Theatre for Living

Theatre for Living received a grant in 2017 from the Catherine Donnelly Foundation to produce šxʷʔamət (home) – an interactive, Forum Theatre production created and performed by an Indigenous and non-Indigenous cast, including new Canadians, asking what reconciliation really means. The play builds to a crisis and stops. Performing the play a second time, the audience can stop the action, enter the play, and work towards reconciliation, on the ground, where it really exists. The process is deeply transformative at the personal and community levels.

 

The project performed in Vancouver in March 2017. Theatre for Living also released a DVD of the production and broadcast their Closing Night as a live global webcast, reaching an additional 17,000 people across Canada and around the world.

Theatre for Living is now organizing a 22 city BC/Alberta tour, which will spread the educational power of the project throughout BC and Alberta in 2018.

For more information, visit their website.

 

Audience Feedback Says It All

“Thank you to all involved in šxʷʔam̓ət (home)! I haven’t seen any other piece of theatre before that I actually felt had the capacity to shift people’s minds and hearts towards authentic reconciliation. This is important work and I was so glad to share in it.” -Natalie Davidson

“One of my takeaways is that settlers cannot expect indigenous people to teach us, to make things right. We need to educate ourselves, to look after our own healing, and work humbly to develop healthy Nation to Nation relationships.” -Pauline Le Bel

“šxʷʔam̓ət (home) was such a beautiful, moving and satisfying experience. Which isn’t to say it was all feel goody. No, like good theatre it was challenging and harrowing and sad making at times as well. I so appreciate what all the actors in this show are doing. Putting themselves in such vulnerable places in order to move the conversation around Reconciliation forward.” -Crystal Verge

“šxʷʔam̓ət (home) was absolutely profound. The interventions were amazing and I truly feel that productions like this will help social change progress. Reconciliation is such a difficult and scary thing to talk about, this production was a safe space to open up and bring some of the thoughts forward, regardless of where you stand on the subject. The awareness this created is so valuable to Canadian society.” -Victoria Champion

“šxʷʔam̓ət (home) was the most emotional, challenging, difficult and inspiring piece of theatre I have witnessed in a very long time. It asks difficult questions, resisting simple answers. It asks much of the audience and we learn much in the process. The deep symbolism within this show stretches far beyond the obvious story. The show touches us in many ways reflecting within it many of our own stories. There is magic in the space that opens up within the framework of the show at hand. I can’t recommend it enough. We have a lot of work to do and Theatre for Living are pointing the way.” -Frank Rader