The Pulse
Sept. 13, 2024

More Edmonton arts organizations are allowing their patrons to choose what they want to pay for admission in a bid to make art more accessible and convince audiences to return after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pay-What-You-Can (PWYC) performances are not new — the Citadel Theatre has offered them for 25 years, for example — but some arts professionals say the idea is gaining ground.

Thou Art Here Theatre produced Civil Blood: A Treaty Story this summer, an immersive, Indigenized reimagining of Romeo and Juliet set in the Old Fort at Fort Edmonton Park. The entire run was PWYC, and patrons were not required to pay to enter Fort Edmonton Park.

Thou Art Here's artistic leadership mentee Dayna Lea Hoffmann told Taproot many interested in attending plays struggle to afford tickets and PWYC is one way independents are addressing that. "I'm noticing a really large shift for indie companies," Hoffmann said. "Most indie companies are offering either a select amount of pay-what-you-can tickets, or all tickets (as) pay-what-you-can."

The Kaleido Family Arts Festival, which runs on Alberta Avenue from Sept. 13 to 15, is fully PWYC, with no admission gates. When the festival started 19 years ago, organizers charged $5 to enter. "What we realized was that we were eliminating probably 50% of our community," said Christy Morin, executive director of Arts on the Ave, Kaleido's parent organization. "I stood there watching and running after them, saying, 'Come back, come on in.' I did that over and over again, and finally, I said to our volunteer, 'Just let them in.'"

Kaleido shifted to a PWYC model shortly after the first festival.

Grants from organizations such as the Edmonton Arts Council, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and the Canada Council for the Arts almost entirely fund Thou Art Here's shows, and are instrumental to allow the company to offer PWYC admission, Hoffmann said. "We have all of the funding necessary to secure the location, the tools necessary to put on the show, and the fees and wages that (the cast and crew are) entitled to," Hoffmann said. "Ticket sales are just a bonus for the company."

Kaleido costs about $300,000 annually to produce, Morin said. "We have leaned strongly on grants, donations, fundraising throughout the year, 50-50 (raffles), and it is a continual race," she said. "There's not ever a finish line to this." Morin said the festival used to have donation tubes and would collect about $2,000 throughout the festival, and now sells souvenirs and admission to inflatable obstacle courses to help raise money.

Meanwhile, the Citadel's well-attended PWYC program is supported by the Alberta Blue Cross, executive director Jessie van Rijn said. Tickets for the theatre's next show, A Streetcar Named Desire, are about $100 each. The theatre typically receives between $7 to $10 from each patron during its PWYC performances and usually offers PWYC tickets for two shows per production.

"PWYC performances have a tremendous impact on community building and expanding our programming to audiences who might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience the magic of live theatre," van Rijn said.

• Edmonton city council voted 12-2 to not take action on a report from the Edmonton Police Commission recommending that council replace the two councillors on the commission with members of the public. The recommendation is based on a 2023 external report, which said councillors have more political experience, considerations, and influence than other commissioners. The request comes amidst tensions between council and the commission, stemming from council's request to see the audit plan for the Edmonton Police Service.
• The Alberta Human Rights Tribunal heard closing arguments in a human rights complaint related to Edmonton Police Service 911 operator David Schening's handling of a 2019 call from trans activist Marni Panas. Adam Sopka, a lawyer for the Alberta Human Rights Commission, argued Panas faced discrimination based on gender identity, and that "intention is irrelevant to determining discrimination" under the Alberta Human Rights Act. He also cited Schening's testimony as evidence that the police service failed to prevent future discrimination. Lawyers for the police service argued Schening's assumptions during the call were not based on discriminatory views of trans women.
• The City of Edmonton is experiencing major delays in processing development permits due to a 35% increase in application volumes and a 67% rise in housing starts this year. While most applications are meeting target times, permits for multi-unit residential projects are taking an average of 181 days to process, exceeding the 90-day target. To address the backlog, the City is employing more staff, assigning overtime, and introducing automation. This week, the City launched an automated approval process for those looking to build single detached or semi-detached homes in previously undeveloped areas.
• Edmonton is experiencing an unprecedented rate of home starts across all housing types this year, according to new data from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). Edmonton had more than 10,000 housing starts from January to July, led by a surge of more than 3,500 new single-family detached homes. Most apartment starts this year have been for purpose-built rentals as the condominium market segment recovers from years of high supply relative to demand, said CMHC economist Taylor Pardy.
• ChargeStop, Edmonton's first EV-only service station, opened in Old Strathcona on Sept. 12. Located at 8106 99 Street NW, the station offers Level 3 charging stalls, which can power most electric vehicles up to 85% in about 20 minutes. It also has an app that allows drivers to book a stall in advance. The Edmonton-based company behind the station wants to open 20 more locations across Canada in 2025.
• Residents in the Hermitage area in northeast Edmonton raised concerns about a damaged concrete divider for a bike lane on 40 Street NW, just one month after the lane was installed, Global News reported. The City of Edmonton said it would follow up, and replacement costs will be minimal.
• The Children's Autism Services of Edmonton opened the Jim Jiwani Autism Academy, which is the first-ever school specifically for autistic children in Alberta. The school currently has 40 students from kindergarten to Grade 3, with plans to expand once it has more funding.
• The Ermineskin Cree Nation south of Edmonton has resumed a decade-old lawsuit against the Canadian government, arguing that proposed federal legislation on First Nations drinking water fails to recognize their right to clean, safe water. The lawsuit, initially filed in 2014 with three other First Nations, had been paused while negotiations with Ottawa took place. A Federal Court ruling this week allowed Ermineskin to proceed independently, paving the way for an amended claim.

Here are some events happening this weekend in the Edmonton area.

• Sept. 13: The High Street Night Market starting at 5pm on High Street
• Sept. 13: Global Chef Challenge Fundraiser Dinner starting at 6pm at Ernest's Dining Room
• Sept. 13: MacEwan University Griffins vs. University of Alberta Golden Bears Hockey starting at 7pm at Clare Drake Arena
• Sept. 13: Metro Cinema's Season Launch starting at 7pm at Metro Cinema
• Sept. 13-15: Kaleido Family Arts Festival at Alberta Avenue Community Centre
• Sept. 14: Bohemian Artisan Market starting at 10am at Bonnie Doon Shopping Centre
• Sept. 14: Bike Drive starting at 10am
• Sept. 14: The Nina Art Market starting at 12pm at the Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts
• Sept. 14: MacEwan University Griffins vs. University of Alberta Pandas Hockey starting at 7pm at Clare Drake Arena
• Sept. 14-15: Big Bin Events at the Commonwealth Stadium waste drop-off
• Sept. 14-15: Fall Aroid Show at St. Basil's Cultural Centre
• Sept. 15: Terry Fox Run starting at 9am at Kinsmen Park
• Sept. 15: Girls Hockey Mini Camp starting at 9:30am at the Downtown Community Arena

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Sept. 27: Guided Walk with Talking Rock Tours at the John Walter Museum
• Sept. 29: Все буде Україна! Ukraine Lives at the Winspear Centre
• Sept. 30: tahto awasis asitakimaw ᑕᐦᑐ ᐊᐋᓸᐢ ᐊᓯᑕᑭᒫᐤ Every Child Matters Traditional Feast & Round Dance at the Alberta Aviation Museum

Visit the beta version of the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.