Joleen Ceraldi

Joleen is an active actor/performer in Calgary. She graduated in 2009 from Playhouse North School of Theatre. Since then she has acted and created with various theatre and film companies throughout the city, some of the most memorable being Swallow-a-Bicycle Theatre, Theatre BSMT and IGNITE! 2009. Most importantly, she has incorporated her own theatre company “The Janes” with her two artistic partners Helen Knight and Heather Falk. Their most memorable and successful production was FUGLY, which they had the privilege of presenting four separate times within a 3-year span, the last being able to sell out their large venue for Edmonton’s Fringe Festival 2014. Joleen is also very invested in her fitness training in order to present unique physical pieces of art. When not rehearsing or training for a show, she enjoys long snuggles with her animals.

Sidney Knapp

Sidney Knapp is a Calgary-based artist with degrees in Drama and Greek and Roman Studies. She has a background in Performance Creation, Acting, Directing, Vintage Jazz and Blues Dance, and Violin. For the third year in a row, Sidney is ecstatic to be a part of the IGNITE! team! Her most recent work includes directing Hannah Moscovitch’s Essay in the University of Calgary’s Taking Flight Festival (2016), working with Chelsea Dwarika on a performance entitled String Theory for the IGNITE! Festival’s West Villiage Wander tour (2016), and playing the part of Kathryn in Abi Morgan’s Splendour directed by Dawn McCaugherty (2016). Be it acting, directing, or creating Sidney, is always busy doing the “art thing” and is excited at the opportunity to do more work with Swallow-a-Bicycle and Sage Theatre.

Taylor Ritchie and Jana Stevenson

Taylor Ritchie is a dancer and performer from Calgary, Alberta. Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance, specializing in choreography and performance, Ritchie has discovered a particular interest in site-specific and interdisciplinary work. Having recently returned from six months overseas, she is eager to bring her passion and focus back to creating and performing – and is overjoyed to be joining IGNITE! Festival this year!
Jana Stevenson is an ambitious pre-professional performer and artist. Having graduated from the University of Calgary, Jana has completed her Bachelor of Arts in Dance with a concentration in Choreography and Performance. She has trained predominantly in Contemporary and Modern techniques, and has been involved in several University of Calgary productions. Jana is also one of three Co-Founders of Gravity Dance Company, a pre-professional contemporary company based here in Calgary. Jana is thrilled to be participating in IGNITE! for the first time this year, and is excited to further explore site-specific work!
Emily Losier has trained across Alberta in a series of studios and pre-professional companies, most recently working with W&M Physical Theatre as a SURGE company member, and also Gravity Dance Co. She has performed in many of the University of Calgary’s productions, including Mainstage, and is currently entering her second year as she works towards her BFA in Dance. Her passion for dance, her commitment to the Calgary arts community, and her determination to integrate dance into Calgary culture is demonstrated through her work with Arts Commons, Junior Achievement, and the CBE. As this is the first professional venue Emily has had the chance to choreograph for, she would like to thank the Ignite! Festival and her fellow choreographers for the amazing opportunity.

Kris Teo

Kris is a Calgary-based artist with an interest in performance creation and devised physical theatre. She is thrilled to be part of the IGNITE! Festival, diving into the creation of her site-specific performance. Kris also has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama from the University of Calgary where she studied acting, directing, performance creation and dabbled in some terrible singing. Outside of that, she is also an administrative volunteer with Swallow-a-Bicycle and is still trying to learn to play the ukulele she bought on impulse on Amazon.

Chelsea Dwarika – Tour Guide

Biography coming soon!

Alicia Ward – Artist Coordinator

Alicia Ward is a multidisciplinary artist and teacher based in Calgary. After graduating from the University of Calgary with a BFA in drama, Alicia spent a very informative year interning at Theatre Junction followed by two consecutive years in the Professional Training Program at Decidedly Jazz Danceworks. Sometimes she performs as a rooster with Bach Tots, while other times she tap dances with Yapping Ladies. Her two most recent initiatives Gravity Dance Company and TB Weekends bring together her love of art, community and promoting the work of her talented peers. Alicia works in an administrative role for Swallow-a-Bicycle Theatre where she had the opportunity to be the local coordinator for Haircuts by Children by Mammalian Diving Reflex and the artist coordinator for the IGNITE! Festival Site-Specific Series. She is passionate about the Calgary community!

Mark Hopkins – Curator / Mentor

Charles Netto – Curator / Mentor

Charles Netto is primarily a producer, writer, and director of theatre. He is the Co-founder and Co-Artistic Director of Swallow-a-Bicycle Theatre and Festival Director of IGNITE! Festival of Emerging Artists
Charles has directed and had a hand in creating numerous Swallow-a-Bicycle productions: i-ROBOT Theatre, Eavesdrop: The Coffee Shop Show, Freak Show: Tall Tales and Terrible Truths, Death of the Freak Show, Wanderlust, Shhhh!, as well as shorts A World Gone Mad, Free Coffee and Sprawl. In 2016, Swallow-a-Bicycle Theatre was awarded The Colin Jackson and Arlene Strom Creative Placemaking Award at the Mayor’s Lunch for Arts Champions.
Charles co-wrote the play Super 8 with Mark Hopkins. Super 8 won the Alberta Playwriting Competition and premiered at Lunchbox Theatre in 2012. Netto and Hopkins adapted Super 8 into the screenplay One Night in Aberdeen, a short film that premiered in 2014 at Calgary International Film Festival, winning the Alberta Spirit Award and Best of Shorts. It also screened at five other film festivals in North America. One Night in Aberdeen can be seen online at ShortoftheWeek.com.