Founded in 2011 by Andrew Ritchie and Elena Belyea, Found Festival is Edmonton’s celebration of art in unexpected places.
Found Festival gathers local, regional, and national artists in Edmonton for one summer week to celebrate the ways art can create unforgettable moments in our community. At its heart, Found Festival aims to make all disciplines more accessible in our city by placing it where communities naturally gather.
We’ve done shows across the city in places like bars, storefronts, street corners, funeral chapels, coffee shops, shoe stores, swimming pools, bookstores, public parks, rooftops, apartment buildings, parking lots, playgrounds, bridges, alleyways, libraries, bathrooms, and more.
For seven years now, Found Festival has presented the Fresh AiR Artist-in-Residence program, which supports artists in the development of large-scale projects. Since 2022, this has been a two-year program that allows artists to experiment with their project at one Festival ahead of a guaranteed Mainstage presentation in their second year. Our current Artists-in-Residence are Ashleigh Hicks (2023-24, Brick Shithouse premiering at Found 2024) and Louise Casemore (2024-25, Lucky Charm premiering at Found 2025).
In addition to our Festival projects, Found presents a Poetry Showcase and Music Series with curated events that welcome literary and music audiences to public spaces across Old Strathcona.
Found Festival is operated by Common Ground Arts Society, an Edmonton-based arts organization dedicated to developing and launching new productions and practices. You can meet our Festival team here!
Our Festival is curated annually through an open call. This call typically begins 8-10 months prior to the Festival. Our members get artist calls directly to their inboxes through our members newsletter. You can sign up for a free membership here (or add a donation to get extra perks like presale access and invites!)
Found Festival is generously funded annually by the City of Edmonton, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and the Department of Canadian Heritage. We rely on the support of our members, donors, and partners to continue presenting ambitious, entertaining, and thought-provoking projects every year.
