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Arts celebrated at Ryga Arts Festival in Summerland

Numerous arts events featured in ninth annual festival

It was a time for arts and creativity during the ninth annual Ryga Arts Festival in Summerland from Sept. 18 to 22.

The event was in honour of George Ryga, a playwright and author, who lived in Summerland from 1963 until his death in 1987 at the age of 55.

During the festival, events included concerts, book launches and readings, storytelling, music, theatre and discussions about the arts.A hootenanny, in honour of Dick Climents, a Summerland actor, closed out the event.

Ryga’s most famous play, The Ecstasy of Rita Joe, was written and first staged in 1967. The play tells the story of an Indigenous woman living in Vancouver, where many of the people around her are well-intentioned, but whose actions do more harm than good.

 

 



John Arendt

About the Author: John Arendt

I have worked as a newspaper journalist since 1989 and have been at the Summerland Review since 1994.
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