the Calgary Philharmonic plays everything, and it’s why this city is one I’ll never forget.”
A great example of this duality is “Tchaikovsky x Drake,” a concert Calgary Phil produces on September 7. This show will see Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s epic Fifth Symphony mashed together with songs by Canadian rapper Drake. It’s a meeting of old and new that will fuel the Kendrick Lamar/Drake feud even more.
Just a day later, “Phil in the Park + Beat Beethoven” is joining forces with Run Calgary on September 8 to combine music and movement.
“On Prince’s Island Park, we’ll be outside playing a Beethoven symphony while participants run around the Bow River in time before we finish playing,” explains Bermann. “And the best part of it all is that everyone is invited: there are programs for kids, and we have things for adults.” Adults can enjoy a VIP area with food and wine after the race, while the whole family is welcome to
enjoy a free concert in the heart of Prince’s Island.
This year, “Beat Beethoven” will be the biggest since its debut seven years ago. It’s a popular event that folks enjoy as they race around Prince’s Island, and upbeat classical music scores the journey like an action movie climax.
On October 5, the electronic beats of “Kiesza + Orchestra” will take over the Jack, with home-grown pop star performing live renditions of hit songs like “Phantom on the Dancefloor” alongside our Calgary Phil.
Broadway Across Canada brings the Broadway sensation Come From Away to Cowtown audiences this fall. September 17 to 22, at the Jubilee Auditorium.
Downstage is producing The Strategy of War this fall, a fusion of solo performance and live percussion. September 19 to 29 at Motel Theatre.
Vertigo Theatre is bringing horror-thriller The Woman in Black from London’s West End to Calgary. September 28 to October 27 at The Playhouse.
Morpheus Theatre celebrates its 30th season with the irreverent farce Drinking Habits October 4 to 12 at the Pumphouse Theatre.
Storybook Theatre presents the YA classic Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Musical this fall. October 11 to November 2 at Beddington Theatre Arts Centre.
Lunchbox Theatre begins its 50th season with Jake’s Gift, a meditation on WWII. October 30 to November 17 at The Studio.
“This is the first time in our history that we will collaborate with EDM,” Bermann says. “[Kieszsa is] extremely popular, and teaming up with the orchestra would be fantastic and exciting. Nobody should miss out on that.”
The Calgary Phil 2024 season promises lots of outside-of-the-orchestra pit surprises. “The audience should trust us,” says Bermann, “and brace for the unexpected.”
PHOTO: MICK MARSEILLES
Dance-pop chart topper Kiesza with the CPO, October 5.
Inside the KOAC
A LEGACY OF ART, LAND AND INSPIRATION
BY BENJAMIN HEISLER
If you haven’t already, this month is the time to catch an auburn autumn stroll at the Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre (KOAC).
The paths at this contemporary sculpture park loop through a 20-acre property of foothills grassland and birch forest on the outskirts of Calgary, and there is a dream alive on this land that may not be immediately apparent.
Beloved Canadian sculptor Katie Ohe, and her late husband, the renowned painter Harry Kiyooka, planned to transform their longtime home and studios into the KOAC, “a year-round, sustainable, art-in-nature destination dedicated to research, exhibition, education and documentation of contemporary visual arts.”
Located a short distance west of the ring road, the KOAC features an extensive art collection, an art gallery, studio spaces for emerging artists, a research library, and a publicly accessible grassland botanical sculpture park.
According to KOAC, “Harry Kiyooka and Katie Ohe’s belief in giving back to the community at large and the friends and family who supported their careers is what prompted them to establish the Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre.”
Ohe was born in 1937. She ushered in a modern approach to abstract sculpture in Alberta and continues to make exciting work. She says of the Centre, “...we envision here, that people can come and mingle with art...” Harry Kiyooka, who passed away in 2022, noted that the wooded area is intended to be maintained “as a sanctuary.”
A trip to this art centre allows you to share these extraordinary artists’ legacy on the land they loved. Although many of the artists represented in the sculpture park and in the collection of art housed indoors are internationally recognized in their own rights, the thread that brings their work together is that they also have been students, friends, or colleagues of Ohe and Kiyooka.
This unique place embodies the success and resilience of a Calgary-based home-grown arts community and continues to offer opportunities
for future emerging artists.
KOAC resident artists are typically allotted approximately two-month intervals. Recent artist-in-residence Vivianne Smith produced seven sculptures and several prints during her time working in the studio.
Kiyooka taught at the University of Calgary and Ohe at the Alberta University of the Arts (AUArts). Edmonton sculptor Brian Brennan wrote about Ohe, “Art isn’t something that Katie does, it’s who she is. Her teaching is like her art; it comes from the heart.”
During the decades that she taught, she also produced many major sculptures for public spaces in Calgary, including the fountain on Prince’s Island, Cracked Pot Foundations; Nimmons Park Cairn in Bankview, Janet’s Crown outside AUArts and the Zipper at the University of Calgary.
Many of her students have become wellknown contemporary Canadian artists, and several have works of public art in Calgary. A steel sculpture by Isla Burns is on display in a downtown Plus-15. Christian Eckart’s grand dichroic glass Hat Trick brightens up Centennial Place. Alex Caldwell’s Anomaly catches your eye across from Sheldon Chumir Health Centre and Robin Arseneault recently installed her new sculptures, Balancing Act at BLVD Beltline on McLeod Trail. And this month, Ohe herself unveils a brand-new street-level artwork commissioned by Hines.
Her legacy is evident throughout our city, and to understand it more deeply, visit KOAC for an outdoor art experience with a stroll through big-sky space and leafy forest, home to stone, chrome and steel and sometimes temporary sculptures.
On September 7, KOAC hosts its annual fundraising event. There will be a silent auction, music and park tours. The event features a firsttime-seen-side-by-side exhibition of founders Katie Ohe and Harry Kiyooka’s artworks. Ohe plans to speak to the gathered audience.
Donors and volunteers continue to enable growth and foster the hopeful vision of this venue and organization. Much work by contributing members over the past years has built
“...we envision here, that people can come and mingle with art...”
SCULPTOR AND FOUNDER KATIE OHE
the foundation and secured the KOAC place as a cultural promoter with deep roots.
This year, guided tours take place on the weekends starting at 10 a.m. To join, see bookings at www.koartscentre.org/tours/ Self-guided tours are encouraged Thursday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; donations are accepted.
