In-person Arts & Culture

Mass for Shut-Outs

Sunday, July 12, 2026
5:30pm to 6:50pm

Part of: Found Festival

Robertson-Wesley United Church

theatre festivals

Ages 14+

More Information Register/Tickets

Organized by: Common Ground Arts Society

July
12

Mass for Shut-Outs is a multidisciplinary performance that plays with the shape of a Catholic mass to ask new questions, challenge old stories, and dismantle the gatekeepers’ fortress. Written and performed by Tanya Davis, with musical support from Carlie Howell, Mass for Shut-Outs is a rousing and poetic take on Sunday service, with orature, music, and opportunities for play and communion.

It features verse dressed as prayer, monologue mimicking homily, joyful singalong, and sombre reflection. It is designed for those of us on the spiritual fringes, who also seek meaning and connection, even while being historically shut out of—or disinterested in—traditional communities of faith, their liturgy, and their institutions.

Mass for Shut-Outs is a shout out to anyone grappling with the complexity of faith, the inconsistency of awe, and the politics of organized religion. It is for atheists seeking connection, agnostics asking questions, and believers kindly curious about other people’s gods.

Robertson-Wesley United Church

10209 123 Street NW
Edmonton, AB, T5N 1N3