The Juvenis Festival is Kingston's youth arts festival; one of only two youth arts festivals in all of Canada! The Juvenis Festival is a ten-day series of art-based workshops, musicals, and projects that Blue Canoe puts on in the Spring.Each event is headed by a Youth Project Leader (YPL) who is between the ages of 13-30 and is supported by a local mentor. These events are bolstered by the partnerships we form within Kingston’s community, keeping the arts alive and offering professional opportunities for youth. Juvenis gives young people an opportunity to act, sing, dance, perform, and showcase their artistic talents, as well as take free workshops to build on their interests and skills. While our workshops are targeted to youth, we invite community members of all ages to take in Juvenis productions and events!
Land Acknowledgement
Blue Canoe’s Juvenis Festival takes place in the city colonially known as Kingston on the territory of the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples. We would like to acknowledge the traditional occupants of this land, to honour those who call this land home since time immemorial, and to honour those who live here now but whose spirits are tied to other parts of Turtle Island. It is with humility and gratitude that we honour and respect the privilege to learn, grow, connect, and nurture the creativity of our youth on this land. Today and every day, we invite you to reflect on your relationship to the land, the people, and the ongoing history of the place(s) you call home.
Juvenis Positions
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Youth Project Leaders (YPLs)
YPLs are participants under 30 who oversee a project or performance. Each event gives the leaders a chance to network and gain professional development. YPLs work with a budget, gain sponsorship, and launch their event during the festival.
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Mentorship
The Juvenis Festival pairs industry professionals with Kingston youth. The mentors support YPLs in many aspects, such as admin and production. In addition to being a voice for youth to bounce ideas off of, mentors can create connections with up-and-coming artists.
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Volunteers
Blue Canoe looks for volunteers every year to support the projects, workshops, and performances. We always need volunteers to be ushers, sign people in to the workshops, sell tickets, etc. If this is something you'd be interested in, contact us!
To kick off the festival, we host an opening ceremony. This night is a launch event for youth project leaders to introduce their work to the public, and recognizes the effort their participants have put in all year long.
At the end of the festival, we often host an award show. This event is a nice way to wrap up festivities. In addition to going over the week’s highlights, youth vote to give their peers awards. Last year, a few included:
Outstanding Ensemble
Outstanding Original Content
Outstanding Artwork
and Fan Favourite
See you in April 2025!
In addition to our opening and closing ceremonies, we also host a fundraiser. Spring Fling occurs two weeks before the festival begins. It offers YPLS the opportunity to destress and allows youth in the community to learn about the additional projects that Blue Canoe supports. If you have free time in early April, swing by and meet the hard-working youth involved at Blue Canoe!
