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Beadwork by Nichol

Beadwork by Nichol

Beadwork By Nichol is a Red River Metis run handmade beadwork business located in Manitoba Canada. Nichol makes fun wearable beadwork. 

Ohwari Designs

Ohkwari Designs

Indigenous-owned Ohkwari Designs & Miyotehew Collective: Handcrafted beadwork & sewn goods with a mission to gift mossbags to our community.

Pâh Mûk Thâbî House

Pâh Mûk Thâbî House

Land based jewelry and fashion: clothing: shirts, ribbon skirts/shirts/vests, moccasins, gloves||Keychains/dream catchers||**mainly jewelry 

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Theatre Alberta Workshop 2027

Workshop 2: Title of workshop

Short workshop summary

Program Dates February 26 - 28 2027

Applications opening soon! 

Theatre Alberta Logo

Theatre Alberta Workshop 2026

Workshop 1: Everyone Is Interesting 

A three-day intensive exploring Mammalian Diving Reflex’s approach to socially engaged performance through interviews, fieldwork, and collaborative creation, grounded in the belief that everyone has a story worth telling.

Program Dates November 27 - 29, 2026

Applications opening soon! 

Submitted by Sonia Zyvatkau… on
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Dominic Fayenuwo

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Dominic is a multidisciplinary artist, educator, and arts administrator with over a decade of experience in theatre production, cultural programming, and community-centred arts leadership across Nigeria and Canada. His practice as an administrator spans various facets of the arts, focusing on strategic programming, producing, artists curation, and community engagement. Dominic is also the Artistic Director of Black Onyx Playhouse, a Calgary-based initiative amplifying Black African voices through theatre and performance. 

Dominic also serves on the Equity Action Advisory Committee for the Arts Touring Alliance of Alberta and a board member of the African Music Academy, a non-profit advancing African music education in Edmonton. 

ProgrOutside of his professional life, Dominic enjoys a good game of volleyball, a good novel, road trips, and a good barbecue sesh.

Program Delivery Specialist
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Mountain Film and Book Festival signature image

Mira Capicchioni, Smith Rock State Park, Oregon, photo by Jules Jimreivat (2026 Signature Image)

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This fall, celebrate mountain culture alongside industry leaders in writing, filmmaking, and adventure with events including the annual Festival Marketplace, mountain-inspired art exhibitions, the return of BanffPitch, and mountain mixers with music. 2026 Festival and Weekend Passes are now on sale! 

BANFF, AB, MAY 5, 2026 – Since 1976, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity has been an industry leader in the celebration of mountain culture in all its forms. Running from October 31 through November 8, 2026, the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival invites people from around the world to find inspiration in mountain experiences through film, books, workshops, and other events on campus and downtown. Passes are now on sale.

The festival is a space for filmmakers and writers to meet and exchange ideas. In 2025, Banff Centre celebrated 50 years of the festival and record-breaking attendance of over 21,000. Highlights included the Fire and Ice Symposium, a public symposium exploring the role of storytelling in creating positive impact and action through the lens of changing ice and wildfires and the first-ever BanffPitch session, an initiative to support emerging filmmakers. The 2025 festival also awarded the Mountain Film Competition Grand Prize to Iron Winter, directed by Kasimir Burgess and the Mountain Book Competition Grand Prize to Thirty Below: The Harrowing and Heroic Story of the First All-Women's Ascent of Denali by Cassidy Randall.

Festival and Weekend Passes for the 2026 Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival are now on sale, with two options: 

  • Chomolungma Passes 
    Chomolungma Passes provide the ultimate festival adventure, the best available seats to all events in the Jenny Belzberg Theatre as well as tickets to all non-overlapping events throughout the nine days, including our popular book events. This pass also includes VIP Parking, a festival gift bag, VIP reception, the Online Film Pass, and more!
     
  • Weekend Passes 
    Visitors can also plan a weekend at Banff Centre with the purchase of opening (Oct. 31 to Nov. 2) or closing (Nov. 6 to 8) weekend passes. These passes also include the best available seats to all Jenny Belzberg Theatre and literary events, the Online Film Pass, festival poster, and more!

