One Yellow Rabbit (OYR) Performance Theatre is one of the English-speaking world’s leading creation theatres. As a result of a thriving OYR, we are living in a more civil, interesting and stimulating society that nourishes its people, values and prizes the local and authentic and is thoughtful, life loving and fun. We will remain current and connected to our community.

We lead the industry with artistic excellence and creative innovation, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the world’s best arts organizations. And are ruthlessly focused on outcomes that provide the highest end result for the organization and the largest number of stakeholders – Board of Directors, Ensemble, Staff, Volunteers, Community, Partners and Patrons – and the future of our community. All parties to our decisions are treated with respect, dignity, integrity, compassion and humanity.

We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve been able to offer our community over the years, and our artistic ensemble and staff have been honoured to receive many awards and recognitions. In the past two years, Blake Brooker and Denise Clarke have both been inducted as Members of the Order of Canada, in 2007 the entire ensemble received the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Award, Denise Clarke has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Calgary and Blake Brooker and Michael Green have both been the recipients of the Harry & Martha Cohen Award for Lifetime Contribution to Calgary Theatre.

Past administrative leaders have received the Chalmers Award for Arts Management – Canada’s most prestigious award in the field, as well as several Rosza Awards for Arts Management.Our mission at One Yellow Rabbit is to create and present vital and surprising performance experiences that engage and reward our audience. We believe it is through this kind of artistic work – work that arouses curiosity, ignites passion, stimulates imagination and challenges expectations – that individuals are inspired and communities flourish.

With this approach in mind, the rubber-hits-the-road for us in three important ways: (1) Ensemble Creations, (2) the High Performance Rodeo, and (3) Artist Training and Mentorship Programs

• (1) Our resident ensemble of artists – Blake Brooker, Denise Clarke and Andy Curtis – are at the core of our identity and what we do. Each year, these artists develop and create at least one new work that premieres at our festival, the High Performance Rodeo. Over the past thirty-five years, One Yellow Rabbit has had the pleasure of performing across Canada, the U.S.A., South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. “OYR has taught has taught not only the Calgary theatre practitioners but theatre audiences to be open to the novel and to choose the unexpected.” – Shelley Youngblut, Avenue Magazine.

 

• (2) Each January, One Yellow Rabbit cleanses Calgary’s palate of the holiday treats with our distinctive offering of theatre, dance and interdisciplinary performance during the High Performance Rodeo, Calgary’s International Festival of the Arts. Dedicated to reaching out and captivating audiences from all walks of life, the Rodeo is internationally renowned as fertile ground for progressive, wild and powerfully inventive performances. “The Rodeo is vital to our sense of building community in the city. Not only do we attract top artists from around the world, but we give our own citizens permission to love their city, to dream together, and to be inspired in their own lives by the very best in the world.” – Mayor Naheed Nenshi

 

• (3) As leaders in the field of theatre creation, mentorship and artist training are core components of One Yellow Rabbit’s artistic mission. We teach and mentor artists in our creative process as a part of our open-source philosophy. Through programs like the beautifulyoungartists, beautifulyoungstudents, and the Summer Lab Intensive we want to help build a strong creative community. “The One Yellow Rabbit Summer Lab Intensive is rigorous, stimulating and engaging. This is serious work for playful people. It is THE laboratory of our art form; singular in Canada, unique in our profession and something to be treasured and supported.” – Peter Hinton O.C., Internationally recognized Theatre Director and 2014 Summer Lab Participant.

One Yellow Rabbit is a Cornerstone organization of the City of Calgary. Our programs serve as a model across the country and around the world.

Punching well above our weight, no other organization in Canada provides the level of diverse activities that One Yellow Rabbit does – creating new work; presenting work from across the country and around the world AND providing professional development to both established and emerging artists and administrators.

We offer the citizens of Calgary unique and diverse cultural experiences and strive to provide access to these experiences to all Calgarians. Support from volunteers assist us in providing the best level of service to our clients and audience members.

Financial support from sponsors assists us in bringing world class cultural events to the City of Calgary, in subsidizing the cost of ticket prices for our communities in need, in helping us employ Calgarians who contribute to the economic and cultural well being of Calgary, and in the training of the next generation of Calgary’s cultural creators.