PuSh Festival

PuSh Festival
Name	PuSh Festival
Location	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Years active	2003–present
Founded	2003

PuSh Festival

PuSh Festival is an annual multidisciplinary performing arts festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, featuring contemporary theatre, dance, performance art, and music from local, national, and international artists. The festival programs site-specific installation work, commissioned premieres, and touring productions, creating intersections among metropolitan audiences, cultural institutions, and independent collectives. Its seasonal presence contributes to Vancouver's cultural calendar alongside institutions such as the Vancouver Art Gallery, Bard on the Beach, and Vancouver International Film Festival.

Overview

The festival presents a curated program of theatre and dance alongside music and visual art that includes premieres from companies like Complicité, Forced Entertainment, and La La La Human Steps as well as Canadian ensembles such as Rhubarb Festival, Tarragon Theatre, and Factory Theatre. It often partners with venues such as The Cultch, Vancouver Opera, and Vancouver Playhouse and collaborates with producers including Arts Club Theatre Company, PuSh Productions, and presenters like National Arts Centre and Toronto Arts Council. The program has included artists associated with Sonia Wieder-Atherton, William Kentridge, Pina Bausch, Martha Graham, and Akram Khan.

History

Founded in 2003 by a collective of producers and curators influenced by festivals such as Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Sydney Festival, and Festival d'Avignon, the festival sought to expand Vancouver's contemporary performing arts offerings beyond existing institutions like Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and Pacific Opera Victoria. Early editions featured collaborations with Canada Council for the Arts, BC Arts Council, and presenters from Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival and Luminato Festival. Over time the festival commissioned works by artists connected to Robert Lepage, Coco Fusco, Rashaad Newsome, and Tim Etchells, and developed partnerships with international festivals including Performa, Ars Electronica, and Biennale di Venezia.

Programming and Events

Programming spans evening performances, daytime installations, late-night events, and public discussions with curators from National Gallery of Canada, directors from Shakespeare's Globe, and dramaturgs from Royal Court Theatre. Events have included solo performances by artists associated with Marina Abramović, ensemble pieces linked to Eshkolot, and multimedia collaborations invoking practitioners such as Hans Peter Kuhn, Kerttu Horila, and Rufus Wainwright. The festival commissions site-specific works for partners like Vancouver Art Gallery, Museum of Anthropology, and False Creek waterfront sites, and hosts symposiums drawing speakers from Harvard University, University of British Columbia, and Simon Fraser University.

Venues and Locations

Performances occur across Vancouver venues including Granville Island, Pacific Coliseum, Orpheum Theatre, Queen Elizabeth Theatre, and community spaces like Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre and Vancouver Public Library branches. The festival has staged outdoor works in public realms such as Stanley Park, Coal Harbour, and Gastown and collaborated with institutions like Science World and Vancouver Maritime Museum for immersive projects. Touring productions have been presented at partner festivals in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, and international hubs including London, Berlin, and Sydney.

Artistic Impact and Reception

Critical reception has ranged from praise in publications including The Globe and Mail, The Vancouver Sun, The New York Times, and The Guardian to academic analysis published via Canadian Theatre Review, Dance Research Journal, and essays from scholars at University of Toronto and York University. The festival is credited with introducing Vancouver audiences to experimental practices associated with postdramatic theatre, contemporary dance, and interdisciplinary art movements traceable to figures like Jerzy Grotowski, Antonin Artaud, and Richard Schechner. It has been discussed in relation to cultural policy debates involving Canada Council for the Arts, municipal arts strategies of City of Vancouver, and touring networks like Culture Buzz and Canadian Arts Presenting Association.

Organization and Funding

The festival is produced by an incorporated non-profit organization with governance structures involving a board of directors, artistic directors, and producing staff. Funding sources include grants from Canada Council for the Arts, BC Arts Council, sponsorship from corporations such as Telus, RBC, and ticketing partnerships with Ticketmaster and local box offices. Philanthropic support has come from foundations like the Vancouver Foundation and private donors connected to arts patrons who also support organizations such as Vancouver Opera and Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

Awards and Notable Presenters

Over the years the festival has presented award-winning artists and premiered works that later received honors including Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts, Dora Mavor Moore Awards, and nominations for Laurence Olivier Awards and Helpmann Awards. Notable presenters and collaborators have included directors and artists linked to Robert Lepage, Miryam Charles, Renee Fleming, Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner, Annie-B Parson, and curators from Tate Modern and Museum of Contemporary Art.

Category:Festivals in Vancouver Category:Performing arts festivals in Canada