Our Story

Tempest Theatre began in 2018 as an experiment in what live performance could be. But what started as a small studio project quickly grew into a home for artists exploring the edges of theatre practice in the South Okanagan. Through new work, training, and collaboration, Tempest has built a community of makers and audiences who share a love of live connection. The company’s dynamic work continues to evolve, always searching for truth, craft, and that special spark that comes from being close to something real.

Mission & Philosophy

Art is how we make sense of ourselves. Long before language or commerce, humans painted, sang, danced, told stories. The arts are not an accessory to culture; they are culture, our emotional and imaginative record of being alive. They remind us that we are capable of empathy, invention, and awe. To create and to witness creation is to participate in the oldest and most human act we know.

At Tempest Theatre we build from that truth. We believe the arts are essential: to individual health, to social cohesion, and to the economy itself. Every modern act of human engagement carries an act of art: in design, architecture, storytelling, and the way we give shape to value. The arts are the emotional and visual language through which meaning is translated into desire. They are not separate from daily life but the connective tissue of it.

So theatre becomes an expression and exploration of our very selves. Our work at Tempest is driven by curiosity and by the belief that art should engage the senses and the mind at once. Whether through theatre, film, or any other form of storytelling, we seek experiences that entertain, thrill, inspire, and connect, experiences that feel alive and relevant to the moment we’re living in.

We don’t see hard lines between artistic disciplines. Good theatre borrows from cinema; good film borrows from stagecraft; both depend on rhythm, tension, and truth. Every project, every performance, is an exploration of how story, sound, movement, and image can meet to create meaning.

We pursue work that is thrilling, intelligent, and human. Work that reminds us that art is not a luxury, but a way of seeing and a way of living.

Partners

Partnership at Tempest Theatre is built on shared ambition.  We work with individuals, businesses, and organizations that recognize the arts as an essential part of a thriving community, something that fuels identity, imagination, and economic life all at once.  Our partners are not patrons on the sidelines; they are collaborators in the creation of moments that bring people together and give a city its pulse. Whether through the contribution of venues, wine, hospitality, materials, or financial resources, each partner helps transform ideas into encounters that feel alive, relevant, and memorable.

The benefit is mutual and tangible.  Partners reach engaged audiences who already care about culture, quality, and community.  They gain visibility through association with work that stands for creativity, excellence, and authenticity.  More importantly, they help shape the cultural identity of the South Okanagan, demonstrating that investment in the arts is an investment in the region’s vitality.Partnerships with Tempest are founded on respect, clarity, and imagination.  We collaborate with people and organizations who share our values and who understand that when art flourishes, everything around it becomes more vivid.  Together we build experiences that resonate far beyond the performance itself, leaving a lasting impression of what community, creativity, and shared purpose can achieve.