SFU Woodwards Cultural Programs 10th Anniversary Booklet

HANGING IN THE BALANCE

The W symbolized the closure of the venerable Woodward’s store in 1993 and the end of an era. The site sat derelict for 13 long years until the right stakeholders, developer, and community voices found common ground. SFU played a significant leadership role in the W redevelopment in tandem with other community champions, most notably Downtown Eastside activist Jim Green.

The Woodward’s Redevelopment carries with it an historical community legacy, and extensive consultation of community engagement. As the largest construction project of its time within Canada’s poorest postal code, this covenant is a reminder of the aspirations set in granite.

THE 'W' COMMUNITY COVENANT

From 1908 to the 1980s, Woodward’s Department Store served as a hub of commerce and social life for much of Greater Vancouver. Its $1.49 Day, food floor, and everyday necessities made it a popular, quintessentially Vancouver destination.

The decline of Woodward’s began with the advent of the suburban shopping mall in the 1970s. In 1993, shortly after its 100th anniversary, the Woodward’s chain declared bankruptcy and the flagship Hastings Street store closed. The surrounding neighbourhood lost an anchor for its commercial and social life, and the abandoned building became a symbol of the area’s intensifying social issues and sense of disenfranchisement.

The redevelopment of Woodward’s evolved from the community’s wisdom for a welcoming place that would respect and renew this diverse and historic part of Vancouver. Community activism, political will and entrepreneurial spirit, and architectural vision combined to create a unique model of inclusive vibrant redevelopment. This landmark project aspires to foster a sense of belonging among those who live, work and study here, and serve as a gathering place for all at the heart of this great city.

Photo Mural “Abbott & Cordova, 7 August 1971" by Stan Douglas

OUR CHAMPIONS

The individuals below, under the deft stewardship of former SFU president Michael Stevenson, with the impassioned social activist, the late Jim Green, contributed to the creation of a truly engaged arts centre and the birthing of SFU Woodward's Cultural Programs. Their vision and tenacity gifted us a state-of-the-art complex befitting a professional arts presenter. On our 10th Anniversary, we thank them.

SFU President Emeritus

Dr. Michael Stevenson

Dr. Milton Wong and Fei Wong

Dr. Warren Gill

Jim Green, FCM

GRATITUDE

SFU President Emeritus Dr. Andrew Petter, CM, OBC, QC

HONOURING

2021 SFU Honourary Degree Recipient

Margo Kane, O.C (May, 2017), is a renowned interdisciplinary artist and a major advocate for advancing Indigenous performing arts in Canada. She has dedicated her life to mentoring Indigenous artists and creating opportunities to showcase their work and culture.

DR. MARGO KANE

James Thomas Byrnes, C.M., O.B.C.

For his ongoing contributions to the arts, notably as an actor and musician, and for his active charitable work.

JIM BYRNES

Member of the Order of Canada June, 2022

BAH HUMBUG! | 2019 L-R Olivia Lucas, Stephen Lytton, Sam Bob, Margo Kane

SHARED MODEL

As Canada’s Engaged University, SFU is committed to advancing arts and culture engagement within the university and across Vancouver’s Lower Mainland.

Crystal Pite in classroom, 2012

The

for the Contemporary Arts (SCA), SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs (SFUW), Audain Gallery and

Office of Community Engagement reside within this state-

Goldcorp Centre for the Arts. Coordination and collaboration are

to its success providing a

community

to

Goldcorp Centre For the Arts Production

the

“It is impossible to account for all the ways our students benefit from learning alongside SFUW in the SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts. They have access to countless performances, talks, and films by leading national and international artists. By working alongside professional artists they gain insight into ways to thrive in the art world beyond their art education.”

– Elspeth Pratt, Director, School for the Contemporary Arts

Crystal Pite, SCA Dance & Arts Umbrella, Singularity, 2017

CULTURAL PROGRAMS

FEATURED ARTISTS

Margo Kane

Richard Side

Stan Douglas

Crystal Pite

Alan Storey

Robert Lepage

“The arts are the cornerstone of any community”

– SFU Chancellor, Milton Wong

Margie Gillis

Jonathon Young

Marie Clements

Sam Bob

Tom Pickett

Jim Byrnes

Daniel MacIvor

Savannah Walling

Deep Mehta

Oliver Stone

Lisa Jackson

Sammy Chen

DJ Spooky

Renée Sarojini Saklikar

Richard Tetrault

Sarah Kenderdine

Louise Lecavalier

Jeffrey Shaw

Jacob Boehme

Clayton Baraniuk

THE EVOLUTION OF OUR LOGO

As our namesake indicates, we are proudly and indelibly linked to Vancouver’s history and cultural heritage. Yes, a grand olde department store set in what was once the social and commercial heart of our city until its closure in 1993. Woodward’s understood community engagement well ahead of its time. The Woodward’s legacy exuded community spirit for nearly a century.

This rich story is beautifully captured in Robert Enright’s essential read Body Heat – The Woodward’s . The politics behind the project are as turbulent as they are remarkable, all with the backdrop of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. “The world is watching” was central to the tensions of the time and this building's future, as Vancouver sought world-

CREATE ENGAGE INSPIRE

Our opening as SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs, a new cultural producer within a state-of-theart, architecturally stunning complex, would be launched in tandem with the Cultural Olympiad.

The ever-popular $1.49 Woodward’s discount days now live on with our 149 W. Hastings address. Juxtapose that with the engraved Woodward’s Covenant and Stan Douglas’s giant photo installation of the Gastown Riots in the courtyard and you get an even better picture of the social complexity of this project. It remains the largest redevelopment of its kind in Canada, set within Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

SFUW in concept was to be a central cultural hub and community activator, bridging Vancouver’s east and west – a place to create, present, and engage. We sought a Radio City-style persona where old and new worlds meet, with the ever-rotating W tower emitting ‘creative’ waves across Vancouver to welcome everyone.

