Edmonton, AB – Beginning on June 23, 2022, Edmonton will be home to the first-ever Alberta Circus Arts Festival (ACAF), hosted by the city’s own Firefly Theatre and Circus company. Dedicated to the creation of a regional and national voice in contemporary Canadian circus, the festival offers both professional development initiatives for artists and industry sector support for producers, presenters, and instructors. ACAF seeks to inspire, educate, and entertain the greater community of Alberta.

The festival’s organizers are committed to sharing and experiencing world-class circus with their community in order to provide a launch pad for creativity, technical virtuosity, and collaborations. Their mission, and the event’s communal roots, are reinforced by the involvement of Firefly Theatre and Circus; well-known for offering thought-provoking thrills and stunning displays of athleticism and grace to worldwide audiences, the company has already been honored with a City of Edmonton Excellence Award in Arts and Culture, a Mayor’s Award for Innovative Artistic Direction, and the inaugural Edmonton Event Awards– Best Entertainer.

For four days, ACAF will take over the French Quarter at Campus Saint-Jean, welcoming hundreds of Edmontonians to enjoy circus performances with acts from across the country, alongside a host of professional events and workshops. The event features a program of four shows from artists across Canada, professional development initiatives for artists, and industry sector support for producers, presenters, and instructors. Program highlights include the much-anticipated show Sweat and Ink by Montreal’s Barcode Circus Company as well as family-friendly Throwback by Winnipeg’s The Street Circus. Alongside producing the shows, the Firefly Theatre & Circus will represent Albertan talent with special guests in the exciting and sexy cabaret, It’s a Wonderful Night.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to be bringing this first-of-its-kind festival to Edmonton,” explains Annie Dugan,
Artistic Director of Firefly Circus Theatre. “We are all hungry for the return to live entertainment, and our festival
city is the perfect place to host the Alberta Circus Arts Festival. Our intimate venue at La Cité Francophone is
the perfect place to see circus performers – it is like watching Cirque du Soleil in your living room!”

ACAF Highlights Shows

• KEYNOTE WELCOME – Surviving and Thriving in Circus – Advice and Anecdotes from Marsha Kennington
o Thursday, June 23, 3:00pm | CSJ Auditorium (1-08)
• SWEAT AND INK by Montreal’s Barcode Circus Company
o June 23 & 24, 2022 | 7:30 pm | La Cité Francophone Theatre
• IT’S A WONDERFUL NIGHT (Cabaret) by Firefly Theatre & Circus
o Friday, June 24, 2022 | 9:30 pm | La Cité Francophone Rotunda
• IN THE FIRE (Femm de Feu Productions, Toronto ON) & FISH AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA (Screaming
Goats Collective, Calgary, AB) – A Double Bill of Solo Devised Creations
o Saturday, June 25, 2022 | 2:00pm | Campus Saint-Jean – Western Green space
• THROWBACK by Winnipeg’s The Street Circus
o Saturday, June 25, 2022 | 7:30 pm | La Cité Francophone Theatre
o Sunday, June 26, 2022 | 2:00 pm | La Cité Francophone Theatre

ACAF Community Workshops & Events – Free to Attend!

• Thursday June 23, 9pm: Cafe Bicyclette Patio Series Party After Show
• Friday June 24, 5-7pm: 5@Cirque (Circus Happy Hour) w/En Piste at Café Bicyclette
• Saturday June 25: 12-4pm: Outdoor Stilt Workshop – Free for All Drop In Workshop
• Sunday June 26: 12-4pm: Outdoor Stilt Workshop – Going Higher (Sign Up on Saturday, June 26)

Ticket prices vary per show. Tickets can be purchased in advance online at
https://albertacircusarts.com/shows2022. For sponsorship opportunities, to volunteer, or to find out more
information about the Alberta Circus Arts Festival, please visit www.albertacircusarts.com or email
[email protected].

The ACAF organizers issue a statement on behalf of the entire team: “Our inaugural in-person line-up once again proves that Edmonton has a strong reputation, producing award-winning festivals, and celebrates our strength as a centre for contemporary circus arts. Whether you are a die-hard performing artist or someone who enjoys the arts and performances, we welcome you to try something new; the Festival has something for everyone.”

Source: ACAF press release. Issued by Jenny Adams of The Adams Agency