PAST ARTISTS
“All of us come together here, it feels like this is a place that connects all of us to become more of a community”
– Arash Khakpour
2017 ARTISTS
Mia Amir
Resilient Roots Artist
For nearly two decades, mia has worked at the intersection of creative and community practice as an educator, dramaturg, cultural organizer, curator, publishing writer, and performance artist creating immersive interdisciplinary works. Born in Israel/Occupied Palestine, mia is a queer Jew of mixed Ashkenazi and Sephardic descent, who is disabled by chronic illness. She has lived most of her life on the unceded and occupied territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and Tsleil-Waututh. mia is the Creative Director of The Story We Be, and the Associate Dramaturg at PTC. She teaches Creative Writing at UBC in Continuing Studies. In her creative work, mia explores the way sociopolitical events are manifest intergenerationally in the spaces of the home and the body; the narrative hauntings that emerge when our stories go untold. mia has performed her work across so-called Canada and the US. Her writing has appeared on SpiderWebShow, Lemon Hound and Digging Through the Fat.
For nearly two decades, mia has worked at the intersection of creative and community practice as an educator, dramaturg, cultural organizer, curator, publishing writer, and performance artist creating immersive interdisciplinary works. Born in Israel/Occupied Palestine, mia is a queer Jew of mixed Ashkenazi and Sephardic descent, who is disabled by chronic illness. She has lived most of her life on the unceded and occupied territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and Tsleil-Waututh. mia is the Creative Director of The Story We Be, and the Associate Dramaturg at PTC. She teaches Creative Writing at UBC in Continuing Studies. In her creative work, mia explores the way sociopolitical events are manifest intergenerationally in the spaces of the home and the body; the narrative hauntings that emerge when our stories go untold. mia has performed her work across so-called Canada and the US. Her writing has appeared on SpiderWebShow, Lemon Hound and Digging Through the Fat.
Davey Calderon
Performance Artist
Davey is an emerging actor, director and devising artist. Filipino Canadian-American born in Oakland, California and grew up in Newfoundland. He has his BFA in Theatre Performance and Communication (Simon Fraser University): studied with various artists such as Penelope Stella, Steven Hill, DD Kugler, Stephen Atkins, Raina von Waldernburg and Iris Lau. Recent performances include: Finders Keepers (Theatre in the RAW), Pipef@%! (Vancouver Fringe 2015), The Cold War (SFU Mainstage) and Two Birds on a Wire (Psyche Theatre). Recent directing credits include: KIND (Child): A Staged Reading (New(to)Town Collective) and Donut Holes in Orbit (Directing Projects 2013 & New(to)Town Collective).
Davey is an emerging actor, director and devising artist. Filipino Canadian-American born in Oakland, California and grew up in Newfoundland. He has his BFA in Theatre Performance and Communication (Simon Fraser University): studied with various artists such as Penelope Stella, Steven Hill, DD Kugler, Stephen Atkins, Raina von Waldernburg and Iris Lau. Recent performances include: Finders Keepers (Theatre in the RAW), Pipef@%! (Vancouver Fringe 2015), The Cold War (SFU Mainstage) and Two Birds on a Wire (Psyche Theatre). Recent directing credits include: KIND (Child): A Staged Reading (New(to)Town Collective) and Donut Holes in Orbit (Directing Projects 2013 & New(to)Town Collective).
EartHand Gleaners
Gardener
Founded under 5 years ago, EartHand Gleaners Society’s specialty is connecting makers with materials that come directly from the land around them; we model ‘How to be a Producer without first being a Consumer’. By working with the plants around us using ancestral skills common to all cultures, we inspire participants to discover cultural connections, learn new skills, and discover novel sources of raw materials for creative practices, including garden waste, invasive plants, and textile waste. Respect is the core of EartHand’s practice. Our environmental art projects spring from collaborative research, skill development and skill sharing among community members and professionals in the fields of education, sciences and the arts. We aim to strengthen intercultural connections and relationships to place, and find meaningful ways to acknowledge our Host Nations. Our regular partners include Vancouver Park Board, local schools, environmental stewardship non-profits, and our community arts organization peers.
Founded under 5 years ago, EartHand Gleaners Society’s specialty is connecting makers with materials that come directly from the land around them; we model ‘How to be a Producer without first being a Consumer’. By working with the plants around us using ancestral skills common to all cultures, we inspire participants to discover cultural connections, learn new skills, and discover novel sources of raw materials for creative practices, including garden waste, invasive plants, and textile waste. Respect is the core of EartHand’s practice. Our environmental art projects spring from collaborative research, skill development and skill sharing among community members and professionals in the fields of education, sciences and the arts. We aim to strengthen intercultural connections and relationships to place, and find meaningful ways to acknowledge our Host Nations. Our regular partners include Vancouver Park Board, local schools, environmental stewardship non-profits, and our community arts organization peers.
Maddi Grier
Resilient Roots Artist
Maddi Grier is a visitor to the Coast Salish lands from the Blackfoot Confederacy, Piikani Nation. As an Undergraduate student at Simon Fraser University she is studying Gender Studies and Communications working towards freelance journalism. She is very active in advocating for Indigenous Voices. She holds close to her heart issues such as Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Two Spirited Indigenous People, and Indigenous Womenism. She is co-creator and publisher of a Zine called I AM Indigenous Alternative Media, to raise awareness to these issues since they are hardly recognized. She also has set goals of creating documentaries in the future that are directed towards these issues as well as other issues that intersect with the BIPOC communities.
Maddi Grier is a visitor to the Coast Salish lands from the Blackfoot Confederacy, Piikani Nation. As an Undergraduate student at Simon Fraser University she is studying Gender Studies and Communications working towards freelance journalism. She is very active in advocating for Indigenous Voices. She holds close to her heart issues such as Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Two Spirited Indigenous People, and Indigenous Womenism. She is co-creator and publisher of a Zine called I AM Indigenous Alternative Media, to raise awareness to these issues since they are hardly recognized. She also has set goals of creating documentaries in the future that are directed towards these issues as well as other issues that intersect with the BIPOC communities.
Claris Figueira
Resilient Roots Artist
Claris is a 24 year old poet and organizer who grew up on the unceded and unserrendered territories of Coast Salish peoples / Vancouver, BC. She centres her work and around climate justice, which she sees as a hub for intergenerational and social justice work, and in November 2016 she joined the Canadian Youth Delegation to COP22. She believes that the intersection between art and political activism is immensely powerful, and is honoured to be a part of Vines festival for a second year.
Claris is a 24 year old poet and organizer who grew up on the unceded and unserrendered territories of Coast Salish peoples / Vancouver, BC. She centres her work and around climate justice, which she sees as a hub for intergenerational and social justice work, and in November 2016 she joined the Canadian Youth Delegation to COP22. She believes that the intersection between art and political activism is immensely powerful, and is honoured to be a part of Vines festival for a second year.
June Fukumura
Performance Artist
June Fukumura is Japanese-Canadian born and raised in Vancouver. She has a BFA in Theatre Performance and a Certificate in Sustainable Community Development from Simon Fraser University. Her artistic practice includes: Grotowski inspired physical theatre, clown, dance, devised theatre, writing, producing, and directing. She has studied with Penelope Stella, Steven Hill, DD Kugler, Raina von Waldenburg, Cole Lewis, David MacMurray Smith among others. In addition to her role as a Co-Founder of New(to)Town Collective, June is also the Co-Artistic Director of Popcorn Galaxies, she devised, directed, and produced six independent productions. She is the Associate Producer Intern at Theatre Replacement.
June Fukumura is Japanese-Canadian born and raised in Vancouver. She has a BFA in Theatre Performance and a Certificate in Sustainable Community Development from Simon Fraser University. Her artistic practice includes: Grotowski inspired physical theatre, clown, dance, devised theatre, writing, producing, and directing. She has studied with Penelope Stella, Steven Hill, DD Kugler, Raina von Waldenburg, Cole Lewis, David MacMurray Smith among others. In addition to her role as a Co-Founder of New(to)Town Collective, June is also the Co-Artistic Director of Popcorn Galaxies, she devised, directed, and produced six independent productions. She is the Associate Producer Intern at Theatre Replacement.
