2025 Workshop Descriptions

Circus Fun with Aytahn Ross aka the Great Balanzo!

Be sure to join us Saturday night when the Great Balanzo will turn the everyday into an adventure with a circus & comedy show for all ages. He is the last surviving member of the Balanzo family who performed circus for over 300 years. Now there is only one Balanzo left and his shows include the best routines from throughout the centuries including big balances, amazing juggling, physical comedy, and more! Be sure to join us for a circus workshop and have some Circus Fun! Aytahn will present two workshops (ages 5-7 and ages 8-12) focusing on 4 different skills including feather balancing, plate spinning, scarf juggling and ball juggling. Aytahn has been seen live by more than one million people in 13 countries around the world, so this is a great opportunity to learn from a circus pro!

Learn Magic with Travis Bernhardt

Travis got his start as a street performer, learning to conjure a crowd from nothing and hold them until the end. He took those lessons indoors, earning the respect of some of Canada’s toughest theatre critics while selling out runs and winning awards at festivals across Canada. From thousand-seat theatres to noisy pubs, from living rooms to corporate events, Travis will win over the audience no matter the venue! Travis will be our opening act Saturday night and will close out the festival with a 45 minute show just after lunch on Sunday. With a calm, comedic personality and unfathomable magic tricks, Travis is described as engaging, fun, talented and great with children! Travis will also present two Magic Workshops (all ages) where you will be sure to learn a magic trick or two!

Friday Night Dance with Claire the Clown Dance Band and Musical Fun Time

We are delighted to welcome Claire Ness back to Augusto! Claire makes her living as a singer/songerwriter, actor, clown, vaudevillian, circus teacher, cabaret performer and puppeteer! Claire will be our Friday night dance band – rocking and jazzing it up at the St. Elias Convention Centre. Join a Musical Fun Time Workshop (ages 5-7 and ages 8-12) with Claire the Clown – music, movement, circus, dance, games, puppets – come participate in all the things that make Claire's heart sing! A couple visits to Toddler Town round out the inside performances!

Introduction to Harp with Elayne Sayney

We are very pleased to welcome Elayne back to Augusto! for this wonderful opportunity to try your hand with a harp! With just 4 students per workshop, you will learn about the instrument, its history, the strings and hopefully a short piece. This workshop will be offered 4 times - three workshops for ages 7-9 and one workshop for ages 10-12 . Also – short nails are mandatory!

Singing with Barbara Chamberlin and Ute Schäfer

Do you like to sing? Come to this harmony workshop and find out ways to not only sing the melody, but to find a first note for your harmony and what to do with it! In this workshop, we will sing simple songs that most people know and you can do either a lower harmony or upper harmony that will suit your voice. Barbara and Ute will be your guides and give you trade secrets so that you can apply them to your favourite songs or to any song that you end up singing! This workshop is for all ages.

Percussion with Gabi Leyendecker and Dagmar Jungbluth

Grab your plastic bucket, spoons and whatever else that makes sounds and come to this percussion workshop! You can bring your own favourite noise makers or select from the recycled items provided. Kids and adults alike will love it! Gabi and Dagmar will lead you through a workshop with some rhythms and a way to get the best sound out of it. It’s instructive and fun for everyone! You can take all of this home and jam on whatever is available, now that you know the basics! This workshop is for all ages.

Handpan Drum with Dagmar Jungbluth

We are very pleased to offer 2 handpan drum workshops this year with visiting German musician Dagmar Jungbluth. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn about and try your hand on a beautiful convex steel handpan drum. This relatively new instrument has a mesmerizing and ethereal sound that you are likely to remember long after the festival! This workshop is for ages 8-12.

Making Rain! with Janet Patterson

Do you love the sound of rain! Why not create your very own rain stick! You will fill your stick with everyday items to mimic the sound of rain and then the sky is the limit when it comes to decorating your rain stick! Paint, ribbons, yarn, stickers, magazine cut outs - you will leave with a soothing work of art. This workshop is for all ages - ages 5 and 6 must be accompanied by an adult.

Monster Parade with Nicole Baubauger

Create the monster you always wanted to be! Join Nicole to create a most lovable monster from recycled cardboard. Draw, paint, add streamers and other embellishments, mount on a bamboo pole and you are ready to go. Better still, be sure to join the Monster Parade during the lunch break to show off your new friend! This workshop is for all ages - ages 5 and 6 must be accompanied by an adult.

Miniature Mushrooms with Lara Melnik

Lara needs no introduction – back by popular demand, with workshops that are always the first to sell out! If you have a passion for making little things, you will love this workshop. Lara will share her zest for life and her experience creating with polymar clay to inspire your imagination and bring out the playful artist within you. Be prepared to pinch, roll, poke and sculpt in miniature – this workshop is for all ages!

Needle Felted Cards with Shiela Alexandrovich

Create a soft piece of fibre art with Shiela! Warm fuzzy fun with 95% recovered wool, thrift store materials for the background and wool from Shiela's very own sheep! You will needle felt on a 4”x6” background and then mount your masterpiece on a quality card with envelope. It can be mailed off to a grandparent or taken home as is to be framed! There will be one workshop for ages 5-7 and one for ages 8-12.

Forest Scientists – The Sequel with Nicole Humeniuk

If you enjoyed Forest Scientists last year, you will love this sequel! Join Nicole for cyanotype sun art! One part science experiment and one part art project will transform to a beautiful cyan-blue piece of art. Once again – art and science can be the best of friends! This workshop is for all ages - ages 5 and 6 must be accompanied by an adult.

Paint Like You Are Beading with Rhoda Merkel

Join Rhoda and learn First Nations ways of doing and knowing by painting beadwork. You will compare beadwork patterns, see a beading demonstration, and design your very own beadwork pattern to paint! Paint on a variety of options just like you were beading. And no beads necessary! This workshop is for all ages - ages 5 and 6 must be accompanied by an adult.

Botanical Bath Bombs with Raven Padmos

Join Raven and learn how to make bath bombs with wild flowers from the boreal forest and garden. The bath bombs are made with sodium bicarbonate, citric acid and natural essential oils. Have fun customizing your bath bombs with different flowers and essential oils and end up with another great take away from the festival! One workshop is for ages 5-7 and one for ages 8-12 - ages 5 and 6 must be accompanied by an adult.

Feather Hair Extension Clips with Christa Egli

Create a fancy hair extension with your choice of plumage! Christa will guide young creators through the process of assembling their own original, wearable art piece. This project requires some fine motor skills and is for ages 7 – 12 only!

Robo Rescue Mission with Robotics North

Rescue mini-figs, avoid the lava pools, save the day using LEGO Spike Essential Robots! This workshop is for ages 5-7 only.

Catapult Kingdom: Build. Launch. Conquer. With Robotics North

Build a robot to breach castle walls (knock over cup towers)! Kids will experiment with speed and aim using LEGO Spike Essential Robots. This workshop is for ages 5-7 only.

Medieval Times: Catapults, Jousting and Bob to Bot Combat with Robotics North

Defend your kingdom by creating attachments and coding LEGO Spike Prime Robots. Experiment with speed, accuracy and line following sensors. This workshop is for ages 8-12 only.