Art creation, experimentation and community engagement remain the driving principles to our existence.

To that end we set about engaging leading artists and communities in a creative relationship within the contemporary arts context in all its forms – dance, film, theatre, music, and digital arts.

To this day we actively seek out the city’s most compelling storytellers/visionaries that take us to new places, reveal new ways of seeing and understanding our ever-challenging world. Be it exploring provocative themes or integrating digital technologies, these new works break through the noise of today, heightening our curiosity to new and hopeful futures.

In the pages ahead, past, present, and future works hopefully substantiate our aspirations. We have adopted a stylistic collage layout that best suits the many layers of our story.

In our anniversary year you will see a few of these commissions, now ready for their world premieres.

We thank you for coming along as we celebrate our 10th and look towards a new generation of artists, innovative creations and, most importantly, your participation on this enriching journey.

Welcome back!

– Michael Boucher, Director of SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs

|

Robert Lepage

CREATE ENGAGE

To say we knew what we were doing at the beginning would not be true. We had to create the right platform. Trial and error are very much a part of our evolution. Acknowledging the existing cultural landscape and key organizations meant knowing their longstanding contributions. It was a learning experience for SFU to connect meaningfully. Tone was vital.

The cultural programs portfolio seeks out leading artists locally and abroad to explore new works that provoke new expressions. This includes engaging artists through commissions and artistic residencies.

INSPIRE

We chose the path of experimentation, trying our best to capture the ever-changing contemporary arts landscape. It took time to settle on guiding principles and engage diverse communities. Artists and audiences wanted to be inspired. Three words kept coming up in all of our community conversations. These have ultimately become our motto: Create, Engage and Inspire.

2016 Robert Lepage

BAH HUMBUG! | 2019 L-R Tom Pickett, Vinny Keats, Ron Stelting, Olivia Lucas, Sam Bob, Noah Gotfrit, Bill Costin

In 2010, Vancouver Moving Theatre (VMT) and SFUW Cultural Programs embarked on a fruitful ten-year partnership to co-produce Bah Humbug!, an original adaptation of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol that’s tailored for, with, and about the complex and culturally rich Downtown Eastside.

An exceptional artistic production that acknowledged inner city challenges and local wisdom from the community’s perspective, Bah Humbug! is beloved by the Downtown Eastside community for its authentic and sympathetic portrayal of the community and its culturally diverse cast. Thousands of people from across Metro Vancouver and beyond have attended the production. Downtown Eastside community actors worked alongside top-notch professional artists, accompanied by the youthful voices of the St James’ Choir.

This year we celebrate 10 years of Bah Humbug! with an outstanding film screening, and look forward to collaborating with VMT for many years to come. This project raised over $125,000 for inner city arts.

BAH HUMBUG! | 2019 L-R Jim Byrnes, Savannah Walling

THE FAR SIDE OF THE MOON | 2012 Robert Lepage 887 | 2016 Robert Lepage

PRESENTATIONS

We hold space for intersecting conversations with our partners and find opportunities for collaboration across the university, be they academic or other.

“I’m very grateful for SFU’s support and partnership on Transmissions.

Thousands of people experienced the artwork, heard dozens of speakers tell of the worldviews of their mother tongues –some 50+ Indigenous languages – advancing important language revitalization work.”

SCA FACULTY SERIES | 2016 Rob Kitsos

TRANSMISSIONS | 2019 Lisa Jackson

SCA FACULTY SERIES, UNAUTHORIZED | 2019 Arne Eigenfeldt & Kathryn Ricketts

– Lisa Jackson, Award-Winning Anishinaabe Artist from the Aamjiwnaang First Nation

Jeneen Frei Njootli

THE TEMPEST REPLICA | 2014 Crystal Pite / Kidd Pivot

SFU 50TH ANNIVERSARY 2015 FESTIVAL OF IMMERSIVE ARTS

HIDDEN PASTS DIGITAL FUTURES

Jeffrey Shaw / Sarah Kenderdine Pure Land 360 Fei & Milton Wong Experimental Theatre

Hidden Pasts Digital Futures was the largest SFUW undertaking in celebration of Simon Fraser University’s 50th Anniversary. This project utilized leading edge media technologies, digitally capturing rarified cultural sites such as the Magao Caves (China) in extraordinary resolution to the point that visiting Buddhist monks who had been banned from seeing the Magao Caves wept upon seeing the realism of this three-dimensional representation.

FRAGMENTATION Robert Lepage Fei & Milton Wong Experimental Theatre

CIRCA 1948 Stan Douglas National Film Board of Canada Woodward’s Atrium

UNMAKEABLE LOVE

Jeffrey Shaw Fei & Milton Wong Experimental Theatre

HIDDEN PASTS DIGITAL FUTURES

Jeffrey Shaw / Sarah Kenderdine Place-Hampi

50th Anniversary 2015

For more than 30 years the Vancouver’s Astoria Boxing Club ran a non-profit youth program that provided a safe space and mentorship for at-risk youth, survivors of domestic violence and other inner city challenges. In the Spring of 2012, the gym’s funding was cut and the club was forced to close its doors. Aprons For Gloves approached SFUW to convert our Experimental Theatre into a boxing ring. SFUW proudly partnered with this community based initiative from 2013 to 2015, supported by Vancouver restaurant workers. Servers, dishwashers, and bartenders entered the ring as boxers, safely duking it out to fundraise for this community. Unusual for a university one may say.

2012,

SCA and SFUW have collaborated on featuring faculty and community artists in performance, advancing current as well as historical perspectives on the differing contexts of the Black Experience in Canada and the US.

