City reflected in Hamilton Arts Week

Hamilton Arts Council’s annual cultural celebration returns for 2025 with 12 signature events from June 3-12 that showcase the diversity, creativity, and stories of our city. 

Hamilton is an arts town and that is never more true than during Hamilton Arts Week, taking place across the city from June 3-12. 

Now in its 11th year, Hamilton Arts Week is an anchoring initiative for both the city and the Hamilton Arts Council, the organization that launched it.

First begun in collaboration with the City of Hamilton, Arts Week was intended to strengthen cultural appreciation for the arts in conjunction with the City’s Arts Awards. Since then, the week-long celebration has grown to reflect the changing face of the city. 

“This year we’re focused on diverse cultural expressions and voices in a wide range of varied creative disciplines,” says festival organizer Julie “Fazoolie” Marquis. 

The purpose,” she says, “is to celebrate creativity, as well as enhance Hamilton’s image beyond the ‘blue collar steel town' stereotype that it has gradually grown out of over the last decade.”

Megan Divecha, program director for the Hamilton Arts Council, agrees. 

“The cultural landscape in Hamilton has shifted dramatically with every year, so there is no shortage of exciting approaches to arts presentation.” For Divecha, this year’s lineup boasts an impressive variety of experienced and emerging artists alike, “ready to tell their stories and explore fascinating themes. The mission, says Divecha, “is connection, and the goal is appreciation – of talent, of culture, and of the role the creative arts play in improving our day-to-day life.”

Since its founding, Arts Week has been instrumental in showcasing Hamilton’s cultural footprint. 

“It has supported the ambitions of emerging artists,” says Divecha, “amplified the work of established artists, and included hundreds of events.” But it goes beyond simply hosting artistic events. “In the most recent years,” says Divecha, “the festival has been a platform for new ideas and innovative approaches to arts presentation.”

A key feature of that innovation is the annual roster of signature events. Showcasing a lineup of talented makers and performers – from theatre to dance, art, storytelling, and music – this year’s signature events were curated by a panel of creative professionals to match the cultural scope of the city. 

“I’m very excited to see the diversity of these events,” says Marquis. “From immersive installations to storytelling, performance, dance, projections and soundscapes, virtual video games, hands-on art workshops, and even an immersive kids show – there’s truly something for everyone.”

Offerings include an interactive video by Gary Barwin and Sarah Imrisekwork called  Bird Fiction that focuses on urban Hamilton birds; an interactive workshop on knitting and cultural preservation called Knitting the Threads of Culture and Spirit by Marvel Ekwuribe; an immersive concert experience by Sultans of String at The Westdale; and a two-hour concert called Resonate: Steel & Soul Experience by Luckystickz that blends Caribbean jazz, gospel, and soul music. The complete listing of signature events can be found at the Hamilton Arts Council's website.

Marquis is particularly excited about a 12-hour dance party by Places Collective at Factory Media Centre. 

“Dance is something that binds people as one,” says Marquis. “Your worries melt away, and you’re able to truly be yourself, in harmony with everyone else, regardless of our differences.”

Festivals like Hamilton Arts Week are powerful, says Marquis, because they “reflect a community’s character by showcasing its identity, values, history, and diversity." Both she and Divecha agree that the diversity in the places where Hamilton artists choose to create, during the festival and year-round, are critical. They enhance the idea of community, while embracing the ever-changing nature of Hamilton as a culturally vibrant city.

“By creating and elevating performance and exhibition platforms throughout the city,” says Marquis, “creatives can learn from their peers that creation and execution are possible and accessible.” This collaborative ethos is an important part of Arts Week, speaking to a grassroots identity of the city. “There is a strong foundation in Hamilton to create and display your craft, which helps with professional development, as people can easily network and build strong connections.” In short, she says, “There is room for everyone here to work together and learn from one another.” 

Organizers of arts-related community events taking place between June 3 and 12 are encouraged to submit them for inclusion in the festival to The Arty Crowd.

Of course, a city-wide festival on this scale would be impossible without a roster of funders and collaborators to help. In this, says Divecha, the Hamilton Arts Council has worked hard to foster a slew of partners this year, including the City of Hamilton’s Tourism and Culture Division, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Department of Canadian Heritage. “In a climate of so many cuts to arts funding,” says Divecha, “we are extremely grateful for the consistent vital support from our municipal and federal government.” But this year, the festival has added support from both gritLIT: Hamilton’s Readers & Writers Festival and the Hamilton Chapter of the Canadian Club. “Their assistance,” she says, “is vital to making this year’s Arts Week one of the most impactful to date.”

Marquis also points to the various signature events venues that have partnered with the Hamilton Arts Council in “granting assistance to each of our event coordinators and giving them a platform on which to work at an affordable rate.” Without these, says Marquis, “we couldn’t apply our skills and creativity and share it with the city.” The 12 signature events venues include the Cotton Factory, The Westdale, Hamilton Artists Inc., Factory Media Centre, Workers Arts & Heritage Centre, Westinghouse HQ, Squiggle the Studio, CoMotion on King, the Eva Rothwell Centre, and Defining Movement Dance. 

To cap off Hamilton Arts Week, the City of Hamilton will also be handing out its annual Arts Awards on the evening of June 12 at the Westinghouse HQ. “The ‘crown jewel’ of our signature events,” says Marquis, “the Arts Awards are a grand finale gala evening of celebration of (not only) the arts in the community, but also those individuals who have made a consistent, significant impact in our city as creators.” 

Adds Divecha: “It’s a bit like our closing ceremonies to the festival, and we always look forward to celebrating with everyone after a flurry of activity throughout the week.” 

Asked the kind of impact they hope Hamilton Arts Week will have, Divecha says, “We learn so much from the festival. It provides exceptional insight into both sides of the cultural landscape – those who are seeking to present their work and the many community members to whom we hope to appeal.” She says the arts sector has irrevocably changed in recent years, so “we need to keep learning how new audiences are discovering and engaging with the arts. Notably, the lockdowns have changed the way that audiences consider leaving their home for any events or activities. So, success is really measured in growth, sustainment, and development."

Marquis adds that “we’re seeing more of a surge in creatives, year after year, with the growth of this festival.” That’s a welcome sign of both opportunity and accessibility in Hamilton’s creative community. “When people feel included and welcome to participate in the arts,” says Marquis, “we open ourselves to nurture that spark. It’s our hope,” she adds, “that more people are stoked to take a leap and explore creativity on their own after experiencing even just one of our events.”

If Hamilton Arts Week can “ignite the passion for creation in each and every heart that our events touch,” then both Marquis and Divecha consider it a win, not just for the Hamilton Arts Council, but for the whole of the city.