ARTIST LINE-UP 2024
The Majority of these artists will be performing multiple sets over the weekend, for your chance to catch all your favourites!
In alphabetical order your artists are…
Adam Farnsworth
Adam Farnsworth is a bombastic performer from the Canadian underground; a singer, pianist and actor. He toured in the punkrock-motown band High Society for a decade, toured Canada and France with C.R. Avery, has released seven solo albums, the newest of which is called HEART (2022) and is featured on at least a dozen other artists’ albums. His upcoming record, Sandbox Mixtape Vol. 2 will be out mid-2024. Farnsworth has played keyboards and sang in countless burlesque shows, festivals, corporate events, revues and special events; including the musical, Bah Humbug! with Jim Byrnes. In November 2023, he played Slim in the Sam Shepard/Patti Smith play, Cowboy Mouth. Stay tuned for this veteran performer! Catch him throughout the weekend playing with Babyface Brass, Barenaked Noise, Leo D.E. Johnson and for his solo sets.
Facebook: adamfarnsworthlautsch
Instagram: @farnsworthmusic
Adventures of Nightgirl
Genre: Singer/Songwriter - RnB
Adventures of Nightgirl features Rachael Gurevitch's vocals and keyboards. Dark, sweet, and full of honesty, Nightgirl expresses herself with minor chords and playful reggae vibes. Deeply influenced by jazz sentiments, and grunge feelings, Rachael has followed in her late father's foot-steps as a writer. The vibe is modern, with a sentimental longing, daring, and familiar.
Facebook: Nightgirl Music
Instagram: Adventures of Nightgirl
Al Simmons
Genre: Children’s Performer/Music
He's a musician! He’s an inventor! He's a nut! He’s been called the Thomas Edison of entertainers, a wizard of one-liners and a lightning bolt of lunacy. His astounding gadgets, preposterous songs, impeccable comic timing and kooky take on classic vaudeville have thrilled and entertained fans of all ages for 4½ decades. Juno Award winner Al Simmons is a creative genius whose highly original performances of profound wackiness and of off-the-wall inventions have taken the arts of Music and Comedy to unparalleled heights of hilarity. Young or old, you cannot fail to appreciate this man’s frenetic stage antics and mind-boggling lovableness.
Facebook: I.collect.rocks
Instagram: alsimmonsentertainer
Amanda Wood
Meet Amanda Wood, a multi-disciplinary performance artist whose roots run deep across the landscapes of Ginoogaming, North Bend, and the Dakelh lands of Lheidli Te’nneh (Prince George, BC). As an Anishinaabekwe Amanda gracefully navigates the intersection of heritage and creativity, uniting the traditional and contemporary in her soul-stirring performances.
Currently excelling in her second year as an En’owkin NIPAT student, Amanda's artistic expression is as varied as it is vibrant, embodying the essence of a singer/songwriter through the melodies of the traditional hand drum and guitar. Her music, an enriching blend she fondly terms "ancestral-roots and rhythm," serves not just as a medium of artistic expression but as a bridge to her heritage, incorporating the Anishnaabemowin-Eastern dialect she learns from her mentor, Grandmother Hazel Charles, and online study groups.
Amanda's journey is one of continuous integration, where learning and creating go hand in hand, and music stands as the constant companion in her exploration of mediums and understanding.
Andrew Wedman
Genre: Electroacoustic Experimental
Andrew Wedman is an experimental musician and certified piano technician living in Nelson, BC.
Wedman is a classically trained pianist (ARCT, Capitano College piano major, McGill University theory major). He completed the University of Western Ontario Piano Technology program in 2009.
He has been performing and recording experimental music in Canada, the US and Europe since 1999. Electroacoustic composition at McGill led to the formation of the ambient techno duo Tinkertoy (2000 – 2007) that toured and released with Noise Factory Records. Andrew was active with multiple free improv groups while living in Toronto during the 2000s.
His profession as a piano tuner led him to explorations in altered tunings and extended techniques for the piano. He developed the Bass Piano, a piano tuned down a full octave, in 2012. He has created Bass Pianos across Canada, including at a residency and installation at the Western Front Gallery in Vancouver in 2016. The Bass Piano has also been in performances and recordings with Lori Freedman, John Kameel Farah, Marilyn Lerner, Tania Gill, John Oswald, Ryan Driver and more.
He currently performs in Manzap, a microtonal improv duet with Stanley Zappa.
Angie C
Genre: EDM
Angie C is not just a DJ; she's an amazing dancer, harm reduction mama llama, and an integral part of the vibrant festival and event scene in Kelowna, BC. Her journey has been nothing short of awe-inspiring, leaving a crater-sized impact on the beautiful Okanagan scene.
Having graced the decks at numerous events, Angie C is a force to be reckoned with. With an innate ability to read the crowd and keep the energy flowing, you can expect an unforgettable set filled with fantastic progressive melodic house music that will keep you moving all night long.
Join in celebrating Angie C's talent, passion, and positive impact on the community. Get ready to dance, laugh, and soak in the vibes she'll be bringing to the stage. This is a set you absolutely do not want to miss!
Ari Neufeld
Genre: Folk/Alternative/Folk Rock
Ari Neufeld is a self-made one man band, playing guitar, piano, banjo while singing and keeping time through an amplified stompbox, with ethnic beads, nuts and bells strapped to his body. His performance covers a variety of genres from folk to pop, to new country, to rhythmic soul, to rock but it is what he likes to coin as “Full Contact Folk”. It’s a vibrant blend of beat, melody and humor. Prepare to be inspired. Neufeld has performed at more than 300 weddings. He performs and plays mainly on the Syilx Territory (Okanagan) and Vancouver Area at present, filling out his creative palette with visual and song commissions, murals, workshops and custom private art pieces.
Babyface Brass
Genre: Funky Rockin' Jazz
Babyface Brass is a renegade group of freewheeling street corner musicians, vocalists, tap dancers, and buskers. Whether playing festival stages or street corner busking Babyface brass is a hype and fun musical experience.
Instagram: babyfacebrass
Bear Naked Noise
Genre: Hip hop, Jazz, Folk, and punk
Bear Naked Noise is the music and song of K-Sun Da Bear (Aka, Kenan, I.Am.Biguous). Through a collaboration with awesome musicians we have crafted all original music that is pushing new musical directions and genres. A soulful soup of Hip hop, Jazz, Folk music, and punk.
Bandcamp
Facebook: BearNoisez
Balkan Shmalkan
Genre: Balkan Brass
Balkan Shmalkan is East Vancouver’s sweet dance party orchestra; think global music with local attitude. Their funky brass dance beats are rooted in the aural traditions of the Roma and Klezmorim of Eastern Europe and blended with a mixture of pop and jazz. Members of the group sing in 5 languages including Serbian, Romani, and Italian. The group contains six to twelve musicians playing reed, brass and percussion instruments of both eastern and western origin.
Balkan Shmalkan is the brain child of a group of musicians with a long history of collaboration in traditional South Serbian Trubaci music. This project is a way of blending that music with other vibrant traditions and bringing it to the general population of Greater Vancouver.
Balkan Shmalkan is exceptionally versatile and mobile, playing on and off stage with nothing more than the power of their lungs and a few horns.
Facebook: BalkanShmalkan
Instagram: shmalkan
Twitter: shmalkan
Beastie
Genre: Dirty folk/blues/garage/country
Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Beastie’s music and poetry proudly swings wildly between intensely emotionally personal, and simple tongue in cheek impulses. They are deeply nerdy about expression and human connection and have a penchant for playing around with different genres and vocal stylings.
They released their last album, Tiny Crimes, in 2019 and have been singing and playing in various settings since they were 15.
The Black of Hearts
Genre: Rock n’ Roll!
The Black of Hearts is a Rock 'n Roll band from Summerland BC. Known for catchy melodies, supreme musicianship and packed dance floors. They play original songs with raw driving energy spanning many genres of Rock. The ebb and flow of their music takes the audience on a ride to hell and back again with sweet licks and Rock 'n Roll kicks. "They sound like your favourite band".
Website
The Bugs
Genre: Electroacoustic Experimental
Years ago brothers Will and Dan Cramer and friend Rob Wood launched their musical careers, performing jazz in a 1950’s style trio. They were featured at Edmonton’s first Fringe Festival and on television. They experimented with recording in a search for new sounds and during one fruitful session they stumbled upon a unique way to record their improvised experiments. The three friends immediately recorded their first album, a self released cassette entitled AIR.
Sounding decades ahead of its time with cinematic, ambient textures but no regular drum beat patterns, the music was described as ‘insect songs’ and in 1984 Bug Music was born.
The Bugs would go on to become fan favourites at experimental concerts and on local radio. They often appeared as opening acts for New Wave bands who loved the Bugs crazy stage show, complete with costumes and handfuls of rubber insects flying through the air! The Bugs helped to found the Boreal Electo Acoustic Music Society in the 1980’s and they had success in the early nineties New Age music scene. Their friendship lasted throughout the years and The Bugs have continued to record new music and play concerts and livestream events.
Candice Roberts as LARRY
Genre: Performance Theatre
Award-winning Canadian Clown Artist Candice Roberts assumes her alter ego in this daring and comedic piece about one dude’s hilarious attempt at self-improvement. With rock and roll, a little life-couching, and a dip into his own psyche, Larry uncovers a little more than anyone expected.
Pulled lovingly from the male archetypes that surrounded her during her upbringing, LARRY helps Candice compassionately examine the limitations of the gender binary, ageing as a woman in society, and the complexities of being human.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A masterful, weird, poignant, gut-busting, vulnerable, and thought-provoking tour de force from Candice Roberts”- Cincinnati Fringe
The Cavernous
Genre: Electronic
The Cavernous is a live electronic duo that plays with liminality from Kelowna BC featuring electronic drums and a wall synthesizer, samplers and sequencers. The duo is known from playing with repetition and liminality in their music drawing from influences like, Boards of Canada, Lorn and Rival Consoles.