Priority hotel bookings are also available for 2026 Festival passholders! 

With nine epic days of events, international guest speakers, and exhibitions, the 51st Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival will thrill adventure film lovers and outdoor enthusiasts once again, featuring returning Presenting Sponsors Banff Lake Louise Tourism and Rab.

In 2026, the Film Competition returns with $35,000 CAD in cash and prizes, awarding filmmakers for capturing storytelling through adventure, climbing, environment, snow sports, and more. Submissions are open until 11:59 p.m. (PDT) on August 5th, 2026. 

The internationally recognized Banff Mountain Book Competition celebrates mountain literature in all its forms with $26,000 in cash prizes and seven awards selected by an international jury of writers, adventurers, and editors. The 2026 Book Competition is accepting entries until June 30.

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Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the festival was an incredible milestone, and it was so inspiring to see decades of guests, colleagues, and audiences return to Banff like never before. We’ve been building on that momentum and I’m so excited about what’s coming up in 2026, kicking off the next 50 years of celebrating mountain culture around the world through film, books, photography, and other forms of art and connection.

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Joanna Croston, Director, Mountain Culture and Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival
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The Festival Marketplace also returns in 2026, giving visitors the chance to engage with every facet of mountain culture. Festival partners will be on site with the latest gear and apparel, local artisans will have booths displaying unique mountain gifts, and best-selling authors will sell signed copies of their books. 

This year, Banff Centre is excited to announce the return of BanffPitch, an initiative that began in 2025 to support emerging filmmakers. On November 7, five applicants of all ages and from around the world pitch their film ideas to an international jury in front of a live audience. The winning pitch will receive a $25,000 CAD cash award to support their film project. Other cash and prizes are also available for second and third places. In 2025, the grand prize went to Echoes of memory by Mateo Arango Guerrero. Entries are accepted until June 30.

As part of the festival’s commitment to championing creativity in mountain spaces, this year will feature exhibitions exploring the intersection of mountain culture and art. Following the success of the Mountain Photo Competition, Banff Centre has opened its doors to other artistic media, including 2D visual and digital works. Exhibitions exploring themes of adventure, wildlife, mountain sport, the environment, and natural history will be on display throughout the festival. Artists have until June 1 to apply.

Banff Centre’s rich history of supporting Mountain Culture is well-documented in our BANFF @Altitude Podcast. With each episode, dive into the festival archives and hear stories from some of the world’s top mountain athletes, adventurers, storytellers, and many more. Stay tuned for updates on season two of BANFF @Altitude featuring past festival guests to be released later in 2026.

The full 2026 schedule will be announced on July 28. Single tickets for events at Banff Centre locations will also go on sale July 28, 2026. 

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See Banff Centre’s Media Room here.

For photos, information, or interview requests, please contact:

Carly Maga                             
Director, Communications                         
Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity             
tel: +1.403.763.6210                
cell: +1.403.431.3423                
carly_maga@banffcentre.ca 

About Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival

Created over 50 years ago, the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival has become the premier event of its kind in the world. The nine-day Festival hosted by Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Banff, Canada, showcases the world’s best films, books, and photographs on mountain subjects climbing, culture, environment and natural history, exploration and adventure, wildlife, and sportand attracts the biggest names in mountaineering, adventure filmmaking, and explorers as presenters and speakers. An international jury will also award over $40,000 CAD in prizes for films and books submitted to this year’s Festival competitions. banffmountainfestival.ca    

About Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity

Founded in 1933, Banff Centre is a post-secondary institution built upon an extraordinary legacy of excellence in artistic and leadership development. What started as a single course in drama has grown to become a global organization leading in arts, culture, and creative decision-making across dozens of disciplines, from the fine arts to Indigenous Wise Practices. From our home in the stunning Canadian Rocky Mountains, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity aims to move everyone who attends our campusartists, leaders, thinkers, and audiencesto unleash their creative potential and realize their unique contribution to build an innovative, inspiring future through education, performances, convenings, and public outreach. banffcentre.ca

