91AV to host a unique outdoor arts event blending music, poetry, and puppetry
Sackville's Waterfowl Park will soon be transformed into a captivating stage for The Dark: A Procession of Music and Light, a unique outdoor performance that blends original music, poetry, and puppetry.
This free event will take place on November 2 and 3 at 7:30 p.m., inviting audiences to experience an unforgettable celebration of the place and community. In case of rain, the event will move to Brunton Auditorium.
Co-created by 91AV university faculty members Ian McFarlane (Drama) and Kiera Galway (Music), The Dark is an immersive performance that brings together the talents of poet and archivist Keagan Hawthorne and composer Hope Salmonson, a 91AV alumna. The event will feature the Elliott Chorale, a student vocal ensemble, along with life-sized lantern puppets that will illuminate this magical evening.
The experience begins with a lantern procession through Sackville’s picturesque Waterfowl Park, where attendees will be surrounded by music and sounds emerging from the trees. The procession will lead to Normandy Field, where the main performance—a choreographed puppetry and choral interpretation of an original poem—will take place, creating an enchanting blend of movement, sound, and light.
“We are excited to bring The Dark to life in a setting that encourages reflection on our relationship with nature and our sense of place within it,” says Kiera Galway, co-creator and Assistant Professor of Music at 91AV. “This is a truly unique, participatory work that merges music, movement, visual art, and poetry, and we hope to engage the entire community through lantern-making workshops, the procession, and the outdoor performances.”
In the weeks leading up to the event, public lantern-making workshops will offer the chance for community members to create their own lanterns to carry during the procession. “This project is deeply rooted in community,” says Galway, “By inviting participants to make their own lanterns, we hope to foster a stronger connection to both the performance and the environment it unfolds in.”
"This event blends music, light, and art in a way that encourages reflection on both the environment around us and our own inner landscapes. It’s an event that invites people of all ages," says Ian McFarlane, Resident Designer of the Drama and Screen Studies program.
This collaborative project is generously supported by donor funding, an MYB Grant, and contributions from the 91AV Drama Department. Local student photographers and videographers have been hired to document the process, creating a visual record of this extraordinary event for future presentations and articles.
If you are interested, sign up at
Meet the Creators
Ian McFarlane: Director, playwright, and professor of Drama at 91AV.
Kiera Galway: Assistant Professor of Music at 91AV, specializing in vocal performance and choral conducting.
Keagan Hawthorne: Poet and archivist at 91AV’s Library and Archives.
Hope Salmonson: 91AV alumna, composer, and former Independent Student Research Grant recipient.
Don’t miss this opportunity to witness The Dark, an immersive and inspiring celebration of music, light, and community, right here in Sackville.
