We’re back with something exciting and a little different than what you’ve come to expect the Festival to be. Starting August 1st, each day of the month will offer new ways of encountering artists and their work for free, either in person or online.

The work of this year’s SummerWorks artists speaks clearly to pandemic impacts. Collaboration over distance; renegotiating our relationship to time, space, and intimacy; interrogation of capitalist and colonial systems; and Indigenous, Black, POC and Queer visions for the future.

With a desire to invest in artists shaping the future, this year’s Festival gives focus to work in development, nurturing artistic exploration as we begin the process of rebuilding. Throughout the month, you’ll be invited to witness online public sharings, engage with artists through social media, as well as explorations of public access to artistic process, from performance in storefront windows to communal walks through the park. 

The pandemic has given us reason to resist conventional ways of working, modes of production, and pace. We want to lean into this as a Festival. This year, planning began by asking artists, “What do you need?” It soon became clear that artists needed space, time and resources – to process, to create, to interrogate – in the absence of the pressure to ‘complete.’ This directly influenced our priorities and shape of the Festival. For example, while all the projects are announced right now, how they may be experienced by audiences continues to evolve. Rather than open with a set schedule for the entire month of programming, we’ll be sharing details on where, when, and how to experience the remaining projects in our line-up on a rolling basis. This enables us to adapt to the changing realities of the pandemic, but more importantly, to invest in and be responsive to the evolving curiosities and research of each Festival artist. Our hope is that this also gives you the opportunity to discover and engage with their work in more authentic and unexpected ways. 

I love that SummerWorks continues to experiment and evolve. It is our community (that’s you!!) that inspires us and makes this possible. On behalf of our team and artists, thank you for joining us. Whether in person or afar, we treasure each opportunity we have to connect with you.

With love,

Laura 

SummerWorks Artistic & Managing Director