Interventions
on the act of decolonizing theatre
“…when we describe the arts as an “industry” we sometimes get caught up in the idea of running that machine.”
-Catherine Hernandez
“We cannot be familiar with the lived experiences of every person we meet… As Canadians, it is our responsibility to understand the histories and treaties of the land on which we stand.”
-Cole Alvis
Expanded reflections by Catherine Hernandez and Cole Alvis
in issue 13.1 of alt.theatre magazine: Between Art and Activism
Risk
"Risk.
I think this is a
problematic word
It connotes danger,
and discourages change."
-Jenna Rodgers
considers the pattern of perpetual emergence that some Canadian artists experience
in issue 13.2 of alt.theatre magazine: Back to School
Change
“This change is not new;
it is constant.”
-DM St. Bernard
looks back to consider who has been taking the weight
in issue 13.3 of alt.theatre magazine: Feminist Killjoys
“There is nothing abstract in power…”
This beautiful artwork by Mick Agustin is the cover of Canadian Theatre review, issue 170, published in Spring 2017, guest edited by DM St. Bernard and Paul Halferty.
The issue features work by Keith Barker, Michelle Olson, Jivesh Parasram, Lindsay Anne Black, Tsholo Khalema, Olivia Marie Golosky, Rebecca Burton, Santiago Farias Calderon, Philip Adams, Sarah Garton Stanley, Yvette Nolan, Leah Simone Bowen, Heather Davis-Fisch, Gail Murray, Donnie Laflamme, Lisa Zanyk, Rob Kempson, Jessica Watkin and a number of anonymous contributors.
#WeLeaveTheRoom - 2020
A thread: “BIPOC artists have been talking, often behind closed doors and in private conversations, about when and why #WeLeaveTheRoom…”
Digital Pivot - 2020
A thread: “So many orgs have pivoted to digital existence in this socially distant time, rapidly acquiring new competencies. A quick PSA about how we can continue to look for those excluded from our work for various reasons, and plan with barriers in mind...”
2015 World Theatre Day message from
Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance and Ad Hoc Assembly
Today, on World Theatre Day, we join together as Aboriginal and culturally diverse allies to celebrate the contribution of our members and broader communities to the world of theatre.
We are a world of Nations, and within each Nation a world of small worlds – cultures, families, colleagues, communities.
We create theatre in the way that we hope to shape our society:
Relying mutually on each others’ strengths,
Learning from shared experience,
Reinforcing who we are through ritual and ceremony,
Being present while acknowledging the past,
Speaking our truths, and manifesting hope,
Taking risks, and forgiving mistakes.
Theatre is an inherently collaborative form, one in which we strive to express ourselves jointly and understand ourselves collectively.
In the coming year, we at IPAA and Ad Hoc commit ourselves to being, seeking and building good allies towards a platform into which all voices are welcomed.
Ad Hoc Assembly is dedicated to the sustained forward movement of ethno-cultural and socially diverse performance works, artistic processes and traditions.
IPAA is a national arts service organization that claims space for all Indigenous performing artists. ipaa.ca