A night featuring worship, spoken word, and a couch conversation on love, faith, and relationships. Real Vibes. Real Faith. Real You. 18+

Tired of the dating apps? Craving real conversations?

Treat yourself to spoken poetry, live worship songs and guided connection activities for young adults 18–40 who want to reconnect with themselves and build authentic relationships in a safe, judgment-free space.

Free will donations are welcome at the door.

Project Agape’s first Annual Brunch celebrating joy, connections and community care! All are welcome!

Join us on Sunday, February 22, 2026 (11:30AM - 3:00PM) for Project Agape’s First Annual Brunch!

Hosted during Black History Month, this brunch is a gathering in solidarity with Black survivors, an invitation to learn, connect, and take action, as we strengthen our collective advocacy for change, and highlight the power and beauty of Black, survivor-centered care.

Project Agape is a Black, survivor-led organization dedicated to creating spaces of healing, advocacy, and connection for Black women and gender-diverse people who have experienced violence and oppression. Through programs, community events, and peer support initiatives, Project Agape continues to reimagine what safety, care, and justice can look like when led by and for Black survivors.

This brunch celebrates that vision. It invites us to reflect on what advocacy looks like in practice and how we can work together to sustain and strengthen Black-led spaces of healing, care, and justice across Ottawa. The event will feature a menu prepared by a local Black chef, performances by artists from Ottawa’s Black creative community, and reflections from Black survivors and advocates on the impact and importance of Black-centered work. Guests will also enjoy raffles with gifts from local and national partners and a photo booth experience.

Project Agape’s goal is to raise $10,000 through this brunch to expand program capacity, increase access to wellness resources, and continue offering free, accessible, and culturally affirming care to Black people in Ottawa and beyond.

Each ticket purchased helps sustain this work by supporting Black survivors’ healing journeys through wellness programming and access supports, while ensuring more Black survivors receive care, advocacy, and community.

While this event is grounded in the experiences of Black women and gender-diverse people, it is open to everyone. Project Agape believes that collective healing and justice require shared responsibility, and that allies and advocates have an important role to play in learning about Black-centered care, supporting survivor-led initiatives, and pouring back into Black communities through meaningful engagement and action.

Ticket Pricing Options

Buy One Give One $95: This ticket option is solely for allies who want to gift a ticket to a Black community member in solidarity. Project Agape will be giving these tickets to previous program participants.

Community Ticket $35 : These tickets are reserved solely for Black community members.

Early Bird Ticket $50 : These tickets are limited. You save $10 when you purchase an early bird ticket!

General Ticket $60 : These tickets can be purchased by everyone

Join us February 19th, 2026 at 6 PM for DARC’s Expanded Practice Artist-in-Residence Olivia Onuk’s presentation “Art as Therapy: On Process, Conversation and Care” in celebration of Black History Month.

About the Talk: This artist talk traces the evolution of Art as Therapy: In Conversation with Creatives, a video series exploring how artists use creative practice as a form of healing, reflection, and connection. I’ll speak about moving from one-on-one interviews to dialogue-based conversations between artists, the challenges of translating intimacy to short-form media, and what it means to document care, process, and growth in real time. The talk reflects on art not as a solution, but as a sustained practice of staying with ourselves and each other.

About Olivia Onuk: Olivia Onuk is an interdisciplinary artist and community organizer whose practice is rooted in the truth of art as therapy. Through poetry, storytelling, visual art, and drumming, she explores well-being, meaning-making, and the depths of human experience. Her work invites reflection, communal dialogue, and deeper engagement with the self. ms and memory can offer creative pathways.

She is currently creating work that asks questions around identity, memory, lineage, and how much of who we are is shaped by where we come from.

With a background in family violence and conflict resolution, and over 13 years of experience in event coordination, curation, and consultation, Olivia facilitates arts-based wellness workshops and manages creative programs for individuals and organizations. She was the inaugural Artist in Residence in Government for the City of Ottawa, where she collaborated with the Integrated Neighbourhood Services Team to develop artwork and creative responses to civic challenges.

Join us in The Courtroom at Arts Court for an evening of singing your heart out to Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide".

Get ready to sing your heart out in a pop-up singing circle!

Welcome to the Root in Harmony | Pop-Up Singing Circle event happening in The Courtroom Studio at Arts Court on February 17, 2026 at 7:00 PM.

