Unified around the concern for their futures, an unlikely constellation of characters are hoping to make time more habitable, durable and possible. The mixture of characters from animal to insect, element and object, allow us to connect human longevity to the necessary survival of creatures, concepts, values, and things. They inspire movement and offer rich territory for creating rituals.
We see rituals as a tool for insisting the group culminates, ruminates and transforms - for them to communicate with their own and each other's spirits. Are rituals also at risk of disappearing? Which ones can we take with us, change or create in order for vital closure and openings?
The characters’ gravest problems might not yet have viable solutions. It’s likely they are both the problem and the solution on a tightrope of comedy and tragedy. Humour allows us to not fall prey to feelings of sorrow and despair. We’ll be exploring the importance of lightness, not to diminish the gravity of something but rather to offer buoyancy in our hearts and minds to face what is heavy and use that buoyancy to return with perspective and connection.
Vancouver-based Out Innerspace (OIS) was founded by Tiffany Tregarthen and David Raymond on unceded Indigenous land of the Coast Salish peoples and has dedicated nearly 20 years to creating extraordinary dance experiences through uncompromising rigour and ingenuity. They have recently been awarded support from the National Arts Centre's National Creation Fund, Associate Artist of Agora de la Danse, and commissions with Ballet BC, Netherlands Dance Theatre 2, Hessisches Staats Ballett (Germany) and Gibney Dance (New York).
Bygones has performed 50 times across 12 countries including presentations with Julidans (Amsterdam), Torino Danza, Colours Festival (Stuttgart), Teatros del Canal (Madrid), Dansens Hus (Stockholm), and Canada’s National Arts Centre. Their education program Modus Operandi offers relevant dance development and individualized mentorship generating some of Canada’s most radical and inspired young dance artists.
The National Creation Fund’s investment of $119,000 will expand the production design team, including engaging additional set, prop and costume designers and makers. Our investment will also support a post-premiere residency to incorporate feedback and discoveries from the premiere, reconfigure the show for larger touring venues, and create artistic materials such as a print and digital artbook and audio-visual description.
“The game changing investment of the Fund provides us our first time to work with set and prop designers and a substantial costume design team. It furthers a new frontier of live-camera choreography and immersive projection for our company. This level of support is especially meaningful as it allows us to realize our ambitious vision without compromising our participation as performers or the opportunity to pursue challenging ideas.”
- Tiffany Tregarthen & David Raymond, Co-Artistic Directors
Co-producers: La Comète (Châlons-en-Champagne, France), Julidans (Amsterdam, The Netherlands), Agora de la danse (Montréal), La Rotonde (Québec), One Dance Week (Plovdiv, Bulgaria)
Residency partners: Agora de la danse (Montréal), ArtSpring (Salt Spring), Yukon Arts Centre (Whitehorse)
Government funders: Canada Council for the Arts, BC Arts Council, Province of British Columbia, City of Vancouver
Developed with support from the National Arts Centre's National Creation Fund.
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