Jessica Lowry

Jessica is a Vancouver Island based, Tofino born writer, actor, mother and creator. She holds a BFA with distinction from the University of Alberta’s BFA Acting program, and was an ensemble member with The Shaw Festival for three seasons. Recent local performance credits include Billie in the world premiere of Secret/e- a new work that investigates HIV criminalization, disclosure and consent. As a settler with four generations of roots in the Vancouver Island logging industry Jessica has particular interest in unpacking her own colonial history through artistic practise. Jessica wrote and performed in Clear Cut, as part of the Nanaimo Art Gallery’s Silva Part II: Booming Grounds exhibition. She was co-recipient of a Canada 150 legacy grant and wrote and directed Blackstones & Bathtubs, a musical revue that navigated Nanaimo’s confederate history while provoking inquiry about the nature of ‘celebrating’ Canada 150 in relation to colonialism, and its devastating effects on Indigenous culture and the natural world. Jessica was scholarship recipient to attend Janis Jonasen’s Intercultural Leadership retreat for women who want to contribute to meaningful conversations regarding Canadian history and the current reality of Indigenous people in Canada. She is a certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor, and teaches this lineage based practice with full regard for the complexities of sharing an Indigenous practice in a western context. Jessica was recently recipient of an ArtStarts grant to create an online mindfulness project for grades 4-7 that explores developing positive mindful awareness practises through yoga and theatre and in the spirit of joy, connection and creation.