IGNITE! FESTIVAL OF EMERGING ARTISTS

Sage Theatre sparks another year of inspiration

1 Ignition Sage Theatre is back with its annual Ignite! Festival of Emerging Artists, and once again it’s a deeply overwhelming embarrassment of riches. There are more than 25 live performances from 130 artists taking place from June 5-9. Naturally, festival director and curator Charles Netto is immersed in a “flurry of emails,” so we can forgive him for forgetting some details. “This is the 13th or 14th year,” he says. “One of these days I’ll have to figure out the exact number.”

2 Size Doesn’t Matter Though it’s overwhelming on paper, Netto points out that Ignite! doesn’t compare in scope to other local outings like the Calgary Folk Music Festival. “There’s still a sense of intimacy, and if you’re there you’ll likely be able to meet the artist and see what they’re doing,” he says.

3 Emergence The festival’s goal is to give a platform for new artists to take risks and launch their practices. “It’s a stepping stone for folks that have professional skills but maybe not the experience in the professional community,” Netto says. “There’s mentorship, guidance and a structure so that they can just practise as artists and experiment, explore and do things for the first time or do things they’ve been practising for a while.”

4 Risk Of course, first steps often involve stumbles, but that’s not a concern for Netto. “I don’t think there are ever terrible performances but I think there’s an element of risk in all the performances you go to, and that’s still true here as well,” he says. “Generally speaking for the festival, we’re looking for artists for whom it’s a perfect opportunity to take advantage of the festival’s resources. So they have skills, they’re starting to find their own voice, and we think that the festival will help them to launch that career and to really take a chance.”

5 Curation To achieve that fine balance, Netto and his associates have curated a diverse and thoughtful lineup that will push audiences and artists in all sorts of new directions. There are Netto’s “s--- disturbers” in the Provocation series, a wide array of social issues discussed in the Theatre series, and the multidisciplinary Performance series, which offers a dance piece, an improv piece and an interdisciplinary piece at each show.

Ignite! Festival of Emerging Artists: June 5-9 at West Village Theatre, 2007 10th Ave. S.W. and Pumphouse Theatre, 2140 Pumphouse Ave. S.W. $15. sagetheatre.com.