The Ryga Festival Society will hold its annual general meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 12.
The meeting will be at the Summerland branch of the Okanagan Regional Library, beginning at 7 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend and memberships will be available at the door.
The meeting will begin with a performance by Ollie Rankin, an award-winning multi-disciplinary artist and creative technology pioneer, who writes and performs as the Heckler (@thePoetHeckler), calling attention to the inequality, exploitation and greed of contemporary society and challenging audiences to work together towards an inclusive, fair and sustainable future.
The Ryga Arts Festival, now in its 10th year, is inspired by George Ryga, the Summerland playwright, poet and social activist. His works were published from the 1960s to the 1980s.
Ryga’s works deal with the treatment of immigrant families and Indigenous people. He also spoke out against corporate greed, social indifference and the silence of critical voices.
His works have been performed around the world.
The Ryga Arts Festival has sponsored new plays, art exhibits and spoken word events, and artists from across Canada have given concerts, workshops and readings of works that reflect Ryga’s spirit and values.
The festival organizers are working closely with artistic curator, Vancouver-based director John Jack Paterson and general manager Trista Bassett.
The festival will be held Sept. 17 to 21 at various locations in Summerland
