October 2025 Community Update
Navigating Change, Together
We want to let you know what is happening behind the scenes, and how we plan to move forward together.
The Heart of Our Community
Kindle Arts exists because of you — the volunteers who transform empty fields into Otherworld. From DPW and Gate to Placement, Harm Reduction, Ice, Rangers, Art Grants, and many more, each department brings its own kind of magic.
This year tested all of our endurance, yet it also revealed our strength. Even under immense pressure, people showed up with care, humour, and creativity. That is something we can all be proud of.
As we look back on 2025, our focus is on supporting this incredible volunteer base through continuing to build stronger systems, improved communications, and sustainable workloads.
When we take care of one another, our art and our events become even stronger.
Otherworld 2026: Updates from the Venue
Big things are in motion for next year’s event!
It’s official, Otherworld 2026 will take place from Thursday, June 4 to Monday, June 8, 2026, at Laketown Ranch!
In preparation for Otherworld 2026, the site is changing to support our community and improve accessibility across the property. Planned upgrades include:
- Expanded tent camping areas to better accommodate participants.
- More treeline camping to provide shade for those who want it.
- Dedicated RV sites with improved access and spacing.
- More toilets throughout the grounds.
- More shower facilities throughout the grounds.
Additionally, we expect the riparian Frog Bog nature reserve area to be fully defined at the event, making for a more predictable layout and good company with our little frog friends.
Otherworld 2025: Closing a Chapter
Otherworld 2025 was a year of extraordinary creativity and effort. Our teams brought the event to life, faced new logistical challenges, and new regulatory requirements.
As we close this chapter, we are finalizing our Post-Event Reports to ensure that every lesson and success is carried forward into next year. Transparency and continuity are essential to continuing to create and evolve.
Governance and the Road Ahead
Otherworld is currently the largest Canadian Regional, welcoming more than 3,200 participants and 2,800 volunteers, with an annual budget exceeding half a million dollars. However, our governance systems have not grown to match at the same pace.
To strengthen our foundation, we are beginning a governance modernization project that will bring greater stability and structure to our operations and ease to our volunteer teams. This includes implementing a new board management platform to organize records, meeting minutes, and decisions in one place. The goal is to make transitions smoother, ensure accountability, and build continuity for future leaders.
This is not about adding bureaucracy. It is about protecting the community we have built and ensuring that Kindle Arts remains sustainable.
Building a Clearer Path Forward
Alongside our governance work, we are developing a 2025–2026 Roadmap that outlines how we will wrap up this year and prepare for the next. The plan includes:
- Completing department post-event reports and data summaries
- Publishing a transparent operational timeline for 2026
- Updating membership and volunteer processes
- Rebuilding institutional memory so that future leaders inherit clarity
Trust grows from consistent action, not promises. Our focus now is to document, communicate, and keep moving forward together.
Looking Forward
Kindle Arts has always grown through change. The challenges we face today are an opportunity to evolve with intention, strengthen our systems, renew our culture of trust, and keep art and creative expression at the heart of everything we do.
If you have ever wanted to get involved, this is the time. Join a department, attend a meeting, lend your skills, or share words of encouragement. Every small contribution helps shape the future of this community.
Together, we can make the next chapter brighter. It will not always be easy, but it will always be worth it.
With gratitude, resolve, and hope,
The Kindle Arts Society Board of Directors