Ottawa StoryTellers exists to promote the art of storytelling in our community, to nurture and inspire beginning and experienced storytellers, and to provide tellers and listeners of all ages with opportunities to come together to share and enjoy stories.

Lifestyles of the Rich and Shameless is a sharp, witty storytelling event, featuring music, that takes aim at the glittering (and often absurd) world of extreme wealth. Riffing on the 80s and 90s TV show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, this performance trades fawning admiration for playful critique, weaving together original tales, classic stories, and clever songs about billionaires, power, and the pursuit of too much money. With a mix of humour, insight, and bite, Lifestyles of the Rich and Shameless offers an entertaining—and thought-provoking—look at society’s fascination with the super-rich.

Frisque Femme Productions Presents Lyrical Legends 4 Burlesque Show

Over the decades we've listened to iconic, angelic and legendary music artists. Come sing, laugh and dance in your seat while we entertain you to those lyrical legends. Join us for a night like no other in the nations capital!

HEADLINER

Violette Coquette from Edmonton

CAST

Alister Sharp

BB Abundance

Belle Epoque

Fenix Caprice

Kay Kalish

Kitty Kin-Evil

Sonya Lex

Summer Skye

Saturday November 1st, 2025

Doors 7pm Show 8pm

Arts Court Ottawa

19+ Event

Just Ghoulin' Around - The Fourquel - an Indie Halloween Party

Neon Ghosthouse

Jim's Plumbing & Electrical

Hannah Vig

Cardamom Years

all ages admitted, 19+ w/ photo ID to drink

$15 adv with costume

$20 adv without costume

prizes for best costumes

presented with the support of Ontario Creates, SAW Centre and Collective Arts

Stephen Stanley with Chris Bennett / Moonfruits

Oct 25, Nov 8, Nov 29, Dec 6 from 7-8:30pm

As Spooky Season descends and the nights stretch ever longer, something sinister stirs in the shadows. A classic mystery is about to unfold: a group of intriguing, often eccentric characters gathers in a remote, isolated location—each bringing secrets, suspicions, and stories of their own.

But when one of them turns up dead, the tension rises. Whispers turn to accusations, alliances form and fracture, and paranoia takes hold. Someone in the room is a killer… and they’re not finished yet. Can you solve the mystery before the characters do—or will the truth stay buried?

All Fall Down is a completely improvised murder mystery in the spirit of Agatha Christie, with a devilish twist of Clue. No script, no safety—just sharp wit, high stakes, and a ticking clock. Every performance is unique. Every suspect has something to hide. And every fall begins with a secret.

Hotel Mira (Vancouver rock)

with very special guest

Bleeker (Orillia rock)

and more

all ages admitted, 19+ with photo ID to drink

general admission standing with very limited seating

presented with the support of Ontario Creates, FACTOR, SAW Centre and Collective Arts

Ottawa StoryTellers exists to promote the art of storytelling in our community, to nurture and inspire beginning and experienced storytellers, and to provide tellers and listeners of all ages with opportunities to come together to share and enjoy stories.

In Jamaica, at the end of a village bonfire, children were sent home alone after dark, leaving the parents to tell stories by the fire. The children were given bottle lamps, made by stuffing a rag into a bottle filled with kerosene. After an evening of hearing stories about duppies and boo hags, the walk home was filled with terror, as will this evening of scary stories for adults.

Amy Millan – I Went To Find You Tour

with very special guest

Zoon

all ages admitted, 19+ w/ photo ID to drink

general admission standing with limited seating

presented by with the support of Ontario Creates, FACTOR, SAW Centre and Collective Arts

Join us for an unforgettable evening of poetry and music.

Amanda Earl hosts the 2025 John Newlove Poetry Award reading and ceremony. Bywords.ca will be launching After all this hurt , Mahaila Smith’s chapbook with readings by this year's John Newlove Poetry Award recipient and honourable mentions, and music by Benoît Christie.

After a short break, it’s music and poetry performed by Domina Eliahou and Stuart Ross. Fresh off a breathtaking, improvisational performance at the Hillside Festival, the duo make their first appearance in Ottawa, where Eliahou will improvise an ever-changing eclectic soundscape into which Ross will plug his poems, bend his poems, and spit out sound poetry.

Up next, ARC Poetry will announce the winner of The Archibald Lampman Award which recognizes an outstanding book of English-language poetry by an author living in the National Capital Region. The 2025 Lampman Award finalists are: Gay Girl Prayers by Emily Austin, Heliotropia by Manahil Bandukwala, and Crazy/Mad by AJ Dolman. The jury for the 2025 award were Simina Banu (Quebec), Jake Byrne (Ontario), and Jess Housty (British Columbia).

Our evening concludes with the Ottawa launch for Margo LaPierre’s second collection, Ajar . These poems navigate the physical and psychological dangers of womanhood through the flattening lens of mood disorder. Psychosis isn’t the opposite of reality—it’s another perceptual system. From the emergency room to the pharmacy to the fertility clinic to the dis/comfort of home and memory, this collection humanizes bipolar psychosis.

October 11th & 25th, November 8th & 29th, Dec 6th

10 improv comedians compete for survival – and a cash prize! ​

Plus YOU - the audience - are the arbiters of who wins and who's eliminated until only one remains standing: the MAESTRO! ​

WIT presents ten of Ottawa's virtuoso improv comedians for a night of games and scenes based on audience suggestions — but only one of them will make it to the end of the show and be crowned MAESTRO and awarded the coveted Canadian five-dollar bill.

