Third annual Tamarack Festival brings theatre, poetry, art to Timmins
The third edition of the Tamarack Festival turns Timmins into a bustling hub of northern creativity, offering five days of theatre, poetry, visual art and music for local audiences.
Opening night kicks off at the Timmins Museum’s Grey Gallery with a reception that pairs performance and visual work by resident artist Cesar Forero, while a new visual‑arts display lights up the downtown Timmins Square mall for the duration of the festival.
Theatre lovers can sample the inaugural Short Play Buffet, a series of one‑act productions ranging from Skye Smith’s dance‑theatre piece "La Nonna è Qui" to Emma L. R. Hoggett’s new work "Between Heartbeats." Additional stagings arrive from the Sault Indie Theatre Collective, New Noise Productions, Take Two Theatre and Indigenous Theatre Timmins, ensuring a broad palette of northern voices.
Poetry night spotlights Kyrie Babin alongside Sudbury poet Kim Fahner, with local writers competing for $100 prizes in five categories. A comedy showcase at Full Beard Brewing Co. introduces ten emerging comics under the guidance of artist‑in‑residence Courtney Racicot.
Workshops and readings fill the weekend: author Sean Minogue leads a writers’ workshop at the Timmins Public Library before reading from "Terminal Solstice," while Alyssa Kostello previews a new play about the women of Cobalt. Evening concerts feature singer‑songwriters Islay Smedley and Sara Rose Hébert, followed by a vocal workshop and a "Colour to Heal" circle.
Supported by Canadian Heritage, the Ontario Arts Council and local partners, the festival underscores the Tamarack Arts Association’s mission to pay northern artists industry wages and to celebrate the rich cultural landscape of Treaty 9 territory.