MEMBERS:
Rob: Synth, Keyboard, Drum Pad
Jesse: Synth, electric drums, cjoas pad
Facebook: The Cavernous
Instagram: thecavernous
Cawston Groove
Genre: Jazz Fusion
Cawston Groove is an instrumental jam band focused on jazz fusion flavoured with funk, neo soul, blues, reggae dub, and even some classical influences on keys, saxophone/flute and drums. Playing an assortment of originals and standards with unique flavors and twists, their style is heavily improvised and riddled with pockets. So come settle in for some deliciously jazzy bites of atmospheric peach flesh all topped off with the tastiest vibes that you and your mom will love.
Instagram: @cawstongroove
The Chimney Swallows
Genre: Performance Theatre
The Chimney Swallows were originally nothing more than a folk duo composed of Raghu Lokanathan and Corwin Fox. Now they are a microtheatre duo, and they are pleased to be performing their two short plays at Ignite the Arts this year. They will be remounting their obscure stage hit, “Has There Been A Time Since?”, as well as premiering a new play called Cut Down wherein they bring their deceased neighbours briefly back to life. These are unusual and exploratory works, and as with their musical performances, The Chimney Swallows celebrate bringing their creative process onstage with them.
***adult content warning...there is strong language and adult themes***
Chloe Davidson
Genre: Orchestral Pop
As one of Canada's premiere violinists, Chloe Davidson pairs musical virtuosity and human vulnerability with stunning grace. As a solo artist, Davidson commands over a decade of experience--writing and performing dynamic material that pairs incisive, earnest wordplay with lush, cascading swells of harmony. 'Your Turn to Go', Davidson's ethereal debut LP, was released in 2022--introducing her original music to the streaming world, and confirming what fans of her live sets have always known: Davidson's music is timeless and deeply meaningful; technical and heartfelt. Davidson's collaborative efforts--both in her bluegrass group 'Under the Rocks' and in her session work (Andrew Judah, Windmills, N. Sherman, Common Fires, Icelandia)--have established her as one of British Columbia's most accomplished and relied-upon working musicians.
Website
Claire Coupland
Genre: singer songwriter/folk
There is a pureness to Claire's voice that can silence a room. A moving songwriter and compelling guitarist, Claire combines her smooth signature folk finger picking, jazz influenced progressions and soaring melodies. With a powerful yet tender vocal delivery comparable to Eva Cassidy and Susan Tedeschi, Claire has been relentlessly touring her new album and drawing audiences in to her intimate and heart wrenching performances. Her new album “New Light” delivers darker and more vulnerable reckonings of self worth, escaping abuse, painful goodbyes, fragile family dynamics and hope for the future. After joining forces with Juno award winning musician Sam Weber (Bahamas) and some of LA’s finest musicians (Dawes, Alan Hampton), the album presents fresh and spontaneous arrangements of her songs with mood filled percussion, slinky guitars, sparkling piano and shades of grunge and California rock. Claire Coupland brings a graceful contemporary feel to indie folk music, always with a touch of her “wicked sense of humour” (Rik Emmett, Triumph). Her music has been receiving steady on CBC Radio Canada and BBC UK.
Website
Corwin Fox
Genre: Alternative/Indie/Folky Pop
Corwin Fox is a Canadian songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist living on Vancouver Island. Having toured across four continents, Corwin has been spending an increasing amount of time recording and producing other artists across a wide range of genres. He still plays concerts and festivals performing his songs on banjo and guitar, and he teaches songwriting to youth each summer, but the studio has really become his focus since he founded the Corwin Fox Academy of Perpetual Excellence. Corwin is also playing with Richard Reed Parry's Quiet River of Dust.
Born in Halifax and raised in Ottawa, Corwin went to high school at Canterbury High, a school for the arts, where he studied theatre and learned to play bass, guitar and mandolin. From 2000-2002 Corwin attended Fanshawe College (London, ON) to absorb the Music Industry Arts Recording Engineering program. While there, he won the award in 2001 for best song from EMI Music Publishing Canada with a song called “Doctor God”.
Back on the west coast in 2006, Corwin was asked for the first time to produce a recording for another artist: Sarah Noni Metzner's "Daybreak Mourning" (Dog My Cat Records) with which she won Best Solo Artist at the Canadian Folk Music Awards (2007). Since then, he has produced over forty albums for other artists and worked in the studio on more than 160 albums in various capacities as well as composing music for theatre and documentary soundtracks. For his solo music, Corwin has released three full-length albums, Compassionate Relay (2002), Dream Water Rain Music (2004), mememe (2017) and six e.p.'s: Tiger (2005), He Remembers What I Forgot (2007), Cloud Seating (2009), Minutiae (2011), Man and Her Symbols (2013) and the midst (2015). Corwin's latest offering is a rootsy one called Corwin Fox & The Cumberland Brothers (2018).
Corwin continues to write, record and tour, although he is quite content that the bulk of his time is now spent in his studio or hanging out with his kids and making soup.
Facebook: corwinfoxmusic
Instagram: corwinfoxmusic
Danielle Savage
Genre: Electro Acoustic
DANIELLE SAVAGE is a composer/songwriter whose passion is sound and music. She particularly loves working in various folk traditions, field recordings, modular synth, and editing. With compositions ranging from multichannel electroacoustic environments, orchestral and chamber works, to synth-rock, folk music & music for film, she has had work presented at: Ignite the Arts, San Francisco Tape Music Festival, Foro De Música Nueva, Visiones Sonoras, 60x60 festival, Montreal/ New Musics, Festival Días Diseño, ArtsWells, Lux Magna, among others. She obtained a BFA in Composition and a BFA in Electroacoustics from Concordia University in Montréal, QC. From 2019-2022 she co-realized a large scale, multimedia exhibition “Migration Parade: Holon” with her collaborator Alexandra Goodall. Last year, after 9 years in Montreal, she moved to the mountains of BC, where she currently writes and plays acoustic music with her pals and twiddles knobs on her modular synth.
Danny Bell and His Disappointments
Genre: folk/country/punk
Danny Bell and His Disappointments play Northern BC folk/country/punk with infectious charm. Based in British Columbia on unceded Lhedli T'enneh territory, Danny’s music is regional. It’s steeped in his affection for his home in the hinterland, a blue collar town, the stink of the pulp mill, and everyday life in Northern BC. Bell's songs toe the line between tragedy and comedy.
Danny Bell and His Disappointments released their second album, “Songs for the town”, in December of 2020. Exclaim! magazine called the album an “anti-capitalist, anti-elitist, anti-asshole folk record for small moments in small places.”The band’s newest release, titled Killing birds, was mostly recorded in the foreman’s office in an abandoned sawmill just outside of Mackenzie, BC in 2022.
“Anti-capitalist, anti-elitist, anti-asshole folk record for small moments in small places.” - Exclaim! Magazine
Facebook: Danny Bell Music
Instagram: @dannybellmusic
Daryl O’Neill
Genre: International in Flavour
How does one describe the mutli-intrusmentalist Daryl? Really, only he can.
“I play a bunch of different instruments and do a bunch of different things. Try thinking of me as a very large but simple child playing at the shores of the great sea of music... An angst ridden child experiencing existential dread”
Daryl has no website, no social media, so if you'd like to get in touch with this eclectic conversationalist, your best bet is to hang out at the Penticton Art Gallery and wait for him to ride his bike on by.
Denise Kenney Presents: Canary
Genre: Theatre
To make Canary, performer and professor Kenney combines the poetic and imaginative possibilities of physical theatre, object theatre, and audience participation with the “Ted Talk” aesthetic. Her work is a celebration of the power of live performance, delving into embodiment as it relates to our evolution, learning, the wild, mindfulness, and our tribal proclivities. Canary takes the audience on a forensic romp across thousands of years of human history and a poetic dive into the “here and now” in an exploration of how we’ve arrived at our current mental health crisis.
Denise Kenney, Performer, She/Her
Andrew Stauffer, He/Him, Musician
Tracy Ross, She/Her, Collaborator
Neil Cadger, He/Him, Collaborator
Dennis Hawkins-Bogle
Genre: Literary
STORYS FROM THE HIGH ARCTIC - Dennis, a writer and storyteller, was the principal of the most northerly school in BC, Denetia School, in Lower Post. Dennis was also the principal of the most northerly school in all of Canada, Ummimak School, in Grise Fiord, Nunavut.
Dennis presents readings from his journal of time living in Canada's most northerly civilian community, Grise Fiord. His stories are engaging, insightful, funny, and didactic and draw from own experiences living in the Arctic, as well as evidence from the historical record. He shares stories about living in three months of darkness, going seal hunting, helping to build an igloo, learning Inuktitut, cross country skiing on the frozen Arctic Ocean, watching the annual whale migration, and living in three months of complete daylight.
Dennis Thome
Genre: Literary/Poetry
Dennis Thome is a spoken word artist, and a Kootenay collector of history and herstory tales. His stories of folks and events cover his 80 years of surviving forest living with a smile.
He presents a variety of stories such as the 1978 beer strike/summer park riot; naked marriage, or Mad Dog and Gail, all in a historical truthful humorous presentation.
DJ Thistle
Genre: DNB, Hip Hop, & Turntablism
As a pioneer of Canadian DnB, DJ Thistle's energetic style of turntablism & mixing has made him a RedBull 3style champion, Shambhala Village Stage headliner, and was selected by Public Enemy's Chuck D for the Flip Mash remix team. Stop by his website for free music downloads.
Don Kerr
Genre: Indie rock
Owning and operating his own recording studios since 1989, Don Kerr has produced, engineered, and played on hundreds of releases by respected Canadian and international artists including: Rheostatics, Gord Downie, Chris Hadfield, Ron Sexsmith, Neko Case, Bahamas, Jason Collett, The Weather Station, Kevin Hearn, The Hidden Cameras, Snowblink, Evalyn Parry, Annabelle Chvostek, Karyn Ellis, Rich Aucoin, Alex Cuba, Minotaurs, Mitchell Froom, Spookey Ruben, Veda Hille, Alex Pangman, HOTCHA!, Peter Elkas, Bob Snider, Kyp Harness, The Bourbon Tabernacle Choir, Charlotte Cornfield, Ana Egge, Ashley MacIsaac, Hayden, and Shawna Caspi.
