History in Creation, Development and Dissemination

Summerland’s Ryga Arts Festival was founded in 2015 by local community members inspired by a bold spirit of social justice, community-building, and rural creativity across all art forms.
2024
Festival
Welcomes
Anona Kampe, Barbara Jagodics, Emelia Symington-Fedy, Harold Rhenisch
Words
Emelia Symington-Fedy, Harold Rhenisch
Theatre
Jake’s Gift; The Ballad of Georges Boivin
Theatre Trail
Wings of an Angel; Crosswalk; Heard Mentality; Alternative Medicine; Tidepool
Workshops
Stories Behind the Songs — Kym Gouchie
Music
Kym Gouchie Duo; Shae Ryga Duo; Bus Stop Girl; Frantic
Community Events
Outspoken; Film Screening: Bringing the Salmon Home; Brown Bag Art Social
2023
Festival
Welcomes
Barbara Jagodics
Words
Isobel Rondeau; Meghan Fandrich; Patricia Keeney; Harold Rhenisch
Theatre
Salute to Ukraine – Variety Show; Alina: A Staged Reading (Pyretic Productions)
Theatre Trail
Theatre Trail 2023
Workshops
Hoop Dancing — Barbara Jagodics; Live Painting — Georgia Georz; Intro to Acting — Jamie Doll; Swing Dance — Natalie Hobbs; Broadway Beginners; Musical Theatre for Teens and Immature Adults
Music
Ryga Brothers and Friends
Community Events
Outspoken; Ukrainian Folk Tales; Brown Bag Art Social; Hootenanny
2022
Festival
Welcomes
In the Shadow of the Vulture: Readings; Andrea Warner
Theatre
Rice & Beans Theatre Company — Made in Canada
Theatre Trail
Theatre Trail
Workshops
Singing — Jane Miller; Writing — Andrea Warner
Music
Celeagh Cardinal; Catherine McClellan; Shae Ryga
Community Events
Outspoken; Sneak Peek; Vinyl Night; Weathering the Storm; Hootenanny
2021
Festival
Words
Craigdarroch Castle Museum with Moira Dunn; Travis Lupick
Theatre
Camp-ing — Ahmed Miree; Ecstasy of George Ryga — Mark Leiren-Young
Theatre Trail
Driving the Doctor
Workshops
Memoirs in Multiple Mediums — Mark Leiren-Young
Music
Aaron Loewen BC Gypsy Jazz All Stars; Sergei Ryga; Celeagh Cardinal; Marin Patenaude; Josh + Bex
Community Events
Outspoken; Ancestors and Elders; Extended Play
2020
Festival
Words
Jean Teillet; Michael V. Smith; Gerry Williams
Theatre
Short Play Competition Readings; Night Desk by George Ryga; Kitchen Party Cabaret
Theatre Trail
Short Play Competition
Workshops
Smartphone Filmmaking; Short New Play Competition
Music
Le Mo Nay with Juli Masi and Steve Souci; Primary Colours: Concert in the Park; Jim Byrnes
Community Events
Film Screening; Inspired By; Extended Play
2019
Festival
Words
Aritha Van Herk
Theatre
Plays in Progress
Theatre Trail
Theatre Trail
Workshops
Biography of a Voice — Mia Harris; Writing for Nature — Nancy Holmes; Smartphone Filmmaking — Eric Thompson and Brandyn Steele; Writing by Doing — Ahmad Miree; Choral Singing — David Sereda
Music
Sing in the Storm Choral — David Sereda; Sergei Ryga Ensemble; Acoustic Blend — Ed Henderson; Interweaving: Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson with Bill Henderson, Claire Lawrence, and Ed Henderson of Chilliwack; Denise Williams; Roark Critchlow
Community Events
Outspoken; Extended Play: Author Readings & Jazz at the Library; Hootenanny
2018
Festival
Words
Bev Sellars with Hereditary Chief Bill Wilson; Harold Rhenisch
Theatre
One More for the Road by George Ryga (with Glen Cairns); Ecstasy of Rita Joe Opera
Theatre Trail
Theatre Trail
Workshops
Telling Stories — Donna Michelle St Bernard; Acting from Stage to Screen — Roark Critchlow and Heather Davies; Writing Cookbooks — the authors of FEAST; Traditional Music in BC — Jon Bartlett and Rika Ruebsaat; Song Writing — Stephen Fearing
Music
Music in the Park — Blue City Trio; Stephen Fearing
Community Events
Outspoken; Hootenanny; Just a Ploughboy with filmmaker and archivist Gina Payzant
2017
Festival
Words
Drop-in Storytelling at the Library
Theatre
Adrenaline — Ahmed Miree (directed by Majdi Abu-Matar); Ploughmen of the Glacier by George Ryga (Reading); Playwrights Cabaret
Theatre Trail
Theatre Trail
Workshops
Acting from Page to Stage — Heather Davies; Your Story, Your Voice — Deborah Williams; Secrets of Creativity — Patricia Keeney; Traditional Music Then and Now — Jon Bartlett and Rika Ruebsaat; Acting from Stage to Page (Improv) — Majdi Abu-Matar
Music
Ann Mortifee: Seven is the Magic Number; Ryga Brothers Reunion
Community Events
Outspoken! Poetry & Activism; Hootenanny
2016
Festival
Theatre
Quit Your Day Job; Tribute to George Ryga
Workshops
Your Story, Your Voice — Deborah Williams; The Building Blocks of Acting — Heather Davies; Everyone Can Sing — Ann Mortifee; Creative Non-Fiction Writing — Mark Leiren-Young; Other People's Stories — Leanna Brodie
Music
Campbell Ryga Ensemble — Homecoming Concert; Concert in the Park
Community Events
Outspoken! Poetry & Activism Readings