PHOTOS: BENJAMIN HEISLER
Queen of the Night by Michael Sandle
Steel Wave by Roy Leadbeater
CJSW September Chartlist
Direct from your radio pals at 90.9 FM, here is a snapshot of the current artists & albums topping the charts at CJSW. Tune in, turn it up and enjoy.
1. Ghost Cartridge** - Ghost Cartridge (30/30)
2. Pack Rat* - Life’s a Trap (Drunken Sailor Records)
3. Bozo* - Too? (Self-Released)
4. Rodney Sharman & Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa* - Known and Unknown: Solo Piano Works by Rodney Sharman (Redshift Records)
5. Cola* - The Gloss (Fire Talk)
6. Buildings and Food* - Echo the Field (SelfReleased)
7. Wyatt C. Louis* - Chandler (Royal Mountain)
8. Arooj Aftab - Night Reign (Verve Records)
9. Eye of Newt** - Stay in Your Lane EP (SelfReleased)
10. Bad Hoo* - A Run-in With Worms (Cool Ranch)
11. Kym Gouchie* - Shun Beh nats’ujeh (We Are Healing Through Songs) (Sister Rain Records)
12. METZ* - Up On Gravity Hill (Sub Pop)
13. Ricca Razor Sharp** - Ricctoria Day (SelfReleased)
14. King Hannah - Big Swimmer (City Slang)
15. Who Cares** - Simple Lines of Enquiry (SelfReleased)
16. Melyssa Lee** - Treasures (Self-Released)
17. Colin Fisher* - Suns of the Heart (We Are Busy Bodies)
18. Laughing* - Because It’s True (Celluloid Lunch)
19. Common & Pete Rock - The Auditorium, Vol. 1 (Loma Vista Recordings / Concord)
20. Bad Bodies** - Bad Bodies EP (Self-Released)
21. Natalie Inga** - Nothing Less Than Me (LadyBro Music)
22. Turnarounds** - Turnarounds (Sketchy Records)
23. Iron Tusk** - Disowned (Moments Fest Records)
24. The Hi-Tops** - Lips, Hips, & Counterfeits (Fuzzy Dunlop)
25. NECHT** - The Prophecy of Karnifor (Self-Released)
26. Field Guide* - Rootin’ For Ya (Self-Released)
27. Blume* - Echoes at Night (Self-Released)
28. Bridgeland** - Automate (Self-Released)
29. Bluffing** - People Pleaser (Self-Released)
30. Ahmed Moneka* - Kanzafula (Lulaworld Records)
** Local
* Canadian
29 - DEC 8 2024
Producing in the prairies
LOCAL COMPANY NUMERA FILMS HAS CREATED FILM PRODUCTIONS
LIKE ABRACADAVERS IN ALBERTA FOR A DECADE.
BY NATHAN ILES
In 2016, local actor and producer Griffin Cork had a harrowing near miss while shooting a scrappy TV pilot here in Calgary.
“It’s a scene where [my character] Chris is running after a van because they took his chair,” he remembers. “I’m booking it after this van. I’m running, I’m running, I’m running…, Afterwards, people ask, ‘Are you okay, man?’ And because it’s just kids fucking around with the camera, two vans were driving beside each other, and the camera person was in one van. And I didn’t know this, but the drivers of both vans started to veer in. I almost got crushed between two vans!”
That pilot was for Abracadavers, the now-flagship show of local film production company Numera Films, which just wrapped shooting its third season this past May. That initial pilot was funded through the Telus STORYHIVE program and led Numera to earn a $100,000 grant to film the entire season in 2019. Around this time, Cork — who has deep ties to Calgary’s theatre scene — officially joined Numera as one of its core producers while still starring in the show.
That first day on set for season one was surreal for the actor-turned-producer. “There’s a crew of like 30 to 35 people,” he recounts. “ And they turn to me, Morgan and Jo and say, ‘Hey, first day. Is there anything you want to say?’ It’s moments like that where I go, ‘How did we get here?’”
Those other two “kids fucking around with a camera” are director Morgan Ermter and cinematographer Josef Wright, the founders of Numera. The two got the germ of the idea in 2014 while working in the back of a SAIT classroom while enrolled in the Film and Video Production program. They officially incorporated in 2016 alongside Cork and producer Cayley Ermter.
According to their website, Numera is proud to be “storytellers first and filmmakers second” in all of their work, which also includes film work for weddings, businesses, and musicians.
Numera enjoys playing with genre conventions, according to Morgan Ermter. “Real life is
“ REAL LIFE IS GREAT, BUT WE’RE IN MOVIES; WE CAN DO LITERALLY
WHATEVER WE WANT .”
MORGAN ERMTER, DIRECTOR, NUMERA FILMS
great, but we’re in movies; we can do literally whatever we want.”
Abracadavers is a great example — their own twee, Wes Anderson-esque take on the superhero genre, a coming-of-age tale about a group of friends navigating life with superpowers, explicitly set in Alberta.
Our province’s rolling hills and golden prairies are a boon for the Numera team. “The variety of environments available to you within an hour of a metropolitan city… It’s unlike anything else, not any other province or place else in North America,” says Cork.
Abracadavers’ third season took the crew on a whirlwind prairies road trip, shooting on Scott Ranch in Longview, the Atlas Coal Mine in Drumheller, the Sundre & District Museum (in collaboration with the Mountainview Regional Film Office), and the brutalist architecture of the old Greyhound Bus Station in Calgary (where I hung out with Cork and Ermter during their last day of filming).
“When we’re shooting in locations, we don’t want to pretend that we’re somewhere else,” says Ermter. “It’s not some fantastical place, even if the story is fantastical. I like to [ask], ‘What did I do growing up and where was I, and can we just go and shoot at these places?’”
In 2021, the provincial government removed a cap that limited film and television productions to a maximum $10 million tax credit claim, opening the floodgates for larger productions like The Last of Us to film here. But according to Cork, there’s also tons of room for smaller companies like Numera.
“Calgary Economic Development welcomes productions really well and equally works with indie productions [to find] spaces, like with location scouts,” he says. “It’s an indie-friendly city.” The third season of Abracavers is produced in partnership with Canada Media Fund, and the team is, at the time of writing, seeking a new distributor for it, likely through streaming.