Curation: Marion Landers 2013, 2014

Supporters: National Congress of Black Women, School for the Contemporary Arts

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

BLACK HISTORY MONTH | 2014 Janelle Reid, Albert St. Albert Smith

Beginning in 2011 SFUW presented a series of Gamelan groups that culminated in a full blown festival in 2013. The combined effect of music, dance, instruments and costumes was dazzling.

FESTIVAL OVERVIEW

Collaborators: Sutrisno Hartana, Michale O'Neill, Tony Reif, Jon Siddall, Michael Tenzer, Gamelan Madu Sari, Gita Asmara, Gamelan Alligator Joy, Gamelan Si Pawit.

GAMELAN GITA SMARA | 2011

WELLS HILL | ACTION AT A DISTANCE

A WORK INSPIRED BY MARSHALL MCLUHAN & GLENN GOULD 2017

“When I completed my SFU degree back in 2006, I would often daydream about all the incredible new facilities that were in store for the next generation of students, [or] how much time I would get to enjoy these new spaces after all those years dancing on Burnaby Mountain. Rob Kitsos, Judith Garay and Michael Boucher invited me to create a short piece as part of SFU Woodward’s opening ceremony in 2010. This was a pivotal moment for me as an artist. Working with a large group is a rare opportunity for an aspiring choreographer. Creating this piece rekindled a restless urge to choreograph that I’ve pursued ever since. This tiny spark eventually led to the Wells Hill full-length in 2017, co-presented by SFUW and DanceHouse.”

Choreographer Vanessa Goodman’s roots go deep at SFUW, starting with her studies at SFU School for the Contemporary Arts.

– Vanessa Goodman, Artistic Director, Action at a Distance

ACTION AT A DISTANCE, WELLS HILL | 2017

“CURRENTLY AND HISTORICALLY, SFUW HAS BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF PUBLIC DISCOURSE IN THE FIELDS OF CULTURE AND POLITICS.”

– Theatre Artist and Author Carmen Aguirre

SPEAKING OF DANCE, DANCEHOUSE

ART TALKS

Contemporary Arts is ever-changing, cross-disciplinary and perpetually re-defining itself. Arts discourse is essential to bridging artists and audiences. These vital community conversations help to better understand these divergent voices and artistic expressions. Our cultural partners contribute to these conversations across all disciplines.

149 ARTS SOCIETY

LAUNCH Festival for Emerging Artists

Board of Directors

Susan Mendelson Jim Smith Elspeth Pratt Laurie Anderson Daune Campbell Chris Arnet Linda Johnston

2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2022

CANADIAN HERITAGE COMMITMENT

In 2010 Simon Fraser University's Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, a newly constructed arts complex, was awarded a Cultural Spaces Fund from the Government of Canada through The Department of Canadian Heritage.

SFU’s obligation was to create the 149 Arts Society (149 Arts) as a distinct charitable entity to ensure majority usage for Vancouver's professional cultural community within the new centre. Two venues were prioritized to the obligation, the Fei & Milton Wong Experimental Theatre and Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema.

149 Arts' core mandate is to present contemporary performing arts focused on emerging artists through presentation opportunities, discourse, and mentorship training across the Lower Mainland.

THE FOUR PILLARS OF 149 ARTS

• Present diverse professional emerging artists and mentorship opportunities

• Commission new works

• Support underserved professional arts communities with mentorship and access to opportunities

• 149 Arts Board consists of a cross-section of arts, business and university representation.

A CRACK IN EVERYTHING | 2013 Zoe & Juniper (Seattle, WA) co-presented with 149 Arts

LAUNCH FESTIVAL

LAUNCH Festival for Emerging Artists began in 2010 as an event to celebrate and support the work of emerging artists across dance, theatre, music, film and digital arts.

LAUNCH advances the discovery of new artists and guides them in establishing a career in the arts. Selected artists are given a platform to share creative work, gain feedback and learn directly from established artists in a masterclass format.

This is a perfect opportunity for emerging artists who are looking to build professional relationships, gain career insights and connect with a community of artists.

A mix of industry-leading mentors will be engaged to facilitate the day’s activities and discussions.

Ileana Chelayden

Chersea

Sepehr SamimiSaul Chabot Trio, Lisa Simpson

Meredith Kalaman & Dustin CarnieSubscura

LAUNCH

FESTIVAL

MENTORS

Warren Dean Flandez

Jim Smith Leanne Prain

Gary Cristall

Heather Kennedy

Jay Brazeau

Vanessa Goodman

Paul Christie John Dippong

Mina Shum

Jonathan Holmes

Colin Browne

Dorothy WoodendRichard Layzell

Lisa Gelley Martin

Kevin Eastwood

Veda Hille

Claudia Kelly Li

Murray Gibson Emma Lancaster

Max Wyman37

SFU ArtsLIVE – ANIMATING ALL SFU CAMPUSES THROUGH THE ARTS

SFU ArtsLIVE is an ongoing series of arts and cultural activations across a wide variety of unique spaces around SFU campuses in Burnaby, Surrey and Vancouver. Through the arts and culture, we join together as a campus community to celebrate differences, engage in shared experience, and foster rich campus identity. ArtsLIVE is produced by Student Experience Initiative and SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs.

Banana Bread

Laydy Jams

Bukola

Véronique Trudel

Sarah Jickling

Alex Wells

Desiree Dawson CrossbowJeanette Kotowich

Nyla Bedard

Mitch Saddleback

Shawn Bullshields

MISFIRES

TRIGGER ME CONCEIVED BY RICHARD SIDE

2019

Why do we laugh, and what or who are we laughing at?

Understanding comedy and its underlying context is tricky terrain. In Act One, we presented diverse and charismatic comedians who performed live. The audience was in their hands. In Act Two, the comedians explored the content of their routines with the audience. Quickly, the audience became polarized over what was funny to the point that it was impossible to moderate – a courageous initiative nonetheless.

