Otafest

Otafest has grown into a 100% volunteer-run organization that promotes and celebrates the diversity of art that originated in Japan, particularly anime and the many creative mediums and outlets stemming from it — such as illustration, cosplay, voice acting, dance, and many others. Stephanie Mok, creative director, shares how the festival has expanded over the last couple of decades: “We are a community and gathering place for the once-niche, now mainstream fandom of Japanese creative arts in the city of Calgary and beyond. Aside from the main 3-day festival in May each year, we also organize small community events year-round in partnership with other nonprofits and small businesses in Calgary.

“As part of our 25th anniversary celebration, we held the Silver Stars Masquerade Ball — featuring rolling slideshows that highlighted photos of our community for the last 25 years, live music performed by Albertan artists Windrise, ballroom dance instruction and more. We provided long-service awards to two of our volunteers who have been with us for a long tenure. We even had a proposal during our closing ceremonies event!”

Stephanie explains, “As a small organization that has no paid staff, Otafest has not received many forms of funding outside of our tickets and earned revenues. Having a stable and progressive-minded funder like Calgary Arts Development (CADA) see what we do for the artists in this community means so much to us. We have always felt like the scrappy little organization that has thrived by grit and determination alone. Being legitimized by such a rigorous funder really boosts our professionalism and enables us to continue to deliver experiences for the artists and audiences we serve. We are thrilled to focus on amplifying artists without needing to compromise our values of accessibility and affordability.”

“Otafest is a place where everyone belongs. The festival has long been a place for the LGBTQ+ community, the neurodiverse community, and many other traditionally marginalized groups to come together in a safe and welcoming space, to celebrate a shared appreciation for the wide range of creative arts represented in the anime/Japanese ecosystem. Receiving this funding affirms that what we do matters, and that an organization with the will to be inclusive can and should lean into those priorities.”

The operational grant received from CADA helps the festival expand their audience reach and share art with more Calgarians. “Over 10,000 people each year engage with the programming we offer and we hope to expand this audience in the coming years. Otafest’s  vision is to bring community together around the arts;  in particular, Japanese creative communities.” Stephanie believes, “having a place, especially one that amplifies the contributions of the Asian community in the arts and culture sector in Calgary has contributed to a huge shift in what an arts audience looks like in our city. We thank CADA for being an industry leader in representation and diversity in the creative and funding space.”