Banff Centre
107 Tunnel Mountain Drive
Banff, Alberta
Canada
T1L 1H5
403.762.6100
www.banffcentre.ca

We recognize, with deep respect and gratitude, our home on the side of Sacred Buffalo Guardian Mountain. In the spirit of respect and truth, we honour and acknowledge the Banff area, known as “Minihrpa” (translated in Stoney Nakoda as “the waterfalls”) and the Treaty 7 territory and oral practices of the Îyârhe Nakoda (Stoney Nakoda) – comprised of the Bearspaw, Chiniki, and Goodstoney Nations – as well as the Tsuut’ina First Nation and the Blackfoot Confederacy comprised of the Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai. We acknowledge that this territory is home to the Shuswap Nations, Ktunaxa Nations, and Métis Nation of Alberta, Rockyview District 4. We acknowledge all Nations who live, work, and play here, help us steward this land, and honour and celebrate this place.

Media Release
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Submitted by Sonia Zyvatkau… on
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Megan Samms

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Megan Samms (they/she) is L’nu and Nlha7kápmx, a visual and multidisciplinary artist,Indigenous agriculturalist, beekeeper, and community worker; their creative practice is integrated with territory/ies, agricultural and community work, and art inquiries and processes. Samms makes her life in her home community, in one of their two Ancestral land bases: Katalisk, Ktaqmkuk, Mi’kma’ki, Wabanaki Territory (colonially: Codroy Valley, newfoundland, canada).Samms was born and raised in Katalisk where her paternal, L’nu relations are from and continue to be. Samms’ maternal ancestry and relations are Nlha7kápmx and come from ltKumcheen (Lytton). Samms has spent significant time living across Turtle Island and continues to visit and travel. Samms is also a descendant of Italy, France, Wales, and Scandinavia without lived experience or cultural connection to Europe. Samms has been an occasional visitor to Scandinavian, North Atlantic territories where she is in relation through marine boreal bio-regionality. 

Drawing from varied practices, Samms works with various mediums and disciplines to articulate story, messages, and continual dialogue with(in) historic and contemporary placebased contexts. Samms is known for weaving and natural dye work, and uses performance interventions and photo to remember and triangulate entangled presence and relationship with place and time; through this, contributing to narratives, and re-narrativization/remembering, of her territory(ies). Samms is a frequent collaborator and an emerging Ancestral Skin Marker; her mentors are Dion Kaszas, Jerry Evans, and Keith Callihoo. Samms’ considers weaving and skin marking to be two of the most important acts of presencing in her practice. 

Samms shares work in non conventional or non institutional art spaces like abandoned buildings, Land, or community spaces; in solo and group exhibitions at Artist Run Centres, as well as larger institutions, regional galleries, and at various festivals. Samms is an incoming participating artist in La Biennale d’art contemporain autochone (BACA) in 02026; she was an Anchor Artist at Nocturne Festival in Kjipuktuk in 02025; and was a participating artist in the Bonavista Biennale in 02023 and 02025. In 02025 Samms administered the Second Wave Ancestral Marking Group Mentorship with mentor, Dion Kaszas; was a Leighton Independent Artist in Residence (Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity), a TC2 Weaver in Residence (Centre for Research and Innovation and in private studio); and was long listed for the Sobey Art Award (National Gallery). In 02024, Samms was honoured with the Theodore Prize from the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton, Wabanakik; in the same year was nominated for the Sobey Art Award (National Gallery), and for various awards from VANL-CARFAC and was shortlisted for the Craftsperson of the Year. Samms’ work has been shared in a variety of artful and peer-reviewed publications including the Journal of Creative Cartography from the University of Arizona, Native Land Digital, Riddlefence Magazine, and Beside Magazine. Samms has received generous attention from media like Muskrat Magazine, CBC, Visual Arts News, and the Globe & Mail. Samms is the chair of the board of Union House Arts in Port Union, Ktaqmkuk and incoming faculty at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Indigenous Leadership: Calling Our Spirits Home. Her (forever continued) education is Land, peer-to-peer, and mentorship based.

