Andrea Loewen, Omari Newton, Margo Kane, Brenda Leadlay, Shanae Sodhi, Kathryn Shaw

______________________________________________________

Diversity versus Decolonization: an Honest Conversation in Technicolour (or How to Avoid Doing a Robert Lepage)  was a lively sold-out panel discussion about cultural appropriation, curated and moderated by Valerie Sing Turner, and presented by Visceral Visions and the Museum of Vancouver on November 28, 2018.

When someone mentions "cultural appropriation" or "decolonization", do you feel intimidated or confused – or even angry? Have you wanted to incorporate more equitable practices in your artistic work or organization, but feel paralyzed because you're afraid of making mistakes? Or maybe you're wondering where the line is between artistic freedom and freedom of expression (protest), or the border between censorship and criticism?

Using Robert Lepage's responses to community criticism of his productions of SLAV and KANATA as a jumping-off point, six brave panelists reveal their best practices on the RIGHT things to do through three case studies – real-life situations in which people like you found themselves in the midst of a very uncomfortable cultural controversy. Talking through the process of how they created a space that resulted in positive outcomes – while ensuring all involved felt respected and heard – we are pleased to present the evening's program divided into 4 videos, ranging from 14 to 24 minutes.

• Introduction and full panel tackling the intricacies of history, cultural appropriation, and freedom of speech in the context of Robert Lepage's controversial work (22 minutes)
• Case Study #1: Omari Newton (artist) + Andrea Loewen (former board president, Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards) discussing the 2015 open letter calling out the Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards for systemic racism (15 minutes)
• Case Study #2: Shanae Sodhi (artist) + Kathryn Shaw (Artistic Director, Studio 58) discussing the establishment of Langara College's Studio 58's very first student diversity committee in 2016-17 (24 minutes)
• Case Study #3: Margo Kane (Artistic Director, Full Circle: First Nations Performance) + Brenda Leadlay (Executive Director, BC Alliance for Arts + Culture) discussing the process of decolonizing the 2018 Unrestricted Conference (14 minutes)

This panel was programmed by Visceral Visions as part of its development of CultureBrew.Art, our digital platform featuring a Canada-wide searchable database of Indigenous and racialized artists.

From 2006 - 2018, Visceral Visions offered workshops and mini-intensives with master voice teacher, David Smukler, for Vancouver-area performers, directors, teachers, business leaders, and other professionals. Participants in our most recent mini-intensives in April 2018 commented on their experiences:

David’s workshop was fantastic. In just five evenings I walked away not only with specific and immediately applicable tools for any actor (film, TV, stage, voice over, radio) but also with a better understanding of how to explore further on my own. I’m particularly excited about the discovery of new ways to figure out the right questions to ask of a text or scene, and my relationship to it through breath. - TN

David's passion for the voice and body is infectious. I value every opportunity to work with him. A master teacher, he is able to meet the actors where they are in their journey, and to personalize his teachings, so that you walk away feeling empowered, curious, and better connected to your voice. Most importantly, he plants the seeds of curiosity, a supportive foundation for an actor to begin exploration of authentic voice, or to come back for fine-tuning and further growth. - QN

Written by Valerie Sing Turner

…for experimental theatre and dance lovers, this independent show is not to be missed…Turner’s debut as a playwright [is] an incredible feat considering the complexity of the show’s topic and her atypical approach in dealing with such a controversial theme…brilliantly explored… - 11 Stations Blog

Written by Deborah Gkashugi Asiimwe

Visceral Visions was proud to be one of 14 local companies presenting short plays about climate change as part of Climate Change Theatrical Action Vancouver (CCTA Vancouver). 

"It would be an incredible opportunity to meet again like this, consistently, with the same folks and new ones, to keep building. A retreat like this once a year would be amazing. There are too few opportunities for artists of colour to share space, strategize and create like this."

"I feel like we would need more of these meetings to build a better vocabulary as a group to really feel safe with what each of us needs to say."

Created and directed by Marie Clements

...three magnificent divas--[Jennifer] Kreisberg, Cheri Maracle, and Michelle St. John...combined fierceness and vocal power [to] quite literally "take [our] words away" (to paraphrase the song...)...a powerful experience... 
Peter Dickinson - Performance, Place and Politics

Written by Laurie Fyffe

"...fascinating little one-act work...a nuanced descent into all kinds of dark corners...simply brilliant..." - Vancouver Sun

"...searing, almost embarrassingly fascinating...unprecedented collaboration with the CBC..."- The Courier