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 Positions

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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 allows the youth project leaders to introduce their projects and recognizes the efforts they have put in all year long. At the end of the week, we put on an award show. This event is a nice way to wrap up festivities and recognize some of the talented youth who live in Kingston. A few awards we gave last year included:

  • Outstanding Ensemble

  • Outstanding Original Content

  • Outstanding Artwork

  • and Fan Favourite

    Join us for the 2025 season to pitch your vote!