Ignite the Arts Festival

09/09/2026

The Art of Relevance ... Connection

Thank you to the Penticton & District Community Arts Council for including Julie Fowler and Know More Art this past spring to offer a free Mail Art Workshop as part of the We Create Penticton - community week.

So much as transpired over the last six months since we all gathered at Leir house for our workshop and we had almost forgotten about our workshop when we received a letter in the mail from Curator Dr. Serafine Christine Kratzke informing me that their exhibition BOOKWORMS - BÜCHERWÜRMER was opening at the bookshop Bücherkiste a bookshop located in Burg (Dithmarschen), a community in northern Germany.

The letter also asked that we confirm our email address so they can send us a copy of the digital catalogue which is exciting and we will post a link once we receive it.

We also reached out to the workshop participants and others who had submitted artworks to the BOOKWORMS-BÜCHERWÜRMER exhibition had also received the same card.

We also received word from one of the workshop participants Shayna that she has received word that her work had been received by Roman Golub for the World Bee Day 2026 exhibition which just opened at the Tornimäe Cultural Center on Saaremaa island, Estonia.

You can see photos here:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19nyFfGPRY/

The exhibition features the work of 200 artists from 30 countries and the exhibition runs from 01.09.2026 - 01.11.2026. You can see additional video and photos of the exhibition at the following link

https://www.instagram.com/rgart1974/reel/DcvWkqbt0b5/

A full list of the artists in the World Bee Day Exhibition can be found below. Congratulations to the five Canadian artists whose submissions helps to represent Canada on the International stage.

Thank you also to the amazing folks at Deveney Stamps here in Penticton https://deveneystamps.com/ for their support and sponsorship of our International Mail Art workshop.

Thanks also to the Ignite the Arts Festival for their support as well. We are working on hosting an International Mail Art Call for the 2027 Festival and we will keep you posted as things develop and welcome your participation.

The Unite the Arts Society will be hosting our first community meeting on Monday September 21st from 5:00 - 7:00 pm as we look forward to sharing information on our plans for the year ahead and the 6th Annual Ignite the Arts Festival which will take place from March 26-28, 2027 (Easter Weekend).

We are just confirming the location and will be sharing that info shortly and we invite you to contact us directly as well to ensure you don't miss out on any news, opportunities or events.

We are also amazed to have so far received over 300 Artist Applications for next years festival and please know thats its not too late to throw in your hat in the ring to perform at the 6th Annual Ignite the Arts Festival

The Deadline for Artist Applications is November 30, 2026
Here is the link to the artist applications:

https://forms.gle/738EqGnTEcYsp9F29

As mentioned above here is a full list of the artists included in the World Bee Day Exhibition currently on display at the Tornimäe Cultural Center on Saaremaa island, Estonia.

Thanks to Roman Golub for sharing the information on the participating artists and for curating this exhibition.