KANATA WORKSHOP

Kanata was a project that began as a development workshop hosted by SFUW, bringing together France’s renowned Théâtre du Soleil and Quebec’s Ex Machina under the direction of Robert Lepage. Kanata was both contemporary and historical in terms of its narrative arc that included Canada’s First Nations representation.

As conversations proceeded, the issue of authentic representation arose. Indigenous inclusion was essential and that hurdle could not be overcome because of creative differences related to casting and appropriation.

KANATA | 2017 Michael Boucher, Margo Kane, Rober Lepage

SFUW has partnered with DanceHouse for eight years to select presentations, including the Indigenous-led Red Sky Performance, Akram Khan Company, and Louise Lecavalier’s Fou Glorieux.

“I like to think that SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programming and DanceHouse – who is celebrating a 15th anniversary this year – have grown up like supportive siblings, with each helping and nurturing the other along the way.

“The opportunity for DanceHouse to co-present work with SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programming at the Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre has had a tremendous impact on the range of work that we program, and as a consequence, the cultural life of Vancouver. Be it the work of British choreographer Akram Kahn that both respects and challenges Indian kathak form and contemporary dance, the provocative and insighful dance-theatre hybrid of Jacob Boheme – a descendant of the Narangga and Kaurna nations of South Australia, or shining a light on the work of Simon Fraser University alumni and local choreographer on the rise Vanessa Goodman. Each of these presentations have made a contribution to expanding the richness of life in Vancouver.”

– Jim Smith, Artistic and Executive Director, Cofounder - DanceHouse

CHOTTO DESH | 2018 Akram Khan

INDIAN SUMMER FESTIVAL

Each partnership grows and responds to the changing needs over time. This collaborative evolution is exemplified by our 10-year partnership with Indian Summer Festival!

“As our first cultural partner, SFU Woodward’s holds a special place for us at Indian Summer Festival. In many ways, we have grown together. ISF was the first festival to take place entirely at SFU’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts in 2011, with SFU Woodward’s playing an active role in our first iteration.

ISF’s offices were provided by SFU Woodward’s in our second year, giving us a creative hub to work from. Since then the partnership has grown and deepened into multiple co-productions, including theatre, comedy, art exhibitions, literary panels, roundtables, discursive events, concerts and film screenings. It is an interwoven relationship that spans disciplines and a decade!”

– Sirish Rao, Artistic Director and Co-Founder

CREATIVEMORNINGS VANCOUVER

“CreativeMornings Vancouver’s cultural partnership with SFU Woodward’s transformed our little volunteer-led monthly breakfast lecture series into one of the most regularly well attended and impactful creative events in the City’s history.”

– Mark Busse, Producer and Host, CreativeMornings/Vancouver

A longstanding partnership between SFUW and CMVan was clearly in the cards, as each works towards bringing together people from all walks of life, taking them out of their comfort zone, and hosting dialogue around the role of creativity in our lives, careers, and practices. With SFUW’s active participation and support, each monthly co-created event is inclusive, diverse, and inspiring, building connections. After eight years of partnership, SFUW has been immensely proud to see the Vancouver chapter grow into one of the most active and engaged in the large global CreativeMornings community.

CREATIVEMORNINGS VANCOUVER | 2019 Danielle Laporte

PuSh INTERNATIONAL PERFORMING ARTS FESTIVA L

“The PuSh International Performing Arts Festival would not be what it is today without SFU Woodward’s. In many ways we have grown up together. Every PuSh festival for the last ten years has had events at SFU Woodward’s Woodwards and welcomed Cultural Programs as a partner. The building and the program have been a home to so many of our programs, from the Youth Assembly, to the Industry Series to productions and parties. These gatherings have enriched our community and been a key gateway for expanding thinking about performing arts in our community.”

ILBIJERRI THEATRE COMPANY (AUSTRALIA)

JACK CHARLES VS THE CROWN | 2016 Jack Charles

– Gabrielle Martin, Director of Programming, and PuSh team

“DOXA is proud to be a longstanding partner of SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs; DOXA and SFU Woodward’s have been collaborating to present innovative and impactful nonfiction media to audiences for the past eight years. Our shared aim to inspire active engagement and cultivate emerging forms of creative expression makes this partnership a meaningful one. We’re pleased to support SFU Woodward’s as they celebrate this milestone, and look forward to our continuing partnership!”

– The DOXA team

DOXA

VANCOUVER POLISH FILM FESTIVAL

A festival that started between six people, almost on a dare, has blossomed into a yearly event over the last 10 years, celebrating the best of contemporary Polish film and opening a window on vibrant Polish culture to Vancouverites. Since day one, SFU Woodward’s has been there every step of the way, helping, guiding the event, and staying receptive to new angles and ideas around how to spice up and improve the festival.

“All of us at VPFF feel that this event would not be as successful as it is without the partnership of SFU Woodwards. And for that we are very grateful.”

Vancouver Polish Film Festival team

DOXA | 2020 Film Still: Sisters with Transistors

VPFF | 2015 Film Still: The Art of Loving

VANCOUVER

QUEER FILM FESTIVAL

SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs has been a supporter and cultural partner of Out On Screen and the Vancouver Queer Film Festival for many years, championing its work in uplifting queer, trans, and Two Spirit lives through film and storytelling.

SFUW has also been a staunch supporter of Troublemakers, a program by Reel Youth, Out On Screen, and Love Intersections started in 2016 to connect aspiring young filmmakers with elders to create video portraits of 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals who have survived and thrived.

“Out On Screen congratulates SFUW on reaching this milestone 10th anniversary, and we look forward to continuing to propel art and storytelling in our community together for many more years to come.” Brandon Yan, Executive Director, Out On Screen.