Zion Fyah
Musician
www.zionfyah.com
World/reggae music with a conscious message. Zion Fyah is a local favourite with extensive live performances internationally. Please see web site for more details.
www.zionfyah.com
World/reggae music with a conscious message. Zion Fyah is a local favourite with extensive live performances internationally. Please see web site for more details.
Marisa Gold
Dance Artist
Marisa is a professional dancer, choreographer and instructor with a passion for all things soulful. Her movement vocabulary draws from a variety of styes based mostly in modern, ballet, contemporary, afro-contemporary and hip hop techniques. Since earning a BFA in dance from Simon Fraser University’s contemporary dance program, she continues to grow as a performer, choreographer, and collaborator through her work with Mayce collective. Most recently, Marisa completed a year of modern dance training at The Ailey School in New York city.
Marisa is a professional dancer, choreographer and instructor with a passion for all things soulful. Her movement vocabulary draws from a variety of styes based mostly in modern, ballet, contemporary, afro-contemporary and hip hop techniques. Since earning a BFA in dance from Simon Fraser University’s contemporary dance program, she continues to grow as a performer, choreographer, and collaborator through her work with Mayce collective. Most recently, Marisa completed a year of modern dance training at The Ailey School in New York city.
David Gowman
Woodcarving
Mr. Fire-Man is the shopkeeper/instrumentmaker at Oncle Hoonki’s Fabulous Hornshop in Strathcona. He is also the lead singer of the Legion of Flying Monkeys Horn Orchestra and a Vancouver fine arts practitioner since 1995. Currently, he divides his time between facilitating wood carving classes and mounting musical events in (mostly) East Vancouver.
Mr. Fire-Man is the shopkeeper/instrumentmaker at Oncle Hoonki’s Fabulous Hornshop in Strathcona. He is also the lead singer of the Legion of Flying Monkeys Horn Orchestra and a Vancouver fine arts practitioner since 1995. Currently, he divides his time between facilitating wood carving classes and mounting musical events in (mostly) East Vancouver.
Caitlin Griffin
Dance Artist
Over the past decade, Caitlin has performed in ballet and contemporary productions across Canada and in China, Thailand, and Israel. She has worked on stage with companies including Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, MOVE: the company, Sony Pictures‘ Center Stage: Turn it Up, and the 2010 Olympic Opening Ceremonies. Presentations of Caitlin’s work have included multiple installments of at Dances for a Small Stage, 12 Minutes Max, The ROMP! Festival, The City of Vancouver’s Biennale Open Air Museum, The City of Coquitlam‘s 125th Anniversary Celebration and for the BC Children’s Hospital A Night of Miracles Gala. Acting as ballet choreographer for Team Canada West in 2014, Caitlin’s choreography won 4 gold medals at the international competition in Poland. Caitlin is also a sought after adjudicator and guest teacher for youth and is passionate about community engagement through the arts. Caitlin is an active member of The Margie Gillis Dance Foundation Legacy Project, in which she continues to study and perform under the Canadian Dance icon. “Loon” was originally choreographed and performed by Margie Gillis and it is through the Legacy Project that it can appear today. You can find out more at www.caitlingriffin.com.
Over the past decade, Caitlin has performed in ballet and contemporary productions across Canada and in China, Thailand, and Israel. She has worked on stage with companies including Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, MOVE: the company, Sony Pictures‘ Center Stage: Turn it Up, and the 2010 Olympic Opening Ceremonies. Presentations of Caitlin’s work have included multiple installments of at Dances for a Small Stage, 12 Minutes Max, The ROMP! Festival, The City of Vancouver’s Biennale Open Air Museum, The City of Coquitlam‘s 125th Anniversary Celebration and for the BC Children’s Hospital A Night of Miracles Gala. Acting as ballet choreographer for Team Canada West in 2014, Caitlin’s choreography won 4 gold medals at the international competition in Poland. Caitlin is also a sought after adjudicator and guest teacher for youth and is passionate about community engagement through the arts. Caitlin is an active member of The Margie Gillis Dance Foundation Legacy Project, in which she continues to study and perform under the Canadian Dance icon. “Loon” was originally choreographed and performed by Margie Gillis and it is through the Legacy Project that it can appear today. You can find out more at www.caitlingriffin.com.
Vanessa Grondin
Resilient Roots Artist
Vanessa Grondin is a visual performing artist who interweaves dynamic processes of movement, spatial intervention, and the breakdown of language as a form of embodiment. As a soft spoken woman, I am often led towards actively grounding strength in vulnerability through body motion and vocalization. I am interested in how performative, linguistic, and collaborative processes can become documented and re-activated through zines and printed ephemera. With a mindfulness for decolonial ways of being, I often work alternatively with existing structures and conditions to make way for seeing beyond imposed visibilities. I seek to let processes flow for shape-shifting ways of interconnecting by looking towards Indigenous practices of sovereignty and navigating intercultural relations. Coming from a mixed ancestry of Asian-European roots with gaps in between, I carry much gratitude for continuing to grow and learn as a guest on unceded ancestral lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples.
Vanessa Grondin is a visual performing artist who interweaves dynamic processes of movement, spatial intervention, and the breakdown of language as a form of embodiment. As a soft spoken woman, I am often led towards actively grounding strength in vulnerability through body motion and vocalization. I am interested in how performative, linguistic, and collaborative processes can become documented and re-activated through zines and printed ephemera. With a mindfulness for decolonial ways of being, I often work alternatively with existing structures and conditions to make way for seeing beyond imposed visibilities. I seek to let processes flow for shape-shifting ways of interconnecting by looking towards Indigenous practices of sovereignty and navigating intercultural relations. Coming from a mixed ancestry of Asian-European roots with gaps in between, I carry much gratitude for continuing to grow and learn as a guest on unceded ancestral lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples.
Elissa Hanson
Resilient Roots Artist
Elissa Hanson is a performing artist and multidisciplinary collaborator who gratefully resides on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. She investigates somatic, theatrical and political gestures. Elissa has performed and collaborated with Kinesis Somatheatro, Justine A.Chambers, EDAM Dance, Fight With a Stick, Mascall Dance, The Biting School, been a guest performer with battery opera, Company 605, and Pressed Paradise, as well as toured nationally and internationally with Out Innerspace Dance Theatre, Deanna Peters, and MOVE: the company. She has worked as a rehearsal director, teacher, moderator, outside/inside eye, assisted Jennifer Mascall in Experiential Anatomy workshops, and joined Josh Beamish as a mentor in his Choreographic Mentorship Program for talented youth from Western Canada. Her training and performing has taken her to France, Germany, Israel, Spain, and Thailand. Elissa’s independent work comprises several solo dances, installation, and video works, and expanding her teaching practice in TRE technique by Dr. David Berceli, specializing in releasing body trauma.
Elissa Hanson is a performing artist and multidisciplinary collaborator who gratefully resides on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. She investigates somatic, theatrical and political gestures. Elissa has performed and collaborated with Kinesis Somatheatro, Justine A.Chambers, EDAM Dance, Fight With a Stick, Mascall Dance, The Biting School, been a guest performer with battery opera, Company 605, and Pressed Paradise, as well as toured nationally and internationally with Out Innerspace Dance Theatre, Deanna Peters, and MOVE: the company. She has worked as a rehearsal director, teacher, moderator, outside/inside eye, assisted Jennifer Mascall in Experiential Anatomy workshops, and joined Josh Beamish as a mentor in his Choreographic Mentorship Program for talented youth from Western Canada. Her training and performing has taken her to France, Germany, Israel, Spain, and Thailand. Elissa’s independent work comprises several solo dances, installation, and video works, and expanding her teaching practice in TRE technique by Dr. David Berceli, specializing in releasing body trauma.
Kwiigay iiwaans
Resilient Roots Artist
Kwiigay iiwaans is a queer Indigenous tenderboy and existential robot prince.
Kwiigay iiwaans is a queer Indigenous tenderboy and existential robot prince.
