Hello hello and welcome back, my fellow art enthusiasts and culture vultures! Your self-appointed Vancouver Jaysus is here again to navigate you through the pulsating heart of this city’s oh so ever; evolving arts landscape. Just when you thought you’d caught your breath from our last escapade; whether we were marveling at the just recently concluded TRANSFORM Festival or getting our minds blown at VIFF through ENO.—I’m here to guide you through yet another cultural odyssey.
The universe (or metaverse as Zuck would like to call this one) hands us another gem. So, buckle up, because from:
our city is about to be transformed into a playground of innovation and creativity with the return of the sensational:
“IndieFest!“
Yes, you heard that right; re:Naissance is proudly presenting the 5th annual IndieFest, and it’s bigger, bolder, and more boundary-defying than ever before. This year’s theme:
“Transformation and Transcendence”
invites us all to engage with the world in new and exhilarating ways, encouraging authentic personal growth and exploration by challenging our perceptions, blending genres, and immersing us in experiences that defy conventional storytelling.
Over the next few sections (yes, yes, Jaysuits, I’ve got the table of contents all lined up for your convenience), we’ll dive deep into what makes this festival the can’t miss event of the fall season. From the world premiere of the groundbreaking Eurydice Fragments to the innovative showcases in Future Mythologies, we’re in for an unforgettable ride.
So grab your tickets, set those reminders, and maybe even dust off your dancing shoes—because we’re about to embark on an artistic journey that bridges the gap between art and cutting-edge technology. Let’s get this show on the road!
Eurydice Fragments: Reimagining Myth Through Technology
Hold onto your seats, because we’re diving into one of the most anticipated spectacles of the season—a world premiere six years in the making! 🎭✨ This groundbreaking production is a radical reimagining of the classic Greek Orphean myth, brought to life by the brilliant minds of Luke Hathaway, Teiya Kasahara and ofcourse the wonderful founding artistic director Debie Wong.
Forget everything you know about ancient tales. This experience blends powerful vocal performances, dance, extended reality (XR), and motion capture technology, pushing the boundaries of storytelling to new horizons. At the heart of this masterpiece is O, a trans individual on a quest for wholeness, navigating self-expression through virtual avatars. It’s an immersive journey inviting us to explore identity beyond binaries, reflecting the complexity of self-expression in our modern world.
What makes this production truly exceptional is its seamless fusion of cutting-edge technology with deep, emotional narrative. By harnessing XR and motion capture, the creators have crafted an environment where the physical and virtual realms intertwine, creating an experience that’s as visually stunning as it is thought-provoking. This performance serves as an invitation to step into a world where myths are reborn through the lens of contemporary issues.
While discussing creative technologies, Wong touched on the role of generative AI in both Eurydice Fragments and the broader landscape of storytelling. Though she didn’t see ENO!—the AI-generated documentary at VIFF 2024—she shared insights from the Signals Creative Tech Expo symposium on AI-generated films:
“What working in creative technology has taught me is that the performing arts and the art of storytelling are powerful mediums that we all crave to be a part of. My hope is that our technologies become amplifiers of our humanity and our creativities.”
A Myth Transformed
Innovation Meets Emotion
This philosophy underscores the ethos of this entire festival: leveraging technology not as a replacement but as a tool to enhance and deepen human connection.
🎶 A Collaborative Masterpiece
This is the culmination of years of dedication and collaboration, having evolved from short-form iterations like Live from the Underworld, which earned international acclaim. Now, the vision reaches its full expression, promising to be a defining moment in contemporary performance art.
Debie reflected on the collaborative nature of directing such a multidisciplinary project, emphasizing the importance of shared creativity:
“I rebel against the idea of the creative genius that we inherited from the 19th century. Creativity is shared, and these kinds of multidisciplinary projects come together in compelling and inspiring ways when everyone can bring their strengths and creative ideas to the table.”
For her, fostering trust among collaborators is the cornerstone of this dynamic process, allowing everyone involved to push one another toward the next creative breakthrough. This environment of mutual respect and inspiration is clearly evident in the seamless blending of technology, movement, and sound that defines this art piece.
Hats off to the entire team!The Adventure of Discovery
When asked about the challenges of creating such an interactive and engaging experience, Debi described the process as an adventure:
“We approach everything we do with the intention of making discoveries: if we combine opera with video games, what will we discover? If we combine motion capture with contemporary dance, what can we create? If the performers can control music and sound with their bodies, how does it change their storytelling?“
This adventurous spirit drives the production team to push boundaries. According to Wong, challenges often signal the discovery of those boundaries:
“It’s usually when we ‘break’ something—like we can’t make a technical thing work properly, or our computers literally won’t do what we want—that we know we’ve hit a boundary.”
