Two festivals in Northern Ontario are collaborating to show support for local artists. The Tamarack Arts Festival in Timmins is back for its second year after a successful debut. The festival showcases a variety of artistic disciplines including drama, music, visual arts, and literature.
Founder Jessie Bergeron mentioned that last year, the festival provided 32 artists from the region with fair wages. This year, the number of supported artists is expected to double, although an exact count has not been done yet.
Sudbury’s PlaySmelter Theatre Festival, now in its 13th year, is joining forces with the Tamarack Arts Festival by bringing playwrights from Sault Ste. Marie and Timmins. This collaboration, called ‘First Looks,’ allows the audience to witness the inception of new plays and ideas.
In the future, both festivals plan to unite once more to tour a play created by Sudbury playwright Karen Thistle throughout Northern Ontario. Bergeron emphasized the importance of small festivals offering a platform for local artists to engage with audiences while receiving fair compensation.
She stressed that artists deserve to be paid for their work, as their creations hold value and are meant to be shared with audiences. The Tamarack Arts Festival is set to take place this weekend at the Timmins Library and the Timmins Museum National Exhibition Centre.