VQFF | 2016 Film Still: Major!

VANCOUVER LATIN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL

This year, the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival is celebrating its 20th edition of bringing cutting-edge and innovative cinema from Latin America and its diasporas to Vancouver. It is also celebrating 10 years of collaboration with SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programming.

VLAFF continues to reimagine its organization to create forums to celebrate and amplify the work of Latine/x filmmakers in the city, as well as educate and advance the public’s understanding and appreciation of Latin American cinema and culture.

“SFU Woodwards has been a vital part of VLAFF’s growth in the past decade, supporting us with memorable opening and closing nights, the visiting filmmakers programs and support free access to the Indigenous film series’’

– Christian Sida-Valenzuela

Vancouver Latin American Film Festival Programming Director

SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs is an avid supporter of the Indigenous Arts Community and is a key partner of Full Circle: First Nations Performance and Talking Stick Festival. SFUW directly supports Full Circle’s mandate to develop and promote Indigenous artists in all disciplines, through venue, facility and marketing support. SFUW is proud to support and make space for the voices of Indigenous artists through Indigenous-led partnership.

TALKING

“SFU Woodward’s has been instrumental in our growth and capacity building. We thank them for their commitment to our community of Indigenous artists and their support of our organization’s vision.”

– Dr. Margo Kane, Founder and Artistic Managing Director, Full Circle

INDIGENOUS VOICES

TALKING STICK FESTIVAL

SFUW has partnered with Hard Rubber Orchestra (HRO) for 10 years, growing and supporting each other in presenting exceptional, boundary-stretching works of scale. Formed in 1990 by John Korsrud, the 18-piece HRO has been one of Canada’s most active and unpredictable ensembles of creative music. In our recent partnership in 2022, SFU Woodward’s presented Hard Rubber Orchestra’s 32nd anniversary as Vancouver’s “Godzilla of jazz” at SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts.

HARD RUBBER ORCHESTRA

“[SFUW partnership] has allowed us to be free artistically, and has been an essential part of our artistic development.”

– John Korsrud, Founder, Hard Rubber Orchestra

HARD RUBBER ORCHESTRA | GODZILLA OF JAZZ John Korsrud conductor

TURNING POINT ENSEMBLE

The partnership between Turning Point Ensemble and SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs has been rich with innovative and memorable programs over more than 10 years. Looking back to June 2010, the Woodward’s building opened with Imprint, a ground-breaking dance/music collaboration involving SFU Contemporary Arts faculty members Henry Daniel and Owen Underhill. Since then, the strong organizational partnership has continued to grow, with programming exploring jazz/new music crossover, technologically advanced electroacoustic experimentation, historical and contemporary synchronizations with film, the air india [Redacted] and The Mute Canary opera, and the genre-busting Zappa meets Varèse and Oswald.

“The visionary and supportive interactions with Director of SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs Michael Boucher have been a wonderful match. Congratulations from Turning Point Ensemble on the first ten years!” – Owen Underhill, Artistic Director and Conductor

TURNING POINT ENSEMBLE | 2015 air india (Redacted) | Owen Underhill conductor

F-O-R-M is an international movement-on-screen festival founded in 2015 that centres the voices of youth and emerging artists. F-O-R-M presents and commissions films that explore the limitless possibilities of the body in motion on screen through curiosity, experimentation, and imagination. This year marks the 7th edition of the Festival of Recorded Movement (F-O-R-M) and the 5th year of co-production with SFUW.

"F-O-R-M complements SFUW’s mandate to Create, Engage and Inspire through their Commissioning Fund, focus on youth leadership, and presentation of innovative films made by fellow emerging artists. SFUW has provided a valued conduit between F-O-R-M and SFU School for the Contemporary Arts."

– Sophia Wolfe, Artistic Director

FESTIVAL OF RECORDED MOVEMENT (F-O-R-M)

FESTIVAL OF RECORDED MOVEMENT F.O.R.M. | 2017 Film Still: Northbound by Jorn Nyseth Ranum

VANCOUVER TURKISH FILM FESTIVAL

Founded in 2011 by a group of local film enthusiasts, the Vancouver Turkish Film Festival (VTFF) has partnered with SFUW for the past five years to present thought-provoking cinema films accompanied by informed public discourse. SFUW and VTFF bring audiences into the world of radically human, emotionally charged stories showcasing the best of Turkish cinema. SFUW is proud to be a welcoming space to host critical, honest conversation around challenging cultural and contemporary topics.

Through partnership, we are able to widen the conversation.

SOUTH AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL

“Our partnership with SFUW has allowed us to expand and further engage both locally and nationally on a grassroots basis. Your approach has always been open, flexible and friendly. Thank you!”

– Cecil Hershler and Ruth Hershler

VTFF | 2018

SAFF | 2021 Film Still: Riding With Sugar

Dancing on the Edge Festival is proud to be the oldest and longest running professional contemporary dance festival in Canada – and we did it here in British Columbia! Each year, DOTE is an eagerly anticipated highlight of the Lower Mainland’s Dance Season.

“The Dancing on the Edge Festival Society strives to create a place where contemporary dance artists are supported in the creation, development, and presentation of artistically exciting choreography and where audiences discover and enjoy dance in both traditional and non-traditional settings.”

DANCING ON THE EDGE

– Donna Spencer, Festival Producer

DANCING ON THE EDGE | 2022 Josh Martin, Billy Marchenski in John by Helen Walkley.

YOUTH VOICES

Our partnerships include opportunities for youth to experience and participate in the contemporary performing arts on a professional and community level through workshops, creative collaboration and attending performances. These successful collaborations include: TroubleMakers, PuSh Youth Assembly, St James' Choir and Axis Theatre.