This willingness to embrace failure as part of the creative process ensures that innovation in never stagnates.
🏛️ A New Cultural Hub
The premiere takes place at the newly minted Signals Studio at the Centre for Digital Media—an 8,000-square-foot converted warehouse breaking all the rules of traditional performance venues. Located in False Creek Flats, this space is the result of a dynamic collaboration between reand DigiBC, two powerhouses championing indie creators in the tech and arts sectors. Together, they’re exploring new horizons of what’s possible in this innovative space.
A Week of Wonders: What’s on the Menu?
Alright, time to dive into the feast of experiences awaiting us! 🍽️✨ This year’s lineup is a vibrant tapestry of performances that blur the lines between art, technology, and storytelling. Trust me, you’ll want to mark every date in your calendar.
🌿 Ultra Violets – November 21 & 22
First up, we have Ultra Violets by the ingenious Alexandra Caprara. This full-length dance-theatre work was a physical exploration of how queer club culture, plant growth cycles, and sapphic intimacy intersect. Imagine a world that’s part greenhouse, part underground dance club, filled with integrated design, dirt, and plenty of disco balls. 🌱🪩
Set in an environment that fuses the organic textures of soil with the shimmering reflections of disco balls, this performance invited us to see growth; not just as a natural process, but as a dynamic celebration of self and community. The performance mirrored that of a plant life’s journey towards light and connection, a metaphor for queer becoming that feels both grounded and transcendent.
The Intersection of Dirt and Disco
The studio became a vibrant, breathing entity, with integrated lighting design that bathed everything in radiant purples and greens. Disco balls scattered beams of light, mimicking the multidimensionality of queer identities and stories. Meanwhile, dirt—yes, literal soil—anchors the performance, reminding us that all growth begins at the roots. It’s an imaginative fusion that invited audiences to dig deep into their own stories while embracing the joy of transformation.
A Tribute to Liberation and Legacy
Caprara draws heavily from disco’s revolutionary roots. As a space of liberation and expression for queer and marginalized communities, the dance floor has always been a haven. Ultra Violets pays homage to this history while pushing it forward, reimagining the nightclub as a place where identities flourish and connections thrive; a reclamation of space, love, and authenticity.
Growth You Can Feel
The choreography itself felt alive, moving with the rhythms of natural cycles. Every step, every gesture, spoke to the intimate connections that bind us—roots intertwining underground, plants stretching towards the light, and people finding one another in spaces that celebrate freedom. This is storytelling through movement, and it felt like poetry in motion.
This performance subverted everyone’s expectations of what queer becoming looks like, depicting it as a cause for celebration. Drawing on the history of disco and plant life, Ultra Violets introduced a fresh perspective on what it means to grow into oneself. It’s a joyous, immersive experience that will leave you feeling uplifted and inspired.
📍 Where and When:
- Signals Studio at the Centre for Digital Media (577 Great Northern Way)
- Thursday, Nov. 21 at 7:30 pm
- Friday, Nov. 22 at 7:30 pm
🔮 Future Mythologies – November 22 & 23
Next, we delve into Future Mythologies, a showcase of excerpts from new works in development that aspire to redefine the future of storytelling. This year’s selection features three boundary-breaking pieces:
1. Soft Tongues by Jami Reimer – November 22
An immersive sound composition that weaves recordings of local frogs and their relationship to their environments. Follow a frog throughout its life cycle in a sonic journey that connects us deeply with nature. 🐸🎶
📍 Where and When:
- Lobe Studio (713 E Hastings Street)
- Friday, Nov. 22 at 7:30 pm
2. Polyphonic Garden by Ruby Singh – November 23
An innovative blend of biophony (the collective sounds of animals in an environment), geophony (the natural sounds of non-biological elements), and biosonification (the translation of biological activity from Indigenous plants into musical sounds). It’s an auditory exploration that bridges art and ecology. 🌿🎵
3. Future Renaissance by Alina Sotskova – November 23
A fusion of contemporary dance, sci-fi, and Renaissance art, all synthesized in a cyberpunk setting 500 years into the future. This piece envisions a world where past and future collide in a spectacular display of movement and imagery. 🤖🕺
📍 Where and When:
- The Annex (823 Seymour Street)
- Saturday, Nov. 23 at 7:30 pm
Each of these performances offers something unique, pushing the boundaries of traditional art forms and inviting us to experience storytelling in new and exciting ways. Whether you’re a fan of dance, music, technology, or all of the above, there’s something here that will captivate your imagination.
