The first of Awesome Ottawa's two January awards goes to Dani Alon, Chris Hannay, and Val Perelshtein to support the 2017 Ottawa Improv Festival.

“The 2017 Ottawa Improv Festival,” explains Dani, “will be a four-day-long celebration of improvised comedy, an art form that’s all about positivity and teamwork.” The first night of the festival, Wednesday, March 8, falls on International Women’s Day and will showcase exclusively female talent. The other days will feature a lineup of local and visiting talent.

“Improv is awesome,” says Dani, “because it's a gateway to more and better ideas, confidence in public, and being part of a hilarious and supportive community. Our festival will give those curious about improv a chance to be exposed to as many different facets as possible — from slapstick and silly to dramatic and theatrical.” The festival will also offer workshops taught by visiting performers, giving locals a chance to learn fresh new skills.

Dani, Chris, and Val are the three directors of The Improv Embassy, a registered non-profit that opened in September and whose mission is to create more comedy in our capital city.