Paula Jardine turns cemeteries into creative community spaces
By john Threlfall photography by troy moth
I
n the cemetery, parchment ribbons
with hand-written memorials flutter in the breeze while poets transform personal memories into memorable verses. A medieval trio plays amidst the headstones while a women’s choir sings in the nearby mausoleum. Later, a brass band strikes up a jaunty processional tune and wends its way through the park-like setting. People smile, children laugh, nobody grieves. Saanich’s Royal Oak Burial Park has been transformed from a place of mourning to a flowering of creativity, all because of Paula Jardine. To practice what Jardine calls “celebration art,” community is her canvas, ritual her brush. But while her current medium — cemeteries — may seem morbid, the opposite is true. As artist-in-residence at both Royal Oak and Vancouver’s Mountain View Cemetery, Jardine sees her role not as a handmaiden of death but as an ambassador for life. As the creator of the cemetery artist-inresidence concept, Jardine has no defined role or set goals; she simply looks for opportunities to engage with the cemetery as a community space. “My daughters love telling people that I work as an artist in a cemetery,” she chuckles.
“It makes people curious, and for me that’s half the success of the project. It introduces a different way of thinking about a cemetery.” Thinking differently could well be the nickel description of Jardine’s 30-plus years as a professional artist. Best known for two events she created as the founding artistic director of Vancouver’s Public Dreams Society — the summertime Illuminaries Lantern Procession and October’s Parade of Lost Souls (both of which still attract thousands of participants annually) — the Victoria-based Jardine pioneered outdoor spectacle theatre in Canada. Having trained with Toronto’s acclaimed Theatre Passe Muraille in the 1970s, Jardine has since spearheaded lantern processions and parade-based community engagements in numerous cities and spent the past four decades creating events that integrate performers and the public with ritual and celebration. Currently in her third year as artist-inresidence at Royal Oak (and seventh at Mountain View), Jardine has found new life working with cemeteries as creative spaces. “For an artist who loves to do things in a landscape, I have found my niche,” she says.
“No two families are the same — everybody wants something very personal and very special to them, so the more options they have, the more likely we’ll be able to give them a more meaningful memorial.” ~ stephen Olson
Paula Jardine created the artist-inresidence concept at Saanich's Royal Oak Burial Park, where she leads public rituals and celebrations of life.