2026 IGNITE!

Where bold ideas take the stage and the future of the arts ignites.

About IGNITE!

Welcome to the IGNITE! Festival of Emerging Artists!

Produced by Sage Theatre, IGNITE! is a multi‑disciplinary festival dedicated to supporting emerging artists by providing professional presentation opportunities, meaningful development support and direct connection with audiences.

June 3 – 6, 2026
Pumphouse Theatre

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2026 IGNITE poster art by Danielle Rania Rourke

Festival schedule

Wednesday

7 PM

8:15 PM

9:30 PM

Thursday

7 PM

8:15 PM

9:30 PM

Friday

7 PM

8:15 PM

9:30 PM

  • Teach Me How To Fall & Response to Beauty
    Tickets >>

Saturday

7 PM

8:15 PM

9:30 PM

Explore our shows

INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS

A therapist dreams up ways to enact revenge toward the villains in her client’s lives. Along the way she is confronted by her own demons that hide in the shadows of her past. A darkly funny and intimate exploration of the troubling thoughts that shape our lives and impulses, and how they can offer comfort in the face of injustice.

Show times:

LALO & LOLA’S CLOWN CABARET

Lalo & Lola invite you to their First Clown Cabaret! An action packed event full of 13 emerging clowns ready to get themselves off! Watch these clowns test their limits as they attempt to chase their dreams. From Ballet clowns, Lactating clowns, First time librarians to Construction workers who build sandwiches, and even simple clowns who just want to lick the floor.

These ZANY acts have been developed with Mentorship from Clown Daddy Jacqueline Russell!

Show times:

RESPONSE TO BEAUTY

Resurrected from figments of memory and code, Echo awakens and redefines what it means to be human. A body, mind, and soul gently nurtured back to working order is the work of the observant yet uncertain of his own purpose, Inkwell.

These two souls in android bodies rediscover what life once was, where they lingered, and where they were forgotten, but by trusting one another, the human responds once more to beauty.

Presented with Teach Me How To Fall.

Show times:

RETURN

“Good evening civilians of the planet Arse, Pisces constellation, one of the many closest to the asteroid belt, perfectly located for some mini Galaxy golf. As usual, I’d like to embellish some wisdom to the people, who might be looking back to this tape as my final goodbye”

 After a cataclysmic event forced the people on earth to relocate the planet Mars, Return follows the first crew to journey back to earth in pursuit of normalcy. As the characters to struggle with identity and power, a question posed for everyone to ponder emerges: What does it actually mean to go back to normal?

Show times:

SUGAR

SUGAR is an interdisciplinary solo performance that explores addiction, survival, and recovery through Indigenous storytelling, theatre, and movement.

While addiction is the entry point, the work expands to address gaps in mental health care, systemic barriers within health systems, and the ongoing impact of violence in Indigenous communities. It is grounded in lived experience, but it is not only personal. It asks how trauma lives in the body, and what it means to take accountability, reconnect, and rebuild.

 The piece moves through multiple states using text and physical performance. It shifts between vulnerability, harm, memory, and moments of awareness. At its core, SUGAR is about survival and the process of finding a way forward.

Created with support from the Decidedly Jazz Danceworks Artist in Residence Program. 

SUGAR:

TEA TEA

TEA TEA follows the ebbs and flows of Bollywood and blends them together with HipHop elements to create a high-energy, cross-cultural experience. Inspired by the first generation South Asian experience, this piece represents identity in its ever changing form.

Presented with Journey of My Eagle.

Show times:

 

TEACH ME HOW TO FALL

A romantic comedy set in a world of grown-up iPad kids. Taylor enlists the aid of his robot companion, Aileen, to impress their partner, Ash, on their one-year anniversary. But when Aileen questions the validity of their love, Taylor is faced with an difficult choice. Can Taylor, Ash, and Aileen learn to coexist, or will they lose themselves to their own interdependence?

Presented with Response to Beauty.

Show times:

THE DISILLUSION OF THE 1950s HOUSEWIFE

 A picture-perfect 1950s housewife prepares an ideal dinner for her family, but all is not as perfect as it seems, and the true nature of her reality reveals itself through this short solo performance.

Show times:

THE JOURNEY OF MY EAGLE

“The Journey of My Eagle” is a solo interdisciplinary theatre performance that combines voice, movement, ritual, and storytelling to explore emotional disconnection, body image, resilience, and self-reconnection. The work follows a woman in her fifties who feels overwhelmed by disconnection from herself and the world until her internal Eagle — a symbol of survival instinct, transformation, and freedom — emerges as a force guiding her toward renewal.