“Introducing a lot of elements that feel personal to me helps me better connect and helps other people better connect to the story,” says Ermter of the third season. From a hair salon chair found in an alley that drove the entire first season to
Griffin Cork and Morgan Ermter on set shooting Abracadavers.
PHOTO: NATHAN ILES
his mother’s old television set, Abracadavers is full of small details that connect to its creators’ lives and foster its inner nostalgia for the people who’ve spent eight years making it.
“It’s the atmosphere where we want to feel, or you want people working on the show, to have that connection where they’re willing to put a piece of themselves in it.”
Beyond Abracadavers, Numera wrapped filming on Project: Six Shooter last year, a horror-western mashup co-produced with Greater Fool Films LLC. You can also catch their short film CROW at this year’s Calgary International Film Festival (read more about that on page 18). It’s a profoundly personal film for Ermter, made possible by the deep camaraderie Numera has fostered since its humble beginnings.
“Making stuff with people you love is the biggest piece of advice I can give filmmakers,” says Cork. “Sometimes it gets tricky with money, for sure, but the pros so vastly outweigh the cons.”
Catch seasons 1 and 2 of Abracadavers on Roku and Tubi, and learn more about Numera’s upcoming work at numerafilms.com.
ENTRIESTOTHEMARKETS
PHOTO: NATHAN ILES
The crew of Abracadavers season 3 on set in Calgary.
The crew of Six Shooter.
PHOTO: MIKE TAN
CIFF at 25
WHAT’S CHANGING, WHY IT’S RELEVANT, AND WHY YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT THE 25TH CALGARY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, ON FROM SEPTEMBER 19 TO 29
“Film festivals are a showcase… We’re pointing you to things that you may not be familiar with. And going to the movies is a beautiful, communal experience.”
CELINA VIDES, CIFF’S INDUSTRY SPECIALIST AND FEATURES PROGRAMMER IN RESIDENCE
BY NATHAN ILES
For its 25th edition this year, the Calgary International Film Festival has to evolve.
“We’re going through the single largest operational shift in festival space in well over a decade,” says Katherine Penhale, who has been acting executive director of CIFF since last December. With the shuttering of Eau Claire Market last May — and the retro Cineplex that resided on the mall’s top floor — the festival lost one of its long-time venues, and downtown Calgary’s cinema space has been cut down to just the Globe Cinema supported by Kensington’s Plaza Theatre. “This is not just a large shift in terms of where we watch movies,” Penhale says, “But [also] the partnership component of what we have to develop to be able to be in these spaces and acquire funds to purchase projectors.”
The projectors she refers to are crucial to what CIFF calls its new “Constellation of venues” in downtown Calgary. At a press conference earlier this year, the festival committed to buying six industry-level digital cinema projectors and related equipment by 2026 to convert unconventional venues across Calgary into moviegoing
experiences. “They’re not inexpensive, at about $60,000 a pop,” says Penhale. “So we’re super grateful to the Calgary Foundation, who came through with $125,000 in funding [this year].” That funding will allow CIFF to acquire two of the projectors by October.
“People want to watch movies in these unique spaces,” says Penhale. “You see film programming popping up at many of these venues, and being able to offer them the opportunity to use true cinematic equipment and also allow them to expand their programming scope beyond just retrospective stuff… is exciting.”
When they arrive this fall, CIFF plans to use these new projectors for off-season programming throughout the year. For this year’s festival, however, Constellation will activate Contemporary Calgary and The Plaza for screenings while the good old Globe Cinema soldiers on. Just down Macleod Trail, the Chinook Cineplex will also host CIFF screenings for the first time, shifting the festival experience from the downtown core to a more accessible space — with easy parking.
All this evolution on a landmark anniversary isn’t lost on the festival organizers. “What’s changed is what audiences need to be offered,” says Penhale. “If they can go watch the same movie they can get at home on streaming, they
have no motivation to be here. So we have to do more. It’s bringing in filmmakers and additional special experiences, as well as what we can do to make it feel special inside and outside the theatre. Those things must come into play because otherwise, the value statement is not as high.”
In other words, you might want a specific reason to check out a film festival rather than crush your recommended queue on Netflix. CIFF’s first-ever artistic director, Brian Owens, makes the case by pointing toward the curated aspect. “If we had the space, we could just throw all 4,000 movies submitted to us on the screen,” he says. “But that’s not really what people want… We bring that expertise to the table, saying, ‘Hey, we recommend these.’ I know not everyone is going to like everything. We don’t expect that. But if you’d like a certain style or a certain type of movie, then it’s here waiting for you.” He even recommends chatting with festival staff at the theatres if you’re feeling aimless and unsure what to watch: they all try to learn as much as possible about the movies.
Owens, who joined the CIFF team in 2018, also feels that CIFF’s regional aspect sets it apart from other festivals like the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) or Cannes. “We’re the preeminent place for films made in the prairies,” he says. “We try to support our filmmakers
from here in Alberta, but also in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, because we’re the largest festival in the region, [while] also working with the city and our reputation trying to grow.”
This year’s Industry Week at CIFF takes place from September 20 to 23 and, according to the CIFF website, is centred on three themes: “Persevering in the Film & TV Industries,” “Essential Skills for Emerging Creators,” and “Honest Paths to Representation.” The Alberta Spirit package of short film selections is focused on Alberta filmmakers (read more on page 16)). As Penhale puts it, the festival is not just about what’s “made in Alberta” but what’s “made by Alberta.”
If nothing else, a film festival can offer a place to connect with others. And in today’s isolated digital age, that makes it more relevant than ever, according to CIFF’s industry specialist and features programmer in residence, Celina Vides. “Film is a medium that is so accessible to everyone, anywhere: on your phone, in an independent theatre, in a Cineplex,” she says. “Film festivals are a showcase… We’re pointing you to things that you may not be familiar with. And going to the movies is a beautiful, communal experience.”
Check out CIFF’s lineup and get tickets at ciffcalgary.ca. CIFF runs September 19 to 29 at various locations.
CIFF audience, 2023
PHOTO: MICHAEL GRONDIN
The short reason you should check out CIFF shorts
Lead Shorts Programmer Adam Keresztes has a funky method of curating.