Valeen Jules
Resilient Roots Artist
Valeen Jules, also known as Kā’ ānni, is a determined young Indigenous warrior from the Nuu-chah-nulth and Kwakwaka’wakw Nations. A former foster kid, homeless youth and 1st-yr college dropout, she is now known as a political organizer, motivational speaker, youth outreach worker, spoken word artist, black snake killer and ”overeducated extremist” across Turtle Island. She released her first chapbook ʔiiḥmisic in July 2016 which has been used in the curriculum of a Humanities course at Emily Carr University. Originally from Kyuquot, she now resides on Snuneymuxw territories.
Valeen Jules, also known as Kā’ ānni, is a determined young Indigenous warrior from the Nuu-chah-nulth and Kwakwaka’wakw Nations. A former foster kid, homeless youth and 1st-yr college dropout, she is now known as a political organizer, motivational speaker, youth outreach worker, spoken word artist, black snake killer and ”overeducated extremist” across Turtle Island. She released her first chapbook ʔiiḥmisic in July 2016 which has been used in the curriculum of a Humanities course at Emily Carr University. Originally from Kyuquot, she now resides on Snuneymuxw territories.
Arash Khakpour
Resilient Roots Artist
Originally from Tehran and based in Vancouver, Arash Khakpour is a dancer and choreographer. Arash is privileged to be a dance artist on the ancestral and unceded Coast Salish territory including The Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. Arash’s desire is to see whether the theatre can be a place to interrogate the body and to investigate the alternate ways of being. He is interested in dance as a way to research human nature and human conditions through historical, social, political and existential interpretations. Arash is the cofounder of Vancouver’s performance group Pressed Paradise, cofounder of the dance-theatre company The Biting School (alongside his brother Aryo Khakpour), and the founder and co-host of How About A Time Machine a podcast on the history of Canadian performance. Arash is grateful to be the 2017 recipient of Dance Victoria’s Chrystal Dance Prize with Emmalena Fredriksson from Sweden.
Originally from Tehran and based in Vancouver, Arash Khakpour is a dancer and choreographer. Arash is privileged to be a dance artist on the ancestral and unceded Coast Salish territory including The Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. Arash’s desire is to see whether the theatre can be a place to interrogate the body and to investigate the alternate ways of being. He is interested in dance as a way to research human nature and human conditions through historical, social, political and existential interpretations. Arash is the cofounder of Vancouver’s performance group Pressed Paradise, cofounder of the dance-theatre company The Biting School (alongside his brother Aryo Khakpour), and the founder and co-host of How About A Time Machine a podcast on the history of Canadian performance. Arash is grateful to be the 2017 recipient of Dance Victoria’s Chrystal Dance Prize with Emmalena Fredriksson from Sweden.
Heather Lamoureux
Resilient Roots Artist
Heather Lamoureux is privileged to be a guest on the Coast Salish Territory of the Musquem, Squamish and Tsliel-Waututh nations. Here she is a producer, artist, activist and facilitator. Her work stems from her relationship with mother earth, she lives with determination to walk with generosity in her feet and with honesty and in her heart, planting seeds where she may on her path.
Heather Lamoureux is privileged to be a guest on the Coast Salish Territory of the Musquem, Squamish and Tsliel-Waututh nations. Here she is a producer, artist, activist and facilitator. Her work stems from her relationship with mother earth, she lives with determination to walk with generosity in her feet and with honesty and in her heart, planting seeds where she may on her path.
Heather is the Artistic Director of Vines Art Festival, producer at Raven Spirit Dance and a support in other performing arts organization. Trained in Expressive Movement Therapy from Tamalpa Institute under instruction of Anna and Daria Halprin and a BFA in Dance with minor in Business Administration. She volunteers at BC Crisis and Suicide Prevention Centre.
Isabelle Kirouac Arevelo and Robert Leveroos
Dance/Interacting Installation
Robert and Isabelle met while completing an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts at Simon Fraser University. They first worked together in 2015 while taking a workshop with Belgium-based interdisciplinary artist Kate McIntosh called MisUse/DisPlace. Inspired by her approach using objects, site, and bodies, the two began a collaboration of their own as creators and performers, building on their interests in site-responsive and interactive performance.
Robert and Isabelle met while completing an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts at Simon Fraser University. They first worked together in 2015 while taking a workshop with Belgium-based interdisciplinary artist Kate McIntosh called MisUse/DisPlace. Inspired by her approach using objects, site, and bodies, the two began a collaboration of their own as creators and performers, building on their interests in site-responsive and interactive performance.
Robert Leveroos is a multidisciplinary artist and insatiable tinkerer. Robert creates original performance pieces for all ages and collaborates as a performer and scenographer with a number of Vancouver and Canadian companies. His work has been presented in Canada, the USA, Germany and Taiwan. Robert was honored to receive SFU’s CD Nelson Graduate Fellowship as well as awards from the British Columbia Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts.
Isabelle Kirouac is an interdisciplinary choreographer and movement artist from Quebec, currently living in Vancouver. She has shared her work both as a creator and teacher in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and West Africa. Isabelle received the Elsie Jang Fellowship in Contemporary Arts, Creative Spark Grant and awards from the British Columbia Arts Council, Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec and Canada Council for the Arts.
Kelly McInnes
Resilient Roots Artist
Kelly McInnes is privileged to be a dance artist, choreographer, performer & facilitator based on the unceded Coast Salish territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. Kelly creates performance work exploring socio-political issues as a call to action. Her work has been presented at festivals throughout BC, in Toronto and in Mexico. Kelly is thrilled to be included in Vines Art Festival for the third year.
Kelly McInnes is privileged to be a dance artist, choreographer, performer & facilitator based on the unceded Coast Salish territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. Kelly creates performance work exploring socio-political issues as a call to action. Her work has been presented at festivals throughout BC, in Toronto and in Mexico. Kelly is thrilled to be included in Vines Art Festival for the third year.
Anna Kraulis
Performance Artist
Anna Kraulis is a choreographer and budding environmental advocate. She is grateful to live and work in Vancouver, unceded territory of the Squamish, Tsleil-waututh and Musqueam nations. She feels that re-connecting with our physicality as humans is fundamental to renewing our connection to the wild, and this informs all of her dance work. She collaborates with environmental activists, filmmakers and visual artists, presenting work at Planet in Focus Film Festival (Toronto), Vancouver Society of Storytelling’s Creek Forum, BC Buds Festival, Popcorn Galaxy’s New Narratives, Aesthetica Short Film Festival (UK), Toronto Urban Film Festival, The Interplay Projects, BLOOM, RADAR: Exchanges in Dance Film Frequencies, Art for Impact, and through the Dance Centre’s DanceLab program. This summer she looks forward to working with Soaring Eagle nature school, learning more about local birds, and finishing her environmental studies degree at Langara college.
Anna Kraulis is a choreographer and budding environmental advocate. She is grateful to live and work in Vancouver, unceded territory of the Squamish, Tsleil-waututh and Musqueam nations. She feels that re-connecting with our physicality as humans is fundamental to renewing our connection to the wild, and this informs all of her dance work. She collaborates with environmental activists, filmmakers and visual artists, presenting work at Planet in Focus Film Festival (Toronto), Vancouver Society of Storytelling’s Creek Forum, BC Buds Festival, Popcorn Galaxy’s New Narratives, Aesthetica Short Film Festival (UK), Toronto Urban Film Festival, The Interplay Projects, BLOOM, RADAR: Exchanges in Dance Film Frequencies, Art for Impact, and through the Dance Centre’s DanceLab program. This summer she looks forward to working with Soaring Eagle nature school, learning more about local birds, and finishing her environmental studies degree at Langara college.
Sarah Lapp
Dance Artist
Sarah is a co-founder of the All Bodies Dance Project and the Administrator for the society and its projects in addition to her roles as dancer, choreographer, and mentor for the ensemble. She holds a certification in Advanced Arts and Entertainment Management from Capilano University. Recently, Sarah was a recipient of two grants, one from the British Columbia Arts Council and the other from Canada Council for the Arts to support her professional development. As a result she has been mentoring with local contemporary artist, Naomi Brand and has traveled to the UK to study with Stopgap Dance Company and Candoco Dance Company, leaders in the field of integrated dance.
