Theatre

Seen & Heard: Reclaiming the Voice as a Sacred Instrument

This workshop is for singers, performers, and artists who have felt the sting of perfectionism, burnout, or disconnection from their voice. Whether you’re returning to the stage or simply longing to feel more at home in your own sound, this space is designed to meet you there. We’ll work with the voice not just as a technical tool, but as an extension of the nervous system—a site of healing, power, and presence. Through a blend of somatic voicework, breath practice, and trauma-informed performance tools, participants will be guided to soften performance anxiety, reconnect to their body, and explore voice as a form of self-witnessing and creative expression.

Rooted in vocal pedagogy and nervous system science—but infused with warmth and play—Seen & Heard invites you to reimagine what it means to be fully expressed, without needing to prove or perfect. You don’t need to identify as a professional singer. You just need to have a voice—and a desire to use it in a way that feels true.

Dates: July 26, 2025 from 12 pm - 4 pm

Location: Grindstone Studio (9562 82 Ave NW)

Instructor: Sierra Jamerson

Prerequisite: NA

Showcase: There is no showcase for this class

Cost: $225 +GST (there is no early bird for this workshop)

Facilitator Bio:

Sierra Jamerson is a genre-defying vocalist, performer, and somatic voice facilitator with nearly two decades of experience as both an artist and educator. Known for her emotionally resonant voice and magnetic stage presence, she has shared the stage with internationally renowned vocalist Josh Groban, performed alongside musical legends like The Drifters and Mavis Staples, and was part of a command performance for Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. She is the founder of Temple of Sound, a voice and rhythm-based healing practice where vocal technique, nervous system science, and sacred ritual converge. Her workshops combine somatic voicework, breath and movement, and trauma-informed embodiment tools—supporting artists in reclaiming their voice as a site of safety, power, and creative expression.

An award-winning certified therapeutic drum circle facilitator, Sierra received the When African Women Talk Her Legacy Award for Arts in 2024. She has taught thousands of singers and artists of all ages and is revered as “an open channel of musical expression of the highest order.

Register today at Grindstonetheatre.ca/adultworkshops

A Message from AFA Chair Cynthia Moore

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA) Board of Directors is pleased to have approved its 2025-26 annual budget based on the increased provincial allocation of $34.6 million. I am pleased to share highlights of our plan with Alberta’s arts community. We are grateful for the government’s continued commitment to increase funding for the arts and its second consecutive increase of $4.5 million to the AFA in Budget 2025. 

This year, the AFA will focus on increasing support for arts organizations. Total spending allocated to operational and project grants for organizations will increase by 10 per cent. At the same time, I am pleased to share that increased support for individual artists announced last year will be maintained. The AFA will be sharing information with operational clients about how their funding may be impacted through its regular grant notifications.  

The AFA will begin rolling out new and updated grant programs this year based on the findings of our program review begun in 2022. This year AFA is beginning the process of modernizing its grant programs to provide more targeted and appropriate funding support to arts organizations and individual artists. While the grant review is unrelated to the AFA’s 2025-26 budget, increased funding from Alberta’s government has well-positioned the AFA to effectively update its programs to reflect today’s provincial arts sector.

We will continue to make the AFA Art Collection more accessible to more Albertans, including through additional support for the Travelling Exhibition (TREX) program. TREX providers will be curating additional AFA artworks into more exhibitions, expand their outreach and increase opportunities for new communities to book exhibitions.

I want to express our appreciation for the government’s continued commitment to increase funding for the arts with the second consecutive increase of our budget. Our commitment is to prioritize and invest in artists, art and cultural materials. This work is in line with the AFA’s 2024-2027 Strategic Plan, which is available to read in both English and French on our website. 

We look forward to continuing to support and contribute to the growth of Alberta’s arts sector.

Cynthia P. Moore, Chair
Contact the Chair at afacontact@gov.ab.ca  
 

Application intake for the Alberta Artist in Residence/Arts Ambassador grant is now open. The deadline to apply is June 16. The maximum eligible amount you can apply for is $50,000. This opportunity is open to individual artists from all disciplines.

Program guidelines and application materials can be downloaded from the Artist in Residence website at www.alberta.ca/alberta-artist-residence-apply.

This program seeks to inspire innovation in the arts and to promote a wider understanding and appreciation of the arts and artists in Alberta.

Artists are encouraged to apply for this grant to become Alberta’s Artist in Residence / Arts Ambassador for a one-year term.

Through this grant, the successful artist will:

• work with communities across Alberta as an Arts Ambassador to promote the importance of Alberta artists and the arts
• communicate and share personal perspectives on the artistic process, the role of artists, and the contributions that artists make to Alberta
• act as an advocate for greater understanding of the realities of artists and the communities in which they work
• complete an art project that promotes the value of the arts in Alberta

Celebrate with NUOVA's 5-week intensive singers, Broadway's best showtunes, and a delicious 4 course Italian dinner! This concert is a fundraising initiative from NUOVA Vocal Arts to celebrate these emerging artists, and to raise money to support future emerging artists with scholarships to our intensive programs! 

Tickets

When: Tuesday June 10

Doors open: 5:30 pm

Program begins: 6 pm

Where: The Parlour Italian Kitchen & Bar (10334 108 St NW, Edmonton, AB T5J 1L9)

What's included: The price of your ticket includes a 4 course Italian dinner (appetizer, pasta, main & dessert), 20% gratuity to the restaurant, and a $25 chritable tax receipt

Please Note: We will be offering complimentary coffee and tea, however any alcoholic, and non-alcoholic beverages will be an extra cost to you.

A not-so-pure Maiden is sent to marry a not-so-manly Lord, who is advised by a not-so-celibate Priest, and protected by a not-so-insensitive Thug in an England ruled by a King who won't get out of bed.

A bold new operatic work with libretto by Darrin Hagen & composed by Leslie Uyeda, adapted from the award winning play by Moira Buffini

Performances at the Orange Hub Theatre. Tickets

June 21 - 7:30 pm

June 23 - 7:30 pm

June 24 - 7:30 pm

June 26 - 7:30 pm

June 27 - 7:30 pm

Between the Lines is the new musical based on the novel by international bestselling author Jodi Picoult & Samantha van Leer, featuring a book by Picoult and Timothy Allen McDonald (Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach, The Big One-Oh!) and score by Elyssa Samsel & Kate Anderson (Apple TV+’s “Central Park”). Between the Lines is an empowering and enchanting story for anyone who has struggled to find their place in the world. An outsider in a new town and a new school, Delilah seeks comfort in the pages of her favorite book, where she feels heard and understood by the handsome Prince Oliver. But as the lines between fantasy and reality begin to blur in extraordinary ways, Delilah realizes her dreams in the real world are worth fighting for.

Performances at the Capitol Theatre in Fort Edmonton Park. Tickets

• June 25(Preview) - 7:30 pm
• June 26 - 7:30 pm
• June 28 - 7:30 pm
• June 29 - 2 pm

An uproarious update of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Princess and the Pea, Once Upon A Mattress sets an unapologetic free spirit loose in a repressed kingdom, reveling in Winnifred’s ability to charm and transform with willpower, honesty, and a little bit of help from her friends.

Performances at the Capitol Theatre in Fort Edmonton Park.  Get tickets
June 20 - 7:30 pm
June 21 - 2 pm
June 22 - 2 pm
June 24 - 7:30 pm
June 27 - 7:30 pm
June 28 - 2 pm