Kelowna's 8th annual Living Things Festival returns this weekend

The eighth annual Living Things Festival returns to Kelowna this weekend, bringing a unique spark to some of the darkest (and snowiest) days of the year.

The renowned festival will be bringing contemporary theater, dance, music,animation, art and more to the Mary Irwin Theatre, Black Box Theatre and Kelowna Community Theatre Main Stage.

The festival is dubbed Kelowna’s very own international arts festival and will include performances from Montreal, Vancouver, Kelowna, Romania, Madagascar and beyond.

It is organized by Neil Cadger, a professor at UBC Okanagan’s Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies and Artistic Director of Inner Fish Performance Company.

“Every year, I have the pleasure of introducing local art lovers to exceptional performances that I’ve found at prestigious international festivals,” Cadger says.

“Powerful, celebrated live art — like nothing else you will see in Kelowna. Sometimes funny, always thought-provoking, beautiful and occasionally strange, the performances are unforgettable.”

This year, the event will be taking place from Jan. 20-28 and admission prices range from free to $25 and up.

Living Things 2024 will feature:

• Ramanenjana – A performance blending dance with documentary, based on a historical ‘dance epidemic’ in Madagascar, featuring artists from Romania and Madagascar

• Dog Rising – A dance performance from Montréal that mirrors the life cycle and the dynamic flow of matter

• Marina Hasselberg – A solo cello concert from Portuguese artist Hasselberg - who served as the principal cellist of the Vancouver Island Symphony

• Canary – Created by Kelowna-based performer and professor Denise Kenney, Canary combines the poetic and imaginative possibilities of physical theatre, object theatre, and audience participation with a “Ted Talk” aesthetic

• Objects in Motion – A Living Things Festival favourite, Objects in Motion is an evening of international, animated short films curated by local artist, professor and animator Myron Campbell

• Plastique – Created out of plastic bags and almost nonverbal, Plastic/Plastique by Montréal’s Puzzle Theatre is an all-ages show that finds humour and delight in a frighteningly common material

• Playbook – Playbook is an interactive, immersive 5.1 sound, music, and text experience created by local artists

• The Noisebau – By Natali Leduc and David Gifford (Victoria), The Noisebau is an interactive and immersive architectural sound exhibition that encourages the audience to activate noise generators integrated into the built architecture – this exhibit will show at the Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art

• 8th Continent – An immersive installation by Bengi Agcal that transforms the digital realm into a space for community dialogue, encouraging participatory expression to raise awareness about the pervasive presence of plastics

For more information including performance details and location or how to purchase your tickets, click here.