“A package of films has some thematic current that’s running through all these films, and they get sort of lumped into 90-minute-totwo-hour chunks,” says Keresztes. CIFF will present these “packages” alongside feature-length presentations. They always have a documentary package, a late-night horror one, and so on, though several themes are up in the air each year.
When grouping the packages by theme, Keresztes will come up with temporary names for each package for internal use… and he picked song titles from a single musician for the last three years. “It’s not like you choose the artist and then you program the films to the artists,” he says. “You’ve got to find someone whose songs can be pretty malleable to the curation,”
Past artists he’s used include Bob Marley, Solange Knowles, and Wu-Tang Clan. With this year’s Y2K marketing and theming, he’s gone with an early aughts classic: Christina Aguilera.
It’s an off-beat approach to one of the more off-beat parts of CIFF. With all the micro-content we are algorithmically surrounded by, a series of selected short films in a theatre presents an
We’re researching, going to other festivals, and looking at all these other films and trying to bring the best of what we think our audience will like.”
ADAM KERESZTES, CIFF LEAD SHORTS PROGRAMMER
intriguing alternative. “You can go on YouTube and watch short films for literally years of your life,” Keresztes says. “But… our programmers know our audience. We’re researching, going to other festivals, and looking at all these other films and trying to bring the best of what we think our audience will like. [We’re] trying to build some rapport so that audiences trust
our curation… and trust in our process.” Like naming packages after bangin’ songs.
You can also experience a shot of homegrown talent with the Alberta Spirit package, a rapid-fire selection of locally produced short films that CIFF programs every festival. One such film this year is ALL IS NOT FORGOTTEN, a Scorsese-esque thriller directed by local filmmaker gbohunmi. The film features Toronto-Calgary transplant actor Colin Munch, and for him, it’s a chance to view our city in a different light.
“We’re so saturated with American movies about the mythology of American cities,” he says. “Canada doesn’t really have that, even though our cities have so much character. Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Vancouver, and Halifax… all of these cities should be as iconic as any big American city. So it was cool to make a movie that’s like a New York movie [set] in Calgary.”
A crime movie shot guerilla-style and set in Cowtown — Why not? Short films present a one-shot chance to explore anything… and do it quickly. “It’s a whole movie: It’s just shorter,” says Munch. “If you can get a satisfying narrative experience in a five-minute movie or 20 minutes, what’s the difference?”
Globe Theatre
bd&p
bd&p world stage Trailblazing Women of Country: A Tribute to Patsy, Loretta and Dolly March 4, 2025
bd&p world
November 3, 2024
bd&p
bd&p
10 SCENE PICKS AT CIFF
BLACK DOG
Why should you see it? Canadian-Taiwanese actor Eddie Peng leads this quirky Chinese thriller, which earned the Un Certain Regard prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
SOUL’S ROAD
Why should you see it? This Alberta-made film will debut to the world at this year’s festival. It stars country star Dallas Smith and blends narrative and musical elements.
THE HOBBY
Why should you see it? It’s a history-spanning documentary about board games screening at The Plaza — just across from the Hexagon Board Game Cafe!
GODDESS OF THE SLIDE: THE FORGOTTEN STORY OF ELLEN MCILWAINE
Why should you see it? Immerse yourself in an offbeat piece of Calgary history. Ellen Mcllwaine was a slide-guitar legend who played with Hendrix before driving a school bus and teaching music in Cowtown.
CAN I GET A WITNESS
Why should you see it? Grey’s Anatomy and Killing Eve fans will delight in seeing Sandra Oh in this film, while experimental movie fans will dig its animation/live-action hybrid vision of the future.
SUNBURNT UNICORN
Why should you see it? Calgary animator and comic artist Nick Johnson has channelled his unique eye for character design into a surreal 3D odyssey that garnered accolades at the Ottawa International Film Festival.
CROW
Why should you see it? Numera Films (who you can learn more about on page 12) originally shot CROW as a proof-of-concept for another film. The 13-minute short became a standalone piece of highly personal, Alberta-oriented storytelling.
ENBY BREAST CANCER
Why should you see it? Local artist and drag performer Mike Hooves has been documenting their struggle with breast cancer through raw artwork posted to Instagram. This short documentary explores their experience of being a queer Calgarian navigating life after diagnosis.
Black Dog
Goddess of Slide: The Forgotten Story of Ellen McIlwaine
Sunburnt Unicorn
Soul’s Road
SEEDS
Why should you see it? Reservation Dogs alum Kaniehtiiio Horn makes her directorial debut with this Indigenous horror banger, which premieres at TIFF right before making its way to the prairies.
WE FORGOT TO BREAK UP
Why should you see it? Exclaim! described this story of an indie rock band led by a transmasculine singer as “a love song for Toronto’s music scene.” This sounds like a no-brainer with the bumpin’ music scene we enjoy here in Calgary.
EVENING CONCERTS (TICKETED SHOWS)
SEPT. 20 | 7:30 PM Jasmine Jazz featuring Jodi Proznick Trio and Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble SEPT. 21 | 7:30 PM Instrumental fusion ensemble XIA-3 SEPT. 22 | 7:30 PM Mid-Autumn Star Finals showcase.
Pop-up market • Instrument demonstrations • Costume displays • Lion and dragon dances • Singing contest • Matinee performances with Calgary's Gai Lan Ensemble, the Calgary Chinese Orchestra, Zhaoli Dance School, and many more performances and activities! STUDIOBELL.CA/WHATS-ON
The Beatles in Canada FROM
Experience a nostalgic tribute to The Beatles’ transformative years upon arriving in Canada for the first time. Revisit the frenzied excitement that swept the nation.
EXHIBITION ON NOW UNTIL JAN. 5
Featuring 2024 Artist inductee k.d. lang and Builder inductee Gilles Godard , and more of Canada's
Enby Breast Cancer Seeds
PHOTO: FRANZ CASTILLO CROW
GETTING ERRATIC WITH INSIDE OUT
INSIDE OUT THEATRE CELEBRATES THE OPENING OF THEIR NEW BELTLINE VENUE, THE ERRATICS INDIE ARTS CLUB, WITH THE DEBUT OF ASHLEY KING’S ORIGINAL PRODUCTION, STATIC.
BY SARAH COMBER
“...at Inside Out, we’ve embraced disability, deafness and mental illness. We are not interested in loss or in deficit. We are here for the culture.”
