November 17th, 2025
Vancouver, BC — The Indian Summer Festival (ISF) is delighted to announce the appointment of Am Johal as its new Executive Artistic Director, joining Executive Managing Director Laura June Albert in a shared co-leadership model that marks an exciting new chapter for the organization.
A respected cultural leader, writer, and community builder, Am Johal brings decades of experience at the intersection of arts, ideas, and social change. He is widely recognized for his leadership as Director of SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement and as the founder and host of the Below the Radar podcast, as well as for his long-standing commitment to fostering dialogue and creativity across diverse communities. He has published four books with collaborators. Johal served as Curator-in-Residence for the 2025 Indian Summer Festival that had as its theme, ‘Borderless Solidarities.’
“I’m thrilled to be carrying on with the Indian Summer Festival — a space that has continually redefined what a festival for South Asian arts can be,” said Johal. “The festival’s spirit of curiosity, equity, and artistic excellence resonates deeply with me. I look forward to working with Laura June and the ISF team and building on the incredible work and legacy of founders Sirish Rao and Laura Byspalko.”
In his new role, Johal will guide the festival’s artistic vision and curatorial direction, working closely with Laura June Albert, who continues to lead the organization’s management, operations, partnerships, and strategic growth.
“Am’s appointment marks a wonderful evolution for the Indian Summer Festival,” said Albert. “His deep roots in Vancouver’s cultural landscape and his ability to connect ideas, people, and art will help us grow ISF’s impact locally and internationally. I’m excited to collaborate with him in this new co-leadership model after an incredible 2025 Festival where he was curator-in-residence.”
Founded in 2011, Indian Summer Festival is one of Canada’s leading multidisciplinary arts festivals, presenting acclaimed programming across music, ideas, literature, visual arts, and culinary innovation. Its mandate is to offer provocative and inspiring experiences that connect South Asian and diasporic artists with the world and foster a platform of artistic excellence and community building.
As the festival prepares for its upcoming 16th season, the Indian Summer Festival will continue to present leading South Asian and diasporic artists, initiate provocative intercultural dialogue, and will highlight accessibility and inclusion as part of the richness of the Metro Vancouver cultural ecology.
