Creating Our Calgary
Take part in artist-led activities that encourage civic participation
Creating our Calgary is an initiative supported by Calgary Arts Development. Led by the Center for Artistic Activism and Recess Calgary, this project engaged five artist collectives from Calgary to create artistic activations that encourage civic participation. The activities are running in different areas of the city prior to the municipal election on October 20, 2025 and everyone is welcome to take part!
1. Dr. Vote’s Cure for Not Caring! | Fem Assembly
This pop-up, interactive art activation is staged as a mock doctor’s office. Members of the Fem Assembly, in character as “doctors,” engage participants in conversations about voter apathy, offering playful “prescriptions” (candy, snacks and resources) alongside pamphlets with information on:
- How to vote in the municipal election
- The impacts of civic apathy, and
- Opportunities for deeper community involvement
You can participate in this activation on the following dates and at the venues listed.
When: Wednesday, October 8 from 11am – 3pm
Where: Riddell Library Atrium, Mount Royal University
When: Wednesday, October 15 from 11am – 2pm
Where: AUArts Cafeteria
Fem Assembly
Fem Assembly is a feminist arts collective in YYC. Founded by Christina Krentz, Fem creates opportunities for artists, publications, exhibitions, and activist fuelled art pop ups. For Creating our Calgary, Lex Hilderman, Christina Krentz and Christina Yao partnered to create a campaign of care that addresses the root causes of civic apathy, and provides a prescription to move forward into hope and action. These are not real doctors, but they are on a mission to find a cure for not caring.
Left to right: Christina Yao (@cristinadass), Lex Hilderman (@lex_hilderman),
Christina Krentz (@c_krentz_art)
2. Project Your Voice | Crate-ive Crew
Project Your Voice is a two-part, hands-on activation where art meets action. Youth age 13-plus take part in workshops to build DIY projectors using LED lights and cell batteries, turning their hopes for Calgary into glowing messages.
At public pop-ups — like Night Light — Calgarians of all ages joined in, adding their voices to a growing display of light and possibility.
Together, we illuminate the future of Calgary, one message at a time.
When: Thursday, October 9, 5pm
Where: Central Library (800 3 St. SE)
When: Thursday, October 16, 5pm
Where: Central Library (800 3 St. SE)
We are continuing to look for opportunities for our next pop up! Check our Instagram account @thisiscrate or visit thisiscrate.com for details.
Crate-Ive Crew
We are passionate about turning community voices into artful action. Christy is a compassionate art therapist who designs hands-on public art activations that transform audiences into active participants. James brings sharp design skills and a community-first mindset to craft engaging, inclusive experiences. Sherry combines her science background with a passion for STEM and youth leadership, bridging creativity with curiosity. Olivia brings a fresh, youth-driven perspective to ensure our ideas resonate with the next generation. Together, we blend art, community, and collaboration to spark meaningful connection.
Clockwise from top left: Olivia, Sherry,
Christy, James.
3. Make Your Move Matter | Error 404 Dance Found Collective
Created to inspire people to vote, this project highlights the power of art as a catalyst for social change showing how creativity can connect communities and move people to action. Through vibrant and playful interactive street performance, we invite people to move, reconnect with their bodies and minds, and experience the joy of action.
The performance mirrors life itself: every movement, leap and gesture is a reminder that even the smallest actions can make a difference. By moving together, we explore how action – on stage and in everyday life – can spark change and build a more empathetic society.
When: Saturday, October 11, 3 – 5pm
Where: East Village Riverwalk by the old Simmons building
When: Sunday, October 12, 6 – 8pm
Where: East Village Riverwalk by the old Simmons building
Zaria Rajha & Mario Lemvar
(@error404_dancefound).
Error 404 Dance Found Collective
This collective is led by movement researchers and choreographers Mario Lemvar and Zaria Rajha. Graduates of the Higher Institute for Dramatic Arts with a bachelor’s degree in dance, they bring a rich blend of styles to their work, including contact improvisation, ballet, contemporary dance, physical theatre and folklore dance. From 2022-2024 they co-created dance works supported by organizations like Dancers’ Studio West, The GRAND, and Ritual Arts Endeavour and have produced original pieces for the Fluid Festival. In 2023 they produced a large-scale show titled ERROR 404 Sign not Found, presented by The, marking the official start of the collective. Blending dramatic elements with humour, their choreography is rooted in the philosophy of living, embracing the unexpected, and finding excitement in imperfection. They believe every error is an offer.
4. Silent Protest | Ayo Collective
Silent Protest is a participatory art project that reimagines civic engagement through performance, installation and collective storytelling. At its centre is a striking arrangement of chairs, empty yet resonant, each marked with the silences, hesitations and barriers that keep many from the ballot box. Alongside this installation, we introduce the masquerade, a figure both playful and profound, drawing people in with curiosity and cultural memory.
Through this visual language, Silent Protest honours the unseen and often unspoken forces that shape democracy: disillusionment, exclusion and the quiet resilience of communities finding their voice. The masquerade bridges past and present, tradition and participation, embodying how art can open space for dialogue and reflection. As a collective, we use Silent Protest to spark conversations that move beyond statistics or slogans, inviting people to sit, witness and imagine a more inclusive civic future.
When: Saturday, October 11 at 12 noon
Where: Marlborough Mall
Front: Winner Brave (@winner.brave), Tee Griffin (@thrutees_eyes).
Back: Sam Obadero (@motif_photography),
Tim Meduna (@tim_meduna).
Ayo Collective
Ayo Collective (also known as Ayọ̀ aka joy) is a Nigerian-Canadian visual arts collective based in Calgary.
We unite photography, film, spoken word, and digital storytelling to explore identity, migration, resilience, and joy, especially within Black and immigrant communities.
5. Exploring Civic Participation | The Triple A Club
This activation explores how art can foster civic belonging among Chinese and East Asian Calgarians. Through an online Civic Toolkit, community art hops, and a hands-on ceramic tile painting workshop, participants share personal experiences and reflect on what civic participation means in their daily lives. The project creates space for intergenerational dialogue, cultural expression and community connection, bringing individual stories together into a shared public conversation.
When: Saturday, October 18, 2 – 6pm
Where: Room Edc386 (Education Classroom 386), University of Calgary
Left to right: Mao Kun Chen (@maoprojects), Chris Savage (@mao_and_chris), Ziya Lin (@ziyacreations).
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The Triple A Club
The Triple A Club is a collaborative initiative led by Mao Kun Chen, Ziya Lin and Chris Savage. Our collective consists of visual artists, with a focus on helping East Asian communities in Calgary engage with the city and foster a sense of belonging through art. We organize community-driven projects, including art exhibitions, workshops, and art trips, aimed at connecting these communities with local institutions and events. Through these initiatives, we strive to bring cultural awareness and build bridges between people, fostering a vibrant and inclusive East Asian cultural sphere.