COL CSEKE, ARTISTIC AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
When it came to finding a new space for Inside Out Theatre, a Deaf, Disability and Mad theatre company, artistic and executive director Col Cseke was looking for a space as unique and versatile as the company’s programming.
“The second I walked in, it felt right. It felt like a creative space,” he says, describing the home of The Erratics Indie Arts Club. The new venue will be a fully operational theatre dedicated to fostering Calgary’s indie performance scene — along with hosting Inside Out’s innovative, accessible productions.
“The dream was to have a space big enough that we could build out an actual theatre and be somewhere out of Downtown, but still central. We wanted to be in a place that felt really welcoming, lively, active and creative,” says Cseke, adding that Inside Out lost
its previous space in Eau Claire with the construction of the Green Line.
The new space is nestled along the same street as Last Best Brewing and Modern Love. Cseke was drawn to this particular performance venue because of its “quirks,” including wide windows, two levels, and a couple of overhangs. Contrarily, Cseke had viewed a space the day prior that would have easily housed a traditional, square black box theatre.
“If we built a square theatre, then we’d be encouraging square plays,” says Cseke. “If we go into this other space that has some unique challenges and turn it into a theatre space that can be really flexible — and a little bit funky and cool and weird — then hopefully we’ll be encouraging cool and weird theatre to happen.”
Overcoming what others might view as challenges to create something weird and wonderful is nothing new to Inside Out.
“Historically, a lot of disability art
was often centered around what disabled folks don’t have; what they lack, what their impairments are, what their deficiencies are,” says Cseke. “But at Inside Out, we’ve embraced disability, deafness and mental illness. We are not interested in loss or in deficit. We are here for the culture.”
Inside Out Theatre strives to make performance art accessible for both performers and audience members, with community programs and professional productions that integrate clever “hacks” (as Cseke puts it). These hacks rewire traditional theatre to not only be disability-friendly, but also utterly unique — such as facilitating sign language interpreted performances, sensory-friendly gallery visits, and live audio descriptions for audiences. Meanwhile, professional performances highlight mediums like wheelchair dance and workarounds for actors who have trouble memorizing both long monologues and choreography.
PHOTO: CAMILLE CRAIG
“We create and present shows that are just as artistically rigorous, creatively excellent, and exciting as the rest of the professional theatre world. But created by deaf and disabled artists that really showcase the vibrancy of their culture,” says Cseke.
Indeed, Ashley King, artistic associate with Inside Out Theatre, is taking back her narrative as a legally blind performer and playwright in her debut production, Static; the opening of which will also mark the opening of The Erratics Indie Arts Club.
Darkly funny, Static retells King’s real-life experiences backpacking through Australia and Bali at age 19 as a self-professed party girl, before unwittingly being served bootleg vodka in a club. She survives methanol poisoning, but wakes up in an Indonesian hospital without her vision. King, who plays herself, acts across from co-star Jaime
“Without spaces like The Erratics, artists like me don’t exist...”
PLAYWRIGHT ASHLEY KING
Cesar, who plays her mother, Carolina.
“We see Ashley as a baby blind person, just really angry and and really hating the world, and struggling the way that a young person does in their early 20s,” says King, who is now 32.
“I’ve tried to keep it as humorous and dark as possible, but we obviously get into some bits that are sadder,” she adds. “The tougher parts that Ashley has to overcome and get through, so that she can get to the part where she’s on-stage and is obviously okay. Where I can actually say I’m a little bit okay.”
King started writing Static in 2020. Collaborating with her mentors Rebecca Northan and Bruce Horak — a legally blind actor King met while attending her first Inside Out production — King says she was surprised by how emotionally affected she was while writing.
“I think I believed that I was over the trauma
DO SOMETHING GOOD
Feel like doing some good? Starting last month, community members and Deaf, Disabled and Mad theatre enthusiasts who join Inside Out’s Community of Do Gooders — the theatre company’s monthly giving program — will have their very own Post-It Portrait drawn by Sam Hester. A renowned Calgary-based artist, Hester is an award-winning visual storyteller whose comics have been published internationally.
Each Do Gooder gives Inside Out a small monthly donation — about the cost of one
cup of coffee. Collectively, these small acts of generosity help support the company’s productions, as well as their community classes and outreach. In celebration of the opening of The Erratics Indie Arts Club, Do Gooder’s will each get their own portrait sketched and printed on a Post-It sized piece of paper. The portraits will be featured on Inside Out’s PostIt Portrait Gallery, as well as appearing on the company’s website.
To learn more, visit insideouttheatre.com/ do-gooder.
of losing my eyesight, and that I had dealt with all my demons,” she says. “Although [writing Static] was a very traumatic thing to go through, it ended up being a very therapeutic thing to go through.”
King adds that through writing Static, she’s been able to “take back this really awful thing that happened to me, and turn it into something that actually brings me joy.”
“I’m most excited for the first big joke that happens in Static, and to have The Erratics filled with spontaneous laughter,” says Cseke, adding that King is a success story at Inside Out. Passionate about performance from a young age, King thought she’d have to give up acting after she lost her sight.
“Without spaces like The Erratics, artists like me don’t exist,” says King, noting that there is a huge jump from graduating theatre school or actor training to joining large companies like Theatre Calgary. She adds that actors are often told to create their own work if they aren’t getting cast in anything.
“That was the other reason why I decided to write my own show,” she says. “I didn’t know many people casting a blind Mexican, so I decided to write a show about a blind Mexican. Then I’ll have to cast myself, because I’m the only blind Mexican I know.”
Cseke says spaces like The Erratics are essential for up-and-coming artists, like King.
“The indie community is the entry point for a lot of artists that aren’t super represented at the legacy organization stage,” says Cseke. “Also, the indie community is where creative innovation and experimentation comes from.”
Transforming The Erratics Indie Arts Club
WHAT’S ON AT INSIDE OUT THEATRE
Static by Ashley King: A dark comedy retelling King’s experience losing her sight while backpacking through Bali. September 4 to 14
Translations: A dance show for the non-visual senses and part of Springboard Performance’s Fluid Festival. Sighted audience members will experience the show blind-folded. October 22 to 27
Most Imaginary Worlds: A touring kids’ show that will also have special “grown-ups-only pajama nights” performed at The Erratics. March 31 to April 11, 2025
Lazy Susan: Audience members will join actors seated around a giant rotating table, while engaging in sensory play. June 2 to June 14, 2025
will take part in two phases. The first phase is to make The Erratics as accessible as possible, including building universal washrooms on the ground floor and installing an elevator up to the second mezzanine level.