Lars Schumacher, Germany 🇩🇪
Michel Della Vedova, France 🇫🇷
Walter Lobsiger, Switzerland 🇨🇭
Daniel de Culla, Spain 🇪🇸
Sabela Baña, Spain 🇪🇸
Rittiner & Gomez, Switzerland 🇨🇭
MH//ANTIPODE, Germany 🇩🇪
Keiichi Nakamura, Japan 🇯🇵
Stephen Tomasko, USA 🇺🇸
Katerina Mandarik, France 🇫🇷
Ceravolo Valerie, France 🇫🇷
Uwe Höfig, Germany 🇩🇪
Derya Avci, Türkiye 🇹🇷
The Wasted Angel, Belgium 🇧🇪
Biro Ildiko, Hungary 🇭🇺
Eduardo Jakabházi, Romania 🇷🇴
Alexandru Jakabházi, Romania 🇷🇴
Marco Furia, Italy 🇮🇹
Miguel Jimenez, Spain 🇪🇸
Giovanni and Renata StraDA DA, Italy 🇮🇹
Roberto Scala, Italy 🇮🇹
Peter Abajkovics, Hungary 🇭🇺
Joel Cohen, USA 🇺🇸
Alan Grover Daniel, USA 🇺🇸
Meral Agar, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Hanna Bayer, Germany 🇩🇪
Susanne Schumacher, Germany 🇩🇪
Anja Mattila-Tolvanen, Finland 🇫🇮
John Welson, Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
Carmela Sarcina, Italy 🇮🇹
Manuela Ravaglia, Italy 🇮🇹
Ana Pobo Castañer, Spain 🇪🇸
Maks Dannecker, Germany 🇩🇪
Alfonso Caccavale, Italy 🇮🇹
William Mellott, Taiwan 🇹🇼
April Milszeski, USA 🇺🇸
Irina Tall, Belarus 🇧🇾
Gloria Keh, Singapore 🇸🇬
Radoslav Rochallyi, Czech Republic 🇨🇿
Silvano Pertone, Italy 🇮🇹
Sofia Timoncini, Italy 🇮🇹
Francesca Bella, Italy 🇮🇹
Carla Colombo, Italy 🇮🇹
Dilek Polat, Seyma Çelik, Sedef Kaya, Merve Çenar, Ferial Akdogan, Ceren Aydin, Ezgi Günes, Tuba Korkmaz, Esra Yildirim, Burcu Acar, Nelan Çelebi, Pinar Sahin, Özlem Yilmaz, Özlem Gökay, Dilek Öztürk, Deniz Yilmaz, Birsen Korkmaz, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Tofu, USA 🇺🇸
Susan Gold, Canada 🇨🇦
Maria Victoria Bone Ramirez, Uruguay 🇺🇾
Carmen Kennedy, USA 🇺🇸
_guroga, Venezuela 🇻🇪
Wayne Owen, USA 🇺🇸
Fabio Dotta, Italy 🇮🇹
Marzia Maria Braglia, Italy 🇮🇹
Melanie Bäreis, Germany 🇩🇪
Deniz Altiok Erduran, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Luts Anders, Germany 🇩🇪
Henry Grahn Hermunen, Finland 🇫🇮 Sweden 🇸🇪
Hwan Heo, South Korea 🇰🇷
Rikard Larsson-Eng, Sweden 🇸🇪
Ruggero Maggi, Italy 🇮🇹
Ai WeiWei, China 🇨🇳
Roberta Mendes, Brazil 🇧🇷
Eni Ilis, Brazil 🇧🇷
Alexandru Serbsnescu, Romania 🇷🇴
Zdenka Starčević, Croatia 🇭🇷
Klaus Müller, Germany 🇩🇪
Patty Milligan, Canada 🇨🇦
Irma Soria, Mexico 🇲🇽
Jalldeze Mustafa, Kosov 🇽🇰
Reina Huges, USA 🇺🇸
Dorota Kilichewska, Poland 🇵🇱
Spike Spence, Canada 🇨🇦
Flavia Ciappa, Italy 🇮🇹
Maria Grazia Piazza, Italy 🇮🇹
Çigdem Tanyel Basar, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Mizuki Yano, Japan 🇯🇵
Ichiro Fujieda, Japan 🇯🇵
Hazuki Imano, Japan 🇯🇵
Nobuyuki Shindo, Japan 🇯🇵
Anju Kashima, Japan 🇯🇵
Asuka Imano, Japan 🇯🇵
Nao Biwahara, Japan 🇯🇵
Eishu Yoshikawa, Japan 🇯🇵
Mika Hotta, Japan 🇯🇵
Saki Fukuda, Japan 🇯🇵
Nana Nakashima, Japan 🇯🇵
Yuzuki Yamamoto, Japan 🇯🇵
Shayna Waterman, Canada 🇨🇦
Vlado Goreski, Slovenija 🇸🇮
Antonia Mayol Castello, Spain 🇪🇸
Anila Hetoja, Albania 🇦🇱
Richard Baudet, France 🇫🇷
Fidels Daughter, Germany 🇩🇪
Ugur Akgün, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Lena Gugala, Poland 🇵🇱
Aleksandra Matecka, Poland 🇵🇱
Natalia Wegierska, Poland 🇵🇱
Oliwia Zielinska, Poland 🇵🇱
Weronika Jarzebska, Poland 🇵🇱
Nozomi Shindo, Japan 🇯🇵
Fumiko Matsumoto, Japan 🇯🇵
MSG. Jose Luis Alcalde Soberanos, Mexico 🇲🇽
Sakura Imamura, Japan 🇯🇵
Ritsuka Fukuda, Japan 🇯🇵
Aoi Kino, Japan 🇯🇵