Join us for a night filled with community and song, singing along a cappella (voices only, no instruments) and in harmony to the classic Fleetwood Mac tune, "Landslide".

No experience needed. No matter your age or singing abilities, this event is open to all music lovers who want to share the joy of music together.

Facilitated by: Micah Jondel DeShazer

Micah Jondel DeShazer (he/they) is an award-winning actor, director, vocalist and conductor from the US, now based in Canada since 2021. Former AD of TACTICS Theatre Group, and founding AD of his new company, Unexpected Théâtre, he also works as a freelance director, performer, and educator. He has collaborated with many institutions across North America, notably: Shaw Festival, Virginia Rep, Childsplay, Hale Centre Theatre, GCTC, and serves as a board chair for Blackout Arts Society. He is deeply committed to developing and normalizing the voices of disabled and BIPOC creatives, and he mentors under Nina Lee Aquino, focusing on bold artistic leadership and direction. His work is tailored towards bridging gaps across cultures, highlighting universal experiences whilst maintaining cultural respect, and always striving to dismantle prejudice through storytelling that reflects the shared essence of humanity. With an emphasis on musicality, movement, and contemporary perspectives, his passion is rooted in curating and creating inclusive, thought-provoking live arts experiences; and ultimately strives to maintain an artistic innovative platform where excellence, creativity, empathy, and cultural respect are at the forefront of every effort. micahjondel.com

At the end of the 1970s, Lydia Lunch crossed paths with Alan Vega and Martin Rev of the group Suicide when she arrived in New York at the age of 16. The first Suicide show she attended was a real shock, a revelation on a new form of concert: theatrical, free, and violent. Since then, a close bond—both artistic and friendly—connected Lunch, Vega, and Rev. She’s lent her vocals to several songs, including Suicide’s “Frankie Teardrop,” as well as “Prison Sacrifice” off of Vega and Marc Hurtado’s album Sniper in 2010.

Marc Hurtado has worked with both Vega and Lunch since 1999, and collaborated with Lunch on the project My Lover the Killer in 2013, releasing their first LP in 2016. They have performed on stage together in France, Mexico, and across Europe. In 2020 Marc Hurtado directed the film My Lover The Killer featuring Lydia Lunch, a cinematic extension of the album of the same name.

Since 2019, Lunch and Hurtado have joined forces to present a sonic and visual explosion—a shamanic ceremony—where the two artists burn their souls into the volcanic heart of the songs of Vega and Suicide. This performance takes place in front of the kaleidoscopic film Infinite Dreamers that Hurtado directed in 2016, featuring Vega and Rev.

Kasador (Kingston rock)

with very special guests

The New Hires (Ottawa rock)

Loch Nisse Monster (Ottawa folk rock)

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

These doors, like the people they represent, have their own stories to tell.

Ruslan Kurt, a Ukrainian activist and contemporary artist from Melitopol whose main focuses are the concepts of time and connection, relocated to Canada after the full invasion by Russia in February 2022. In an attempt to illustrate the tragedies faced by millions of Ukrainians and wanting to affirm the catastrophe, he begins to bring evidence of the physical destruction to North America.

His ultimate goal is to bring 25 damaged and destroyed doors, symbolizing the 25 Ukrainian Oblasts (regions). As an emblem of the full reunification, the cumulative 25 doors are more than a representation or a symbol for Ruslan - they reflect the complete version of his installation.

This film brings stark awareness to the lives of the people who lived behind these doors, while illuminating the hardships of maintaining prolonged media attention and financial support in this ever-in-conflict world.

Club SAW and the Nordic embassies warmly invite you to escape the cold and settle in for a cozy evening of Nordic indie and folk music. Enjoy a complimentary warm toddy while experiencing live performances by Norwegian singer-songwriter Marthe Halvorsen and Icelandic-Canadian artist Lindy Vopnfjörd—an intimate night of Nordic sounds you won’t want to miss!

Free admission / Cash Bar / All ages welcome / Trivia and prizes

A rage quilting and sound making event to process collective grief and rage through co-creation at Artengine!

Non-ticketed event.

Arriving February 6th, 2026, Blue Hour marks synthesist Nick Schofield's first foray into ambient jazz. Created as an ambient ode to Miles Davis' In A Silent Way, Blue Hour features the intuitive and totally improvised trumpet playing of Scott Bevins (No Cosmos) and introduces Schofield's childhood instrument, drums, to his ambient-electronic practice.

