INCIRQUE

Kyle Sipkens    

For more than 20 years, Kyle’s worked as an award-winning professional street performer, curator, actor, circus artist, and entrepreneur. He’s founder/owner of INCIRQUE, a sole proprietorship focused on entertainment in the Festivals & Events industry.
 

Kyle holds a BFA (Honours) in Acting from the University of Windsor and was one of the first OUT 2SLGTBQIA+ Buskers on North America’s busker festival circuit!

He’s been performing internationally for more than 20 years walking on stilts, juggling knives, breathing fire, and standing on nails … and he's making a BIG impact! He performs his solo show Lucky Barber Show - a SHARP juggling show - at festivals, events, and busking as one of Toronto's regular street performers in locations such as Harbourfront Centre and Sankofa Square (formerly Yonge-Dundas Square). 

Kyle has served as Busker Curator for a number of festivals & programs including Bala Cranberry Festival, Pride Toronto, Royal Botanical Gardens (Enchanted Garden, Great Pumpkin Trail, Winter Wonders), Harbourfront Centre, and City of Toronto (including the Ferry Terminal/Centre Island Busker program) to name a few. Kyle is also co-curator of Harbourfront Centre's Busker program, co-curated the first in-person Busker Hall of Fame exhibition, and was Artistic Director of Walkerville Buskerfest (2017).

Kyle’s earned numerous awards including two Tourism Resiliency Awards by the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO) and a total of TEN Service Excellence Awards from Festivals & Events Ontario (FEO). His company INCIRQUE has won FEO Service Excellence Awards five years in a row in best Entertainment Performers, Entertainment Agency, Children's Entertainment, and the FEO Impact Award. Kyle was also nominated for a Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Award from the University of Windsor.

Through his business, Kyle strives not only to supply world class performances but also to advocate for change through how he does business, creating opportunities for performers historically marginalized in our industry including those performers who belong to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and those living with disabilities (including Mental Health). 

Kyle has also been a steadfast advocate for Busker rights and preserving rapidly disappearing busking spaces in Toronto. Through this advocacy and awareness, Busking has returned to a number of Toronto spaces including Toronto's Harbourfront Centre program (co-curated by Kyle), Toronto's Historic Distillery District (Kyle consulted on), and Toronto's Ferry Terminal & Centre Island Busker program (curated by Kyle). He also continues to advocate for Ontario's festivals & events industry. 

Through the pandemic, Kyle rose to meet the evolving needs of the festival industry with innovative solutions like Stilt “Physical Distancing Officers”, turning his living room into a virtual studio, and creating free online #JugglingMentalHealth video tutorials teaching juggling & mental health skills together! "Juggling Mental Health" has grown to a keynote presentation which has been presented at the Festivals & Events Ontario (FEO) Conference and the North American Drama Therapy Association (NADTA) Conference.

Kyle is currently the President of the Board for Festivals & Events Ontario (FEO). In addition to performing at festivals & events internationally, Kyle also actively works in Ontario’s film & television industry; both in front of the camera & behind the scenes. He's a full ACTRA member and has appeared on national TV shows like CBC’s Dragons Den & The Goods as well as a number of scripted film and TV productions.  He's also worked with Toronto’s top experiential marketing companies.