Azuki Saiki, Japan 🇯🇵
Roberto Keppler, Brazil 🇧🇷
Birgit Bächt, Germany 🇩🇪
Fabrizio Pavolucci, Italy 🇮🇹
Jurate Milencuite, Lithuania 🇱🇹
Misaki Morihara, Japan 🇯🇵
Mirjana Radovanovic, Serbia 🇷🇸
Veronique Pozzi Paine, Italy 🇮🇹
Diana Hale, USA 🇺🇸
Grüsse Von Der, Germany 🇩🇪
Francoise De Temmerman, Belgium 🇧🇪
Barbara Ihme, Germany 🇩🇪
Christiane Carre, France 🇫🇷
Virginie Loreau, France 🇫🇷
Lou Liska, Austria 🇦🇹
Renata Danicek, Brazil 🇧🇷
Mary Nash, USA 🇺🇸
Serse Luigetti, Italy 🇮🇹
Vittore Baroni, Italy 🇮🇹
Cathy Stoyko, Canada 🇨🇦
Sevgi Bilal Ceylas, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Grzegorz Szmidt, Poland 🇵🇱
Susanne Mitterwieser, Germany 🇩🇪
Maurizio Collini, Italy 🇮🇹
André Radke (etcetera23), Germany 🇩🇪
Daniela Lewin, Chile 🇨🇱
Petra Kremer-Horster, Germany 🇩🇪
Ljiljana Stevanovic, Serbia 🇷🇸
Maria do Carmo Both, Brazil 🇧🇷
Honoria Starbuck, USA 🇺🇸
Diana Magallon, Mexico 🇲🇽
Yagmur Naz Sari-Bozkurt, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Ayse Nur Kocatürk, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Melihat Gültekin, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Sule Yümsel, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Schiwago Ecaterina, Romania 🇷🇴
Gladys Cepeda, Argentina 🇦🇷
Raquel Vasquez, Trinidad & Tobago 🇹🇹
Maria Jose Bellido Jimenez, Spain 🇪🇸
Pedro Pablo Gallardo Montero, Spain 🇪🇸
Pablo Gallardo Bellido, Spain 🇪🇸
Ömer Foruk Kurt, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Mahdad Maasoum, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Sartak Alim, Kazakhstan 🇰🇿
Tugsan Çaliskan, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Emine Eliz Ekiz, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Hasanbala Soltanov, Azerbaijan 🇦🇿
Selin Duru, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Cemre Atagan, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Emirhon Uslu, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Özgür Eryilmaz, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Yusuf Engin, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Sevval Nur Menki, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Öykü Naz Bilgen, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Irem Hayat Bafali, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Zeynep Ulusakarya, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Meryem Eda Selvili, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Yagmur Öztürk, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Ahmet Emre Can, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Beyza Arik, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Zahide Altuntas, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Muaz Emir Akbudak, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Esra Kasik, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Beril Meral, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Arda Ceyran, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Ezgi Arslan, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Tahmina Guliyeva, Azerbaijan 🇦🇿
Lutfiye Nur Kartal, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Oguz Aliyev, Türkiye 🇹🇷
Mzia Valerian, Belgium 🇧🇪
Akif Nabihan, Malaysia 🇲🇾
Faizal Suhif, Malaysia 🇲🇾
Suzlee Ibrahim, Malaysia 🇲🇾