QUEER FILM FESTIVAL | 2019 TroubleMakers L–R: Brandon Yan, Out on Screen; Jen Sung from Love Intersections; Mutya Macatumpag and Mark Vonesch, Reel Youth.

VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

When SFUW and Vancouver International Film Festival partnered up in 2013, we marked the occasion with an opening weekend screening of Blue Is the Warmest Colour. The Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema not only surpassed the festival’s technical demands, it also immediately distinguished itself as a forum for discourse. Dozens of equally memorable screenings have followed in the ensuing years. Just as importantly, SFU Woodward’s has hosted countless lively Q&As, taking exhilaratingly deep dives into subjects from resource extraction to particle physics to Truth and Reconciliation.

“Through our partnership at SFU Woodward’s, we’ve also witnessed how an institution can establish itself as a good neighbour and strive to serve an array of communities. This has served as inspiration as we chart our post-pandemic course.”

– Curtis Woloschuck, VIFF Director of Programming

FRENCH PROGAMS

Nous sommes prêts – SFU motto

SFUW partners with various French cultural organizations to present diverse programming in French. Through these partnerships, we engage a wider audience of Francophone, bilingual, and English-speaking audiences in exceptional film and music presentations, and live performance works. Recent collaborations include:

VISIONS OUEST PRODUCTIONS | RENDEZ-VOUS FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL

“Visions Ouest Productions (VOP) is proud to be associated with SFU Woodward’s as a Cultural Partner. SFUW engages multiple cultural communities and we appreciate working with this amazing and dedicated team. With this partnership, we have reached a wider audience and created more occasions for people to come together and share expériences during Rendez-Vous French Film Festival (RVCQF). Thank you for all your incredible work, happy anniversary!”

– Régis Painchaud, General Director, Visions Ouest Productions

SFU OFFICE OF FRANCOPHONE AND FRANCOPHILE AFFAIRS

SFU’s Printemps de la francophonie is an annual event that brings people together to celebrate the diversity and richness of Francophone cultures through free cultural, academic, and professional activities.

“Merci beaucoup for your contribution over the past 10 years and we look forward to working with you for another 10 ... at least!”

– Gino LeBlanc, Director

SFU Office of Francophone and Francophile Affairs

THÉÂTRE LA SEIZIÈME

"We have had the chance to partner several times with SFUWCP this past decade, around exciting and significant presentations. We are grateful for the spirit of collaboration, the generosity and the passion they always bring to the table. We are looking forward to our next wonderful project together. Happy Anniversary!"

– Esther Duquette, Artistic and Managing Director, Théâtre la Seizième

Jean-Marc Vallée

Chantal Hebert

ASTROLABE MUSIK THEATRE

Astrolabe Musik Theatre is a Vancouver-based performing arts company creating compelling, professional works of music at the intersection of opera, theatre, visual art, dance and film— frequently in site-specific or alternative venues. Passionate about Canadian creators and performers, it’s dedicated to creating, commissioning, and performing works by Canadian and Indigenous artists. Like SFUW, Astrolabe creates cultural and community connections.

“As a new Cultural Partner with SFU Woodward’s, we are thrilled to have this important relationship. The Milton and Fei Wong Theatre is a stunning facility for new music programming and is one of our favourite venues in the city to premiere and present new works. Astrolabe Musik Theatre is honoured and proud to be working with the fantastic team at SFU Woodward’s on a major Canadian premiere in the Spring of 2023.”

– Heather Pawsey, Artistic Director

ASTROLABE unheard Heather Pausey

CHUTZPAH! FESTIVAL

Edith Tankus – Wild Country

The Chutzpah! Festival is an annual multi-arts festival. “Chutzpah! presents Canadian and international theatre with works originating from artists within the Jewish community and in dialogue with non-Jewish artists.

“SFUW and Chutzpah! embark on the first year of partnership in 2022, enabling both our organizations to share exciting performances and engage with new audiences. Reaching across the city to bridge our theatrical venues and studios, we look forward to stimulating artistic and cultural exchange for years to come.”

– Jessica Gutteridge Artistic Managing Director, Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre & Chutzpah! Festival

VANCOUVER LEBANESE FILM FESTIVAL IN CANADA

Lebanese Film Festival in Canada (LFFC) showcases cross-cultural conversations and shines the spotlight on a new generation of Lebanese cinema and culture providing an insightful window for Canadian audiences.

LFFC Film Still: Memory Box

EARLY MUSIC VANCOUVER

“Early Music Vancouver is delighted to be part of SFU Woodward’s 10th anniversary season with “The Queen of Carthage”. This co-production with re:Naissance Opera will be our first experience in your wonderfully versatile venue. We wish to extend our warmest congratulations to the entire SFUW team for ten years of passionate dedication and we look forward to joining the amazing line-up of artists in 2022/2023!”

CHOR LEONI MEN’S CHOIR

Something magical happens when Chor Leoni sings in harmony. Audiences are transfixed, transported, and transformed. We sing together.

– Julia Halbert Executive Assistant & Project Coordinator

CHUTZPAH! FESTIVAL | 2022 Film Still: Wild Country

10TH ANNIVERSARY PROGRAMMING

Actually this is the 12 year of our operation as we opened our doors back in 2010, however we like everyone everywhere could not celebrate this event when we should have. We did not want to miss this important milestone. Hence we proudly declare this to be our Tenth Anniversary of LIVE in-person activities with an extraordinary lineup of artists and presentations. Welcome back!

Our partnership with 2b Theatre Company began in 2022 with Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story. Raw, emotional storytelling connects audiences coast to coast, and offers up space for local audiences to witness and celebrate the work of artists from across Canada.

Our friends from Halifax return to join in this celebratory year with Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story in December 2022. Tickets on sale now.

