Happy Holidays from the RCA! As 2023 draws to a close, we’ve been reflecting on what an incredible year it’s been here at the Rotary Centre for the Arts. From hosting festivals to creating new and exciting programs, we’ve had yet another busy year. To help us celebrate, we’re excited to offer 20% off tickets to any RCA Presents show! Give the gift of entertainment this holiday season. Don't miss your chance to immerse yourself in unforgettable music experiences with our 2023-2024 season. Use code RCA20! at checkout from now until December 22, 2023. 

We can’t wait to share what we have planned for 2024. In the meantime, let’s reminisce about the past 12 months of arts and culture in Kelowna.  

We kicked off the year with some amazing performances in our Mary Irwin Theatre. In January, we were excited to host Suzie Vinnick & Lloyd Spiegel, two talented Blues artists from opposite sides of the world. Lloyd traveled all the way from Australia to grace our stage with Suzie! Two sisters from Nova Scotia, Cassie and Maggie MacDonald, joined us in February for an unforgettable night of contemporary Celtic tunes. In honour of International Women’s Day in March, we invited Canadian female comedy legends for Yuk Yuk's - I am Woman Hear Me Laugh, to help bring us some much-needed laughter. Jane Stanton, Amber Harper-Young, and Sharon Mahoney had the audience in stiches! 

Later in March, it was the RCA’s honour to host The Indigenous Resilience Festival (IRF) - an opportunity for a cross-cultural day of learning for the community on Indigenous narrative told through performance, visual art, and storytelling. We welcomed 50 Indigenous artists, performers, and storytellers from across BC to take part in this Festival. The community was so receptive and supportive with 1,000+ patrons attending the festival throughout the day. Having the privilege to help create this festival is an achievement we won’t soon forget. You can read more about IRF here. The Indigenous Resilience Festival was funded by the Government of Canada. 

Photo by by Billie Jean Gabriel Photography.

Did you happen to see a giant bear puppet being maneuvered around the RCA? Our Giant Puppet Workshop, a collaborative project with the University of British Columbia held from March to August, was a donation-based community program with the goal of creating medium and large-scale puppets of characters from the Kelowna floodplain for a series of public parades and presentations in the summer and fall of 2023. These puppets were more than just a fun summer project. A key focus in UBCO’s Interdisciplinary Sustainability Studies Ph.D. candidate Madeline Donald’s research is studying how we interact with nature and its riparian creatures. Community members of all ages had a blast helping create these puppets. Learn more about this project and Madeline’s studies here. 

Image courtesy of Madeline Donald.

The next few months filled our stage with music and comedy once again. Former Canadian Idol contestant Martin Kerr took the stage in April, captivating the audience with both his music and his stories. In May, we tap-danced the night away with On Foot - a group of five of Western Canada’s best tap dancers, led by Danny Nielsen and NYC’s Lisa La Touche. Canadian icon Sean McCann from Great Big Sea (yes, THE Great Big Sea) performed an unforgettable concert in May. The entire crowed was singing along! Fan-favorites, The Comic Strippers, returned for another scandalous improv comedy performance, The Crooners brought the feel of Las Vegas night life to the Mary Irwin stage, and Yuk Yuk’s comedian Jacob Sauel (featuring Sophia Johnson and Steve McGowan) gave us even more laughs. Talk about a jam packed few months for RCA Presents!  

In June, we brought back the RCA’s Creative Aging Festival. Seniors in our community got to enjoy 3 days of workshops, performances, and gatherings, fostering creative ways to embrace aging. The arts are known to have a profound impact on one’s physical and mental well-being, especially as we age. From High Tea with Ethereal Afternoon Tea & Desserts, to the captivating performance from Older and Reckless, there was something for everyone to enjoy. 

Creating Aging participants after a dance class.

June is National Indigenous History Month, a time to recognize the history, heritage, and diversity of Indigenous Peoples in Canada, as well as acknowledge the hardships they endured in the face of genocide. At the RCA, we take great pride in honouring Indigenous culture throughout the year. In our Alex Fong Galleria this past June, we displayed "Quilts for Survivors", a collection of mesmerizing, hand-made quilts decorated with Indigenous imagery. Through a nation-wide collective effort of volunteers, quilters from across Canada crafted these full-sized blankets which will then each be sent to survivors of the Residential School System. We were honoured to display these works of art here at the RCA and to help bring light to the ill effects of residential schools.   

This year, we parted ways with our 21-year-old floppy disk lighting system and said hello to a brand-new modern setup in our Mary Irwin Theatre! Our theatre is a key venue for music and dance recitals, theatre productions, concerts, corporate presentations, and meetings. This lighting retrofit will help us to grow our theatre usage, decrease changeover downtimes during performances, and meet the needs of our current users requiring professional lighting for their productions. Enhancements to our building are not possible without funding from the Province of BC and our patrons. As a non-profit organization, we are thankful for the support of our patrons, sponsors, and funders. When you purchase tickets to a show in the Mary Irwin Theatre, you’re contributing to crucial upgrades like these. 

Each spring and summer, our Arts Blast Camps bring a whole new world of creativity to your little ones. We provide children ages 5 to 12 with a wide range of art camps designed to spark creativity and build confidence and self-esteem every year. With support from the Stober Foundation and in partnership with Mamas for Mamas, we were able to send 22 kids to our Arts Blast Camps this year. We’ve added a brand-new Winter Arts Blast Camp beginning January 2, 2024. Register your creative youth today here by December 21. 

Students learning Circus Arts with Gypsym Rose.