Over the course of the following year, while the 2024 season progresses, the company will continue to add and collect necessary theatre equipment. Come summer 2025, The Erratics will undergo a second construction phase and build-out typical theatre infrastructure, such as a lighting grid and installing sound and audio-visual technology.
“It’s going to be a crunchy six months or so,” says Cseke. “It’s going to take a while for it to feel like everything is settled, because it does feel like the stakes are really high for us. But, we really believe in The Erratics. We believe that it is needed for both us and for our community.”
The Erratics Indie Arts Club opens with the debut of Static on September 4. The show runs until September 14. Tickets can be purchased at insideouttheatre.com
BY KRISTA SYLVESTER
If there was a slogan for the variety and magnitude of the city’s artistic opportunities, it could be “There’s an emerging artists program for that.”
As the city continues to grow, so do the options for Calgary’s emerging artists to choose from when they are ready to take the next step in their artistry.
From city and provincial grants to corporate backed programs and everything in between, there’s something for almost every type of budding creator.
It all starts with searching for them, says Calgary Arts Development president and CEO Patti Pon, who says there is a list on their website but also encourages artists to search far and wide.
“Calgary Arts Development is known as an arts funder, so we provide granting programs for both individuals as well as collectives and organizations,” Pon says, adding networking is also a great way to connect with opportunities.
One example of that is the Creative Life Congress held every December, which brings passionate individuals together to share their ideas and creativity while honing their skills through workshops.
“It is designed to create the conditions where every Calgarian can live their most creative life.
EMERGING ARTISTS
FROM CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP PROGRAMS TO SMALL GRANTS, CALGARY’S BUDDING ARTISTS
HAVE A VARIETY OF OPPORTUNITIES AT THEIR FINGERTIPS.
If we centre artists in that, people will be more creative,” Pon says. “Creativity is something that the more you do it, the better you get.”
This free offering is a great way for budding artists to continue developing their craft while connecting with others for potential collaboration projects.
“The key is always about networking. One of the things that people often talk about Calgary is that it is really welcoming and hospitable,” says Pon. “Be present, be in the community, take in events when you can and where you can.”
Arts Commons is another invaluable arts hub,
Current
TD Incubator Fellow Wakefield
Brewster is known as one of Canada’s most powerful professional performance poets and he also just might be one of Calgary’s biggest cheerleaders when it comes to the city’s art scene. He was raised in Toronto by parents from Barbados, but he has lived in Calgary since 2016 and champions the city as a great place to foster an arts career.
“I believe that the arts and the arts communities are the heart and the heartbeats of this city. We have become such an inclusive, exciting and outwardly reaching, creative community that we are finally keeping our hometown heroes
with a variety of programs and grants available to artists at all stages of their careers, including the RBC Emerging Visual Artists Program and the TD Incubator program.
Each season of the TD Incubator program is designed and facilitated by Incubator Fellows who curate and guide the direction of the upcoming Incubator offerings, including their exhibitions and performances. Each year’s chosen Incubator Fellow also receives direct mentorship and support in their career development.
Previous Fellows have included Sargeant x Comrade and Wakefield Brewster, who is about
ARTISTS SUPPORTING THE ARTS
WAKEFIELD BREWSTER
home,” he says. “We are bringing artists from abroad, from Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver — cities where Calgary artists not that long ago believed they needed to go to have their careers become something more fulfilling and outward reaching.”
He says that’s why the city’s emerging arts
to hand the reigns over to the next artist.
“It’s an incredible story with Wakefield. He was part of our first incubator cohort and then fast forward to another year and he’s leading it,” says Joshua Dalledonne, associate director of Social Impact for Arts Commons.
This speaks to the level of opportunity that emerging artists have available and how successful they can be. Dalledonne believes the impact of these programs can shift the trajectory of an individual’s career and he would love to see even more opportunities available to artists.
“In no way is this a space where there can ever be enough. I need other arts organizations, I need other artists to be open to experiences like this so that there’s a healthy exchange,” he says, adding the city is richer for the diversity of voices and art forms across the city.
“This is not about if this exists over here, then it can’t exist over here. Creativity is not a finite resource. In fact, the more that it’s used and the more that it’s shared, the more of it there will be.”
Dalledonne’s advice to emerging artists when it comes to applying for grants and programs is just do it.
“The application process is intentionally easy, intentionally straightforward, so that we can meet artists that we wouldn’t have the opportunity to meet elsewhere,” he says.
Participants in the RBC Emerging Visual Art-
programs are so important. “Without these types of programs and opportunities, I believe that artists who need this kind of amplification will not receive it in many cases,” he says. “I believe that it is not only an opportunity and a program, but it’s a platform and a portal.”
Brewster believes that once any artist has used every resource provided by a program and opportunity like the TD incubator program at Arts Commons, they can’t help but be a bigger, better, more fantastically fuller artist. “It is paramount that we have these types of opportunities and programs so that artists are able to reach audiences, unbeknownst to them.”
PHOTO: COURTESY WAKEFIELD BREWSTER
ARTS SCENE
“In no way is this a space where there can ever be enough. I need other arts organizations, I need other artists to be open to experiences like this so that there’s a healthy exchange.”
JOSHUA DALLEDONNE, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL IMPACT FOR ARTS COMMONS
ists Program have an opportunity to exhibit in Arts Commons’ Lightbox Studio, Ledge Gallery, +15 Galleries and Window Galleries throughout the season. They also receive professional development in the form of workshops, networking and mentorship.
“Like the TD Incubator program, the goal [of the RBC Emerging Visual Artists program] is to retain creative talent in this city and assist them in reaching their professional goals. Professional development can take all kinds of forms, from how to build a website, to how to do your taxes and apply for grants,” Dalledonne says, adding the programs are tailored to the artists’ needs. With a vision where every Calgarian realizes their potential, Calgary Public Library’s mission is to empower community through connections to ideas and experiences, inspiration and insight. That mission also includes offering several annual paid residency opportunities for artists; Children’s Illustrator, Author, Newcomer Artist, Indigenous Artist, Musician, Storyteller and Creator.