Spotlight on the Visionaries: Meet the Minds Behind the Magic
Alright, my fellow art adventurers, it’s time to pull back the curtain and shine a light on the brilliant minds bringing this festival and this particular show to life. These visionaries are trailblazers, disruptors, and storytellers who are redefining the boundaries of creativity. Let’s give a standing ovation to the masterminds behind this cultural extravaganza!
🌟 Debi Wong: The Fearless Innovator
First up is the indomitable Debi Wong—a force of nature in the world of immersive art and technology. As the founding artistic director of re, Debi has been instrumental in pushing the envelope of what’s possible in live performance.
A Multidisciplinary Maestro
Debi is a fearless and award-winning XR producer, creative director, and multidisciplinary artist who’s made significant waves in both the contemporary operatic scene and the creative technology sector. She’s the brain behind groundbreaking projects like Live from the Underworld, The Apocrypha Chronicles, and of course, Eurydice Fragments.
🚀 Accolades and Achievements
Her recent accolades read like a wish list for any artist:
- Executive Producer of Whipped Cream’s music video experience, The Dark (CIMA Bold Award Winner, SXSW Official XR Experience Selection)
- Co-Creator and Executive Producer of Live From The Underworld (Aurea XR Award, double winner in creativity and innovation)
- Opened TED 2023 singing as The Solar Ambassador in K Allado McDowell’s new AI opera, Song Of The Ambassadors
- Named one of the world’s 100 most influential experiential designers by XP Land’s XLIST
Her work is all about crafting immersive worlds through boundless storytelling, engaging audiences in transformative experiences that challenge and expand the possibilities of live performance.
📝 Luke Hathaway: Weaving Words and Worlds
Next, let’s delve into the poetic realm of Luke Hathaway, the writer and co-creator of Eurydice Fragments. Luke is a poet, librettist/lyricist, and theatre maker based in Kjipuktuk/Halifax, whose work brings mythopoeic word-worlds to page, screen, and stage.
🎨 The Art of Myth-Making
Luke collaborates with artists and ensembles near and far in the work of collective storytelling. He’s passionate about telling trans and queer stories that are close to his heart, infusing his narratives with depth, nuance, and a touch of the otherworldly.
Acclaimed Works
- Author of “The Affirmations: Poems” (2022): A Times ‘Best Book’ of the year
- Co-Creator of the Operas:
- Caeneus (ANIMA)
- Do You Hear Me? (Vocalypse), both currently in development
Recent Collaborations
- Short Film “Ghost Story“ with the art collective THIRTYMINUTES
- Album “The Sign of Jonas“ with Benton Roark and Mother Country / Laughing Heart Records (2024 release)
As he eloquently puts it:
“I collaborate with artists and ensembles in the work of collective storytelling, bringing mythopoeic word-worlds to page, screen, and stage. It’s about weaving together our stories to create something truly transformative.”
Luke is also the co-artistic director of ANIMA with Daniel Cabena and teaches English and creative writing at Saint Mary’s University.
🎤 Teiya Kasahara: Breaking Boundaries in Opera
Last but certainly not least is the phenomenal Teiya Kasahara 笠原貞野—a Nikkei Canadian settler, queer, trans non-binary opera singer, and interdisciplinary theatre creator based in Tkarón(colonially known as Toronto).
🌈 A Voice for the Voiceless
Teiya comes from a rich background of performing both operatic and concert roles across Turtle Island and Europe. They’ve graced stages as Mozart’s Queen of the Night, Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, and have premiered new roles like Solana in “When the Sun Comes Out” and the title role in “Silence”, set to premiere in 2025 with Nuova Arts.
🌟 Innovative Creations
- “The Queen in Me“: Teiya’s critically acclaimed operatic-play that had a sold-out run at Ottawa’s National Arts Centre and has toured internationally.
- “Project T“: An autoethnographical performance and recording series exploring Teiya’s personal journey, which launched at ChamberQueer’s festival in New York this past summer.
- Queer-Retelling of Schumann’s “Dichterliebe“: A collaboration with pianist David Eliakis, reimagining classic works through a queer lens.
🤝 Community and Collaboration
Teiya is a co-founder of Amplified Opera, an artistic associate with Confluence Concerts, and a long-time collaborator with reOpera. Their work not only breaks barriers in opera but also creates spaces where marginalized voices are heard and celebrated.
From Roots to Revolution: The Evolution of IndieFest
Let’s take a moment to journey back in time, because every great story deserves a prologue. IndieFest wasn’t always the groundbreaking phenomenon it is today. Five years ago, it was a seed planted by visionary minds, nurtured by a community hungry for innovation and inclusivity in the arts. It then slowly morphed into a space where art marries purpose, innovation dances with inclusivity, and we, as a community, are invited to transcend the ordinary.