He has performed across Canada and around the world for 30 years playing drums and cello, and singing with Ron Sexsmith, Rheostatics, Bob Wiseman, Bahamas, Dan Mangan, his own band Communism, and many other great artists including Veda Hille, Do Make Say Think, Jason Collett, Neko Case, Buck 65, Minotaurs, Bidiniband, Geoff Berner, Sarah Harmer, CR Avery, Old Man Ludecke, John K Samson, Mathias Kom, Tom Wilson, Les Stroud, Andy Kim, Hydra (Leslie Feist, Snowblink, AroarA), Tanya Tagaq, Mieke, Ben Watt, Kate Fenner, Georgia Harmer, Ocean Potion, and The Weather Station.
Don has organized many community events in Toronto, stage managing fundraisers and concerts for Right to Play, UNICEF, the Canadian Liver Foundation, High Park Nature Centre. Organizing performances by kids and stars, from Girls Rock Camp to Andy Kim. Bringing communities together to celebrate creativity, raising awareness and funds for the people most in need has been his passion since becoming a professional musician and a father. He was co- artistic director of the Toronto Bicycle Music Festival 2015-2017. These high ideals for community are also expressed by his band Communism. In 2016 Don produced a record by The Social Mystics, a group of mental health patients who have grown into musical ambassadors for compassion around mental health issues.
Listen Links:
Other Links:
Dream Heavy
Genre: World Folk Metal
A “tour de force”! Fearless World Folk Metal. Influenced by latin, reggae, metal and other world music, driven with thought provoking songwriting, the thread of the "guroove" runs deep, and you will not be disappointed by the fusion and spell that they weave....
MEMBERS:
Shara Gustafson - Vocals.
Seth Macdonald - vocals and guitars.
Liam Gustafson-Randall - Bass Guitar.
David McKillican - Drums.
Scott Duncan- Fiddle.
Instagram
Edgar Cal
Genre: House, Tech House, Minimal
Edgar grew up surrounded by music and took up the violin as a child. Later, he developed an interest in electronic music and started organizing parties and raves in his hometown of A Coruña, Spain with his friends from NoMoreNoise Crew. He gained recognition in the city’s music industry and performed at popular clubs such as Fanzine Club and Tressor.
He also played at events like the Festival por Amor al Arte and New Year’s Eve parties, gaining a following in the north of Spain. He later moved to Canada where he played at festivals and events in the Okanagan Valley and Vancouver City.
Back in Spain in 2022, he became a resident at HIGH promotions and La Farsa Beach Club, while continuing to play at top-level events and venues throughout the country. Edgar's versatile Microhouse sound incorporates electronic and organic sounds with powerful basslines, energetic vocals, and solid drums to create dynamic sets that bring something fresh to the dance floor.
Throughout his career, Edgar has shared the stage with international artists such as Dennis Ferrer, Claptone, and Todd Terry. He has also focused on producing his own tracks, releasing music on labels such as MoodyHouse Recordings and Be Adult Music. In 2021, he won the beat contest of the prestigious Italian Deep Tech label, Moan Recordings. Edgar's work in recent years has been his most accomplished to date, with exciting new material and projects on the horizon.
Instagram: edgar.cal
Soundcloud: nomorenoisecrew
Ember Sparxx
Genre: House
Maryel Sparks-Cardinal AKA Ember Sparxx is a Cree/Métis music producer and DJ. Hailing from Treaty 6 territories Maryel uses her roots as inspiration to her music and artistic expression. Always a crowd favourite, Ember has played venues throughout Vancouver. A multidisciplinary artist by trade with experience as a videographer, filmmaker, photographer, writer and UX designer Maryel uses her various skills and ingenuity to bring a fresh and inventive sound to her music. Although Maryel predominantly creates House music, her DJ mixes and music taste are not limited by genre and she is hoping to continue to branch into creating music in other electronic music genres as her artistic abilities develop.
Instagram: @djembersparxx
Francis Baptiste
Genre: Indie folk/rock
A washed-up, divorced, recovering alcoholic tries to reconnect with his culture and self-worth through songwriting and captivatingly vulnerable performances.
Francis Baptiste is an Indigenous songwriter and music journalist from the Osoyoos Indian Band. His forthcoming debut LP, Snəqsilxʷ (Family), features songs in N̓syilxčn̓, a highly endangered language, spoken fluently by only approximately 150 people. The first single from his LP was released in November. He is also a music journalist who writes for several publications.
Frantic
Genre: Abstract Hiphop
Frantic’s performance sponsored by RYGA FESTIVAL
A wordsmith who cut his teeth on the spoken word and slam poetry circuit, he took home the Slam Champion of the Year title with Kelowna's Inspired Word Cafe and turned his eyes to his ultimate goal - music. Using his skills as a writer, he works to combine the vulnerability of stage poetry with the bombast of classical music and the frenetic energy of traditional hiphop drums to craft his signature sound. Weaving together a medley of music focusing on mental health, vulnerability, and allegorical storytelling, catch him emerging from the forest to the grandiose soundtrack of strings and brass. Just don't mind the glowing eyes from the thickets.
Spotify
Freshwater Jukebox
Genre: Folk/Americana/Bluegrass
As friends and co-conspirators in the arts, all with roots in the Okanagan, members of Freshwater Jukebox have played and created together over the span of the last 16 or so years. This has taken form in many constellations of various bands, gallery installations, workshop spaces, musical duos and trios and … you get the picture. In 2022 the stars finally aligned and many of this particular orbit found themselves more permanently back in Okanagan Territory, elated to be able to make music as a group again! And so, Freshwater Jukebox, as its own entity; a cohesive, jubilant, and now named and dedicated band, has been born.
FrySatSon
Genre: Electronic Dance Music
FrySatson forget about the Mon!
FrySatSon was born and raised in beautiful and world famous Banff, Alberta, Canada. He has lived in equally awesome and stunning Penticton, British Columbia for the last 10 years with his family. While he’s not litigating cases in his career, FrySatSon has worked on developing the right side of his brain by writing and producing original EDM Music with his MPC ONE drum machine. FrySatSon’s beats are EDM based with influences from many different genres of music including reggaeton, pop, hip-hop and folk. FrySatSon’s music takes inspiration from the new age sounds of producers like Fisher, Lost Frequencies, James Hype and Louis the Child. At the end of the day, FrySatSon hopes his music makes people dance, party, be happy and not take themselves too seriously.
Gautz
Genre: DNB
Alex "Gautz"(pronounced goats) Gauthier grew up in the humble little Québec town of Rouyn-Noranda, in a tiny but vibrant community of Death Metal bands and shows. His passion for playing electric guitar, composition and video game music lead him to leave home at 17 and pursue higher music education at college and then university but he never found his true vocation and got burned out, dropped out and left it all behind. Until he moved to BC where he discovered bass music, music & arts festivals and sound system culture.
His passion for music now renewed, he learned to DJ and started producing music again focusing on Drum & Bass.
Having now established his homebase studio in Kelowna, he's been hard at work releasing lots of music and making a name for himself in the North American DnB scene.
He joined forces with the young DNB label UrbanHellAudio based in New Jersey and released his first liquid dnb EP Breathe on November 2023
He now hosts his own weekly livestream show, The Gautz Hour every Thursday where he's been showcasing his DJ and crate digging skills week after week.
Geo the Voice
Genre: Contemporary Hip Hop
George Ignace ~ Geo aka The Voice~, (Vocals, Beats) is Secwepemc and Cree, began working with The Melawmen Collective in 2007 through projects as artist, facilitator and producer.
He is also a prolific wordsmith, a talented visual artist, and has collaborated on written published works, as well as other film projects, and practices his traditional culture through harvesting and processing traditional foods.
Youtube
DJ Grampa Groove
Genre: EDM
Grampa Groove, has been Djing since 1977 in and around the Nelson and East Shore Kootenay Lake communities. From the early 2000's we have been hosting events at Fandango Farms (just outside of Vernon) and Djing for private and public events in and around the Okanagan Valley.
Musically diverse, remix and bass house, melodic glitch hop, and world beat tunes.
Dance Temple, and other community Dance events are simply the Harmony between Body, Spirit and Community. Such events give us a glimpse into our purpose in life, which is to express human creativity, in a life positive manner. Come join us in our celebration of the joyful human spirit. Always all ages, always all fun!
Granville Johnson
Genre: Literary
GRANVILLE JOHNSON, a two tour Vietnam war veteran, is a life-long artist—a poet, short story writer, dancer, drummer, band leader (Autumn Rose), and multi-media creator. He is also an outspoken dementia advocate who has lived with the repercussions of a traumatic brain injury, vascular dementia and converted disorder, for years. Granville resides with his spouse and two dogs in Ferndale, a rural suburb, just outside of Prince George, British Columbia. There he continues to write, create, and make music on a daily basis.
Website
Haley Regan
Genre: Haley Regan is our featured poster artist for 2024!
Haley Regan (she/her) is an Indigenous artist from the Penticton Indian Band in British Columbia, Canada. She started exploring her artistic capabilities at a young age under the mentorship of fellow Indigenous artist and Grandmother Phyllis Isaac. She completed high school a year early in 2014 to attend Langara College for Political Science and International relations. Haley studied one semester at Langara College before enrolling in the Blanche Macdonald Global Makeup Artistry Program in 2015. It was her time at Blanche that she fully immersed herself into visual art, digital design, fashion, creative writing, and special effects. She also received an Indigenous Youth Art Award from the Penticton Arts Council 4 months into the program. Through her work experience in the makeup industry she was able to gain experience in live theatre, fashion, and high end retail. As well as increasing her knowledge in digital design and ecommerce by working with local businesses creating new websites, business cards, flyers, and handling social media management. She is now living in the Okanagan in her first year of her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with the En’owkin Centre and the University of Victoria.
About the Ignite the Arts 2024 Design: "This design is a visual connection between the tm̓xʷúlaʔxʷ (land), our traditional captikʷɬ (stories/storytelling), and tmixʷ (all living things) here in snpintktn (Penticton). This design features skəmxist (bear) who is chief of all the animal people, sənk̓lip (coyote) who's travels are a record of the natural laws necessary for our syilx Okanagan people to survive, and finally the magpie who is the main storyteller in this depiction and is singing us their songs. These animal people are gathered to share their captikʷɬ, just as we are all gathered to share our art at Ignite the Arts."
