Voices in Circle
Submitted on behalf of Farquar Auditorium.
To highlight Indigenous performers and increase ticket accessibility, the Farquar Auditorium staff secured grants from the Department of Canadian Heritage, the BC Arts Council and/or Canada Council for the last 3 years to support the Voices in Circle series.
Every year the Farquar team works to hold performances, lectures and more for the university and community to learn and enjoy. This project sought to increase Indigenous representation and access to mainstream arts events. The funding for Voices in Circle allowed the Farquar to bring Indigenous artists from across Canada to perform at the 樱花影视 and to offer free tickets for Indigenous community members and discounted tickets for students.
Performing artists ranged from Internationally known and beloved Indigenous artists like The Snotty Nose Rez Kids and Tanya Tagaq, to developing young stars like Mattmac and Jeremy Dutcher. While most events featured musicians, the series also included theatre, like the sold-out hit “Bear Grease,” dance performances, like the presentation by Raven Spirit Dance Company and poetry, like a near sold-out audience for spoken-word artist, Shane Koyczan.
Connection to the EAP
This activity advances Access and support, Action 1:
Impact
While the objective of the fundraising efforts was to ensure that Indigenous communities and students could engage with and experience cultural performances, the series attracted a diverse audience to campus including Indigenous communities. Maggie Chapin, Front of House & Production Services Coordinator, remarked “We had a wonderful response especially as the word spread each season. I would estimate that at least half of the seats filled for each of these events were filled by folks utilizing the free ticket offer.”
In addition to the 17 main events, most were accompanied by community engagement programming such as visits by the artists to local schools and Indigenous community centres, meet and greets at the First People’s House or music or dance demonstrations on campus. By featuring Indigenous cultures and amplifying Indigenous voices, the series fostered greater cultural understanding and a more inclusive and equitable campus environment.
Learnings and reflections
One initial challenge associated with this activity was encouraging local Indigenous community members to access the free tickets. It became clear that it was not enough to send a poster and invitation via letter or email, so Farquar staff started making in person connections by attending community events and talking to the folks working in the Band Offices.
Additionally, once the series started gaining a reputation for presenting these events in a respectful way seats started filling up. Building relationships and reputation took time but was key to the success of Voices in Circle.