A Festival is Born
In its inaugural year, it set out with a simple yet ambitious mission: to celebrate local creatives, amplify the voices of IBPOC and LGBTQ2S+ artists, and push the boundaries of live performance. It was a bold endeavor, especially in a city as culturally rich and diverse as Vancouver. But with passion and a dash of rebellious spirit, the festival quickly carved out a unique space in the arts scene.
Embracing Innovation 🌐 Blending Art and Technology
Over the years, this festival has transformed, much like the art forms it showcases. What began with a focus on innovative storytelling in opera has blossomed into a multidisciplinary celebration that spans dance, theatre, music, and cutting-edge technology. Each year, the festival embraces new art forms and technologies. Imagine immersive storytelling that shatters the fourth wall entirely! By integrating extended reality (XR), motion capture, and biosonification, the festival crafts experiences that are as interactive as they are introspective.
As Debi aptly puts it:
“The festival has grown significantly over the past five years, but it remains focused on showcasing Vancouver’s vibrant indie arts scene. We’re using technology to create unique, connective experiences and we’re focused on immersive storytelling that envisions hopeful, generative futures for our communities.”
This approach leverages tomorrow’s tools to tell the stories that matter today.
Championing Inclusivity and Diversity
The festival has consistently championed the voices of Indigenous, Black, People of Colour (IBPOC), and LGBTQ2S+ artists, providing a platform for stories that might otherwise go unheard. It’s a space where artists and audiences alike can explore identity, challenge conventions, and imagine new possibilities.
Inclusivity here serves as the very fabric of the festival’s ethos. By amplifying the voices of the marginalized, and other equity-deserving artists, the festival ensures diverse perspectives are celebrated in full spectrum.
Toddy embodies this spirit, bringing their lived experience as a queer, trans non-binary opera singer to the forefront. A Vancouver-based comedian and trained opera singer, Toddy found recognition by winning Season 1 of OutTV’s Call Me Mother, being a vocal soloist in the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in the “Symphony of Terrors!”, and performing at festivals around North America. With a winning combination of drag, standup comedy, opera, classical and popmusic, Toddy (she/they) is redefining the very idea of pop stardom on their debut album ‘Always’.
Their work challenges the status quo, offering fresh narratives that resonate deeply with audiences craving authenticity and representation.
Situated on the unceded territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, Səl̓ílwətaʔ, and xwməθkwəy̓əm nations, there is a profound respect for the land and its people. Offering free admission to Indigenous, Inuit, and Métis peoples goes beyond mere gesture; it’s a commitment to accessibility and community engagement.
A Theme of Transformation
This year’s theme, “Transformation and Transcendence,” extends an invitation for personal growth. The performances are designed to provoke thought, stir emotions, and perhaps even inspire a shift in perspective.
Whether through the immersive soundscapes of Soft Tongues, the ecological melodies of Polyphonic Garden, or the futuristic fusion of Future Renaissance, each piece encourages us to engage with the world—and ourselves—in new and exciting ways.
A New Home at Signals Studio
This year’s IndieFest also marks a significant milestone with the opening of Signals Studio at the Centre for Digital Media. This brand-new cultural hub, a collaboration between DigiBC, it’s designed to break the mold of traditional performance venues. The 8,000-square-foot converted warehouse in False Creek Flats provides the perfect backdrop for the festival’s innovative programming.
🎟️ Tickets and Access
Tickets are available at www.showpass.com/o/renaissance. Be sure to grab yours early, as these events are bound to captivate audiences far and wide!
Special Access: Complimentary admission is extended to Indigenous, Inuit, and Métis peoples, affirming the festival’s commitment to inclusivity and community engagement.
🤝 Support the Movement
Beyond attending, amplify the festival’s impact by spreading the word. Share this experience with friends, family, colleagues—anyone who appreciates the transformative power of art. Let’s build a vibrant community that thrives on creativity and inclusivity!
💡 Practical Tips
- Arrive Early: Give yourself ample time to settle in and soak up the atmosphere.
- Embrace the Experience: Come with an open heart and mind, ready to engage with thought-provoking performances.
- Connect: Strike up conversations with fellow attendees and artists. This is a space for dialogue and shared experiences.
Now, the only question is:
Which events will I see you at?
(Hint: The correct answer is all of them!) 😉
✨ See You There!
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One response to “Eurydice Fragments @ IndieFest 2024: An XR Opera Experience That Redefines Myth”
[…] unusual for Vancouver’s performance scene, which thrives on bold, innovative reimaginings. From re:Naissance’s boundary-pushing performances blending Opera with VR/XR, Vancouverites are no strangers to shows […]