Creative Collaborations

Emerging Artists with Local Communities

To strengthen relationships between BIPOC and/or LGBTQ2S+ emerging contemporary dance artists, who have previous affiliations with Dance West Network’s annual creative residency and/or other special projects, this project offers support to connect their work with communities to cultivate theatre audiences in other remote/rural areas of the province.

Presenters are offered additional funds to exercise their creativity to produce unique projects with the artists for their community.

As part of this project, presenters and artists will also meet with Indigenous and Accessibility consultants about their collaboration, and together share aspects of their work together in a public, online conversation.

Dance West Network hopes that this opportunity to engage with artists and re-connect with audiences might lead to future collaborations between artists, presenters and communities.

In addition, Dance West Network has engaged Seika Boye to connect and consult with network presenters.

This pilot project is funded by Canadian Heritage's Re-engaging Audiences Fund for Professional Arts Presentation Organizations.

Project update, 2023

Jessica McMann, Tunde Jegede, Daniel Bhattacharya

presented at

Secwepemc (Secwepemcul’ewc), Ktunaxa, Sinixt Territory / Arts Revelstoke

Sinixt Nation and the Yaqan Nukiy (Ktunaxa) / Capitol Theatre, Nelson

In February 2023, as part of the DWN Creative Collaborations - Emerging Artists with Local Communities project, Cree Hoop-dancer JESSICA McMANN (Cowessess, SK), internationally renowned Kora and African Classical composer TUNDE JEGEDE and classical violinist DANIEL BHATTACHARYA collaborated to create a unique partnership of music and dance titled Fusion, presented at Arts Revelstoke and at the Capitol Theatre in Nelson.

As a result of this collaboration, Jessica was invited back to both communities, November 2023. Jessica, a classically trained flautist, performed the work of her new album Prairie Dust, alongside violinist Holly Bhattacharya and pianist, Perri Lo.

In Nelson, Jessica also offered a Hoop Dance workshop for the community, and in Revelstoke, audiences once enjoyed the second iteration of the collaborative work Fusion.

L-R, T-B: Simran Sachar photo: Richie Lubaton; Eric Cheung, photo: courtesy of the artist; Sophia Sosa photo: Richie Lubaton; AJ Kule Kambere photo: courtesy of the artist; Tunde Jegede photo: courtesy of the artist; Jessica McMann, photo: courtesy of the artist; Daniel Bhattacharya photo: courtesy of the artist.