Sarah is a co-founder of the All Bodies Dance Project and the Administrator for the society and its projects in addition to her roles as dancer, choreographer, and mentor for the ensemble. She holds a certification in Advanced Arts and Entertainment Management from Capilano University. Recently, Sarah was a recipient of two grants, one from the British Columbia Arts Council and the other from Canada Council for the Arts to support her professional development. As a result she has been mentoring with local contemporary artist, Naomi Brand and has traveled to the UK to study with Stopgap Dance Company and Candoco Dance Company, leaders in the field of integrated dance.
Pierre Leichner
Visual Artist
Pierre is as an interdisciplinary research artist. He has worked full time as an artist since finishing MFA studies in 2011 following a 35year career as a psychiatrist. His practice has evolved to be a composite of socially engaged art, environmental art, and visual art. Most of his works address bio-psychosocial and spiritual issues simultaneously. He uses various media as needed to explore an issue because of his interest in creating multisensory works. ”Roots have fascinated me since my childhood and are rich in metaphors. We all need roots. We have them within our body, with our family, community and spiritually with our planet and the cosmos. During my MFA I started to work with plants using roots as the sculptural medium. My first project was the Root Laboratory and Dr Legumes, a plastic surgeon for vegetables whose daring surgeries can be seen on YouTube.” Pierre is a member of the Gallery Gachet and the Art Is Land artists’ collectives, on the board of the Community Arts Council of Vancouver and the ECU Alumni board. Since 2007. He has created 10 solo shows, participated in 40 group shows, presented in several art conferences and completed 10 community-engaged projects. He is presently artist in residence on a community project bridging Art and Sports and the artistic director for the first Vancouver Outsider Arts Festival.
Pierre is as an interdisciplinary research artist. He has worked full time as an artist since finishing MFA studies in 2011 following a 35year career as a psychiatrist. His practice has evolved to be a composite of socially engaged art, environmental art, and visual art. Most of his works address bio-psychosocial and spiritual issues simultaneously. He uses various media as needed to explore an issue because of his interest in creating multisensory works. ”Roots have fascinated me since my childhood and are rich in metaphors. We all need roots. We have them within our body, with our family, community and spiritually with our planet and the cosmos. During my MFA I started to work with plants using roots as the sculptural medium. My first project was the Root Laboratory and Dr Legumes, a plastic surgeon for vegetables whose daring surgeries can be seen on YouTube.” Pierre is a member of the Gallery Gachet and the Art Is Land artists’ collectives, on the board of the Community Arts Council of Vancouver and the ECU Alumni board. Since 2007. He has created 10 solo shows, participated in 40 group shows, presented in several art conferences and completed 10 community-engaged projects. He is presently artist in residence on a community project bridging Art and Sports and the artistic director for the first Vancouver Outsider Arts Festival.
Dalia Levy
Fibre/Performance/Installation Art
Dalia Levy is an urban fibre and theatre artist based in East Vancouver. Her slow textile practice began while working at a Vancouver environmental non-profit and has lead to an adoration of rare breed sheep, earth’s hues and “weeds”. Natural dyeing is a medium to experiment with and share nature’s bounty and her creative passions sustainably. Dalia is committed to reviving wearable folk traditions that challenge an extractive economy and grows local fibre and colour within a regenerative paradigm.
She has appeared in local art exhibitions and her business, Wildcrafted Wool appears at countless craft fairs and in select Canadian retailers. Dalia is a member of the Blackberry Artist Co-op in Port Moody, BC and her workshops appear at venues such as UBC Farm. Dalia is a graduate of UBC Theatre’s bachelor of arts program and her Boalian participatory art has appeared on the streets from Vancouver to Chiapas.
Dalia Levy is an urban fibre and theatre artist based in East Vancouver. Her slow textile practice began while working at a Vancouver environmental non-profit and has lead to an adoration of rare breed sheep, earth’s hues and “weeds”. Natural dyeing is a medium to experiment with and share nature’s bounty and her creative passions sustainably. Dalia is committed to reviving wearable folk traditions that challenge an extractive economy and grows local fibre and colour within a regenerative paradigm.
She has appeared in local art exhibitions and her business, Wildcrafted Wool appears at countless craft fairs and in select Canadian retailers. Dalia is a member of the Blackberry Artist Co-op in Port Moody, BC and her workshops appear at venues such as UBC Farm. Dalia is a graduate of UBC Theatre’s bachelor of arts program and her Boalian participatory art has appeared on the streets from Vancouver to Chiapas.
Anjela Magpantay
Performance
Anjela Magpantay is a theatre performer, co-founder of New(to)Town Collective and co-artistic director of Neon Elephant Cirus Productions. She has a BFA in theatre performance from Simon Fraser University and has a creative arts degree in Clowning. Her curiosities have led her to research the Grotowksi physical training and it’s legacy. She continues to explore and expand her understanding of the various forms of theatre and performance.
Anjela Magpantay is a theatre performer, co-founder of New(to)Town Collective and co-artistic director of Neon Elephant Cirus Productions. She has a BFA in theatre performance from Simon Fraser University and has a creative arts degree in Clowning. Her curiosities have led her to research the Grotowksi physical training and it’s legacy. She continues to explore and expand her understanding of the various forms of theatre and performance.
Kelly McInnes
Dance Artist
Kelly McInnes is a dance artist who creates performance work exploring socio-political issues. Kelly began creating MINE in 2012 to express her concerns with capitalist consumerism and fast fashion. Over the past few years, the project has grown to explore other aspects in relation to clothing such as identity, body image, value, design, upcycling, history and memory. MINE has seen many lives from studio, outdoor and theatre performances, as well as collaborations with musicians, a musical seamstress, and several dance artists including Rianne Svelnis. Kelly is excited to see the work find another life through MINE Youth Project with support from Made In BC in partnership with the Vancouver Parks Board through BCAC. This past season, Kelly has been thrilled to co-facilitate the project with Rianne and musician Alex Mah. The MINE Youth Project participants are an inspiring, unique and committed group of 13-18 year olds with a wide range of experience, interests and approaches to the work. The project will continue in the fall at Trout Lake Community Centre, as well as through short residencies throughout B.C. Get in touch with us if you are interested to join, host or support the project!
Kelly McInnes is a dance artist who creates performance work exploring socio-political issues. Kelly began creating MINE in 2012 to express her concerns with capitalist consumerism and fast fashion. Over the past few years, the project has grown to explore other aspects in relation to clothing such as identity, body image, value, design, upcycling, history and memory. MINE has seen many lives from studio, outdoor and theatre performances, as well as collaborations with musicians, a musical seamstress, and several dance artists including Rianne Svelnis. Kelly is excited to see the work find another life through MINE Youth Project with support from Made In BC in partnership with the Vancouver Parks Board through BCAC. This past season, Kelly has been thrilled to co-facilitate the project with Rianne and musician Alex Mah. The MINE Youth Project participants are an inspiring, unique and committed group of 13-18 year olds with a wide range of experience, interests and approaches to the work. The project will continue in the fall at Trout Lake Community Centre, as well as through short residencies throughout B.C. Get in touch with us if you are interested to join, host or support the project!
Linnea McPhail
Visual Artist
Linnea’s artistic pursuits are plentiful and ever-changing. Never to be fixated or obsessed with one medium she is constantly growing and challenging herself to use both new and traditional medium in unique ways. Her preference is in 3D interactive art installations which include both traditional arts and crafts such as drawing, painting, textiles and including natural objects such as rocks, shells, and driftwood. Her pieces are often highly welcoming yet incredibly personal. Returning to Vines for her second year Linnea is excited to talk whales and plastic consumption with her community members. This year she will be using single-use coffee cups, plastic bags and beach driftwood in facilitating community knowledge sharing and creation.
Linnea’s artistic pursuits are plentiful and ever-changing. Never to be fixated or obsessed with one medium she is constantly growing and challenging herself to use both new and traditional medium in unique ways. Her preference is in 3D interactive art installations which include both traditional arts and crafts such as drawing, painting, textiles and including natural objects such as rocks, shells, and driftwood. Her pieces are often highly welcoming yet incredibly personal. Returning to Vines for her second year Linnea is excited to talk whales and plastic consumption with her community members. This year she will be using single-use coffee cups, plastic bags and beach driftwood in facilitating community knowledge sharing and creation.
