Actors Bertrand Lesca and Nasi Voutsas act out a scene during Palmyra, their play about the destruction of historical sites in Syria. Palmyra runs February 1 and 2 at the Rotary Centre for the Arts.
UBC and Inner Fish Performance create fiesta of art, music, dance and theatre
What: Living Things International Arts Festival
Who: UBC’s Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies and Inner Fish Performance Co.
When: January 11 to February 9
Where: Mary Irwin Theatre & Alternator Gallery (Rotary Centre for the Arts), Black Box Theatre (Kelowna Community Theatre) FINA Gallery (Creative and Critical Studies building, UBC’s Okanagan campus)
Get set for a month of visual art, live theatre and music as the Living Things International Arts Festival takes the stage.
Organized by UBC Okanagan’s Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies (FCCS) and Kelowna’s Inner Fish Performance Co., Living Things offers the local and regional arts communities a series of events devoted to celebrated and innovative touring performances of theatre, music, dance, performance art and hybrid forms.
The third iteration of Living Things runs from January 11 to February 9 and includes performances from the United Kingdom, USA, Montreal, Vancouver, and the Okanagan Valley. All performances will be in the Mary Irwin Theatre or the Black Box Theatre.
Neil Cadger, FCCS associate professor of interdisciplinary performance, says Living Things brings local live performance audiences together to experience work that crosses artistic boundaries.
“In a time when opportunities for virtual communication expand exponentially, the power of live presence becomes rarer and consequently, more valuable,” says Cadger. “At Living Things, we cherish the pleasure and power of live performances, we admire the extraordinary things people can do and celebrate the simple, playful magic of the stage.”
Throughout the festival, live public installations will take place in the FINA Gallery, located inside the FCCS building on UBC’s Okanagan campus. At the same time, student and faculty exhibitions will be at the Alternator Gallery, located at the Rotary Centre for the Arts. And new this year, organizers will be offering public workshops with some of the guest artists.
At Living Things visual art, music, dance, theatre and poetry rub shoulders within the same shows, explains Cadger.
“The festival reaches into our community,” he adds. “It brings all-ages theatre, masks, puppets, contemporary political theatre, music and spoken word to youth, students and all spectators who are curious and willing to explore the unfamiliar.”
Living Things receives financial support from the City of Kelowna, the Canada Council, the BC Arts Council, the Centre Culturel Francophone, UBC Okanagan’s FCCS, the Curious Café, and the Mission Group.
All events are open to the public and a complete list of artists, venues, dates and registration details for the workshops can be found at LivingThingsFestival.com.
About UBC’s Okanagan campus
UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world.
To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca.