HALF/ASIAN with Amy the CODA
Genre: Synth pop with Sign Language
HALF/ASIAN with Amy the CODA are an audio-visual performing duo creating art that is rooted in identity exploration and embodiment. HALF/ASIAN plays synthesizers from the 80's purchased at thrift stores and sings in English. Amy the CODA sings in both English and Sign Language. Amy’s mother is Deaf and Pidgin Signed English is Amy’s first language.
For Ian, it started with the purchase of a Yamaha PSR 36 from Value Village - and has grown into a distinct sound that pushes the boundaries of synthesizer programming - going beyond the parameters it was designed for. The lyricism ranges from fractured poetry to poignant storytelling and narratives. Their sound has been likened to Chromeo and early Gorillaz, mixed with George Harrison.
For Amy, it started with signing along to one of Ian’s songs recreationally and realizing that she had lost the majority of her sign language fluency through having a profession that is not centered around the deaf community and interpreting. Her performance fully embraces her bi-lingual and bi-cultural identity as a CODA (Child of a Deaf Adult) by including both spoken language and signed language.
“As a band, we work to create art that is meaningful to us. We both have bi-cultural identities, and don't always feel like we can fully be exactly who we are in every time and place. When we are creating or performing, we are in this place where we embrace everything that has made us who we are. And by sharing it we allow these versions of ourselves to be seen.”
Change starts with positive representation. We believe that art has the power to shift perspectives.
MEMBERS:
Ian Griffiths - synthesizer and vocals
Amy Braun - vocals and sign language
Facebook: Halfasianwithamythecoda
Instagram: amythecoda
Hazy MADE & Strain K and Crew
Genre: Rap/Hip Hop/EDM Trap
HazyMADE music & Strain K are a smokin' hot duo known for their high-energy live performances, positive vibes, and captivating stage presence. Emerging like a rocket out of western Canada, they have been making waves in the live music scene. With packed crowds and a whole lot of smoke, this dynamic duo is anticipated to be Canada's next hottest breakout act. Currently based out of Kelowna, BC, Canada. They are actively booking and accepting bookings in cities all across the country, spreading their infectious energy and captivating performances to fans nationwide.
Along side them are guests Unknown Persona and DJ GiNjA
Facebook HazyMADE
Instagram HazyMADE
Youtube HazyMADE
Facebook Strain K
Heidi Chan
Genre: Electroacoustic Experimental
Heidi Chan is based in Toronto and works with music and sound. Heidi primarily works with modular synthesizers, bamboo flutes, loopers, and other electronics. They have trained as a Japanese taiko drummer under Canada's preeminent taiko ensemble Nagata Shachu, and was an original member of Canadian rock band The Cliks (Lucas Silveira). Heidi is a member of Japanese folk ensemble ten ten, pan-Asian fusion collective Massyr Ensemble, and makes solo electronic music under the name bachelard.
As a synthesist, Heidi has performed and presented workshops at festivals and performance series including Toronto Sound Festsival, Women From Space, XAvant, Audiopollination, Tracks Could Bend, CoexisDance, Eclectic Electric (as part of music duo Deenzi), and Older and Reckless. Most recently, Heidi performed the closing set for Morton Subotnick’s final performance in Canada.
As a sound designer, Heidi works in theatre and dance, and has toured internationally with Shakespeare’s Globe (UK) and Tang Shu Wing Theatre Studio (Hong Kong). In Canada, they have worked with Outside the March, Factory Theatre, Theatre Gargantua, Company of Fools, Blyth Festival, Shaw Festival and others. Heidi teaches music production and East Asian music at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), works as a researcher and modular synthesis curriculum developer at TMU’s Responsive Ecologies Lab (RE/Lab), and has developed and taught music production classes for the Toronto Public Library, SOCAN Foundation, and Community Music Schools of Toronto (CMST).
The History of Gunpowder
Genre: Freakout Orchestral Rock
The History of Gunpowder is a high energy, orchestral rock, freak-out ensemble based in Vancouver that puts on theatrical, gritty, and unforgettable live shows. The History seamlessly blends expansive arrangements, growling blues vocals, and danceable funk rhythms into an electric sonic experience. They have garnered critical and popular acclaim as one of the best touring live acts in Canada that boasts an explosive sound somewhere between Tom Waits, Nick Cave, and Radiohead. The History seems to be unwaveringly barreling upwards with the fall 2023 release of their feature-length film/video album - Swallows, their third European tour, and the much anticipated release of their upcoming album, The Epileptic Vol II.
Website
Hujunē
Genre: Dakelh contemporary music
Hujunē, from Dakelh Territory, has been performing ceremonies along with all original, contemporary indigenous music for many years, fusing art with grassroots activism. Through the arts, Hujunē promotes unification and activation of all peoples in joint efforts to preserve and protect life .
"We are happy and honoured to perform for the beautiful peoples of Penticton!''
Ignite the Arts Fire Collective
Genre: Performance
Coming together for the first time 4 artists are bringing the Ignite to Ignite the Arts!
(Clockwise from Top Right)
Introducing Gypsym Rose, a multidimensional entertainer with endless tricks up her sleeve. Rooted in the Okanagan, she is found sharing her gift of Movement Art to wonder seekers of all ages through Fire & Event Entertainment in collaboration with Kinshira Entertainment. Aimee is known for her in-person hoopdance classes and sharing the raw process on what it takes to be a full time performer through her online Patreon.
https://linktr.ee/aimeeinflow
Mark Eyjolfson, The Flowin' Wolf, co-founder of InnerLight Motion, has been entertaining audiences for over a decade. A mesmerizing fire spinner of staff, sword, rope dart, nunchucks, etcetera , etcetera. Sprinkle in some acrobatics and tomfoolery and you have Mark!
https://www.facebook.com/FlownWolf
Miles Kroeker is a performing artist in the Okanagan Valley with Kinshira Entertainment. He is excited to return for another year at Ignite the Arts. Watch for him this year at the fire performance and teaching a class for others to flow & express creatively through their own artistic mediums. http://www.kinshira.com
Donnalee Davidson is a hypnotizing performer with an extensive dance background. Her performances are described as captivating, playful and elegant. Catch her with fans, poi and fire sword this year at Ignite the Arts. Facebook
J Daniel Cramer
Genre: Electroacoustic Experimental
J Daniel Cramer is a composer and performer of electronic music with a long history of pushing the boundaries of experimental music making. While studying jazz in university, he was often busy in the school’s electronic music lab and in the early eighties became the first student to use a computer to create music.
Performing professionally for many years, Daniel went on to produce records for his own label in the nineties and eventually rekindled his interest in modular synthesis while also being a founding member of the electronic music group, The Bugs.
In 2013 he launched an educational YouTube channel and became well known for his in-depth descriptions of complex, generative music making systems. In 2018 his videos were discovered by a popular European electronic music artist and he was invited to perform in a giant installation in the Netherlands with the likes of Suzanne Ciani, Ann Annie, Christophe Beck (Disney’s Frozen) and Colin Benders.
J Daniel Cramer has since returned to perform and record albums in Europe and is signed to labels in London and Belgium. He has released 27 albums of electronic music and was most recently in Viljandi Estonia at an artistic residency hosted by international sound artist Shawn Pinchbeck. Daniel has relocated his studio to the Okanagan where he serves on the board of directors for the Penticton Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts.
Jacob Dryden Loops
Genre: Alternative, Funk, Neo Soul
Jacob is that rare kind of entertainer who can look into your soul and sing straight to your heart. Jacob plays a dynamic mix of Neo Soul, 90s alternative, 70s acoustic folk and modern pop.
Website
James and Jamesy present: “Easy As Pie”
Genre: Performance/Theatre
*James and Jamesy at Cleland is a separate ticketed event.
Use code IGNITE at checkout to get 50% off your ticket!
James & Jamesy have been touring their unique style of British Comedy internationally since 2012. From humble beginnings, they burst into the international comedy scene earning awards and sold out houses in every city they toured. Growing in popularity, they sold out in the Edinburgh Fringe, performed a run Off Broadway, and are currently touring North America.
"Simply an AMAZING show!" (Stage Door). A pie in the face. How hard can it be? British comedy legends James & Jamesy's latest creation, Easy as Pie, is rich in wordplay, comic physicality, and cleverly crafted interactive elements. This show has already garnered Critics' Choice and Critics' Pick awards across North America and has been invited Off Broadway for 2025. Don't miss it!
PLAYING: Sunday, March 31, 3:00 - 4:15 pm @ Cleland Theatre
Website
Jeff Andrew & Danielle Savage
Genre: folk, pop, singer-songwriter
Jeff Andrew and Danielle Savage have each been writing, recording, and performing as solo singer-songwriters for over 15 years. Now they team up for a set of shared originals, blending Jeff’s folk/ post-punk and fiddle sensibilities and Danielle’s diverse canon of songs for a set of textured story, with lots of harmonies, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, and piano.
Website -Danielle
Jeremy Head
Genre: Folk/Rock
Jeremy Head is a multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter/producer who is here to ensure your cup remains topped up with all the vibes.
Soundcloud: senselesspoet
Facebook: pete.mcjames
Instagram: pete.mcjames
JGirl
Genre: House, Funk, DNB
Introducing JGirl, a veteran DJ with a passion for House, Jazz, Funk, and heavy bass. Originally from Montreal, she now calls BC her home and has been keeping the party going for over two decades. Catch her performing at festivals, ski towns, and block parties. She is a 15 year resident DJ with Shambhala Music Festival's Fractal Forest stage. She has been operating Footwerk Events with her husband since 2009, blazing the trail for the Okanagan electronic and fusion dance music scene. She currently curates a monthly showcase at Kelowna's new food and music hub: Reverly. In 2015, she started up the groundbreaking Safewerk project, ensuring patron safety and harm reduction at venues across the Okanagan like Sapphire, Distrikt, Red Bird, and more. Let's show some love for an artist who not only knows how to keep the dance floor packed but also puts the safety of her community first.
