For IGNITE, the show will go on

The IGNITE Festival of Emerging Artists isn’t giving up easily. Rather than cancelling the 15th annual event which showcases new performers, it is switching from the Pumphouse Theatre in June to individual living rooms. Much of the multidisciplinary festival will be streamed online, with a few unique projects offering alternative experiences for the more adventurous. this year’s festival lineup consists of 14 original productions in four series of performing arts. The Provocation Series is curated by Swallow-a-bicycle’s artistic director Mark Hopkins, the Dance Series is curated by Untold Physical Theatre’s Samantha Ketsa supported by Springboard Performance, and the Improv Series has been curated by The Kinkonauts’ Nicole Zylstra. “While it’s not without its challenges,” says festival producer Savanna Harvey, “the new festival-at-a-distance model allows us to engage with emerging artists and audiences from all over the world. The program this year is full of Albertan Stories with the occasional national collaboration — something that would be super exciting to pursue into future years, too.” The festival isn’t taking the straight route of a streamed show. For example, Stuart Mcdougall’s Elegant Animal will be delivered to audience members’ door as a care package. Bryan Sandberg’s Good People takes the viewer on a search for the truth in podcasts, videos, and blog posts across multiple online platforms. This year’s festival will be by donation, and a full list of instructions and show schedules will be available soon at sagetheatre.com.