If you’ve never seen improv comedy at WIT, this is the show to catch.

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a Bride about to be married, must be in want of a weekend away with their besties." ​

Join us for a fully improvised show dedicated to the highs and lows of friends both new and old, as we all gather together to celebrate true love and true friendship.

Immerse yourself in flamenco guitarist Tarek Ghriri's personal journey with a sonic reflection of his experiences and the collective struggles of countless Syrians who crossed the Mediterranean in search of safety and refuge.

"Refugee in the Sea" is a seven-track album, composed by Ghriri, that explores themes of heartbreak, love, freedom, and cultural identity. This immersive performance blends flamenco, Arabic music, and flamenco dance, featuring visual art by renowned Syrian artist Diala Brisly. In addition to the live performance, the show also features a short film screening directed by Amer Barzawi, documenting the making of the album including interviews with contributing artists.

Debaser is pleased to present a showcase of innovative music from the internationally celebrated Nyege Nyege Tapes label, as part of a cross-Canada tour. The evening will feature electrifying live performances by Tanzanian Singeli pioneers Sisso & Maiko alongside genre-defying French-Cameroonian artist Violence Gratuite.

On the night, audiences will be immersed in the headlong rush of Sisso & Maiko’s Singeli—Tanzania’s breakneck dance music, propelled by razor-sharp MCing that reflects the joys and struggles of urban life in Dar es Salaam. Alongside this, Violence Gratuite (aka Violaine Morgan Le Fur) will perform selections from her debut album Baleine à Boss.

Presented in partnership with Arts in the Margins, Montréal; Debaser, Ottawa; send + receive festival, Winnipeg; Strangewaves, Hamilton; The Music Gallery, Toronto; and Western Front, Vancouver, with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Government of Canada, and SOCAN Foundation.

Admission: Pay-what-you-can — All proceeds support Amani, one of the children featured in Vibrations from Gaza, and her family in Gaza.

Buy your ticket here.

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To mark the final stop of the North American tour of Driving in Palestine by Rehab Nazzal, now on view at The People’s Forum in New York City, SAW is pleased to present a screening and talk with the artist on Sunday, October 5 at 7PM at Club SAW. The evening will also include the launch of Soumoud in Dark Times, a limited-edition publication by the artist, published by Monolith Editions (New York City).

Program

Vibrations from Gaza

Rehab Nazzal

16 min., 2023

Vibrations from Gaza offers a glimpse into the experiences of Deaf children in the colonized and confined coastal territory of Gaza, Palestine. Born and raised under Israeli siege and frequent onslaughts, these children — including Amani, Musa, Israa and others — provide vivid accounts of bombardments and the constant presence of drones in their sky. They describe their perceptions of missile strikes through vibrations in the air, trembling of the ground and the resonance of collapsing buildings. The film also examines the impact of sonic weapons on their hearing health, raising a fundamental question of justice and human rights.

—

Canada Park

Rehab Nazzal

11:50 min., 2015

Canada Park uncovers the ethnic cleansing of three Palestinian villages in the West Bank — Yalu, Imwas, and Beit Nuba — systematically destroyed during the 1967 Israeli military occupation. Through archival records, survivor testimonies and direct images, the work traces the forced expulsion of 10,000 Palestinians, the expropriation of their land, and the erasure of homes, orchards, cemeteries and places of worship. In the late 1970s, a recreational site named “Canada Park” was built over the ruins, funded by the Jewish National Fund of Canada and reserved for Israeli use. This leisure park conceals the settler-colonial crimes committed against the Indigenous Palestinian people and their land, while exposing Canada’s complicity. To this day, the displaced inhabitants of Yalu, Imwas and Beit Nuba remain refugees, denied the right to return and rebuild their homes.

—

Following the screening, Rehab Nazzal will give a talk on her practice, the featured works and the broader context of her work on Palestine.

The films will be presented with English subtitles, and the talk will be in English.

The Rump Revue is a tantalizing show bringing you classic and modern burlesque in Ottawa.

The cast is a bevy of local stars with some new up and comers.

Join us Friday October 3rd, 2025 at Arts Court

Enjoy our go go during the show!

-MC- Fenix Caprice

-Featuring-

Ava Adore

Bickie Brulée

Edel Blissss

Kay Kalish

Kitty Kin-Evil

Morgan Morbid

Ruby Mirage

Satin Sadie

Sonya Lex

Summer Skye

$30

Doors 730pm Show 830pm

19+ Event

NO REFUNDS , OR CREDITS

Join us for a celebratory evening of art, music, and community as we gather for the Vernissage of Ottawa Architecture Week 2025. The night begins with mingling, live music, and refreshments, followed by an overview of OAW. From there, we’ll explore the Mapping the Market exhibition, share highlights from the Urban Sketching Tour, hear insights from the BEACAP presentation, and enjoy the creativity of the Murray & Murray Prize winners.

A warm and inspiring evening to reflect, connect, and celebrate the week together.

Event Schedule:

Arrival & Mingling – Enjoy live music, drinks, and snacks as guests settle in.

Overview of OAW – A brief look back at the week and highlights of the festival.

Mapping the Market Exhibition – Introduction and walk-through of the exhibition.

Urban Sketching Tour Showcase – Sketches shared and celebrated.

BEACAP Presentation – Insights and highlights from the BEACAP program.

Murray & Murray Prize Winners – Student presentations and celebration of creative work