Presented with TEA TEA.

Show times:

THE WORMS, THE RABBIT & THE ROSE

Processing the grief of losing someone abusive.

Show times:

TRIPPING ON GRIEF

A comedy/ sci-fi that delves into the difficult topic of death, and how we relate to it as humans. Elvira has lost her mother, but is having difficulty engaging with those feelings. She is visited by two aliens who have taken the form of drag performers, full of sass, but also confused about the grieving process. With a sense of both comedy and sincerity, the play works through Elvira’s loss.

Show times:

WILDFIRE READINGS

The Wildfire National Playwriting Competition is a free opportunity for young Canadian playwrights hosted by Major Matt Mason. IGNITE! hosts various script readings from Wildfire every year. 

Saturn Return & Split Rite/Half Made

Show times:

Hold Me Under & Naked Frankenstein

Show times:

Plan your trip

Pumphouse Theatre

For nearly 50 years, the Pumphouse Theatre has been a home for Calgary’s performing arts community, hosting more than a dozen companies and over 35 productions each year from established organizations and emerging artist collectives. Its mission is to enrich the cultural life of the community by providing affordable, accessible facilities, diverse programming, and meaningful learning opportunities for youth.

Directions:

Driving

  • From North or South West Calgary – take Crowchild Trail to downtown. Turn off on Bow Trail East Bound (City Centre). Turn Right on to Pumphouse Avenue (First Exit – Before Greyhound)
  • From West Calgary – take Bow Trail East Bound. Turn Right on to Pumphouse Avenue (First Exit – Before Greyhound)
  • From East Calgary – from downtown, take Fourth Avenue West Bound, which parallels to Bow Trail. Turn Right on to Pumphouse Road (After Greyhound). Merge Right on Pumphouse Avenue. If travelling on Sixth Avenue, you will need to take the exit to Pumphouse Road by the old Science Centre.

Transit

  • The Pumphouse is a 15 min walk from the Sunalta CTrain Station.

Accessibility information about Pumphouse Theatre

Mobility access

  • Both performance spaces at the Pumphouse Theatres are wheelchair accessible.
  • An accessible entrance is available at the side of the building.
  • Wheelchair‑accessible seating can be arranged; please notify the box office or front‑of‑house staff prior to arrival so seating can be prepared.
  • Accessible parking stalls are located directly adjacent to the building.
  • If designated stalls are full, patrons with accessibility placards may use other reserved spaces in the adjacent lot.

Washrooms & facilities

  • Accessible washrooms are available on site. 
  • While gender‑neutral washrooms are not currently available at this venue, Sage Theatre supports inclusive access and affirms that guests may use the washroom that feels right for them.

2026 IGNITE poster art by Danielle Rania Rourke

Welcome to my world!
I am an emerging artist, born and raised here in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, primarily self-taught, consistently exploring new techniques. Inspired by a basic art class, I quickly became fascinated with mixed media, textures and medium. Combining my passion with my newfound permission to ‘get messy’, I’ve been hooked ever since. Over the years my art has been featured in local galleries, festivals, art shows and more. While life has tossed me its evolving challenges and altering upgrades, I have always found a way to return to painting. It’s where I feel most in my element. The creative process truly provides me with a renewed sense of purpose.

I deeply appreciate what I refer to as blissful freedom days, ones that are filled with acrylic paints, canvases, music, and pouring medium. All of my original and unique mixed media paintings are bold, colourful and bright, enhanced with differing textures, layers, fabrics, images, words and collage. In addition to my passion for creating art, I am a mother of 3, including twins, I love to play and record house music sets, and I also work in the diverse world of real estate. Creating art provides me with much joy and self-expression, I am confident I will be found somewhere covered in paint for the remainder of my life. A vast array of my art in the form prints and other unique products coming soon.

Find me on social media!

-Danielle

A festival with a legacy

Launched in 2005 by Sage Theatre, the IGNITE! Festival for Emerging Artists was created to address a need in Calgary’s arts environment: meaningful opportunities for early‑career artists to present their work professionally.

For nearly 20 years, IGNITE! has become a pillar of Sage Theatre’s mandate and a cornerstone of the city’s performing arts community. 

IGNITE! doesn’t just showcase talent; it nurtures it, connects it and sets it in motion.

Thanks to our supporters