About
What do we do?
CREATE
We create and produce the work of our Resident Ensemble.
MENTOR
We mentor new and established artists. Inspiring artists inspires us. We give artists support through programs such as the Beautiful Young Artists initiative. Using established OYR practices, our programs give creators the opportunity to explore their unique voices.
CURATE
We present The High Performance Rodeo (HPR), Calgary’s International Festival of the Arts. Established in 1987, the Rodeo presents theatre, dance, music and more. We make January in Calgary a wild and surprising place to be.
SHARE
We rent our theatre space, The Big Secret Theatre, for arts activities and special events.
Our Story
Once a punk rebel upstart troupe of ‘creatives’ – actors, writers, poets, jugglers, musicians and a dancer – on the cusp of a cultural renaissance that was Calgary.
Since 1982 One Yellow Rabbit Performance Theatre has shape-shifted into a cultural treasure that transcends the narrow geographical boundaries of city and nation.
More tenacious. Even more fearless than when we got this party started – One Yellow Rabbit is in the house. And we’re here to stay.
Actually, we’re taking over. We’re propagating – like the bunnies we are.
COUNT THE WAYS:
- More than 85 productions – including international tours and collaborations, pop-up and cabaret performances
- Producing the High Performance Rodeo since 1987, giving performance opportunities to thousands of artists, from the internationally acclaimed to emerging locals
- More than 350 Labbits produced between 1997 and 2019 through our Summer Lab Intensive, helping to strengthen authentic voices and professionalism in Canadian theatre
Lists are boring. But let’s break the rules to get this stuff out of the way. We call ourselves makers because that’s what we do. Like this:
- Built an organization that creates and tours its work nationally and internationally
- Built a model of collaborative partnerships that have strengthened our structure and our future.
- Present work from the national and international performing arts milieu during the annual High Performance Rodeo
- Share our expertise with the emerging artistic community through programs such as the Beautiful Young Artist and Beautiful Young Students initiatives.
- Contribute to the local community through the Big Secret Theatre, our 190-seat facility.
In 2018 One Yellow Rabbit was awarded the Ultimate Host City Designation from Tourism Calgary.
Ultimate Host Designates are acknowledged for having a positive impact on the local economy, city building, amplifying guest experiences, enhancing the quality of life for Calgarians, intensifying the city’s vibrancy and fostering deeper community spirit.
We are committed to creating a safe environment of equity, diversity, inclusion and access for all artists, employees, volunteers and audience members.
Our Mission
One Yellow Rabbit is an ensemble company of established theatre artists who produce and present vital works in Calgary and internationally that are created to build and enrich our community and develop future artists for our world
Our Vision
One Yellow Rabbit will be seen as an indispensable agent of Calgary’s artistic community by presenting undeniable performance experiences, by encouraging and developing young and emerging artists as only we can, and by strengthening the company’s operations to ensure we thrive well into the future.
What would our culture be without rabbits? What would any popular culture be without them? How would we represent luck, creativity, compassion, and intuition? How would we recognize spring and celebrate new beginnings? What other critters are here to remind us that life is full of possibilities? None that I can think of serve such a powerful purpose.
What would our world today look like without our quick-witted, resourceful friends? Who else could possibly teach us to lead with agility and kindness?
These crafty beings don't just live in stories and folktales. They are among us—around us—reminding us that we have an inner strength that we can rely on in times of trouble. I can't think of a better gift to the world, to Calgary, to Arts Commons, than the rabbits who show us what is possible.
Alex Sarian, President & CEO, Arts Commons