Michelle Lieffertz

Michelle (she/her) is a mother, daughter, partner, artist who lives works and plays on the unceded traditional lands of the Stz'uminus first nation, the hul'quimi'num speaking peoples, the Lheidli T'enneh, Lhtako Dene, and Secwépmec peoples.  Her training in colonial theatre performance practices was honed on both sides of the Atlantic: she holds a Canadian BA in Theatre, and a British MFA in Theatre Performance.  The 25+ years she has worked as a theatre professional has led her to also dabble in Costume Design, and she has garnered several awards in both theatre and film for her work in performance and on the production side of things.

All of this has joyfully brought her to the heart-full place she is now: an Historical Interpreter in Barkerville Historic Town, heart of the Gold Rush, and one of the earliest places that began the colonization of what became the province of British Columbia.  Her work is steeped in the practice of Uncolonization, and of trying to understand the past, in order to reconcile a future that will hopefully bring more balance and understanding of this place we all now call 'home'.  She is committed to stepping out, falling down, getting it wrong, learning, understanding, changing, and trying again.  Ultimately, this life is all about loving each other, and she truly believes that if we make the time, effort, and invest the energy to do that, we can change the world.