“A gift that keeps giving, we are also able to intersect with SFU students, offering handson production experience and invaluable moments for us and our world-class design teams to reflect on our collaborative instincts through mentoring and learning experiences.”

– Natalie LeFebvre Gnam Managing Producer and Carla Ritchie Managing Director

GRAVEYARDS AND GARDENS

ACTION AT A DISTANCE CO-PRESENTED WITH MUSIC ON MAIN

SFUW and Music on Main have proudly partnered together since 2022, presenting a diverse array of genre-bending work that weaves together live music, dance, media arts, and more. In 2023, the partnership continues as Music on Main and SFUW present the long-awaited live version of Vanessa Goodman and Caroline Shaw’s unforgettable Graveyards and Gardens.

Music on Main has developed an international reputation as one of today’s leading-edge classical and contemporary music programmers. Their goal is to create informal, intimate experiences of great music and great musicians.

“Congratulations to SFU Woodward’s on ten years of sharing extraordinary art! I have so many great memories of experiencing powerful performances at SFU Woodward's, and I’m thrilled that Music on Main is collaborating on an extraordinary production at the Wong: Vanessa Goodman and Caroline Shaw’s Graveyards and Gardens. At Music on Main, we share a spirit of discovery, innovation, and community with SFU Woodward's.”

– David Pay, Artistic Director ACTION AT A DISTANCE | 2023 Graveyards and Gardens, Vanessa Goodman

DanceHouse will present the Svāhā Body-Choir performance in July, 2023. Conceived and directed by Toronto’s Nova Bhattacharya of Nova Dance, the project provides dance artists who have trained in movement and theatre forms of the South Asian diaspora the opportunity to recognize their art as vital and essential to contemporary Canadian culture.

Participants collaborate with established Canadian artists from diverse cultural backgrounds and come from storytelling, dance, theatre, opera, poetry and many other art forms. DanceHouse

has never before organized an initiative of this scale to gather amateur community artists of the South Asian community.

With diversity a core value, DanceHouse will be partnering with Indian Summer Festival, Mandala Arts and Culture, and SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs to promote and provide the workshops within the South Asian communities of Greater Vancouver.

SOFT PALATE | 2023 Emmalena Fredriksson

CREATIONS

COMMISSIONS RESIDENCIES

CREATIVE RESEARCH

COMMISSIONING NEW CREATIONS

We are unique in that our multiple venues permit us extensive annual offerings. We do not formalize a season. This permits us greater flexibility to develop new works, maximizing the creative process. The cultural programs portfolio seeks out leading artists locally and abroad to explore new works that provoke new expressions. This includes longstanding commissions and artistic residencies over a two-year period of development.

The Dance Centre is partnering with SFU Woodward’s in their anniversary season for the presentation of Piña, a new creation by dance artist Ralph Escamillan, Artistic Director of FakeKnot. SFUW has supported the research phase of this work through our residency program, which includes use of our studios and final preparation and presentation in the theatre.

“These partnerships are crucial in any artistic path to success; they form the critical pathway to sustaining artistic careers and expanding audiences. They are core contributors to the intricate web of support that provides a context for artists to delve deeper into their artistic toolbox. We have partnered regularly with SFU Woodward’s over the last decade, a relationship which arises from shared values around supporting artists and a passion to nurture the public’s appreciation of contemporary dance.”

– Mirna Zagar, Executive Director, The Dance Centre

HARD RUBBER ORCHESTRA PLAYS JOHN HOLLENBECK

Hard Rubber Orchestra, Godzilla of Vancouver jazz scene, plays the music of the acclaimed and highly creative American composer and percussionist John Hollenbeck. This concert will feature the premiere of commissioned work by Hollenbeck as well as new work by rising star Gabriella Yorke plus special guest artists. Hollenbeck combines contemporary composition with jazz composition in an exciting and unique way and promises to write something unique and special for the virtuoso Orchestra. He is, by far, one of the most exciting composers for jazz orchestra. His awards and honours include six GRAMMY nominations; the 2012 Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, the 2010 ASCAP Jazz

Vanguard Award and a 2007 Guggenheim Fellowship; winning the Jazz Composers Alliance Composition Contest in 1995 and 2002. In 2015, Hollenbeck joined the faculty of McGill University’s Schulich School of Music and is currently head of composition for the Jazz Department.

Soft Palate and Ecdysis is set to premiere as a double bill at Dancing on The Edge 2023, in partnership with School for the Contemporary Arts, SFU Woodward's Cultural Programs, and Dancing on The Edge. Showcasing the choreographic work of SFUW MFA grad Emmalena Fredriksson and her interdisciplinary collaborations with costume designer Alaia Hamer and lighting designer Kyla Gardiner, the two pieces are being developed through a five-week residency at School for the Contemporary Arts, and exemplify the unique interdisciplinary thrust of SFUW’s partnerships. Ecdysis explores other worlds through sci-fi, technology, and cyborgs, while Soft Palate is inspired by dreamscapes and the abstract paintings by Hilma of Klint.

SOFT PALATE | 2023 Emmalena Fredriksson

FIRE NEVER DIES

CARMEN AGUIRRE CO-PRESENTED WITH ELECTRIC COMPANY THEATRE

JANUARY 2024

“In our current global conjuncture, it is urgent to tell the story of a workingclass woman artist and revolutionary because it holds a light to what is possible.”

– Carmen Aguirre, playwright, on the importance of producing Fire Never Dies.

