Messages On Doors

Join us on Wednesday Nov 17, 2021 online or in person for the sharing of the Core Artists’ and Community Participants’ artistic responses to the messages on doors workshop. A live blending of storytelling, personal experience, letters of loss and understanding, video creations, VR painting lessons, textile manipulation and performance art.

Messages on Doors is an online community engagement workshop and live art presentation where members of the Vancouver Island public generate and send personal messages for distant, unreachable, or lost loved ones in an online theatre workshop through a directed creative process.

In the spirit of reconciliation, Indigenous and non-Indigenous community participants work together to create messages shared as part of a digitally streamed and live celebration performance on the traditional and ancestral lands of the Snuneymuxw peoples

The Big Ideas

• We are responsible to take action against the Historical and Present day dark messages of hate towards Indigenous peoples.

• During these times of Isolation, we need to connect more.

Values: Love. Truth. Listening. Survival. Joy.

The Celebration Sharing

• Welcome with Aunty Lolly

• elders are the welders: Usmaan Hafeez

• Communities We Dream Of: Raven John

• Mother Tongue: Jessica Lowry

• find light in darkness: Jessica Lee

• come paint with me: Zann Hemphill

• a letter to my sun: Jacquie Adams

• We Are Still Here: Daniel Puglas

INTERMISSION

• Otter's Robe: Michelle Lieffertz

• those that helped me along my way: Talela Manson

• so far so near: Bryony Dixon

• doors in doors: Joy Dubé

• untitled: Quelemia Sparrow

• untitled: Carl G Keys

Artistic Lead — Tsatassaya White

Tsatassaya White, B.A. is a curator, event planner and community mobilizer. She is a member of the Snuneymuxw First Nation (Coast Salish) and also of Earthquake House of the Hamilton family of Hupacasath (Nuu-chah-nulth Nations). She carries cultural knowledge, roots her work in traditional protocols and has a vast network of community connections. Recently, Tsatassaya curated “Qwuyulush utl’ Swyalana” a day of Indigenous dance at InFrinGinG Dance Festival (July 2019) at Maffeo Sutton Park, produced and directed “huulth-huultha 2020” a dance film in response to the pandemic, and curated the inaugural Sum̓sháthut (Sun) Festival, an on-line Indigenous cultural festival, and co-produced with Nanaimo’s Crimson Coast Dance Society. 

Artistic Lead — The Fox Queen

The Fox Queen is creative collaborators Tamara McCarthy and Dave Mott.  These two white artists of settler descent have over 40 years of combined theatre creation, direction, performance, physical training, devising, leadership, independent producing, mentorship, presentation and teaching in the arts sector.  The Fox Queen ethos rests solidly inside the founding shared values of Humour, Love, Communication, Listening, Respect, Healing, Song, and Collaboration. Tamara and Dave are focused on Community, Responsibility, Survival, Anti-Racist Practice and the Present Moment.  

Core Artists

The Community Participants

Jacquie Adams — Bryony Dixon — Joy Dubé — Usmaan Hafeez — Zann Hemphill — Jessica Lee — Talela Manson — Ty Wesley

The Team

Stage Management - Karissa Hurl

Digital Technical Director - Justus Pounds

Sound Designer - Carl G Keys

Event Details

Online Workshop - October 17, 2021

ZOOM details are available to Community Participants via email. Contact Us for more info

Public Celebration and Performance - November 17, 2021

Snuneymuxw Recreation and Wellness Centre

1145 Totem Road Nanaimo BC Canada V9R1H1

Complimentary winter stew, bannock and soft drinks will be served all evening until resources run out.

Following Provincial Health Guidelines: All guests must present a Vaccine Passport and Government ID to attend the public event. No Exceptions.

This is a free event. Donations gladly accepted.

Do you have barriers to access Messages on Doors?

Please contact us to discuss with The Fox Queen if our team are able to meet them.