Matthew Metz, Samaj, and Trevor Dykstra
Environmental Interactive Installation
Matthew Metz is the executive director of Coltura, an organization which uses the arts to change the culture surrounding the use of carbon. Matthew had the original conceptualization for the piece. Matthew was awarded the 2017 Sustainable Seattle arts and culture award for his 2016 performance work, gasoline ghosts. His work has been featured in numerous publications, including this piece. http://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/coltura-performance- webversion/
Matthew Metz is the executive director of Coltura, an organization which uses the arts to change the culture surrounding the use of carbon. Matthew had the original conceptualization for the piece. Matthew was awarded the 2017 Sustainable Seattle arts and culture award for his 2016 performance work, gasoline ghosts. His work has been featured in numerous publications, including this piece. http://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/coltura-performance- webversion/
Samaj is a visual artist who has exhibited extensively in New York, Europe, and the West Coast. He developed the shape and material of the piece. http://samajfinearts.com/
Trevor Dykstra is an architect and the leader of the Seattle branch of Design Nerds. He oversaw the fabrication of the piece. http://www.seattledesignnerds.org/
Ej, lásko/O Love!
Storytelling
On the supernatural, unceded, Salish Territories of the wet West Coast, in the complex context of Truth and Reconciliation as well as Canada 150+, Ej, lásko/O Love! extends a space within which right-relation might be experienced and practiced.
On the supernatural, unceded, Salish Territories of the wet West Coast, in the complex context of Truth and Reconciliation as well as Canada 150+, Ej, lásko/O Love! extends a space within which right-relation might be experienced and practiced.
Naomi Steinberg, Julia Ulehla, Georgia Johnson, Jocelyn Anderson, & Ana Elia Ramón Hidalgo weave together singing and storytelling. We invite release, wild tears, howling and keening as well as laughter, breath and relief. We offer this as a means of moving together – moving away from paralyses and stagnation towards contributing, grief, joy, heart and possibility to the ecology of our here & now.
Maggie Blue O’Hara
Multidisciplinary Artist
Maggie Blue O’Hara is a lover of life, Reiki practitioner, singer/songwriter, actress, sensual clown, dancer, writer/director and facilitator of transformational workshops. For 10 years she was artistic director of a multimedia theatre company in Hong Kong writing, directing and choreographing contemporary dance theatre productions until moving back to Vancouver in 2015.
In 2013-2014 she was the voice and movement teach at The International Academy of Film and TV in Hong Kong and in 2015 she was the voice and movement teacher at Vancouver Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Maggie Blue O’Hara is a lover of life, Reiki practitioner, singer/songwriter, actress, sensual clown, dancer, writer/director and facilitator of transformational workshops. For 10 years she was artistic director of a multimedia theatre company in Hong Kong writing, directing and choreographing contemporary dance theatre productions until moving back to Vancouver in 2015.
In 2013-2014 she was the voice and movement teach at The International Academy of Film and TV in Hong Kong and in 2015 she was the voice and movement teacher at Vancouver Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Maggie continues to study and expand her knowledge of performance and alternative healing modalities and enjoys sharing her skills with others. Maggie Blue is currently a private acting coach, acting teacher for kids and adults at SchoolCreative and focusing on her band, Lovedrunk www.lovedrunk.ca
Soyoung Park
Interactive Art
I am Korean-Canadian. I studied photography and Interactive art in Canada, and Visual Cultures in London, UK. Studying intuitive intention in art, I surveyed unintentional forces that drive the artist to create artwork with a certain trajectory. To further study this improvisational intention, I turned to ritual dance in religion and to East Asian philosophy, which emphasize removing one’s intentional mind to discover – instead of deciding – choices in practicing life, and to unify mind and body. This brought me to do residencies in South Korea in 2015 and 2016, regarding ‘nature art’ on the basis of East Asian philosophy. I also participated in a yoga program for Zen meditation at a Buddhist temple in Korea last spring. Along these lines, I was an artist-in-residence and participant in workshops at Ponderosa Stolzenhagen in Germany in October last year, researching intuitive consciousness in improvisation, and instant composition of movement. I plan to continue my study of improvisation. I regularly organize improvisation events for the public. My work is site-specific, made of everyday objects gleaned from streets or bins. I pursue an aesthetic of ordinariness.
I am Korean-Canadian. I studied photography and Interactive art in Canada, and Visual Cultures in London, UK. Studying intuitive intention in art, I surveyed unintentional forces that drive the artist to create artwork with a certain trajectory. To further study this improvisational intention, I turned to ritual dance in religion and to East Asian philosophy, which emphasize removing one’s intentional mind to discover – instead of deciding – choices in practicing life, and to unify mind and body. This brought me to do residencies in South Korea in 2015 and 2016, regarding ‘nature art’ on the basis of East Asian philosophy. I also participated in a yoga program for Zen meditation at a Buddhist temple in Korea last spring. Along these lines, I was an artist-in-residence and participant in workshops at Ponderosa Stolzenhagen in Germany in October last year, researching intuitive consciousness in improvisation, and instant composition of movement. I plan to continue my study of improvisation. I regularly organize improvisation events for the public. My work is site-specific, made of everyday objects gleaned from streets or bins. I pursue an aesthetic of ordinariness.
Angelica Poversky
Spoken Word Artist
Angelica uses both vivid and comforting images in her spoken word poetry to tackle the inner-workings of huge manatees. She is 5’3″ (moving into the 5’4″ realm) of vertically challenged creative passion who wants to use spoken words to create movements of thought.
Angelica uses both vivid and comforting images in her spoken word poetry to tackle the inner-workings of huge manatees. She is 5’3″ (moving into the 5’4″ realm) of vertically challenged creative passion who wants to use spoken words to create movements of thought.
Interested in improvisation, music and writing, Angelica is Vancouver’s Top 24 under 24, Richmond’s 30 under 30 and a Richmond Arts Award Winner. She’s been on the author panel at National Culture Days, a speaker at The Top 25 under 25 Canadian Environmentalists Awards and the feature performer at the CHIMO Violence Against Women Conference. Other notable performances include Word Vancouver, The Vancouver Sustainability Conference and The Vancouver Earth Day Parade.
Growing up in the lagoons of Richmond, her natural habitat included in addition to her artsy fartsy behaviour- also partaking in arts programming. After founding and co-directing Richmond’s first youth-led outdoors arts festival, Arts in the Park. Recently, she was a member of the 2016 Van Youth Slam Team from Vancouver, and now on the 2017 UBC slam team as well as a trio called The Tiny Tricycle Poets. Even more recently, she has released a new chapbook “Strange and Quiet Odours from Within the Eggs of Imagination.”
Charlotte Priest
Performance Artist
Charlotte Priest grew up in Victoria, B.C, traditional territory of the WS‘ANEC’ (Saanich), Lkwungen (Songhees) and Wyomilth (Esquimalt) peoples of the Coast Salish Nation. She moves as a means to facilitate healing. A soon-to-be graduate of the contemporary dance program at SFU she also has training in contact improvisation, the Meisner acting technique, authentic movement and voice training through the Royal Conservatory of music (Victoria). She began practicing yoga at 16 and received her teacher training certification in 2011. She finds joy in sharing practices that make one aware of the power of energy. She strives to live a fully embodied life, one connected to self, community and the sacred planet.
Charlotte Priest grew up in Victoria, B.C, traditional territory of the WS‘ANEC’ (Saanich), Lkwungen (Songhees) and Wyomilth (Esquimalt) peoples of the Coast Salish Nation. She moves as a means to facilitate healing. A soon-to-be graduate of the contemporary dance program at SFU she also has training in contact improvisation, the Meisner acting technique, authentic movement and voice training through the Royal Conservatory of music (Victoria). She began practicing yoga at 16 and received her teacher training certification in 2011. She finds joy in sharing practices that make one aware of the power of energy. She strives to live a fully embodied life, one connected to self, community and the sacred planet.
Meegin Pye
Theatre Artist
Meegin is happy to be back for her second year at Vines Art Festival. Originally from Vancouver Island with the mountains and ocean as her playground, Meegin was raised with an appreciation and love for the natural landscape that BC has to offer. Currently residing in Vancouver she has adapted to the cityscape and come to understand the opportunities it too provides, but seeks ways to bring both natural and structural topography together.