FIRE NEVER DIES | 2024 Carmen Aguierre

Locus Standi: The Extradition Hearing of Leonard Peltier is a verbatim play based on the proceedings of the 1976 Vancouver inquiry into charges of murder laid against the American Indian Movement (AIM) leader for the shooting deaths of two FBI agents at the Pine Ridge Reservation in 1975. Peltier was extradited on the basis of evidence that was subsequently rejected as contradictory in his 1977 trial. The two AIM associates who were with him at the time of the shootout had already been tried and were released because the government’s evidence was deemed to be inconclusive, but a jury found Peltier guilty and he remains in a Florida jail to this day. “Locus Standi” is a legal doctrine evoked by Peltier’s lawyers that determines who has the right to be seen and heard in a court of law.

“I am really excited to be able to collaborate on a new project with a director and writer as talented and accomplished as Marie Clements. The icing on the cake is to be able to develop and premiere the work at SFU Woodwards: there is no better place in Vancouver to create and experience challenging theatre, period.”

– Stan Douglas

“I am honoured to be working with Stan Douglas on Locus Standi and to be supported by SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs with a residency on their 10th anniversary. I was writer in residence a few years ago and it was invigorating to reside in an environment that pushes artistic boundaries, promotes innovation and intense craft”.

– Marie Clements

PRODUCER: SHERRIE JOHNSON SEPTEMBER 2024

SFUW STAFF

FORMER SFUW STAFF

Tamara Messacar

Charlotte Newman

Michael Boucher Director

Lori Strong Project Coordinator

Kaelynn Shinkaruk Marketing Coordinator

Rebecca Cuttler Gorrman Lee Leanne Prain

Halla Bertrand Liz Cairns Caitlyn Bryant Ana Kresina Lenore Swenerton Andriana Contreras

SPECIAL THANKS Michael Stevenson Andrew Petter Joanne Curry Martin Gotfrit Owen Underhill Jane Hawkins

Patricia Gruben Elspeth Pratt Rob Kitsos Peter Dickinson David Ship Richard Tetrault Jessica Chambers

Anne Cowan Linda Johnston Laurie Anderson Miles Lavkulich Susan Mendelson Laura Moore Rick Etkin

Magazine Editors

Kaelynn Shinkaruk

Janet Smith Michael Boucher Research Coordinator Lori Strong Graphic Design

John Endo Greenaway

PHOTO CREDITS

Page Photographer 8 David Cooper 11 ............Jonathan Kim 16 ............Louise Leblanc 17 ............Erick Labbé 18 ............David Cooper 19 ............David Cooper 20 ............The Far Side of the Moon: Sophie Grenier 887: Erick Labbé 21 ............Rob Kitsos: David Cooper Unauthorized: Arne Eigenfeldt Transmissions: Yuula Benivolski 22 ............Jörg Baumann 26 ............David Cooper 28 ............Diane Smithers 29 ............Ben Didier 31 ............Ash Tanasiychuk 33 ............Juniper Shuey 34 ............Ash Tanasiychuk 35 Ash Tanasiychuk 43 ............Richard Haughton 46 ............Bindi Cole 56 ............Chris Randle 57 ............Belle Ancell 60 ............Maggie Macpherson 63 ............Andre Cornellier 64 ............Stoo Metz 65 ............Mark Eugster 66 ............David Cooper 68 ............Luciana Freire D'Anunciação 70 ............Rydal Cerezo 71 ............Mercedes Jelinek 72 ............Luciana Freire D'Anunciação 75 ............Stan Douglas by Evaan Kheraj

BAH HUMBUG! | 2019 L-R Olivia Lucas, Stephen Lytton, Jerry LaFaery, Margo Kane, Tom Pickett, Jim Byrnes, Kevin McNulty, Vinny Keats, Savannah Walling

ANNIVERSARY

1 DanceHouse 2010 | dance presenters

2 PUSH Festival 2011 | performing arts festival, multidisciplinary

3 Indian Summer Festival 2011 | multi-art festival through a South Asian lens

4 Vancouver Moving Theater 2010 | VMT multi-art co-presenter of Bah Humbug! and DTES Heart of the City Festival

5 Talking Stick 2012 | Full Circle: First Nations Performance | multidisciplinary Indigenous art and performance

6 Reel Reservations 2017 | partner with Full Circle | indigenous filmmaker showcase

7 Electric Company Theatre 2013 | theatre company

8 DOXA 2015 | film festival

9 Vancouver Queer Film Festival 2013 | film festival

10 CreativeMornings Vancouver 2013 | creative community networking events

11 Vancouver Iintermational Film Festival 2013 | film festival

12 Vancouver Latin American Film Festival 2012 | film festival

13 Hard Rubber Orchestra 2011 | music ensemble/orchestra

14 Turning Point Ensemble 2011 | music ensemble/orchestra

15 Office of Francophone and Francophile Affairs

16 Théâtre la Seizième 2010 | francophone theatre company

17 Rendezvous Film Festival 2013 | film festival

18 South African Film Festival 2015 | film festival

19 FORM 2017 | film festival

Vancouver Turkish Film Festival 2017 | film festival

Dancing on the Edge 2012 | dance festival

DanceWest Vancouver (formerly Made in BC) 2020 | service organization supporting BC dancers through collaboration and connection

The Canadian Latinx Theatre Artist Coalition (CALTAC) 2020 | service organization re Canadian Latinx theatre network

Emerge Festival 2018 | DTES small grants celebration festival | multidisciplinary

Reel Youth 2017 | youth film production program: Troublemakers

Raven Spirit Dance 2016 | dance company

The Dance Centre 2017 | dance resource centre

Reel Reservations: Cinematic Indigenous Sovereignty Series

Vancouver Opera, Jim Green Opera Series 2013

Music on Main 2022 | classical and leading edge music programs

Lebanese Film Festival in Canada 2022 | film festival

Astrolabe 2022 | music theatre

Chutzpah! Festival 2022 | Jewish arts festival

Early Music Vancouver 2022 | historically informed performance

2B Theatre 2022 | live theatre

Chor Leoni 2022 | choral music