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The PuSh International Performing Arts Festival is one of Vancouver’s signature events. Produced each January, the Festival expands the horizons of Vancouver artists and audiences with work that is visionary, genre-bending, multi-disciplined, startling and original.
The Festival showcases acclaimed international, Canadian and local artists and mixes them together with an alchemy that inspires audiences, rejuvenates artists, stimulates the industry and forges productive relationships around the globe. More than just shows, the Festival is a broker of international partnerships, a meeting place for creative minds, a showcase of Canada’s best and an incubator of brilliant new work.
This year, the Talking Stick Festival is partnering with PuSh festival to co-produce the Industry Series and Club PuSh.
In 2022, the Talking Stick festival is partnering with PuSh festival to co-produce the Industry Series and Club PuSh.
The fundamental principle of self-determination needs to underpin all aspects of what we do to ensure our cultural and creative authority of our narratives.”
-Rachael Maza
Artistic Director of ILBIJERRI Theatre
This year at PuSh Industry Series, Talking Stick Festival will host three roundtable conversations regarding Indigenous performing arts as they have developed both on the territory now known as Canada and on territories in other parts of the world. When speaking about Indigenous performing arts, complex issues immediately arise around cultivating Indigenous artistic practices that are self-determined and vibrant, and developing a healthy arts ecology that will support artists in community and in touring capacities.
These roundtables will explore and elaborate on intricate questions through the lens of Indigenous self-determination, a process that not only leads to the autonomy of Indigenous voices, but ultimately to the practice, understanding and theories of Sovereign Indigenous Performing Arts.
Indigenous artists, ally artists, presenters and audiences will be challenged and inspired to co-carry new practices of Being and Doing together through this year’s Industry Series.
These conversations centre and privilege Indigenous artists’ voices and curiosities. This work are supported by following Witnessing protocol at the end of each roundtable.
Another old Teaching guides this year’s Industry Series: we gather in circle not to be heard but to hear what is being said. This series aims to transform notions of listening from consumptive and something to take-and-use into reflexive, reciprocal action. In this way, settler and ally artists, presenters and audiences are welcome and invited to re-position themselves, their work, and their allyship in this year’s circles, through deeper listening practices.
Given that the festival is endeavouring to embrace and anticipate the multi-faceted potential of our new digital reality, we are honoured to include Speakers and Listeners from across Turtle Island and beyond its shores.
If you’re looking to keep the PuSh vibes going this is the place to be. Club PuSh is a spot where you can connect with our artists and fellow PuSh-goers. It’s also the venue for fantastic performances in a relaxed, casual atmosphere: drag artists, DJs, and musicians are all here. We’re thrilled to provide a convivial and comfortable setting for our audiences to gather, while conforming to current BC Covid rules.
We hope to see you here!
february, 2022
Check out our Artist Page to find out more about the facilitators, panelists and witnesses.
Talking Stick Festival Social