Get started creating and learn how TouchDesigner can influence your artistisc practice.

Bring a laptop with TouchDesigner already downloaded

A lively discussion about how we can learn to get more comfortable with uncertainty and embrace the possibility that comes with the unknown.

Doors open @ 6:00pm, event will get underway @ 6:30.

Cash bar.

Digital Arts Resource Centre is excited to present our annual Resolution screening! Resolution is a public screening featuring a selection of works created by DARC members Emilie Azevedo, Ketsia Beboua, Pixie Cram, Lynda Hall, and Penny McCann during the previous year.

Join us in the Arts Court Theatre on Thursday, January 22 at 7PM. Artists will be in attendance to participate in a brief Q&A with the audience followed by a reception at Arts Court Studio.

My interactive 8-bit art piece at the UPSTAIRS gallery show in November got a lot of interest and a lot of questions about how it was made.

Creating Gameboy-style games and art is more accessible than you might think - no coding required.

I'm hosting a creative get-together at Art Engine to share what I've learned using GB Studio, a free drag-and-drop tool for making interactive 8bit experiences. - David Bigg

📅 Jan 21, 6:30pm @ Art Engine

💻 Bring a laptop with GB Studio (download from itch.io)

✨ No experience necessary - we'll cover the basics together

Links we will use Download this for the meetup

GB Studio by Chris Maltby

these work in browser

Pic-to-GB GB

Studio Background Text Generator by zebradontcare

This new storytelling performance traces a personal and cultural journey through stories of womanhood, weaving legend, family history, and lived experience into one evening. It begins with a Vietnamese legend, a tale of unwavering devotion that shaped both a nation’s landscape and the storyteller’s early ideas of a woman’s role. From there, the stories move through three generations of her own family, whose lives during and after the Vietnam War echoed that same longing and resilience. Together, these stories chart an awakening, illuminating how myths, memory, and modern encounters intertwine to expand one woman’s understanding of the female experience.

Holiday Secrets: Your secrets, improvised.

From the team behind Ottawa Secrets comes Holiday Secrets — a completely improvised show inspired by real, anonymously shared secrets about the holiday season. Maybe one of them will even be yours!

Our cast takes these true holiday confessions and spins them into funny, touching, and totally unexpected stories — all made up on the spot. We’re so grateful to be trusted with your secrets and promise to treat each one with care, humor, and heart. Because the stories come from real life, our shows explore everything that makes us human — the joy and chaos, the awkward moments and small victories, and the laughter that gets us through it all.

Ottawa Secrets was inspired by Austin Secrets, created by our friend Roy Janik at The Hideout Theater in Austin, Texas. Just like StoryCorps, PostSecret, Mortified, and This American Life, Ottawa Secrets celebrates real people and real stories — finding truth, humor, and connection in everyday life.

Cirquonscient - Ottawa’s premiere circus arts collective - presents Jingle Jazz; a unique holiday inspired live music and circus acrobatics experience! Step into the sparkle of the season with live jazz, dazzling circus acts, and holiday cheer all wrapped into one unforgettable show!

Join us at LabO Theatre on Saturday, December 13 for this one-of-a-kind experience where the rhythm swings, the lights shimmer, and circus artists perform to the sound of a live jazz band.

Two showtimes: 2PM & 7PM — perfect for an afternoon outing or a magical evening escape! Bring your friends, your family, or your holiday spirit — support local artists - get ready to jingle, get jazzy, and be amazed!

Presented by DARC & Business In the Streets (BITS), The Playbook is an engaging free online workshop designed to help creative individuals understand how to turn their ideas into sustainable businesses. Held on Wednesday, December 10th, from 6 pm to 8 pm over Zoom, participants can expect to engage in guided discussions, storytelling, and practical exercises.

SKETCH Art Sale and Auction Fundraiser

Thursday, December 4, 2025, 7PM–11PM

SAW (67 Nicholas Street, Ottawa)

Preview: Wednesday and Thursday, December 3 and 4, 11AM–6PM

Silent auction: Thursday, December 4, 7PM–9PM

Art sale: Thursday, December 4, 7PM–11PM

Admission:

Advance tickets (until Monday, December 1): $10

After December 1 / At the door: $15

SAW members, seniors, students, unwaged or underwaged: $5

Participating artists receive two complimentary tickets at the door.