Twitch.tv/jgirl_manousos
Instagram.com/FootwerkEvents
Mixcloud.com/jgirlandmanousos
Soundcloud.com/manousos
Jodie B
Genre: Electro-Soul
Jodie B is a talented live loop performer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. Her unique sound fuses electro-soul elements, drawing inspiration from FKJ, Atmosphere, Rufus Du Sol, NomBe, and DubFx. With her guitar, violin, bass, harmonicas, synths, vocals, and electronic drums, Jodie B delivers unforgettable performances that captivate audiences.
Having opened for acclaimed artists like Kytami, DubFx, The Pharcyde, and Methodman & Redman, Jodie B is no stranger to the stage. Additionally, you can catch her performing alongside her sister Nique Blue and her partner Makemdef as group Mantesah.
John Vere
Genre: Rock
John Vere performs as a Solo, Duo and often sits in with local bands. He plays Guitar, Bass, Keyboards and Drums. He play cover songs in many styles and as a singer songwriter he has more then 40 original songs recorded.
Kagan Goh
Genre: Performance Theatre
Kagan is our Guest curator of the “Gifts of Madness” exhibition at Penticton Art Gallery during Ignite the Arts Festival!
Kagan Goh has found his voice as a spoken word artist, establishing himself as a prominent figure in Vancouver’s spoken-word scene. Among his peers, he's been half-jokingly and half-seriously dubbed the bipolar poet laureate. With his own experiences with bipolar disorder, Goh advocates for the validation of all emotional reactions, seeing them as essential phases in the journey toward recovery and self-acceptance.
As a Singapore-born Chinese Canadian, with a portfolio spanning published memoirs, plays, screenplays, essays, poetry, and short stories, his works have been featured in various anthologies, periodicals, and magazines. Goh has graced numerous poetry slams, readings, open mics, and festivals, including prestigious events like the Vancouver International Storytelling Festival and Word on the Street. Additionally, he has made appearances on platforms such as CBC and Co-op Radio.
Goh's personal mission revolves around raising awareness of mental health issues and combating the stigma attached to mental illness. Through his spoken word performances and storytelling, he delves into themes and narratives derived from his own experiences with bipolar mood disorder, also known as manic depression. His upcoming performance will feature readings from his soon-to-be-published poetry manuscript titled "NOTHING IS FORGED WITHOUT FIRE."
Kali Yuga
Genre: Heavy DNB
Kali Yuga's ever changing tastes in deep and heavy bass music has been met with praise throughout western Canada and northwestern USA. Born in Bethlehem Pennsylvania, Kali was forcibly immigrated to the cold, unforgiving tundra of Canada which is now called home.
Making a regular tour of western Canada's music festival scene's stages, Kali brings a heavy combination of style and flail to any dancefloor; their ultimate challenge lies in getting dem booty's to move in the most obscene and obscure means possible. Being self taught on the guitar at 7 years old adds a twist of juicy deliciousness to every performance.
Kali draws main inspirations from elastic bands, slinky's, rocket ships, and wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube men.
"Kali Yuga, longtime purveyor of auditory excellence, has been slaying dancefloors with extreme bodacity for many a fortnight. Prepare your orfices for a sonic eareffing the likes of which has ne'er been seen, except for those other totally radsauce shindigs when she done gone laid down dem sweetassed beats. Yea verily: unto thine earholes shalt be poured pure liquid gold, but not like literally as such would likely maketh thee spake thusly: ouch."
Kansas-lee
Genre: Folk
Kansas-Lee epitomizes solo artistry complete; intuitive and vulnerable songwriting, resonating with truth, delivered with conviction and strength, from a voice that pours out from the depths of her heart like honey. Paired with her rhythmic guitar playing, her music inspires movement, and invites your soul to dance.
Instagram: kansaslee
Facebook: kansasleemusic
Keisha & Boundless Bellydance
Genre: Dance
Keisha (snpink'tn [Penticton], BC) is a passionate & powerful performance artist, instructor and choreographer. Her graceful, earthy and organic dance style is highlighted by her contagious joy and love for the dance. Keisha is known and complimented for her informed teaching practices and enticing stage presence.
As Founder & Artistic Director of popular SWANA & Fusion Dance Company: Boundless Belly Dance and with 20 years in the Southwest Asian & North African Dance Community, Keisha has created a number of programs within her company to advocate for 2SLGBTQ+ & Black, Indigenous & People of the Global Majority. She believes deeply that art can change the world, specifically through dance. As a highly sought out entertainer, with training from masters of the art, Keisha’s performance efforts have taken her all over the world.
Photo by Digital Maege Media
Facebook: boundlessbellydance
Instagram: keishadances
Kia Kadiri
Genre: hip-hop/R&B
Kia Kadiri is a respected vocalist based in Vancouver. For over 20 years her unique style keeps her in demand as a performer, instructor, and recording artist.
Kia teaches lyricism and song writing in marginalized communities, schools, and institutions.
The interactive workshops combine music theory, improvisation, recording techniques, music production, creative writing, and performance skills.
Working with organizations such as the Vancouver Biennale, Artstarts and The Sarah Mclaughlin school of music, Kia inspires youth to find their own voice through the music and the history of hip-hop culture.
Facebook
Kiva MH
Genre: Contemporary Hip Hop
Kiva Morgan-Hall is a Secwepemc/Nuu-Chah-Nulth youth grounded through the roots of his people. He started his artistic journey with The Melawmen Collective at the tender age of 7 years old, as a participant of their workshops, then as a ‘mini facilitator’, and later as a working lyricist of the group as an early teen. He is a trained traditional cultural dancer and performer. His young wisdom shines through his verses time and time again, relating to all generations.
Facebook: KIVAMHMUSIC
Instagram: kiva.mh
Kristal Jem
Genre: Electro Soul
Up-and-coming DJ and vocalist Kristal Jem brings her crisp soul inspired sound to original tracks with accents of cosmic opera vocals that make her sound unique and powerful. After spending years perfecting her sound on the musical theater stage she moved towards a different journey working with various electronic producers to create music experience of bass and light. Kristal uses her lessons from life to create a conscious musical experience that touches the souls who hear it. Honestly written from the heart, she shares her truth of life, love, struggle, and growth. Equality is what she stands for, purpose is what drives her and love is what shields her.
Instagram kristal.jem
Kuja Collective
Genre: Celtic
When Kuja Collective is spinning their sounds, you can bet that faces are smiling and feet are stomping. This group, hailing from Penticton, is a true embodiment of eclectic acoustic sounds with a unique blend of Celtic and Metis music. Known for their traditional jigs and reels, Kuja has mastered the art of reinventing popular tunes to create a nostalgic yet new musical experience.
Fahlon grew up on Vancouver Island in Parksville, B.C. At the age of 9-years-old, she began learning the fiddle and was quickly drawn to traditional Celtic and Metis tunes. She would busk at the Coombs “Goats on the Roof” Market, putting the money earned towards her violin lessons and college funds. While completing a Bachelor of Music at the University of Victoria, Fahlon met and fell in love with Blake Palm (guitar), who was also completing his BMus. Fahlon and Blake joined forces and began busking together, drawing on their shared love of traditional Celtic music. The two of them got married and settled in Blake’s hometown of Penticton, B.C. Their musical journey as Kuja Collective continues to grow and thrive.
Kuja is a collaborative collective that thrives on exploring new sounds with other local musicians in the Okanagan Valley. The individual musicians have an impressive musical resume, including cross-Canada tours, performances with some of the top musicians in Canada across various genres, numerous music festivals, and award-winning performances. They continue to view Kuja as a new adventure, combining eclectic styles and creating music for the sheer joy of it.
LADY of the MIST
Genre: flute-step
Lady of the Mist is a high energy artist (Producer, DJ, Flutist, Singer Songwriter) that harnesses the power to use music for self-expression and emotional healing. With her captivating sounds, she tells a new story of personal growth with a groove to get a crowd dancing with every song.
Twitch: lady_ofthe_mist
Facebook: LADY.of.the.MIST.n.ROADKILL.RILEY
Instagram: lady.of.the.mist
Leo D.E. Johnson
Genre: Neo Soul, Rock 'n' Roll, and Galactic Gospel
Leo D.E Johnson, aka Boy Leo (He/Them), is a Black, Trans, Scotian Rock 'n' Roll artist whose music encompasses a unique blend of Neo Soul, Rock 'n' Roll, and Galactic Gospel. Often compared to the musical stylings of Britney Howard, Johnson draws on thier personal experiences and culture for lyrical inspiration, crafting thought-provoking songs that explore identity, belonging and spirituality, creating an emotional sonic experience unlike any other. Re-releasing his 3-Disk Set, LIONHEART, QUEENBEE and FOUND BEEHIVE in November 2022, Johnson is set to release his latest sounds in Spring 2024. Leo's work celebrates the power of connection, inspiring listeners to think differently about themselves and their place in the world. With a passion for pushing boundaries musically and conceptually, Leo's sounds are as ambitious as they are thoughtful, and his live performances are nothing short of spectacular. Johnson is involved in a variety of artistic roles, curating and hosting events focusing on the sharing of the Black, First Nations, POC LGBTQ2S+ experience. Having had the pleasure of opening for Frazy Ford at the Commodore Ballroom in November 2022, singing on 54-40's latest album, and being a runner-up on CTV's Season 2 of the Launch, Leo brings an unfettered level of energy and passion to every stage he graces. Sit back and enjoy the reflection!