09/07/2026

Check out all the amazing art, music, theatre, writing and everything in between taking place as part of the Summerland Ryga Arts Festival. Many events are happening in Penticton this year as they pivoted after the fire and evacuations. Let’s show our support for another wonderful Okanagan festival!

In recent weeks, Summerland and neighbouring communities have faced tremendous disruption and loss as a result of the wildfires. Many people are still displaced, grieving, rebuilding or supporting loved ones and neighbours through an incredibly difficult time.

After careful consideration, Summerland’s Ryga Arts Festival will proceed this year in a smaller, revised form. All events in our revised schedule will be offered completely free of charge. We hope they can provide welcoming spaces for people to gather, connect and experience the arts together without any additional financial barriers.

To make the remaining events free, we had to make some difficult decisions about what we could realistically offer this year. Unfortunately, this means we have cancelled both sGaanaGwa and Outspoken. We are deeply disappointed not to present these events and grateful to the artists and partners involved for their understanding.

We have also made the difficult decision to postpone the 2026 Theatre Trail. The Trail requires significant rehearsal time, and our community was displaced for too long to make that possible this fall. We will hold a private read-through this year, with the intention of presenting the postponed Trail in spring 2027 or alongside next year’s festival, in addition to the new 2027 Theatre Trail.

On October 9, we will partner with the Dream Society to host a special Ryga fundraiser in Penticton. A significant portion of the proceeds will support a wildfire relief organization. More details will be announced soon.

This is not the festival we originally planned, but this is not an ordinary year. We are deeply grateful to our artists, partners, funders and community members for helping us reshape the festival with care.

Please see our revised schedule in this post. Anyone who purchased tickets to a cancelled or postponed event will receive a refund as soon as possible.

Do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

07/15/2026

2027 Festival Applications are now live ...

While March seems like a world away and we are out enjoying all that the summer has to offer we wanted to take a moment to let you know that that application for the 6th Annual Ignite the Arts Festival are live now and already starting to fill up ....

We would love to have you come join us here in Penticton March 26th - 28th, 2027 which also happens to be Spring Break and Easter Weekend next year.

)ur Online Application Form can be found here:

https://forms.gle/r6Y6KA8MPwhT3Wj29

For some highlights from 2026 ...

https://www.facebook.com/reel/943530728181114

05/29/2026

In a year filled with unexpected change, today’s email from Penticton Now was especially meaningful, heartening, and validating on so many levels.

We were honoured to learn that the Ignite the Arts Festival has been awarded Gold for Best Arts Organization and Silver for Best Festival, behind Peachfest, in the Annual Best of Penticton Awards.

What makes this recognition particularly special is that it was voted on by you, our community. To know that the festival resonates with so many people and that our efforts to bring people together through arts, culture, and shared experiences are valued in this way is incredibly rewarding.

This recognition is not simply an award; it is a reflection of the collective passion, creativity, and support that have helped Ignite grow and thrive over the past five years.

It stands as a testament to the collective belief, passion, and support of a growing community of volunteers, organizations, businesses, artists, funders, donors, sponsors, and ticket buyers who understand the transformative power of the arts and the importance of shared experiences. Their commitment reflects a common belief that arts and culture play a vital role in shaping vibrant, connected, and thriving communities.

At its core, Ignite the Arts is about creating opportunities for people to come together. It is about fostering connection, encouraging dialogue, and building greater understanding across diverse perspectives and lived experiences. Through the arts, we create welcoming spaces where people can gather, participate, reflect, and celebrate what unites us.

There is something extraordinary that happens when a community comes together in celebration. New connections are formed, ideas are exchanged, and a deeper sense of belonging takes root. Ignite the Arts seeks to cultivate and amplify that collective effervescence, the spark of energy, inspiration, and possibility that emerges when people share meaningful experiences together.

More than a festival, it is a reflection of what can be achieved when a community invests in creativity, collaboration, and culture. It demonstrates the social, cultural, and economic value of the arts while strengthening the relationships that make communities resilient, inclusive, and alive. In bringing people together through shared experiences, Ignite the Arts helps create a stronger sense of place, purpose, and connection for everyone involved.

On behalf of everyone who has believed in and invested in building the Ignite the Arts Festival over the past five years, we extend our deepest gratitude and heartfelt thanks to every volunteer, artist, organization, business, funder, donor, sponsor, partner, and attendee who has been part of this journey. Your belief in the power of the arts, your generosity, and your commitment to building a stronger, more connected community have shaped Ignite into what it is today. This recognition belongs to all of us.