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SAW is pleased to invite you to a special expanded edition of its much-loved fundraising event SKETCH, returning on Thursday, December 4, 2025, from 7PM to 11PM, at SAW.

Spanning both floors of the centre, this year’s event features a two-day preview, an art sale, a silent auction, DJ performances and a special welcome cocktail. This special edition of SKETCH is generously supported by art collector Bill Staubi.

The art sale and silent auction will include over 150 works by regional, Canadian and international artists. Featured artists include Barry Ace, Lori Blondeau, Pat Durr, Evergon, Mendelson Joe, Mélanie Myers, Rehab Nazzal, Yoko Ono, Josie Pootoogook, Nujalia Pootoogook, Barry Pottle, Guillermo Trejo and Paul Wong, among many others.

All proceeds support SAW and the Nordic Lab, funding residency and educational programs. Launched in 2021, the Nordic Lab is a research and production space for artists from the circumpolar world, fostering intercultural and intergenerational collaboration and exchange.

DARC and Qu’ART are proud to partner with Visual AIDS for Day With(out) Art 2025 by presenting Meet Us Where We’re At, a program of six videos that forefront the experiences of drug users and harm reduction practices as they intersect with the ongoing HIV crisis.

Meet Us Where We’re At… will feature newly commissioned videos by Kenneth Idongesit Usoro (Nigeria), Hoàng Thái Anh (Vietnam), Gustavo Vinagre & Vinicius Couto (Brazil/Portugal), Camilo Tapia Flores (Chile/Brazil), Camila Flores-Fernández (Peru/Germany), and José Luis Cortés (Puerto Rico).

Commissioned videos by artists in Puerto Rico, Brazil, Nigeria, Germany, and Vietnam journey across a range of spaces, revealing the complexity of drug use. Several videos document the visible world of drugs—a harm reduction program in a Berlin park, a night out during Rio’s Carnival—while others reveal private, often hidden spaces where safety is found: bedrooms, underground clinics, and moments of connection between lovers.

Meet Us Where We’re At speaks not only to the variety of physical locations where contemporary harm reduction is practiced, but also to a broader shift: centering drug users as authors of their own experiences. Rooted in the philosophy of meeting people at their personal reality without judgment, the program affirms the full context of drug use—its pleasures, its risks, and its role in how people survive, care, and connect.

Harm reduction has long been central to the AIDS movement through practices like needle exchange and safe injection sites, and people who use drugs have been affected by HIV since the earliest days of the epidemic. This program brings their perspectives to the forefront, amplifying the voices of drug users as storytellers, cultural producers, and essential participants in the global response to HIV.

As this is a program centering harm reduction, it will contain depictions of sexual activity and drug use.

Join us on Monday, December 1st, from 6 pm to 8 pm in DARC’s Microcinema for Meet Us Where We’re At’s opening talk and screening. Starting Tuesday, December 2nd, through Thursday, December 4th, the screening will be looped from 10 am to 5 pm.

Visual AIDS is a New York-based non-profit that utilizes art to fight AIDS by provoking dialogue, supporting HIV+ artists, and preserving a legacy, because AIDS is not over.

Get ready for the immersive artistic experience that is Stories In Ink Live edition. This intimate tattoo performance is something this city has never seen before, join the multi-disciplinary madness of Lucille Giwa as they take us on a journey through time, craft and culture. Grounded in the reclamation of the black body, Lucille will be tattooing three artists from various disciplines while exploring their individual journeys of reclamation through the arts.

Conversations will weave through art, ballroom, theatre, tattooing and more whilst being black. Network with artists and share your stories in ink with us!

Explore the potential of screenprinting beyond traditional methods to create printed images with different materials, processes and outcomes

Learn the basics of Risograph printing through experimentation in this fun, collaborative introductory workshop.

The workshop will begin with a brief overview of the print process, the resurgence of the Risograph machine within graphic art and design circles, and examples of work from international print artists. You'll then get hands-on for the majority of the workshop: play with cut-outs, collages, drawings and text to experiment and create (1) a collaborative mini-zine and (2) collaborative art print to take home.

Participants also have the added option of having their own 2-colour design printed after the workshop .