Assiniboia Arts Council

John Muirhead combines powerful songwriting, poignant storytelling, audience participation, and a passion for performance into a compelling live show sure to give any fan of folk/Americana an unforgettable evening. Joined by his close friend and touring partner Trevor Dubois, John guides his audiences through a performance filled with his own original songs (streamed over 1.5 million times on Spotify), covers of old folk favourites, and interpretations of new pop hits, all expertly woven together with stories of his life as a travelling troubadour. From fingerpicked folk confessionals to roaring full-band singalongs, John’s award-winning songs have touched audiences across the world. With a combined online following of over 100,000 and hundreds of shows across Canada, Europe, and South America, John is building a vibrant, tight-knit community around his stories and songs.

Aliya, an award-winning Toronto-based comedian and Canadian academy award-nominated actress, captivates audiences globally with her vibrant personality and sharp wit. Her one-woman show, ‘Where You FROM, From?’ celebrated for its humor and deep engagement with themes of identity and belonging, has won accolades at Ottawa and Toronto Fringe Festivals. Aliya disarms audiences with her playful mischief, tackling complex topics like race, gender, and social labels with humor, sharing personal stories from her life as a nomad and debunking assumptions. Currently touring North America and developing a new show in Australia, Aliya’s performances invite laughter while fostering a connection to humanity. Notably nominated for her acting in 'Scarborough,' Aliya continues to expand her creative repertoire in film and television, maintaining a legacy of impactful entertainment.

"Directly from the stages of Broadway and the Stratford Festival, Lee Siegel presents a retrospective of the greatest soul singers of all time. Drawing from over twenty of the defining voices of soul music such as Sam Cooke, Bill Withers, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Percy Sledge, Smokey Robinson and Edwin Starr, Lee guides his audience through the history of soul with personal recollections on how the music has influenced and guided his life. Featuring the multi talented Konrad Pluta on keys, this duo has been gracing the stages of Canada and the US since 2008 with their show full of love, laughter and nostalgia. Audience review:"The best singer in Canada!”; but come hear for yourself."

Rum Ragged brings a bold take on Newfoundland folk music, combining deep roots with a contemporary twist. As leading performers of their vibrant tradition, they play instruments like bouzouki, fiddle, banjo, guitar, and accordion, captivating audiences with their unique style. Known for their honest, thought-provoking, and often humorous live shows, they have quickly become fan favorites. Their impressive vocal harmonies and storytelling deliver unforgettable concerts. Despite a demanding tour schedule, Rum Ragged has performed at top global folk venues and recorded five acclaimed albums.

These series of works are an excerpt from a previous exhibition 'TADHANA'. These works explore the views as newcomer’s common concept that "fate brought us here" and the most common Filipino outlook of "bahala na" / "come what may" attitude which is prevalent to anyone. However, this attitude is not only a visible trait for newcomer alone, but these are also actually a day-to-day outlook of everyone just varying on expression and terms. The exhibition aims to finds parallels within culture to create better understanding of each and everyone’s' disposition in life. These bodies of work centres on the ideas of 'fate' while relating it to the quest for hierarchy of the modern society. As we live in a time that is always hungry for accomplishment, results and evidence of success, Patrick wants to elaborate the significance of fate thru commentaries using characters of reimagined folklore of his culture, patterns and juxtaposed imagery in order to give new meaning on how fate will lead us to one’s self discovery and freedom. Patrick Fernandez is a contemporary visual artist who lives and works in Regina, Saskatchewan. A native of Pangasinan, Philippines, his colourful paintings use symbolism and reimagined folklore imagery as a means of storytelling. His works are based on personal experiences that deal with displacement and adaptation, using circumstances as turning points for growth.