Meegin is happy to be back for her second year at Vines Art Festival. Originally from Vancouver Island with the mountains and ocean as her playground, Meegin was raised with an appreciation and love for the natural landscape that BC has to offer. Currently residing in Vancouver she has adapted to the cityscape and come to understand the opportunities it too provides, but seeks ways to bring both natural and structural topography together.
Recent credits include: The Girl on the Moon (Pull Festival), Love, Lust & Lace (Gas Pedal Productions at The Firehall Arts Centre), Eurydice, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Bacchae 2.1 (UBC); The Children’s Hour (Ensemble Theatre Company).
Jacquie Rolston
Visual Artist
Vancouver-born Jacquie Rolston is a visual artist working in community art, animation and illustration. She also teaches drawing to kids and terrified adults. You may have seen her delicate paper lanterns at the Vancouver Folk fest or other local lantern celebrations. A graduate of Emily Carr‘s animation program, she also studied Recreation at Langara College, and loves the combination of art, environment and community. Somewhere along the way, she became obsessed with garbage! A longtime volunteer with SPEC’s Waste Committee, Jacquie is also a certified Master Recycler and the founder of Zero Waste Club Vancouver. She is happy to answer any and all recycling questions.
Vancouver-born Jacquie Rolston is a visual artist working in community art, animation and illustration. She also teaches drawing to kids and terrified adults. You may have seen her delicate paper lanterns at the Vancouver Folk fest or other local lantern celebrations. A graduate of Emily Carr‘s animation program, she also studied Recreation at Langara College, and loves the combination of art, environment and community. Somewhere along the way, she became obsessed with garbage! A longtime volunteer with SPEC’s Waste Committee, Jacquie is also a certified Master Recycler and the founder of Zero Waste Club Vancouver. She is happy to answer any and all recycling questions.
Kristen Rulifson, Nathan Swedlow, Cynthia Arellanes
Theatre Artist
This is an exciting, newly-formed collaboration of 3 research artists, each bringing a unique approach to the intersection of social and environmental justice. The fresh squad is excited about having the opportunity to learn and develop connection through intentional art-making. Kristen Rulifson is an interdisciplinary artist and movementologist. She is the Co-Director of FloorPlay, an Oakland-based dance company and Program Director of Naturally Expressive Leaders. She is fascinated with the body and the stories it holds. You can often find her spiraling into chaotic planes and asking questions. Cynthia Arellanes derives from San Diego as a teacher, dancer, lover of humanity. Through movement, connection, and understanding Cynthia hopes to create meaningful work in effort of creating a stream of connections to other individuals. Nathan Swedlow focuses on cultivating his relationship with sound through creative and scientific media. His creative work is focused in multi-channel sound design, instrumental performance, composition, and audio engineering. His background in neuroscience informs his creative work and he currently collaborates as a science engineer at Dolby Laboratories.
This is an exciting, newly-formed collaboration of 3 research artists, each bringing a unique approach to the intersection of social and environmental justice. The fresh squad is excited about having the opportunity to learn and develop connection through intentional art-making. Kristen Rulifson is an interdisciplinary artist and movementologist. She is the Co-Director of FloorPlay, an Oakland-based dance company and Program Director of Naturally Expressive Leaders. She is fascinated with the body and the stories it holds. You can often find her spiraling into chaotic planes and asking questions. Cynthia Arellanes derives from San Diego as a teacher, dancer, lover of humanity. Through movement, connection, and understanding Cynthia hopes to create meaningful work in effort of creating a stream of connections to other individuals. Nathan Swedlow focuses on cultivating his relationship with sound through creative and scientific media. His creative work is focused in multi-channel sound design, instrumental performance, composition, and audio engineering. His background in neuroscience informs his creative work and he currently collaborates as a science engineer at Dolby Laboratories.
With her first play Amber, she explores how to connect people to a realistic idea of the future with climate change accelerated, and to confront all its possibilities – the bleak, the hopeful and everything that lives in between.
Claudia Segovia
Visual Artist
Born in England to a spanish opera lover, fabulous piano player, chemist father and a mexican dancer, brain researcher, fantastic genius, dog lover mother… Claudia Segovia grew up in Mexico City and moved to Canada in 1997: a mother, a creature maker, a dog lover, a choreographer, and an inevitable mixed media artist.
Born in England to a spanish opera lover, fabulous piano player, chemist father and a mexican dancer, brain researcher, fantastic genius, dog lover mother… Claudia Segovia grew up in Mexico City and moved to Canada in 1997: a mother, a creature maker, a dog lover, a choreographer, and an inevitable mixed media artist.
Studied Contemporary Dance Choreography at the National Centre for the Arts in Mexico City and a Diploma in Fine Arts and Graphic Design at Emily Carr. Danced, taught and choreographed professionally in Mexico before moving to Canada in 1998. She is currently faculty at Arts Umbrella Dance and Art. Teaches Dance and Art all over the lower mainland. Receiver of an Excellence Award from the Federation of Canadian Artists. Shows and sells her work in the Lower Mainland, USA, Mexico and Spain.
Her son Diego, diagnosed with ADHD and LD inspired her to create a dance program called DANCE OUT LOUD! for children with Invisible disabilities such as Aspergers, Anxiety, LD, ADHD, etc. who do not get a chance to participate in a regular dance class and she brings to public schools in the lower mainland.
Julia Siedlanowska and Ulla Laidlaw
Performance Artist
Julia Siedlanowska and Ulla Laidlaw are a collective formed through mutual interest of creating immersive theatre experiences for all ages. We aim to create work that is genre-defying and engages audiences in a social manner, dissolving the line between performance and life, and creating truly life-affirming work.
Julia Siedlanowska and Ulla Laidlaw are a collective formed through mutual interest of creating immersive theatre experiences for all ages. We aim to create work that is genre-defying and engages audiences in a social manner, dissolving the line between performance and life, and creating truly life-affirming work.
Crystal Smith
Resilient Roots Artist
Crystal is Tsimshian, Haisla and was adopted into the Heilsuk Nation. She now lives upon Unceded Coast Salish Territory. As proud mother of two beautiful children, Crystal is taking it upon herself to fight for their future and writing poetry is one way she is able to battle. Crystal often writes about the lived oppression of Indigenous people and more importantly the will and skill to survive daily attempts of assimilation and colonialism.
Crystal is Tsimshian, Haisla and was adopted into the Heilsuk Nation. She now lives upon Unceded Coast Salish Territory. As proud mother of two beautiful children, Crystal is taking it upon herself to fight for their future and writing poetry is one way she is able to battle. Crystal often writes about the lived oppression of Indigenous people and more importantly the will and skill to survive daily attempts of assimilation and colonialism.
Stefan Smulovitz, Lara Amelie Abadir, Dave Biddle, Andrew Scott
Music
Lara Amelie Abadir (Belgium) is an interdisciplinary creator and performer whose work lands at the intersection between Performance (Contemporary Dance & Theatre), Film/Video and Sound Design. Lara’s hybrid methodology seeks to create a sophisticated balance between dark comedy, the uncanny, yielding and challenging the conventional categorizations of voyeurism, empathy, identification and/or exploitation.
Lara Amelie Abadir (Belgium) is an interdisciplinary creator and performer whose work lands at the intersection between Performance (Contemporary Dance & Theatre), Film/Video and Sound Design. Lara’s hybrid methodology seeks to create a sophisticated balance between dark comedy, the uncanny, yielding and challenging the conventional categorizations of voyeurism, empathy, identification and/or exploitation.
Stefan Smulovitz (composer, violist & laptop artist) has performed with leading improvisers around the world and created more than 60 live film scores. He is one of Canada’s most in demand composers for dance and is recognized for his groundbreaking interactive work with Radix Theatre. Kenaxis — Stefan’s game-changing music software — is used around the world and his Mad Scientist Machine LED light cueing system has opened new possibilities for global collaborations. Recently Stefan travelled to Bhutan to collect sounds and create a score for the award-winning documentary “Power of the River”. www.stefansmulovitz.ca
Dave Biddle asks “how can we heal the world?”. Linda Fox answers “by gliding through its cracks”. So the artist looks for cracks, glides toward them, is not sure if he’s really finding any but will keep trying, and will be forever grateful to Linda for being his GlideGuide™.