Lucas Penner
Genre: Indie Folk, Indie Pop, Alternative
Lucas Penner, a BC-based, genre-defiant recording artist, drawing inspiration a background in classical music and theatre. Over the past decade, he has collaborated with esteemed professionals like Ryan McAllister, Jesse Gander, Alex Purcell, and Päter, showcasing his versatility and passion for music. Since 2020, Lucas has been curating and releasing captivating work from his home studio, featuring notable projects such as the 'Honey Baby EP,' 'Fallen Apple,' and 'Pin.' Throughout his artistic evolution, he has diligently honed both his instrumental and vocal abilities, leading to captivating live performances that feature dynamic loop-pedal arrangements. As a solo artist, Lucas has graced stages across Canada, earning acclaim at renowned venues like Guilt and Company, Tibet Street Records, and The Dream Cafe. Recently releasing his newest album, “Mergatroid” it features the backing of reputable entities such as Nice Marmot PR and STRAY+ Marketing, this album is a defining moment in his musical journey. Treat yourself by checking out the first two singles from the record, 'Easy On The Eyes' and 'All It Does Is Change,' available on all major streaming platforms.
The Man from Eldorado
Genre: Literary/Poetry
It’s been 22 years since Andre Sutherland Begin rediscovered his love for poetry, drama and storytelling, on route to becoming a staple in Penticton’s arts and culture scene.
Now a member of the Federation of Canadian storytellers, he’s entertained locals with dramatic poetry recitement for the better half of the decade, following a return to English class in 2000 where he learned the works of U.K.-born poet Robert Service.
The Melawmen Collective
Genre: Indigenous Fusion
A contemporary Indigenous fusion woven together with elements of hip hop, rock/folk, righteous rhymes and rich harmonies, carried through with experience, manifestation, and visions of intergenerational stories of pain and healing. The Melawmen Collective brings a uniqueness to their sound like no other, drawing in a wide variety of listeners through sharing their own journeys of life through their musical evolution together. ‘Melawmen’ means medicine in the Secwepemc language, and the unceded territory of the Secwepemc People in what is now known as BC, is where members Meeka Morgan (vocals, Secwepemc/Nuu-Chah-Nulth), Rob Hall (Vocals, Ghengis Ghandi’s, Ashcroft), Geo Ignace aka Geo The Voice (Vocals, Secwepemc/Cree), and Kiva Morgan-Hall (Vocals, Secwepemc/Nuu-Chah-Nulth), continue to grow. Joined by the heartfelt rhythm of Cass Gregg (Bass, Ts’ilcotin), and Victor Lacos (Drums, Republic of Chile).
MEMBERS:
Meeka Morgan - Vocals
Rob Hall - Guitar, vocals
Geo Ignace - Vocals
Kiva Morgan-Hall - Vocals
Cass Greg - Bass
Victor Lacos - Drums
Facebook: Melawmen
Instagram: melawmencollective
Mikenna Hope
Genre: Neo-Soul, Funk, Disco, R&B
Mikenna Hope is a world traveler, passionate about spreading a good message and connecting people through music, jamming, poetry, authenticity, and art. She has enjoyed singing her whole life, has been writing poetry since age 11, and always had a starring role in theatre productions throughout all her schooling.
Growing up in a small town in BC, Canada, she craved diversity, so she began traveling when she was 20. While in Australia she connected with many amazing musicians but it was Dr. Asparagus and @Dav the Piper who truly inspired her to freestyle. Through finding her feet freestyling she also found her confidence to partake in jams and blossomed as an artist.
"Jamming with other humans and creating from the heart and soul is otherworldly", she claims. Now she loves being able to meet other artists and create projects together, capturing special moments and preserving them forever. Mikenna describes her style as adaptable and from the heart but is enthralled by classic hip-hop, neo-soul, funk, disco, and R&B. Inspired by artists like; Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, Kamauu, A Tribe Called Quest, Noname, and Anderson .Paak, she aims to create music that is a segment straight from her soul.
The Myrtle Sisters: Same Same Different
Genre: Kid friendly back porch stomp/old time/swing
The Myrtle Sisters, featuring Candice Roberts, Nayana Fielkov, and Kat Single-Dain, are a trio of east Vancouver performers delighting audiences of all ages with their harmonies, twinkling-tap numbers and family antics! They’ve been showcasing a clowning, vaudeville and dance menagerie of musical calamity for over 10 years in a variety of venues. Expect plenty of charm and shenanigans along with their original and historic songs and dances. The music stands on its own, but their onstage family antics, tap stylings and wild tunes are not to be missed.
Naomi Shore
Genre: indie folk/singer songwriter
Naomi Shore is an indie-folk, singer songwriter from Northern BC. Her live performances are both contemplative and clever; vulnerable songwriting is buoyed by surging vocals as smooth and full as deep water. After seven years as one half of the Western Canadian Award winning folk roots duo ‘Twin Peaks’ Naomi is now touring her solo project and promoting her second full length record ‘Stability’. For this storyteller, crafting music has become more than her trade, it’s a way to process her life, to send a searching hand out through the mists of a melody and connect with the world.
Facebook: naomishoremusic
Instagram: naomishoremusic
niuboi x earth
Genre: Performance Theatre
niuboi [pronounced “new-boy”] came from space to save the world from a life of blasé mundanity. You’re welcome. Their solo show niuboi x earth is a collection of odd and personal stories that Mel Priestley (melpriestley.ca) called "...politically charged and socially relevant,” featuring, “campy songs and a bizarre montage of video clips." niuboi is a disabled non-binary alien who, after a decade in Alberta, has returned to the Okanagan and is excited to make new friends. Contains mature themes and never-ending earworms.
The Oldest Man I Know
Genre: punk inspired folk
The Oldest Man I Know is an all acoustic trio based in Victoria, British Columbia. They play folk music that is heavily inspired by modern alternative music. Taylor Esch plays banjo with a traditional Appalachian mountain technique known as ‘frailing’, and also plays an instrument known as the mandocello. Andi White’s fiddle style has been developed during her time busking across Canada. Taylor Hart plays slap style double bass. We call him ‘Smelly’ to avoid confusion.
They are influenced by bands such as Old Crow Medicine Show, Mama’s Broke, NoFX, Propagandhi, Trampled by Turtles, Cud Eastbound, Steph Cameron, Holy Locust, The Hokum Highrollers, and Yes Ma’am.
Although Taylor, Smelly, and Andi have been playing together since 2023, they are experienced musicians, having toured Canada, performed at folk festivals such as Mariposa, and recorded many times in their various projects over the years.
Quantum Twitch
Genre: Glitch/EDM/DNB
With roots deeply entrenched in rave culture, Quantum Twitch manifests an intricate fusion of rolling/glitching/singing basslines and meticulously crafted breakbeats, and definitely isn’t known for shying away from other genres! Each track is an experiment — a voyage through the sonic spectrum where classic Drum & Bass rhythms collide with cutting-edge production and sound design. Behind the decks, Quantum Twitch is both conductor and alchemist, transforming every performance into an electrifying experience that rattles dancefloors and reverberates through the very fabric of time and space.
Quantum Twitch isn't simply a musical act; it's a movement — one that challenges listeners to experience drum & bass not just as a genre but as a higher state of consciousness. Join the journey, and be prepared for an odyssey that will captivate your entire being!
Rachel Geek
Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap/Pop/Electronic
Meet Rachel Geek, the talented sound engineer and live looping musician hailing from Kelowna, BC! With over 100k plays on Spotify and YouTube, she has collaborated with artists like Nino Bless, Slug of Atmosphere, Nova Rockafeller, and Mayday.
Specializing in mixing rap, hip hop, trap, pop, acoustic, and electronic music, Rachel boasts 8 years of experience and mentorship from Juno-winning engineers. Her go-to tools include Ableton Live 10, ProTools, Melodyne, and Waves Autotune for that perfect sound. Rachel is also a classically trained pianist.
But that's not all - Rachel has also graced the stage at Shambhala Music Festival and Wicked Woods, bringing her incredible talent to life in unforgettable live performances.
Raghu Lokanathan
Genre: undefinable…
Raghu is a thin, bearded, bespectacled man who will smile if you look at him.
Raghu lives in the traditional territory of the Lheidli T'enneh. He used to write and play as a way to look for songs. Now he’s lost in the offshoots of the offshoots of that work. He traces and traces over scribblings until the pen and paper are in ruins. He vandalizes his own notebooks. This year at Ignite he’s going to wander around and sit around with something to write with and something to write on and see what happens.
Raghu has taken on the roll of Ignite the Arts Official Scribe, so if you see him jotting ideas down and pensively writing, take note that he’s likely taking note of you!
Renite Manisha Gosal
Genre: Literary/Poetry
Writing on the margins of three identities: Canadian, British, and Indian, Renite Manisha Gosal (she/her) is an emerging poet, community facilitator and spoken-word artist based in Vancouver, Canada. Her poetry intertwines experiences of grief, mental health challenges, and resilience, meditating on issues of the human condition. Equipped with a Master’s of Science in Global Mental Health and Society, Renite’s activism synthesizes academic learning and is rooted in the transformative power of storytelling. She draws inspiration from her lived experience in a brown, female body, and experiences of grief in adolescence as well as growing up with loved ones struggling with addiction. Renite has performed in Scotland, England and Canada, and is published in numerous zines in the United Kingdom. Her self-published poetry pamphlet, Humanize, seeks to destigmatize mental health and people who use drugs.
Rez Daddy
Genre: Performance Theatre/Drag
Rez Daddy is looking for honeys to spoil. He's got baby mama drama, blankets on his windows, and a beat up car. Looking to snag? He's your guy. He might even give you a hickey while you're at it.
He started performing in 2019 debuting at Bad Company Burlesque in Vancouver, BC. Madeline, the creator of Rez Daddy, dressed up as a typical native dude for Halloween and got called “Sir” at Tim Horton’s. Madeline was hooked from that point on. They love poking fun at rez dudes through drag.
Rez Daddy is here to wiggle his frog butt and show off his beer gut!
Madeline Terbasket (pronouns: they/them) is a two-spirit performing artist. They are proudly syilx, Ho-chunk, and Anishinaabe. They grew up in the beautiful Similkameen Valley and now live in Penticton. Madeline Terbasket is reimagining traditional stories with their physical comedy, queerness, and vulnerability.