“Calgary Public Library residencies support emergent to mid-careers artists that are individuals and collectives living and working in Calgary and surrounding First Nations communities,” says Kate Schutz, a service design lead at Calgary Public Library. “Each residency
ARTS SUPPORT
provides time and space to make their work and opportunities to build their skills through public programming and an exhibition or final performance.”
Many residencies are presented in partnership with community organizations that enhance the opportunity, such as the newcomer and Indigenous Artist residents.
“Artists engage with the public through free programs, workshops, school visits, lectures and one-on-one consultations, online, in their studios at Central or at their community Library. These residents inspire Calgarians by facilitating accessible and inclusive experiences.”
Mayor Jyoti Gondek is a staunch supporter of the city’s arts and believes programs and grants for emerging artists are vital in providing artists with more opportunities to develop their craft.
“The creative sector in Calgary contributed nearly $2.7 billion to GDP in 2019, and the Conference Board of Canada is projecting jobs and economic activity lost in the early years of the pandemic to surpass pre-pandemic levels in the coming years,” she says. “As projects like the Arts Commons Transformation, the Glenbow Museum and Contemporary Calgary come to fruition, we look forward to seeing the arts community improve and contribute to the diversification of Calgary’s economy.”
A SMATTERING OF THE CITY’S PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT EMERGING ARTISTS.
Original Peoples Investment Program
Calgary Arts Development
The Original Peoples Investment Program provides one-time project funding to First Nation, Metis and Inuit individual artists, artist collectives and Indigenous-led and centred arts organizations in Treaty 7.
Arts Presenting Project Funding
Alberta Foundations for the Arts
This funding supports the public presentation of professional artists by reimbursing a portion of professional artists’ fees for the preceding year. Categories such as performing arts including music, dance, theatre, circus arts and spoken word, visual and new media arts.
The McPhee Artist Development Program Calgary Opera
Each season, Calgary Opera provides up to eight young singers with the opportunity to study and perform under a professional staff of teachers and performers.
FACTOR: Artist Development
The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent On Recording
The Artist Development program offers 75 per cent of eligible expenses up to a maximum of $5,000 towards a year of artist development activities including sound recording, touring, showcasing, video content production and marketing.
Alberta’s Artist in Residence/Arts
Ambassador Government of Alberta
This annual opportunity is open to all artists who are residents of Alberta that practice any artistic disciplines including, dance, film and video, Indigenous arts, literary arts, music, theatre, visual arts and new media.
Alberta Playwright’s Network Variety of Grants Available
The APN provides a curated selection of grants and opportunities available to playwrights in Alberta and across Canada specifically.
PHOTO: MIKE TAN
Connor Hoppenbrouwers (McPhee artist) Das Rheingold, Calgary Opera 2024.
PHOTO: HARDERLEE PHOTOGRAPHY
Fall Exhibiton Opening Reception: Friday 20 September, 6-9pm
Constellations: Racial myths, land, and labour Curated by Su-Ying Lee 21 September-15 December
Project Space: Levin Ifko: Tender To The Flame
Image: Leonard Suryajaya Parting Gift for Quarantine Blues, 2024 Esker Foundation. Photo by: Blaine Campbell.
MUSIC SCENE
PIANO FOR ALL
THE 2024 HONENS FESTIVAL IS STAGING ACCESSIBLE PIANO CONCERTOS IN CALGARY MALLS, STREETS, AND MORE.
BY NATHAN ILES
For the Calgary-based piano competition Honens, standing out goes deeper than tickling the ivories.
“Honens has always had a focus on artistry, and what we call the ‘Complete Artist,’” says artistic director Jon Kimura Parker (who prefers to go by Jackie). “The ‘Complete Artist’ is somebody who’s not just a great pianist; it’s somebody who clearly has something to say musically, someone who has an artistic message and is delving into the music.”
The most recent “Complete Artist” is 21-yearold Ukrainian pianist Illia Ovcharenko, who was crowned Honens Prize Laureate at the 2022 Honens International Piano Competition. This contest between young pianists from across the world only happens every three years — but the Honens Festival, a multi-day shindig of piano concerts across Calgary, takes place every September. And for the 2024 edition, Ovcharenko is returning to The Blue Sky City to come full circle and perform three concertos.
“A big part of the Honens prize is career development,” Jackie says. “We help them make all these debut appearances, we help them get concert management and make recordings… So it’s exciting for us to have somebody like that promoting the competition as much as we’re promoting him.”
Honens claims to be the “home of Canada’s international piano competition” for people in their 20s. Springboarding off of a 1991 donation of $5 million from philanthropist Esther Honens, the organization’s triannual piano competition has grown into an incubator of young musical talent recognized worldwide. The festival, meanwhile, is meant to “share Mrs. Honens’ love of world-renowned music, and provide every Calgarian access to barrier free, enriching musical experiences.”
“It’s a very important way for us to stay engaged with the city of Calgary every year,” says Jackie. “Most of the events are free! It’s a way to remind the city and all of our family of support-
“Frankly, there’s nothing more exciting to me than seeing three or four musicians on stage in a small group, just smiling at each other while they’re playing, and sharing collected energy.”
JACKIE (JON) KIMURA PARKER
ers what we do in the world of piano.” Jackie, himself an internationally acclaimed pianist and educator, will be performing on the second day of the festival alongside Ovcharenko and Alberta-based pianists Carmen Morin and Zhenni Li-Cohen on a pretty unconventional stage: Stephen Avenue. In fact, you might even catch Ovcharenko and other performers kicking off the festival as you stroll through Chinook Mall!
But inclusivity goes deeper than making things free. “During the festival, we have con-
certs called Classical Adaptations, and they’re designed for neurodiverse kids,” says Jackie. Produced in collaboration with WindSync, this show transforms St. Stephen’s Anglican Church into an adaptive atmosphere for “young audiences, neurodivergent listeners, people with disabilities, and others who face social and systemic barriers to attending typical events.”
Ultimately, the Honens Festival makes it easier for Calgarians to engage with classical musicians; in fact, that’s the whole point, according to
EVEN MORE PIANO
The Calgary Piano Quartet presents Sounds of Autumn, which includes renditions of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto. September 7 at the Polaris Theatre.
