The FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in St. Catharines has announced the details for Art in Action: Climate (AiA), a new festival of arts, ideas, and industry that extends across the Niagara Region. Highlights include work from renowned photographer Edward Burtynsky, the Avanti Singers, and Kaha:wi Dance Theatre.
Along with performances, the ten-day festival includes a film festival, discussions, educational programs, and a one-day Climate Symposium. Art in Action takes place from January 30 to February 1, 2026, bringing together artists, Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, scientists, local businesses, and members of the community.
“We designed the first Art in Action festival as part of our tenth anniversary season to offer our attention, support and resources to inspiring artists and experts whose work focuses on the environment.
“Not only will Art in Action provide exceptional experiences for the public, but it will also be a catalyst for connection and conversation concerning local and global climate issues that will move us towards more purposeful action,” says Colleen A. Smith, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre CEO and Executive Producer of Art in Action.
Art in Action: Climate at FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre — Highlights
Kaha:wi Dance Theatre: SKéN:NEN (Partridge Hall) (January 30 — Opening Night)
The Kanyen’kéha (Mohawk) word skén:nen (Sgah:nah) translates as mean peace and balance. By creator, director, designer, and dance artist Santee Smith, SKéN:NEN is a multi-layered, immersive performance experience infused with cultural knowledge, and a narrative that extends beyond time and space in an imagined post-apocalyptic world. It blends choreography, storytelling, and imaginative projections to tell the story of a young Kahnyen’kehàka girl named Niyoh and other climate survivors.
Edward Burtynsky: In the Wake of Progress (Robertson Theatre) (January 30 – February 8)
Edward Burtynsky’s multimedia exhibition In the Wake of Progress anchors AiA. Burtynsky has become famous around the world for his large format photographs of industrial landscapes. They show locations across the globe, and represent the impact of industrialization on both the natural world and human life. He is a noted environmental advocate, and his work has been the subject of documentary films.
In the Wake of Progress represents four decades of the acclaimed photographer and St. Catharines-born artist’s work. The multimedia project was conceived, directed, filmed and photographed by Burtynsky, and co-produced by Canadian music luminary Bob Ezrin. The 22-minute work uses video and photographs from the entire span of Burtynsky’s career, horeographed to an award-winning original score composed by Phil Strong, with vocals by award-winning Cree Métis artist iskwē and performances by musicians of The Glenn Gould School at The Royal Conservatory of Music.
Avanti Singers: Creation/Extinction (February 7)
Creation/Extinction is a musical contemplation that reflects on both the beauty of the earth, and the environmental challenges that threaten it. The program opens with a short piece by Sherryl Sewepagaham (Cree-Dene), offering an ode to Mother Earth, and includes excerpts from The Lost Birds by Christopher Tin, along with Haydn’s The Creation oratorio performed by a full orchestra, with soloists Claire de Sévigné, soprano, Yanik Gosselin, tenor, and Tyler Duncan, bass.
Dr. Rachel Rensink-Hoff leads the Avanti Singers, a Niagara-based community chamber choir. The ensemble is known for a diverse repertoire, that, while it blends old and new, incorporates a focus on music by living composers, and storytelling via song.
Avanti Artistic Director Dr. Rachel Rensink-Hoff notes, “Haydn’s oratorio reflects a deep sense of wonder at the natural world and presents the Earth as a place of balance and possibility. When we hear it today, that optimism is complicated by what we now know about environmental loss and damage. This contrast is really at the heart of the program. The Lost Birds is a contemporary response — a musical memorial to bird species that have gone extinct due to human impact. Tin sets beautiful poetry by writers such as Emily Dickinson, Christina Rossetti, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Sara Teasdale, giving voice to what has disappeared, and implicitly asking what our responsibility is moving forward.
“Our presentation of Creation/Extinction is a bit of a reimagining or “re-contexutalization” of an 18th-century classical work within the context of today’s environmental realities. Art — and choral music in particular—has a way of helping us feel things that might otherwise remain abstract. Data and science are crucial, but music speaks to us on a human level and singing quite literally enables us to “give voice” to important issues and difficult emotions. It engages our imagination and can gently nudge us toward taking responsibility. When we sing, we hope we’re creating a space in which people might pause, reflect, and feel more connected to the world we share and care for.”
Kaha:wi Dance Theatre’s SKéN:NEN trailer from its 2024 presentation in Toronto:
The Full Program
AiA Film Festival (The Film House) (January 31 – February 8)
This week-long festival presents both documentaries and features, widely acclaimed works and new voices, along with related conversations that connect the dots between art, science, and community.
AiA Climate Symposium (various venues at the FirstOntario PAC) (January 31)
This full day offers the opportunity to be a vital part of the conversation around creating a sustainable future. Topics include: Possible Futures — Innovation and Energy Science, Sovereignty, Sustainability, Scarcity — Examining our Waters, Generative AI and Climate Change, and The Beginning — Niagara’s Vision.
Fireside Chat with Edward Burtynsky (Partridge Hall) (January 31)
On the same day as the Symposium, you can attend an exclusive chat with artist Edward Burtynsky that will frame the conversation in a global context, and allow for reflection on how Niagara connects to the rest of the world.
Niagara Sustainability Exchange (January 31)
A free event, the Exchange invites entrepreneurs, makers, businesses and community organizations who are working on solutions that put climate considerations first to demonstrate their innovative strategies. Participants will be able to meet the local climate innovators from the energy, construction, food systems, and conservations sectors, and ask questions. Find out how you can bring simple but effective changes to your home or workplace.
imPACt Education Series (The Recital Hall) (February 2 – 6)
The FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre invites school groups to experience Edward Burtynsky’s In the Wake of Progress in a program that will include a presentation, a discussion, and a hands-on activity designed to inspire.
Youth in Action: Next Gen Speaks (The Recital Hall) (February 7)
Art in Action Youth Ambassadors will share their reflections after a week of activities and inquiry through short presentations and a discussion. Guests will experience how the next generation is considering the intersections of climate, community, and creation.
+Art in Action: Climate Beyond the PAC
Arts Partner Events Across Niagara (January 30 – February 8)
Satellite experiences beyond the PAC include exhibitions, cabarets, screenings, talks, tours and more. Regional arts partners include: Femmes du Feu Creations at The Bank Art House in Welland, Rodman Art Institute of Niagara and the Niagara Artists Centre in downtown St. Catharines, the RiverBrink Art Museum in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and The Exchange in Niagara Falls.
Culinary and Winery Experiences (January 30 – February 8)
Partners for AiA offer the opportunity to experience the best of the region’s accommodations, culinary and wine experiences. Accommodations partners include Heart of Niagara Hotels and White Oaks Resort & Spa, with local winery and restaurant partners that include Southbrook Vineyards, Fat Rabbit, Wellington Court Restaurant, Bolete restaurant, Treadwell Cuisine, and others.
- Find tickets and registration details for Art in Action events [HERE].
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