Calgary on Purpose
An evening of conversation and connection
Calgary on Purpose and Contemporary Calgary invite you to an evening of conversation and connection on May 4 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
The evening will begin with presentations from artists Sable Sweetgrass, Adora Nwofor and Dave Kelly reflecting on the land, the people who live here and our personal journeys as neighbours in this place.
The artists were commissioned as part of Calgary on Purpose—a citizen-led initiative working to uncover the shared values and ambitions of our community. Their work was prompted by a single question, “what does your Calgary look like?”
Following the presentations Dave Kelly and Jenna Rodgers will lead us in offering our own views on what Calgary is and what we hope it may become. Our intent is to encourage ours to be a city of curiosity and care for each other.
This event is free to the public and requires registration so we can guarantee your seat. We encourage you to share this invitation with friends, family and fellow Calgarians.
Wednesday, May 4
7:00pm – 8:30pm
Contemporary Calgary
Dome Theatre
Free with Registration
About the Artists
Dave Kelly
Dave Kelly is an award-winning host, writer, and interviewer who creates intelligent and deeply human moments for events and keynote conversations around the world. He is the host of Dave Kelly Live – Canada’s own talk variety show, currently in its 5th season. He has led conversations with business and political leaders across North America and beyond, from Stanford School of Business in California to Amman, Jordan and everywhere in between. Ellen DeGeneres selected Dave as the moderator and interviewer for her multi-city tour across Canada, and he also hosted a conversation with President Barack Obama in Calgary and sat down for a conversation with Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in Montreal. In 2020, Dave sat down with Ellen for another hour long conversation at the Hard Rock Casino and Resort in Miami as part of Super Bowl Weekend. Dave is the co-founder of Kelly Brothers Productions, an award-winning video and entertainment company.
Sable Sweetgrass
Sable Sweetgrass is a mother, a writer, storyteller and a member of the Kainai Nation in Southern Alberta. She was born and raised in Mohkinstsis (Calgary) and has worked in Indigenous art and culture in the city. Sable is an activist in the Indigenous community creating awareness for Indigenous transgender and transsexual issues. Sable studied English at University of Calgary and has her MFA in Creative Writing from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM. Her play AWOWAKII, a Blackfoot word meaning crossing over, is about a transgender woman and was performed at the Rubaboo Aboriginal Arts Festival in Edmonton and at Native Earth Performing Arts in Toronto. Sable’s focus is on creative writing and she is working on her first novel. She is the Community Investment Officer with Calgary Arts Development.
Adora Nwofor
Adora Nwofor aka Statuesse is your typical everyday awkward Amazon Goddess next door. She leads with grace and humor even when not intended. Comedian and host she is all around Calgary and North America making an impact on many fronts. From co-producing and styling community content with Shaw Cable, hosting events like Folkfest, Cariwest and Reggaefest, to making folx jaws drop with comedy at Nubian Disciples, your local Comedy club or Gogo Battles, she isn’t afraid to tell THE edgy story you needed. A people lover, getting a look into new communities is her newest adventure, Living a creative life on Youtube tells how people have continued to express themselves despite a pandemic. That’s not all; there’s also public speaking (at U of C, Mount Royal and Capilano university in the past year), activism (you saw 2020 but she has been on it), wardrobe styling and modeling in the YYC, all like she’s having a party. Maybe she IS the party!
About the Moderator
Jenna Rodgers
Jenna (she/her) is a mixed-race Director and Dramaturg who gratefully resides on land called Moh’kins’tsis (Calgary), on Treaty 7 Territory. She is the founding Artistic Director of Chromatic Theatre – a company dedicated to producing and developing work by and for racialized artists. Jenna is also the Dramaturg for the Playwrights Lab at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, the Board Co-Chair of LMDA, and the Artstrek Director for Theatre Alberta. She is a passionate arts equity advocate, a graduate of the NTS Artistic Leadership Residency (2020), the Banff Centre’s Cultural Leadership Program (2019), and a member of the artEquity National Facilitator Training cohort (2018). She was shortlisted for the 2021 Gina’s Prize and is a recipient of a 2018 Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Emerging Artists. She holds a MA in International Performance Research from the universities of Amsterdam and Tampere.