If you’re craving an experience with substance, you’ve come to the right city. Kingston’s cultural gems offer a huge variety of shows and exhibits, with something on the calendar for everyone.
Whether you want to expand your horizons by learning to appreciate new forms of art, or seek out voices from places and perspectives far from your own, the choices offered by The Agnes, The Isabel, and The Grand have you covered.
Check out some of Kingston’s best upcoming cultural experiences, which promise a day (or night) out that will intrigue, enlighten, and entertain.
A Snapshot of Indigenous Life: Picturing Arctic Modernity
Take in a firsthand account of life on North Baffin in 1964 – drawn with striking honesty by the Inuit residents of the communities of Clyde River (Kanngiqtugaapik), Pond Inlet (Mittimatalik) and Arctic Bay (Ikpiarjuk). (Jan 7 – April 9 at the Agnes)
Photo via The Agnes Etherington Art Centre Important Voices of Humanity at The Isabel Human Rights Arts Festival
Expression meets activism with this important series. Choose from several moving and enlightening shows, such as The Angel of Budapest (a film about Holocaust-era human rights activist Raoul Wallenberg), and Songs of Freedom, a soul-searching performance by superstar soprano Measha Brueggergosman. (Starting March 14 at the Isabel)
Get Inspired at The Hold: studies in the contemporary collection
Got a term paper due, about to participate in a roundtable, or just feeling a lack of creative spark lately? Prime your mind with some serious inspiration amid these thrilling and thought-provoking modern works. (Jan 7 – April 9 at the Agnes)
The Very Best in Irish Dancing: Rhythm of the Dance
Get pumped for an energetic, exhilarating show! Irish dancing is so stirring, your heart will beat in time to their feet. (March 15 at the Grand)
Study a Master: Beneath the Surface of the Man with Arms Akimbo
Delve deeper into a renowned work by one of the masters of the Baroque period. A fascinating x-radiograph of the work will be exhibited alongside the original painting, giving insight into Rembrandt’s centuries-old process. (Jan 7 – April 9 at the Agnes)
Photo via Bernard Clark One of Canada’s Best: Basia Bulat
Don’t miss your chance to see the Polaris Prize winner perform one of her electric and enthralling pop/folk concerts. (March 18 at the Grand)
Great Works of Piano Performed by Marc-André Hamelin
Considered one of the world’s elite pianists, Hamelin will bring to life works by some of history’s greatest composers, including Haydn, Beethoven, and Brahms. (March 19 at the Isabel)
Photo via The Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts Hear the Next Generation of Talent at the Isabel Overton Bader Canadian Violin Competition
Phenomenal young violinists from across the country will converge at the Isabel to compete for the top honour. The winner will receive an engagement with the Kingston Symphony! Witness the semi-finals on April 26 and 27, and the finals on April 29. (April 26, 27, and 29 at the Isabel)