Richard Garvey
Richard Garvey is a guitar-strumming, banjo-plucking, and sing-along-starting performer and community organizer. His award winning songs explore the highs and lows of love, injustice, and the marbled mess of the human condition. Whether he’s playing to a living room or an amphitheatre, Richard brings clever songs and a sly sense of humour to inspire solidarity, hope, and change. When you’re looking for the latest incarnation of world-changing, foot-stomping, and heart-filling folk music, see Richard Garvey.
www.richardgarvey.ca
www.richardgarvey.bandcamp.com
www.youtube.com/richardgarvey
www.instagram.com/richard_garvey123
www.facebook.com/farfromrich
Ryan Sebastiano
Genre: Rock
Ryan Sebastiano is a singer/songwriter from Northern BC, where he fronts the rock band ‘Rose Prairie Romance’ with whom he has release one full length album ‘Renovations’ in 2020. Citing influences like Jason Isbell, Foo Fighters, Tom Petty and Houndmouth; Sebastiano’s writing has a roots rock vibe that is chock full of singable hooks with an undertone of 90’s nostalgia all delivered in a relaxed, familiar groove.
Saltwater Hank
Genre: Indigenous Rock N Roll
Saltwater Hank trio delivers a raucous performance that blends the sound of Rock ‘n Roll with the melodies & rhythmic complexity of his ancestors: the Ts’msyen, all with lyrics written entirely in his language, Sm’algya̱x.
Facebook: saltyhank
Instagram: saltwaterhank
Saul Squakin
Genre: Workshop Facilitator
Saul Squakin is a Syilx man from the Lower Similkameen Indian Band. He has been participating in the Sweat with his sons and other family / community members in Keremeos. He also is a hunter who provides for his family and community. Saul has worked for years in the fisheries department for the Okanagan Nation Alliance. Saul is always willing to help out his elders, family and children.
Saul brings to Ignite the Men’s Sweat Workshop - A personal account of why the Sweat (house) ceremony has helped him. What it is (ceremony, fire, water/river, songs, prayers, fire rocks, etc), Why he does it, and how it has helped him and how it connects family and community. A story of self health, a journey to wellness, and traditional healing.
Selina Martin
Genre: fusion of pop, art-rock, and cabaret
Meticulous, curious and ambitious, Selina Martin’s music consistently defies convention.
Time Spent Swimming - the 5th full-length release for this France-based Canadian songwriter - fuses organic instrumentation, samples, field recordings, physical synths as well as plug-ins plus vocal improvisation in a buoyant expansion of genres that could be described as electro-post-rock, or singer-songwriter art-pop. It doesn’t sound like anything you’ve heard before, yet there are hooks in almost every song.
Here are just a few of the many acclaims Time Spent Swimming has received nationally and internationally:
“It is not only a strong album, but one of the strongest albums in 2022."
- Vinyl-keks, DE
Top albums list of 2022 – Time Spent Swimming
- The Globe & Mail, CAN
“sounds like a never-released collaboration between Peter Gabriel and Bjork”
– Fidelity, DE
"five-stars ... unrelenting creativity ... I found time between gigs to write this review because the record is so good” – West End Phoenix, CAN
"Thrilling" - Actua News, FR
“Time Spent Swimming shoots into the stratosphere” - Exclaim!, CAN
"If experimental female musicians like Björk or St. Vincent have something like a Canadian cousin in spirit, it could be Selina Martin” – Piranha/Start, DE
Facebook: selinamartinmusic
Instagram: selina.martin.1
Shawn Pinchbeck
Genre: Electroacoustic
Shawn Pinchbeck is an Edmonton, AB and Viljandi, Estonia based electroacoustic music composer, sound artist, new media artist, performer, installation artist, lecturer, curator, and sound engineer. His award winning music compositions, performance works and installations have been presented widely at numerous festivals and exhibits across Canada and Europe. He collaborates extensively, creating interdisciplinary works with artists of all backgrounds.
For the last several years, he has focussed on writing music and software for contemporary dance and his own solo electroacoustic and visual music performances; having presented works in Canada, USA, Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Ireland and the UK. His technical research for the last several years has focussed on immersive listening utilising ambisonic field recording and mixing techniques for his compositions.
He has eight album releases of ambient music, film scores, music for dance, noise, experimental music, electroacoustics and sound art; and has appeared on many music compilations over the years. His music has appeared in numerous independent films, including the Genie award winning documentary The Corporation (2003), Tallinn City Symphony (2012) and most recently, Far From the Apple Tree (2019), of which the soundtrack album with iconic Scottish singer songwriter Rose McDowall was nominated for the 2020 Scottish Album of the Year.
Pinchbeck has worked extensively composing electroacoustic music and creating computer interactive performance systems for contemporary dance companies Mile Zero Dance and Good Women Dance Collective in Edmonton and Fine 5 Dance Theatre in Estonia among others. In addition to making music compositions, Shawn has created numerous gallery installation works that explore the intersection between sound art, video, immersive audio, computer vision and computer interaction.
He has received numerous grants and awards from the Canada Council for the Arts, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Edmonton Arts Council the Alberta Media Arts Alliance Society. He has won the Edmonton Artist Trust Fund Award, Telus Arts of the Future Award and the Telus Courage to Innovate Award; for his cutting edge sound and interdisciplinary artworks.
Shawn holds an MMus and a PhD in electroacoustic music composition from the University of Birmingham, UK where he studied with Dr. Erik Oña and Dr. Jonty Harrison. Currently, he teaches interactive art at the Art Research Lab at Liepaja University in Latvia, and music technology at MacEwan University in Edmonton.
Dr. Pinchbeck is President of the Boreal Electroacoustic Music Society, which he helped found in 1989. He is also the Treasurer of the Canadian Electroacoustic Community based in Montreal, Canada. He produces a yearly artist residency program for Canadian based artists in Viljandi, Estonia.
Shred Kelly
Genre: alternative, folk, and rock
Emerging from the majestic landscapes of the Canadian Rockies, Shred Kelly is a powerhouse band that seamlessly blends elements of alternative, folk, and rock music. With a captivating live act that leaves audiences in awe, they have become a mainstay in the Canadian music scene. But it's not just their energetic performances that set them apart—Shred Kelly's heartfelt songwriting strikes a chord with listeners, connecting deeply as each band member brings their eclectic musical influences to the table, shaping the group's unique musical direction.
With an impressive track record of touring across Canada, the United States, Europe, and the UK, Shred Kelly has made appearances at renowned festivals such as Kaslo Jazz, Ottawa Blues Fest, Winnipeg Folk Fest, SXSW, Reeperbahn and many more. Furthermore the band has shared stages with esteemed acts such as The Dead South, Elliott Brood, and The Cave Singers, leading to their reputation as a dynamic live act whose show is described as a joyous celebration of life.
With a fervent commitment to their craft, Shred Kelly has garnered praise from critics in Canada and beyond, earning Spotify Editorial Playlisting, international radio play, and regular rotation on influential platforms such as Sirius XM and Radio Eins in Berlin. Nominated for Rock Artist of the Year at The 2021 Western Canadian Music Awards, Shred Kelly's ascent shows no signs of slowing down as they prepare to release their highly anticipated sixth studio album, produced by the acclaimed Nygel Asselin.
Stephen Hamm: Theremin Man
Genre: Synth
A legendary member of the Vancouver Music scene for over thirty years, Stephen Hamm continues a prolific, adventurous musical career and has become one of Canada’s most unforgettable and beloved performers. Stephen has played in bands like Slow, Canned Hamm and Nardwuar And The Evaporators. In recent years has shifted his focus to mastering the theremin, an early electronic instrument that one doesn’t touch but plays by interacting with magnetic fields around two antennae. Stephen has been thrilling audiences at clubs, and festivals with wildly creative solo show, based around theremin and synthesizer and has been taking them on an electro musical journey into new abstract dimensions of sound!
Tasty Lix
Genre: House
Just a girl with her decks, and her desire to bring the Tastiest sounds to the table. Known for her impeccable taste and versatile mixing skills, Tasty Lix (Nixon Prince) is set to take you on a musical journey like no other. From infectious house rhythms to chart-topping hits, her eclectic mix mastery ensures that every beat resonates with the excitement of a fresh beginning. Get ready to groove to the sounds of Tasty Lix as she primes the party with an irresistible fusion of genres, setting the perfect tone for an extraordinary set. Starting her DJ journey in late 2020, Tasty Lix is on a relentless mission to elevate every performance, ensuring her dance floor mirrors the infectious energy she brings. Get ready for a wild ride because Tasty Lix is here to turn you all into dirty lil fun-havers.
Taylor Williams
Genre: Literary/Poetry
Taylor Williams (they/them) is an American-Canadian Poet, born in Los Angeles California. “How to Hold a Hurricane” is their first collection of poetry, one that focuses on loosing a parent to addiction, finding and recovering from love, and finding one's self. The journey is bittersweet, but promising. Taylor currently resides in British Columbia, Canada, always writing, and redefining their world.
10 Minute Plays - Tempest Ensemble
Genre: Performance Theatre
These bite-sized playlettes are full of delight and surprisingly moving. We all know the benefit of eating and drinking local, so let’s make merry with these locally written and acted gems. Based on a theme of mental health and in alignment with the Penticton Art Gallery's 'Gifts of Madness' exhibitions, enjoy 5 original plays premiering on Tempest's stage.
ORIGINAL PLAYS:
First Act of Consent - By Yanti
Adam, Eve, Garden of Eden… You know the story, or do you?
Smack - By Trista Bassett
An ordinary day at the office becomes extraordinary when an annoying inner voice leads the way to connection.
Common Law - by Kagan Goh
A beautifully written excerpt into the world of manic depression by Gifts of Madness creator Kagan Goh and read by the 10-Minute Play actors.
Creature Comfort - by Isak and Eowynn Enquist
Through dance and spoken word, Isak and Eowynn explore the intricacies of public and personal spaces focusing on intellectual and primal instincts and the ways they can connect with each other.
Bananas - by Kate Twa
During a thunderstorm, an aging Demi-goddess shows up at a hair salon for a makeover where she meets a hot-tempered stylist trying to close shop.
CAST BIOS:
Eowynn Enquist (she/her) is a 4th generation settler of Irish, French, English, and German descent, incredibly grateful to be living and working on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
Eowynn’s work in the arts includes dance interpreter, rehearsal director, teacher, choreographer, tv/film actor, and administrator.
