This event is our Open Mic and Art sharing night, happening on the first Friday of each month. Bring instruments, paints, poetry, your voice, an open mind etc.

 First Fridays is completely FREE.
Doors open at 7:30. All creativity welcome!
We have a large tv if you would like to screen something.

“Just the same way cells make up the living organism of your body, a community is made up of people, and these people make up the living organism of the community. The way communities used to express themselves was through song, dance, drama, primal language- not to tell her story or his story, but our story. We [now] live in a very commodified world, and so we buy music, we buy dance, we buy paintings, we buy drama. We pay strangers to tell us stories about strangers, yet when do we get together as living communities to use this primal language to tell our stories?

- David Diamond, speaking at the Banff Centre for the Arts on Art and Leadership

            First Fridays is a forum for Penticton to get together as a “living community”. Our goals with first Fridays are twofold. Firstly, we hope to creative a public forum for artists, musicians, and performers. Secondly, First Fridays strives to be a place where the arts are celebrated and shared outside of the realm of commercialism. This makes it accessible to everyone, regardless of their financial situation. This event is for all ages,  creating an atmosphere where younger artists can interact and learn from older, more established artists and vice versa. First Fridays is a place where people come to meet other artists. It acts as a community living room – a place for new artists in the community to meet like-minded people in a supportive environment. 
            If you have never come to First Fridays before, you can expect a spontaneous lineup of artists and musical acts. Most people who attend this event are there to play music, read poetry, tell a story, or share some visual art. We have had people screen new media pieces they have made.  Often people set up their paints or drawing materials on one of the tables provided, if they are not performers. With this event, we hope to engage all who attend in the creative process.