Our new Jazz Camp, sponsored by Yamaha and Wentworth Music, sold out instantly, and was a huge success this summer. Since it was such a success, we’ve added a new Winter Jazz Camp, beginning February 11, 2024. Open to all ages 13+. Registration is open for youth and adults. 

Jazz Camp instructors having a jam session.

Through the generous support from the Sedin Family Foundation this summer, we were able to bring free arts programing to youth, teens, and families throughout the Okanagan. RCA’s Summer of Arts brought textile art, street dance, DJing, and much more to youth in our community. This was a huge accomplishment for the RCA, and we are grateful to have been able to provide a space for kids and their families to experience art with no barriers. As a non-profit performing arts organization, we firmly believe in the power of arts education and its ability to transform lives. Read more about Summer of Arts and our Summer of Arts BBQ party here. 

Students learning the art of Suminagashi in Summer of Arts.

During Summer of Arts, our community was faced with devastating wildfires throughout the Okanagan. Our staff, patrons, Summer of Arts participants, and Arts Blast campers were all affected by this colossal force of nature. During this time, we kept our doors wide open for our community, and continued to offer Summer of Arts programing. We believe that offering a space for youth, teens, and families to engage in creative activities would provide a sense of normalcy and respite during the challenging times. Thank you to the courageous firefighters and first responders who kept our communities safe. 

September brought back-to-school vibes, cooler weather, and, of course, the RCA Flamenco Festival! We were joined by Jholey Triana, a Vancouver-based flamenco dancer and choreographer for this special event. Together, we planned two days dedicated to this centuries-old Spanish art; with a free flamenco workshop at the RCA and the performance of “Flamenco in the Park: Arboles”. Special thanks to the Canada Council of the Arts, Dance West Network, The Hamber Foundation, and Jhoely Triana for funding support.  

Jholey performing Flamenco in the Park: Arboles.

This years Halloween events were a spooooooky good time, with JUNO award-winning children's entertainer Norman Foote performing a special performance of his Halloween Howl show, and our second annual Halloween party – Jailhouse Rock. We transformed the RCA Atrium into a haunted penitentiary, full of ghostly inmates and, of course, rock and roll. Jeff Piattelli and his band rocked the jailhouse all night long, as everyone showed off their costumes, danced, and had a few treats (and maybe some tricks). 

Jailhouse Rock Halloween Party.

We had tons of new workshops this year. Longtime RCA instructor and artist Angie Marchinkow returned for Abstract Adventurism, a 6-week painting workshop for adults. New to the RCA team, Kaylyn Hardstaff brought us Printmaking, a 4-week course focusing on lino-cutting where students got to print designs on paper, fabric, and even clothes. Every year we offer a great selection of workshops for young, old, and everyone in between. Check out our upcoming youth workshops and adult workshops today. 

Our gallery spaces were full of amazing works of art all year. For young artists, there is often nothing more exciting than publicly showcasing their work. This past summer, RCA’s Summer of Arts participants and Arts Blast Summer campers had the chance to do just that. RCA Summer Visions, an off-site exhibition at Kelowna’s Interior Health, brings together the vibrant and diverse artistic expressions of children and teens, capturing a glimpse into their summer exploration at the RCA. Research shows that art in a healthcare setting can reduce stress and create a more welcoming environment. We are proud to hang these pieces in Kelowna’s Interior Health and hope that these 33 youthful artworks can brighten the day of any patient, staff member, or visitor who stops by. This exhibition is on display until Sunday, December 17th. 

This year, the RCA was honoured to be the recipient of the 2023 Kelowna Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Award for Arts and Entertainment Achievement (sponsored by Hergott Law) at their 36th Annual Awards Gala! This recognition is a testament to the hard work and passion of our dedicated team, as well as the support of our community. The Rotary Centre for the Arts is committed to providing a platform for artistic expression, and we are proud to have an impact on the cultural landscape of Kelowna. A huge thank you to our table sponsors, Waste Connections of Canada and Doak Sherrif, for allowing our team and board members to participate in this momentous night. The RCA also extends appreciation to the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce and its panel of judges for recognizing its impact on the local arts scene. 

The year wouldn’t be complete without even more live music. In November, award-winning artist T. Buckley and his Acoustic Trio brought a diverse and dynamic show to the stage in their intimate folk performance.  

As we wrap up 2023, we have plenty of holiday fun planned with events like Cod Gone Wild’s Neighbourhood Rounds Christmas on Thursday, December 14, Country Christmas by Songs of the Southern Belles on Saturday, December 16, Mission Dance Centre’s performance of The Nutcracker from December 20 to 22, and much more, all bringing the magic of the holidays to life. The team at the RCA wishes our community a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year! Here’s just a few RCA Presents shows you can look forward to in 2024… 

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Morgan Toney  

Mi'kmaq fiddler and singer Morgan Toney brings together the fiery fiddling of Cape Breton Island with the old songs of the Mi’kmaq with brilliance and heart. First Flight, Toney’s award nominated debut album, celebrates language and heritage in Toney’s transformation of traditional songs like the Ko’jua and the Mi’kmaq Honour Song alongside highly original songcraft. 

Sienna and Bill 

Juno award-winning jazz singer Sienna Dahlen and guitarist Bill Coon, recipient of the National Jazz Award, present a captivating rendition of their 2020 jazz ballad album, "Balladextrous," in the Mary Irwin Theatre. 

Dominique Fils-Aimé 

RCA Presents is excited to host Montreal's Jazz Soul artist, Dominique Fils-Aimé, at the Mary Irwin Theatre. She'll showcase her latest album, Our Roots Run Deep, released on Ensoul Records.