Faculty

Submitted by Sonia Zyvatkau… on
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Kluane Adamek

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Kluane Adamek – Aagé (she/her), is a proud citizen of Kluane First Nation and served as the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Yukon Regional Chief from 2018 -2025. She deeply appreciates and respects the Matriarchs who welcomed her into the Dakl’aweidi Clan. Her Grandmother, the late Ch’aalį um, always reminded her to be proud of who she is, and where she comes from; her Southern Tutchone, Tlingit, and non-Indigenous ancestry, postsecondary education, and her lived experiences. From a young age, her Grandfather taught her to be consistent, stay focused and to never compromise integrity. These teachings have given Kluane the unique ability to walk in what her Grandma described as ‘both worlds’, and to lead with humility and courage. 

Kluane has professional experience in the public, private, and non-government organizations. She is known as a facilitator and able to navigate complex issues with diplomacy, integrity, and compassion. She has served on various national and regional boards and committees including as a Trustee – Kluane First Nation Trust and recently appointed by the Prime Minister to the Indigenous Advisory Council, Major Projects Office. 

She is functionally bilingual in English and French and holds a Bachelor of Arts from Carleton University and a Master of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University. Most recently, she obtained a Certificate in Indigenous Governance from the University of Arizona and is completing her Institute of Corporate Directors certification. 

In 2020, she was named one of the Top 25 Canadian Women of Influence in recognition of her contributions to the next generation of women in leadership and climate action. She is passionate about supporting youth and led the founding of ‘Our Voices,’ a Northern Indigenous Emerging Leaders Collective. Leading from her values is incredibly important to her, and she is described as a driven, strategic, and diplomatic leader who builds strong relationships and cares about people. 

Between 2018-2025, while serving as Regional Chief, Kluane Adamek and the AFN Yukon team hosted over 20 Chiefs Summits, in addition to quarterly AFN Yukon Executive Meetings. Together, with Yukon First Nations, (YFN) she has increased the accountability, regional engagement, modernization, and relevance of the Yukon region nationally and internationally. 

With nearly eight years serving in political office, Kluane Adamek has proven to be a consistent and strong voice for Yukon First Nations priorities and solutions regionally, nationally, and internationally

Faculty

Submitted by Sonia Zyvatkau… on
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Elder Sylvia Ann Fox

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Sylvia Ann Fox, Ii’sts’pan’sts’aa’kee (Singing Alone from Above) has been the Traditional Wellness Coordinator at the Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge for the past eight years. She is the mother of three beautiful children and four grandchildren.

Sylvia Ann studied Arts and Sciences at the University of Lethbridge and completed the Kainai Studies program with many beloved elders at Red Crow College. She has attended various other post-secondary institutions and became an addictions counselor. She worked for Blood Tribe Health and at the Kainai Healing Lodge. 

Sylvia Ann is dedicated to her community work, supporting countless groups in developing cultural competencies and participating in sacred ceremonies. She was bestowed and carries the Mii’staa’kii (Mountain) pipe bundle through a transfer ceremony, honoring her 20 years of working for her people. 

She was the first Indigenous woman to receive the City of Lethbridge Leadership award in 2023 from Reconciliation Lethbridge. She also received the Teams Award for Innovation in 2023 for her work on the Indigenous Cancer Rounds for the Department of Oncology at the University of Calgary. Sylvia Ann was a recipient of the Health Quality Council of Alberta Patient Experience Award in 2024 for her role in the Medicine Within program for outstanding achievements. Sylvia Ann completed the First Thunder Land-based Yoga Teacher Training Certificate and co facilitates Blackfoot Informed yoga throughout the community. Sylvia Ann Fox encourages the people she mentors to walk together as they recognize and honor the Blackfoot ancestors, the parents, and grandparents.

Elder
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