Eowynn has worked with established dance companies and independent choreographers in Canada such as: Action at a Distance, Anne Plamondon Productions (Montréal,QB), Anya Saugstad, Corporeal Imago, Cristina Bucci, Daria Mikhaylyuk, Heather Myers, Isak Enquist, Kinesis Dance Somatheatro, Mahaila Paterson-O’Brien, Mascall Dance, Nicole Von Arc for Edmonton Opera’s production of Orphee+, Out Innerspace Dance Theatre, Rachel Meyer, Vision Impure Compagnie, and Wen Wei Dance.
Recently Eowynn has been an interpreter in films premiered at: Vancouver Asian Film Festival 2023, Vancouver International Film Festival 2023, Festival of Recorded Movement 2022, Made in Canada festival 2023, Innovate showcase 2023, and Zêzere Cinedança Festival 2023.
Isak Doran Enquist is a movement artist, choreographer, actor, teacher, and experimental sound designer living on Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh, Skwxwú7mesh, and xʷməθkwəy̓əm nations. Raised in the Ktunaxa of Canada, he began formal training in Shotokan Karate-Do before pursuing post-secondary dance education at Simon Fraser University and Modus Operandi (Vancouver).
He has performed nationally and internationally with Canadian performing companies such as: Out Innerspace Dance Theatre, Compagnie Vision Impure, Shay Kuebler Radical System Art, Mahaila Patterson-O’Brien, Amber Funk Barton, Mascall Dance, Generous Mess, Cristina Bucci, Anne Plamondon Productions, and Corporeal Imago. Isak is faculty with Vancouver’s Harbour Dance Centre, Lamon Dance Company, and a guest teacher with institutions such as Training Society of Vancouver, Goh Ballet Academy, and GötesborgOperan Danskompani (Sweden).
Moon Makepeace: My first introduction to acting was in 6th grade, when my class walked to the high school to enjoy a play put on by a traveling theatre company.
When I was 19, I started taking acting classes and other related classes at what was then called University college of the Cariboo. I furthered my studies in acting, movement, fencing, mask and clown at Theatre Center on Gabriola Island, when I was 28. It was not until discovering Tempest that my love-fire for acting grew in immense and nourishing ways. Before Tempest, I thought I was done with acting. And now, I realize, I have only just begun.
Kyler Sahlmark joins in his second time performing in a 10 minute play for Ignite the Arts Festival. He has also performed in Malleus Maleficarum and enjoys taking acting classes at the Tempest Theatre. Born in Alberta, Kyler has lived in the Okanagan for 15 years.
Chantal Ethier is an actor, producer and director. She studied theatre at Canterbury school for the performing arts before receiving a BFA in Theatre at the University of Ottawa.
She has enjoyed working collaboratively on this new piece with all local artists for the Ignite the Arts Festival. She thanks her fellow cast members, writer, Yanti, and Kate Twa, Denise Kenney and Tempest Theatre for the opportunity and their collaboration.
Carol Munro, former broadcaster and occasional actor, is excited to join the frisky company of players at Tempest for this year's 10-Minute Play event. Bananas have always been a part of her very long life, and she is excited to celebrate the power of fruit on this particular stage.
Dawn Bassett loves to bring theatre arts communities together. She dabbles in playwriting, directs a successful murder mystery with Summerland Singers and Players on the KVR every year, and enjoys working with the Ryga Arts Festival, Cat’s Paw Productions, Showtime Community Theatre and Tempest Theatre. She is very excited to be in her first 10 minute play festival play which was written by her sister, Trista.
Adwait Nadkarni is an exuberant new presence on the Penticton stage. Since his 2022 debut as Brad Majors in The Rocky Horror Show, he continues to seek out new opportunities to grow as a performer. Catch him this July at the Tempest in Cat's Paw Productions' Ride the Cyclone.During a thunderstorm, an aging Demi-goddess shows up at a hair salon for a makeover where she meets a hot-tempered stylist trying to close shop.
Anne Ramey has always had a passion for shared song. At 15, she began performing as half of folk duo, Meander, and spent over a decade with The Naramata Community Choir, which led to her discovering musical theater with Soundstage Productions, Evita in 2011. Since then, she has been in over a dozen musicals with Theater Kelowna Society and Soundstage, where she met Kerry Younie who encouraged her to pursue her interest in costuming, hair and makeup. Anne has costumed multiple small ventures and two large ensemble casts. Her first major foray, Raft: A Rock Opera, earned her Best Costume at the Ozone Festival 2017. She's excited for the new challenges Cat's Paw Productions will bring.
Cain Critchlow has been performing in the valley most of their life: starting with ballet classes at the age of six, getting into improv in their teen years and then finding much joy through musical theater. They've since been in five musicals and were assistant choreographer for The Who's ‘Tommy’, presented by Theater Kelowna Society. While teaching improv is one of the most rewarding parts of their life, dance has remained close to Cain's heart. Having trained with Kate Twa and Lynne Leydier, they are excited to stretch their dramatic and vocal legs as well as their actual hamstrings.
Tender Love
Genre: Synth/Electro
Tender Love is Naomi Aris Horii - voice, bass guitar, synthesizers and Mark Wickstead - guitar, drum machines, synthesizers. They formed in 2018 to create weird noises for Spatial Poetics as part of the Powell Street Festival. Infrequent gigs followed; Drone Day 2019 in New Westminster, John Cage's Musicircus at The Polygon Gallery, more recently, Teflon Spine 02 noise show at SBC and Casse Tete Experimental Music Festival 2023. All songs begin life with the pop charts in mind but are waylaid by noise, repetition, minimalism.
(*note- this set just has Mark. Unfortunately Naomi can’t make this one!)
Tereza Tomek
Genre: Folk Music
Tereza Tomek is a Vancouver Island based songwriter who draws inspiration from great stories both real and imagined. She uses colourful characters, vivid imagery, and a good dose of humour to bring unique tales to life. Tereza has been on the road sharing her songs across Canada and beyond since 2011. Audiences can expect an interactive show of magical storytelling.
Facebook: Tereza-Tomek-Music
Instagram: terezatomek
3 Jack Generation Hand Drummers
Genre: Hand Drumming/Dancing
We are the 3 Jack Generation Hand Drummers. We have 3 generations of our family in the group. Mother/Sister, Daughter and Grandchildren. We perform as a family and are experienced Facilitators who can host hand drumming, and other cultural crafting in person workshops while sharing and respecting our Culture.
MEMBERS:
Andrea Watts - Manager, Experienced Facilitator, Teacher, Spokesperson, Singer
Cynthia Jack - Performer, Singer, Teacher
Serena Jack - Performer, Singer, Experienced Teacher, Facilitator
Isaac Jack - Singer, Performer
Orion Jack - Singer
Rayann Squakin - Singer
Cadence Squakin - Singer
Wesley Squakin - Singer
Tom Laveen
Genre: Workshop Instructor
Tom Leveen is an award-winning novelist and Bram Stoker Award finalist, with nine novels originally published by imprints of Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, and other New York publishers. He has written for the comic book series Spawn and fiction for the BattleTech TTRPG for Topps, Inc. Tom has taught writing at the university level, and spoken at multiple national and international conferences and conventions. Apart from his writing career, Tom brings more than twenty years of experience in live theatre to his presentations and classrooms. Join Tom for two workshop opportunities during Ignite the Arts at the Leir House, hosted by the PDCAC.
Valery Gore
Genre: Avant-Pop
Valery Gore revitalizes traditional song structures with an infusion of candid vocals, distinctive melodies, subtly intricate rhythms, and eclectic arrangements, skillfully navigating the turbulent waters of human relationships.
Beginning her musical journey as a classically trained pianist from age eight, Gore has evolved into a conceptual songwriter, seamlessly blending her classical roots with jazz influences acquired during her studies at Humber College in Toronto. Her musical prowess took center stage with the debut of her self-titled album in 2005 through Six Shooter Records/Warner Music Canada, swiftly amassing a dedicated fan base and earning acclaim for her innovative songwriting.
Gore’s second album, “Avalanche To Wandering Bear” (2008, Do Right Music/Outside Music) received high praise from Exclaim Magazine, citing it as “one of the best written and produced records of the year.” Breaking new ground with her third album, “Idols In The Dark Heart” (2014), Popmatters lauded the collection as “charming the listener with its refusal to be anything other than a painting or sculpture in sound.” BlogTO recognized it among the best 10 Toronto albums of ‘14.
Valery has gained extended recognition through radio play and live appearances on platforms such as FluxFM in Berlin, CBC programs Q, Radio 2 Drive, Canada Live, Metro Morning, GO, Bandwidth, and XM Radio The Verge.
Having captivated audiences across Canada, Japan, Australia, China, L.A., Germany, Switzerland, and England, Gore has left her mark on prominent festivals, including Toronto Jazz Festival, Ottawa Bluesfest, Pop Montreal, Halifax Jazz Festival, NXNE, and CMW.
Since relocating from Toronto in May 2020, Valery has drawn inspiration from her surroundings in snpintktn (Penticton) on the unceded ancestral territory of the Syilx (Okanagan) People. She continues to evolve as a boundary-pushing artist, breathing fresh life into the musical landscape.
Yanti
Genre: kitchen sink gospel
For two decades, Yanti has performed locally in many different combos and venues. From Jazz Standards at weddings or retirement homes to rock ballads for fundraisers, either live or karaoke, Yanti has a diverse range of vocal talents. Yanti performs regularly with local jazz band Sax Among Friends, The Justin Glibbery Quintet and Crawford & Crossley Quartet.
Yanti Sharples is a wise soul with a powerful love for life whose lifelong aspiration has been to build strength, hope and community through the shared human experience of music. Through writing, singing, playing instruments and teaching Yanti shares her unique frequency with her fans and students. Yanti believes that the vibrations we emit from our bodies are the best medicine for what ails us. She aims to keep encouraging positive change in her environment by leading by example, as she is driven to make a difference in the world.
Yanti plays the ukulele, cello and shaker. She describes herself as “"a useful human in an ambiguously brown cis femme body and devoted ally of the marginalized!"