Andrew Scott has been experimenting with sound since 1995 and a beekeeper since 2012. Work with sculpture based on insects lead to a lecturing position with the Stanley Park Ecology Society, where a focus on ecology and evolution led to the study of colonial and polinating insects which provided a basic understanding of honey bees. Work as a beekeeper drastically expanded Andrew’s knowledge of the insect world and also lead to experimentation with sounds recorded from the hive.
Snotty Nose Rez Kids
Resilient Roots Artist
As the Snotty Nose Rez Kids, we speak back to the stereotypes that present us as untamed, ill-mannered and vulgar savages, reclaiming ourselves as the 7th generation on the rise. We tell our stories to show that we may be a little rough around the edges but that roughness makes our lives interesting. We don’t carry certain privileges afforded through colonialism -fenced in backyards, green grass suburbia- but we are privileged in other ways. We were privileged to be raised by the ocean with a forest in our back yard. We are rich through learning our traditional way of life while being raised on our ancestors’ territory – there is a great deal of wealth in knowing who and where you come from. We were able to learn by doing, to run around the reservation, get stung by devils nettle and not cry over it but wipe our snot on it and keep going. We learnt about the ocean’s depth and the rivers’ current. We learned how to survive without actually having to only survive. We ran in packs. We were raised by our parents; we were raised by our community. Our culture is strong and continues to shape us into who we are today. We are storytellers, dancers, singers and artists. We are survivors. Our ancestors live through us and as individuals, we have a platform to communicate this with our community. With whatever lens you see us through, we will always be the snot nosed kids from the rez and that’s what makes us beautiful.
As the Snotty Nose Rez Kids, we speak back to the stereotypes that present us as untamed, ill-mannered and vulgar savages, reclaiming ourselves as the 7th generation on the rise. We tell our stories to show that we may be a little rough around the edges but that roughness makes our lives interesting. We don’t carry certain privileges afforded through colonialism -fenced in backyards, green grass suburbia- but we are privileged in other ways. We were privileged to be raised by the ocean with a forest in our back yard. We are rich through learning our traditional way of life while being raised on our ancestors’ territory – there is a great deal of wealth in knowing who and where you come from. We were able to learn by doing, to run around the reservation, get stung by devils nettle and not cry over it but wipe our snot on it and keep going. We learnt about the ocean’s depth and the rivers’ current. We learned how to survive without actually having to only survive. We ran in packs. We were raised by our parents; we were raised by our community. Our culture is strong and continues to shape us into who we are today. We are storytellers, dancers, singers and artists. We are survivors. Our ancestors live through us and as individuals, we have a platform to communicate this with our community. With whatever lens you see us through, we will always be the snot nosed kids from the rez and that’s what makes us beautiful.
Lori Snyder
Urban Plant Educator
Lori is a mother, artist, educator and herbalist. She grew up in a small town and remembers hearing whispers of the family being “Indian”. In her thirties she became curious and contacted the Historical Society in St. Boniface Manitoba, which specializes in researching Metis ancestry. Lori discovered that her ancestry is from the T’suu tina (Sarcee), Nakota (Assiboine), Cree, Nipissing & Ojibwa Nations.
Lori is a mother, artist, educator and herbalist. She grew up in a small town and remembers hearing whispers of the family being “Indian”. In her thirties she became curious and contacted the Historical Society in St. Boniface Manitoba, which specializes in researching Metis ancestry. Lori discovered that her ancestry is from the T’suu tina (Sarcee), Nakota (Assiboine), Cree, Nipissing & Ojibwa Nations.
Base in Vancouver on unceded Coast Salish territories, Lori works with elementary and secondary school children teaching urban foraging from a First Nations perspective. Recent work with other community organizations includes: the Aboriginal youth at Britannia consulting on a native plant garden and along with medicine making, at the UBC Farm; SFU Embark Gardens; University of Gastronomic Sciences, Bra, Italy; and the Vancouver Park Board and for various events around Metro Vancouver. Lori collaborated with artist and author Lori Weidenhammer and designed & built the Medicine Wheel Garden at Moberly Arts and Cultural Centre. The garden is used by the school adjacent to the centre and by new immigrants to help identify native species. Recently Lori has volunteered with the Riley Park Community Garden design committee. In 2015/2016 Lori was invited to teach for the Small Neighbourhood Grants program, hosting plant identification and illustration workshops. Currently Lori is working on a perpetual harvesting calendar and regularly leads medicinal plant walking tours in the city.
Son Bohemio
Musicians
SON BOHEMIO is; Nyra Chalmer (Violin), Hector Falcon (Cajon) and Joaquin Gonzalez (Guitar.Voice),is an ensemble that performs music from all over Latin America and Spain with a gipsy bohemian style,the vocals in their performances blend beautifully with the sound of the guitar,the violin,and the the peruvian cajon and invite all the audiences of different cultures to an imaginary trip in to the hispanic heritage.
SON BOHEMIO is; Nyra Chalmer (Violin), Hector Falcon (Cajon) and Joaquin Gonzalez (Guitar.Voice),is an ensemble that performs music from all over Latin America and Spain with a gipsy bohemian style,the vocals in their performances blend beautifully with the sound of the guitar,the violin,and the the peruvian cajon and invite all the audiences of different cultures to an imaginary trip in to the hispanic heritage.
Harmanie Taylor
Dance Artist
Harmanie has been actively involved in the integrated dance movement since 2006 as a dancer, performer, teacher, mentor, choreographer and organizer. She holds a BA in Dramatic Arts from the University of Lethbridge and an Arts and Cultural Management certificate from MacEwan University. Harmanie was a participant in the Made in BC Community Engagement Mentorship program where she was mentored in facilitation by Naomi Brand and continues to develop her teaching practice with All Bodies. Harmanie was a recipient of Canada Council for the Arts to support her professional development allowing her to travel and take the Axis Summer Dance Intensive in 2015, a leader in the field of Integrated Dance.
Harmanie has been actively involved in the integrated dance movement since 2006 as a dancer, performer, teacher, mentor, choreographer and organizer. She holds a BA in Dramatic Arts from the University of Lethbridge and an Arts and Cultural Management certificate from MacEwan University. Harmanie was a participant in the Made in BC Community Engagement Mentorship program where she was mentored in facilitation by Naomi Brand and continues to develop her teaching practice with All Bodies. Harmanie was a recipient of Canada Council for the Arts to support her professional development allowing her to travel and take the Axis Summer Dance Intensive in 2015, a leader in the field of Integrated Dance.
Elisa Thorn
Theatre Artist
Elisa Thorn is harpist known for her extended techniques, electronic effects, versatility and active involvement in the creative music scene. She is part of many projects including Gentle Party and Hue, both of whom released their debut albums this year. Her music has been featured in Dances for a Small Stage, Coetani Festival for Experimental Flamenco (Greece), BC Buds Festival, Sonic Boom Festival, Suoni Il Per Popolo Festival (Montreal), Vancouver International Jazz Festival, and the Detroit Free Arts Festival.
Elisa Thorn is harpist known for her extended techniques, electronic effects, versatility and active involvement in the creative music scene. She is part of many projects including Gentle Party and Hue, both of whom released their debut albums this year. Her music has been featured in Dances for a Small Stage, Coetani Festival for Experimental Flamenco (Greece), BC Buds Festival, Sonic Boom Festival, Suoni Il Per Popolo Festival (Montreal), Vancouver International Jazz Festival, and the Detroit Free Arts Festival.
Matthew Tomkinson
Musician
Matthew is a multidisciplinary artist from Vancouver, B.C. Over the years, he has been involved in various experimental bands, noise acts, and computer music collaborations. Recently, he has begun to work with local contemporary dancers and choreographers as a composer for live performance. In his compositional practice, Matthew explores a wide range of sonic paradigms including acoustic ecology, deep listening, musique concrète, and harsh noise. His site-specific work draws on a longstanding tradition of soundscape studies in Vancouver and asks critical questions about the politics and aesthetics of field recording and our perception of sound in ‘natural’ spaces.
