Edmonton’s SkirtsAFire Festival Sparks Creativity and Inclusivity Through Women-Led Performances
“There’s a hunger for the kind of art we are putting out.”
The SkirtsAFire festival has become a key platform for women and gender-diverse artists in Edmonton, showcasing theatre, dance, music, comedy, and visual arts. The festival has been running for 13 years.
Artistic director Amanda Goldberg said the festival was inspired by women frustrated with the lack of representation in the arts, particularly theatre.
She has said there is a lack of roles for women from acting to directing and designing opportunities, so the women who founded the festival wanted to create a space to acknowledge the disparity.
Despite its growth, women and nonbinary artists still face barriers like limited funding and leadership roles. SkirtsAFire remains committed to breaking down these obstacles.
What began as a two-day event has expanded to 10 days, and Goldberg credits the festival’s success to the continued need for better representation of women’s stories.
“People are excited by the ability to centre women’s stories and the diversity of women’s stories,” said Goldberg.
Managing director Brianne Jang has said there is progress but stressed that gender-diverse artists still face systemic challenges.
“We are still far from equity in the arts. We still have a long way to go to make sure women and gender-diverse voices have a platform to be heard, have an audience to listen, and the support to foster throughout the process,” she said.
At its core, SkirtsAFire is dedicated to inclusivity, featuring diverse voices through an open call for artists. Jang emphasized the festival’s focus on Indigenous-led programming and projects like the Shoe Project, which highlights immigrant and refugee women’s stories.
“Part of picking what is programmed – is making sure that we have an array of voices,” she said. “We have diverse people, diverse stories and diverse types of art.”
Brianne Jang at a marketing event outside the Gateway Theatre before the kick-off of the SkirtsAFire festival. Original photo by Brooklyn Burns.
Each year, the festival embraces a theme that fosters dynamic conversation. This year’s theme, For the Me I Used to Be, invites reflections on change and transformation, with wide interpretations across genres.
“We always choose a theme that is rather broad and that can be interpreted in multifaceted ways… it gives a nice focal point for the festival. Usually, the theme is inspired by our mainstage performance,” said Goldberg.
This year’s mainstage is the Alberta premiere of Dance Nation, a play by Clare Barron about ambition, friendship, and self-identity through a group of pre-teen dancers fighting for a spot at nationals.
Chieko Koide, a festival supporter, praised the performance and the importance of celebrating women’s creative work. “We need more of this,” she said.
The festival’s success relies on community support. “We absolutely would not exist without the support of everyone who touches the festival – our volunteers, our incredible artists and our audience,” said Jang.
“The community’s engagement and enthusiasm are what keep the festival thriving year after year…there’s a hunger for this kind of art that we’re putting out.”
Goldberg encouraged more Edmontonians to engage with local art. “When you come to SkirtsAFire, you’re supporting the local artistic community.”
As the festival grows, the leadership is focused on diversifying financial support to sustain and expand programming. “The biggest hope is that we can continue supporting the development of new work…support playwrights through the entire process… and be a continuous voice in the Canadian art scene,” said Goldberg.