What began as an idea has grown into something far greater than a festival. Together, we have created opportunities for people to gather, share experiences, discover new perspectives, and celebrate the creativity that exists within our community. We have built connections, nurtured artistic expression, strengthened a sense of belonging, and demonstrated what is possible when people come together around a shared vision.

Every ticket purchased, every hour volunteered, every sponsorship secured, every donation made, every partnership formed, and every artist supported has helped make this possible. Ignite is a reflection of the collective passion, energy, and belief of a community that understands the value of arts and culture in bringing people together.

Thank you for helping to ignite that spark. Thank you for believing in the vision, championing the arts, and contributing to something that continues to grow, evolve, and inspire. We look forward to continuing this journey together and building even more opportunities for connection, creativity, and collective celebration in the years ahead.

05/08/2026

Thrilled and honoured to be representing the Ignite the Arts Festival at this years Folk Canada Conference in Hamilton, Ontario, October 14–18

Thank you for this opportunity.

https://www.folkcanada.com/2026-folk-canada-conference

03/30/2026

What a weekend. 🔥

Three days. Multiple venues. Thousands of moments that only happen when a community decides that art matters.

To the performers who gave everything on stage, from Fred Penner () and Shane Koyczan () to The Melawmen Collective () and every artist who trusted us with their work, thank you. You reminded us why we show up.

To the venues that opened their doors and made space for something bigger than a typical night out, and to our partners who believed in the vision before the tickets were sold, thank you.

.theatre

This festival exists because of the funders who invest in culture when it's still just a plan on paper: Visit Penticton, the City of Penticton, the Community Foundation of the South Okanagan Similkameen, Creative BC, and the Penticton Arts Council. Your support makes it all possible.



And to everyone who bought a ticket, showed up, laughed, cried, sang along, brought their kids, or just stood still for a moment and let the music find them, you are the reason we do this.

Penticton showed up for the arts. Four years in, and this community keeps proving that culture belongs here.

Now we start to plan next year. :)

03/28/2026

After a day of festival festivities this could be the gravy to top it all off

Lunch time 🔥

Last chance to go ALL OUT with us 😏🎉

We’re open late AGAIN tonight — and we want to see EVERYONE pulling up 👀

If you missed last night… don’t make that mistake twice.
If you were there… you already know how good it was 🔥

Music, energy, late night vibes, and all your Jeffer’s favourites ready to go 🤤

Round up your crew, bring the party, and come make it a night 🔥

🕖 Late Night: 7:00 PM – 2:30 AM

👇 Who’s coming for round two tonight?!

03/28/2026

!!!!UPDATE!!!!

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Kate Twa of .theatre will be performing the reading of Facelift on March 29 @ 2 pm at Tempest Theatre.

Summerland's Ryga Arts Festival & Bouche Theatre Collective present

A Staged Reading of FACELIFT
By Nathalie Boisvert
Translated to English by Johanna Nutter
Featuring Kate Twa

SYNOPSIS
First the foundation, then the eyes and finally the mouth!

While leading a YouTube makeup tutorial, a woman is visited by Nelly Arcan and Simone de Beauvoir, transforming the innocent routine of daily makeup into a touching look at women's lives, examining aging, seduction, and freedom. A powerful, funny, elegant, and essential new work from award-winning playwright Nathalie Boisvert.

KATE TWA
Kate began her professional acting career at 17 with the role Estella in The Citadel Theatre’s production of Great Expectations. Shortly after, she travelled overseas to study in London with the British Theatre Association. Training in the classics by day left her evenings open to explore some of London’s newest playwrights and explosive productions. By 18, she was developing a taste for the raw, insightful, and provocative work she is known for today.

Selected stage performances include Birdbath by Leonard Melfi, No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre, Miss Julie by August Strindberg, and The Sweetest Swing in Baseball by Diana Son. Kate has acted extensively in film and television (The X-Files, The Outer Limits, Killer App, Da Vinci’s Inquest, and The Dead Zone).

Kate has taught thousands of actors in the craft of acting, is a co-founder of Railtown Actors’ Studio in Vancouver, and is currently Artistic Director of Tempest Theatre and Film Society in Penticton.