Matthew is a multidisciplinary artist from Vancouver, B.C. Over the years, he has been involved in various experimental bands, noise acts, and computer music collaborations. Recently, he has begun to work with local contemporary dancers and choreographers as a composer for live performance. In his compositional practice, Matthew explores a wide range of sonic paradigms including acoustic ecology, deep listening, musique concrète, and harsh noise. His site-specific work draws on a longstanding tradition of soundscape studies in Vancouver and asks critical questions about the politics and aesthetics of field recording and our perception of sound in ‘natural’ spaces.
T‘uy’t’tanat - Cease Wyss
Resilient Roots Artist
Skwxwu7mesh/Sto:Lo/Metis/Hawaiian/Swiss
T‘uy’t’tanat- Cease is an interdisciplinary artist who works with new media and interdisciplinary arts as well as community engaged and public art. Cease is a Coast Salish ethnobotanist and recently has returned to a textiles art practice through learning Coast Salish weaving techniques in wool and cedar. She is a member of the Aboriginal Writers Collective West Coast and lives in East Vancouver. She is a beekeeper and community engaged gardener.
Skwxwu7mesh/Sto:Lo/Metis/Hawaiian/Swiss
T‘uy’t’tanat- Cease is an interdisciplinary artist who works with new media and interdisciplinary arts as well as community engaged and public art. Cease is a Coast Salish ethnobotanist and recently has returned to a textiles art practice through learning Coast Salish weaving techniques in wool and cedar. She is a member of the Aboriginal Writers Collective West Coast and lives in East Vancouver. She is a beekeeper and community engaged gardener.
Kat Vriesema-Magnuson
Gardener
Fresh Roots is a non-profit organization working with school communities towards Good Food For All! We believe everyone deserves access to healthy food, land, and community. We work towards this vision by cultivating engaging gardens and programs that catalyze healthy eating, ecological stewardship, and community celebration. Since 2011 we have grown the first schoolyard market gardens in Canada. We foster leadership and employment training through schoolyard farm programming, offer food literacy professional development for BC’s educators, distribute delicious, freshly grown food into schools and local communities, and provide an inspirational voice in our community. We are excited to connect with the community near our home base in Norquay park through food, fun, and art!
Fresh Roots is a non-profit organization working with school communities towards Good Food For All! We believe everyone deserves access to healthy food, land, and community. We work towards this vision by cultivating engaging gardens and programs that catalyze healthy eating, ecological stewardship, and community celebration. Since 2011 we have grown the first schoolyard market gardens in Canada. We foster leadership and employment training through schoolyard farm programming, offer food literacy professional development for BC’s educators, distribute delicious, freshly grown food into schools and local communities, and provide an inspirational voice in our community. We are excited to connect with the community near our home base in Norquay park through food, fun, and art!
Avyen Von Waldenburg
Performance Artist
Avyen is an emerging director and actor obtaining a Film Diploma from VFS in 2002. His vision of being a director inspired him to travel, study indigenous ways, practice film and explore acting. 2003 he moved to New York City and studied with teachers as: Steve Wangh, “6 Viewpoints” creator Mary Overlie, Balinese Mask w/Per Brah, Meisner w/Terry Knickerbocker, Fitzmaurice w/Aole miller, Dance w/Annie Parson and Presence w/Raina von Waldenburg. Avyen has been studying clowning with David MacMurray Smith since 2010. Avyen is the Executive Creative Consultant for New (to) Town Collective, the Co-artistic Director of Neon Elephant Circus Productions.
Avyen is an emerging director and actor obtaining a Film Diploma from VFS in 2002. His vision of being a director inspired him to travel, study indigenous ways, practice film and explore acting. 2003 he moved to New York City and studied with teachers as: Steve Wangh, “6 Viewpoints” creator Mary Overlie, Balinese Mask w/Per Brah, Meisner w/Terry Knickerbocker, Fitzmaurice w/Aole miller, Dance w/Annie Parson and Presence w/Raina von Waldenburg. Avyen has been studying clowning with David MacMurray Smith since 2010. Avyen is the Executive Creative Consultant for New (to) Town Collective, the Co-artistic Director of Neon Elephant Circus Productions.
Lori Weidenhammer
Artist/Educator
Lori Weidenhammer is a Vancouver-based artist and educator originally from Cactus Lake, Saskatchewan. It is in this place, bordered by wheat fields and wild prairie, that she first became enchanted with bees. She is the author of a book called Victory Gardens for Bees: A DIY Guide to Saving the Bees published by Douglas and MacIntyre. She appears as the persona Madame Beespeaker, practicing the tradition of “telling the bees”. Lori works with students of all ages on eating locally and gardening for pollinators. On occasion, she likes to dress up in silly costumes and talk to bees. Join Madame Beespeaker as she leads you through an art exploration that helps you learn about the different species of pollinators in Vancouver. Learn simple ways you and your family can help to save the many species of bees that pollinate our flowers and food crops. Let’s make Vancouver beautiful for bees!
Lori Weidenhammer is a Vancouver-based artist and educator originally from Cactus Lake, Saskatchewan. It is in this place, bordered by wheat fields and wild prairie, that she first became enchanted with bees. She is the author of a book called Victory Gardens for Bees: A DIY Guide to Saving the Bees published by Douglas and MacIntyre. She appears as the persona Madame Beespeaker, practicing the tradition of “telling the bees”. Lori works with students of all ages on eating locally and gardening for pollinators. On occasion, she likes to dress up in silly costumes and talk to bees. Join Madame Beespeaker as she leads you through an art exploration that helps you learn about the different species of pollinators in Vancouver. Learn simple ways you and your family can help to save the many species of bees that pollinate our flowers and food crops. Let’s make Vancouver beautiful for bees!
Jaz Whitford
Resilient Roots Artist
Jaz Whitford is a youth in care and a guest on the unceded Coast Salish Territories, originally from the secwepemc nation – south central interior of BC. With a spark for street performing and a deep interest in decolonization, indigenous resistance and other frontline work Jaz is currently working towards gaining a better understanding of traditional plant knowledge and the many teachings that come with it. In order to more effectively spread awareness about indigenous issues through the arts, based in the understanding that many can be traced back to loss of land and title.
Jaz Whitford is a youth in care and a guest on the unceded Coast Salish Territories, originally from the secwepemc nation – south central interior of BC. With a spark for street performing and a deep interest in decolonization, indigenous resistance and other frontline work Jaz is currently working towards gaining a better understanding of traditional plant knowledge and the many teachings that come with it. In order to more effectively spread awareness about indigenous issues through the arts, based in the understanding that many can be traced back to loss of land and title.
Shamin Zahabioun and Khorshid Moradj (Sunshine)
Visual Artist/Musician
Shamin and khorshid (Sunshine) started their collaboration when they found the possibilities of connecting to humanity within their creative practice. They connect through their arts as they believe both of their artforms are towards the same goal.
Shamin Zahabioun is an interdisciplinary visual artist, living in Vancouver, Canada. Since age of fifteen, Shamin has been drawing and painting under the mentorship of well-known artists in Iran and Canada. Shamin holds a BFA from Emily Carr University of Art and Design. Recently, she has been exploring Performance-Art and Installation-Art; as she believes in “Art” as a democratic idea is a dimension to be yet investigated, and expressed through new genres of art.
Shamin and khorshid (Sunshine) started their collaboration when they found the possibilities of connecting to humanity within their creative practice. They connect through their arts as they believe both of their artforms are towards the same goal.
Shamin Zahabioun is an interdisciplinary visual artist, living in Vancouver, Canada. Since age of fifteen, Shamin has been drawing and painting under the mentorship of well-known artists in Iran and Canada. Shamin holds a BFA from Emily Carr University of Art and Design. Recently, she has been exploring Performance-Art and Installation-Art; as she believes in “Art” as a democratic idea is a dimension to be yet investigated, and expressed through new genres of art.
Khorshid (sunshine) started playing Setar since age of 12. Her first teacher was her father who was also her inspiration in life. Although practicing in architecture full time, music has always been her passion and she is a part time musician, collaborating with different artists. She believes music brings people together and connects them through their hearts regardless of their backgrounds.
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