There is More features Theresa Lane on violin and Elizabeth Clarke on piano performing a variety of toe-tapping classics. September 26 at St. Andrew’s United Church.
Join Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra for Beethoven’s Emperor, an evening of symphonic classics featuring pianist Jonathan Biss September 27 and 28 at the Jack Singer.
MRU Conservatory Presents An Evening with Luka Coetzee, an internationally acclaimed cellist accompanied on piano by Susanne Ruberg Gordon. October 24 at Bella Concert Hall.
Pianist and conductor Jeffrey Kahane is pulling double duty for Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra’s Ravel’s Piano Concerto November 1 at the Jack Singer.
World-renowned pianist (and co-founder of ChamberFest West) Roman Rabinovich leads a Bach Residency this fall. November 30 at Mount Royal University.
Jackie. “Frankly, there’s nothing more exciting to me than seeing three or four musicians on stage in a small group, just smiling at each other while they’re playing, and sharing collected energy,” he says. “With all the free concerts, we’re reminding everybody of that.”
The 2024 Honens Festival takes place September 5 to 8 at various venues. Visit honens.com for more information.
Bison Noir
PHOTO: MONIQUE DE ST. CROIX
CREATIVE SCENE
Inspiration
Iwas sitting at a red light on the way to my studio. For weeks, I had been equally grasping at and avoiding writing a song. I could see the telltale signs of its imminent arrival — the feeling of anxious energy swirling across my skin, the distracted quality of my interactions and the unmooring of my awareness from my daily life.
All sensations pointed to the apex of creativity, and yet I was paused within the initial moment of it. I was facing my old friends, creative fear and doubt telling me I would never write again; the well dried, my Muse mute, and abilities abandoned. And yet reliably, as I mindlessly stared through the windshield at the bumper before me, I was struck by it; not the car behind me, but the melody, the first line and the title of the song. I raced to my studio and within the hour had the first draft of the song complete. It was a sensational physical experience leading to an almost feral compulsion to act upon what I can only call inspiration.
When inspiration hits, the last thing I want to do is analyze the experience, so it is only in hindsight that I cautiously approach it.
What is inspiration? A mental process stimulated by some sort of trigger? A divine gift from the Muses? A passing glimpse of the fullness of the universe?
I am in good company in my contemplations. Calgary-based visual artist, author and mental health advocate, John F. Gerrard has questions, too. “Makes me wonder how much of inspiration is external and comes to us and how much is generated by us,” says Gerrard. “Do we look up at the sky and select from some divine source, or have ‘our lungs filled’ by some external factor? Or, is it our breath that is doing the breathing into existence? Maybe this points out a distinction between creativity and discovery. Where we discover ideas or truly create something new… Maybe it’s both, a sort of collaborative process?”
It often seems we can nurture inspiration, yet distilling it down to a chemical process of neurotransmitters still does not serve us a definition nor a reliable way to call it forth. As Gerrard implies, can we ever really know? Interestingly, at the intersection of mind and behaviour, psych-
FOR CREATIVE FOLKS, INSPIRATION IS THE CATALYST FOR CREATION. BUT FINDING IT AND DEFINING IT IS NO EASY FEAT.
BY KENNA BURIMA
"THE OPEN EXCHANGE OF IDEAS AND THE SHEER EXCITEMENT OF CREATING SOMETHING NEW IS ALWAYS REJUVENATING FOR MY SOUL"
CHOREOGRAPHER ISHITA SINGLA
ology gives us some insight.
In their influential 2003 paper Inspiration as a Psychological Construct, researchers Todd Thrash and Andrew Elliot took their turn defining inspiration as both a “trait and state.” By doing so, they present inspiration as a somewhat cumbersome construct. Our experience of inspiration is so wildly different, dependent on innumerable contexts and inputs, that much like describing falling in love, we may know the feeling but can’t define it. Like so many elusive ideas, we know it when we see it.
It seems we can set the stage for inspiration, nurture it or court it, but we can’t force it to appear. It is both inside and outside us and when the result is what we want; a sad song, or a really good sandwich, it’s because something motivated us. As Thrash and Elliot note, “inspiration implies motivation,” and certainly collaboration along with it.
Celebrated Calgary choreographer Ishita Singla is a gifted community connector who uses collaboration as fuel.
“As a choreographer, I love creating with my team, rather than in an isolated setting,” says Singla. “The open exchange of ideas and the sheer excitement of creating something new is always rejuvenating for my soul. I find this whole dynamic works hand-in-hand with each other.” Be it through isolated action or collaboration, the most important step is the practice of placing oneself in the way of inspiration.
Songwriter and musician Kue Varo is devoted to her artistic practice. She isn’t just waiting for inspiration for her next song to hit. Varo seeds the land her music springs from with inspiration. For her, living a life full of wonder and curiosity that’s open to both new experiences and failure makes inspiration possible.
“I engage in all kinds of information and sensory input and people,” says Varo. “Letting it all gestate and sit until suddenly it’s a full cup and bam, the next thing causes the reaction of inspiration.”
It may be that inspiration is a human action, but what determines the artist is the blood, sweat, and intention that facilitates the chain reaction of creation.
Ishita Singla
John F. Gerrard Kue Varo
PHOTO: JARED SYCH AVENUE MAGAZINE
PHOTO: ALEX DAKERS
PHOTO: SHANNON JOHNSTON
CALGARY’S CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY RADIO STATION
TUNE IN TO HEAR THE BEST OF YYC’S LOCAL MUSIC SCENE!
LISTEN LIVE AT 90.9FM OR DOWNLOAD THE CJSW RADIO APP IN THE APP STORE!
SEPTEMBER 30, 2024
ELDERS STORY PROJECT
Members of the Elders Knowledge Circle Society share their stories of survival and resilience in this powerful event.
Join Arts Commons on September 30th for FREE events that celebrate Indigenous culture and shine a light on our shared history.
Jack Singer Concert Hall at Arts Commons | 6:30 PM | Registration Required
INDIGENOUS MAKERS MARKET
Explore traditional and contemporary Indigenous crafts and artistry.
Jack Singer Concert Hall Lobby | 12 - 5:30 PM
ARTS COMMONS GALLERY TOURS
Meet the artists featured in the Building Bridges and ReconciliACTION exhibition and tour Arts Commons visual arts galleries.
