A Year in Review
From Global Stages to Local Stories: A 2025 Year in Review of Boundary-Pushing Theatre
2025 was a year of global engagement, creative boundary-pushing, and significant new work development across Canada, Asia, and Europe. I was thrilled to play a part in successfully launching vital transnational projects, facilitated new play and translation development, and fostered cross-cultural exchange.
2025 Highlights
International Exchanges and Creations
2025 was a landmark year for international collaboration, launching vital transnational projects and fostering cross-cultural exchange across Asia and Europe.
Diving into AERO: A European Refugee Odyssey
APPLIED THEATRE
AERO: MEETING POINT #1
Nov. 26 – Dec. 2, 2025
theater:playstation
Valencia, Spain
New Translation Development – Italy
SILENZIO
By Trina Davies
Translated to Italien by Carolina Migli
Teatro di Grazzano Visconti
Oct. 13 – 25, 2025
Celebrating the 2024-2025 Korea-Canada Year of Cultural Exchanges
“…an unforgettable performance! Blending powerful storytelling with youthful energy and cross-cultural collaboration…”
– Embassy of Canada (Korea)
뮤지컬 R;LINK THE MUSICAL
Written & Directed by 김가람 Kim Ga-ram
Co-Written with Tyrone Perreault (Cowessess First Nation)
Composed by 김준호 Kim Jun-ho
Seoul, Korea: July 26 & 27, 2025
Vancouver, Canada: Aug. 15 & 16, 2025
Bali Canada Cross Cultural Exchange 2025
Conceived by Jack Paterson, I Nyoman Sedana, & I Made Sidia
Considered one of the longest uninterrupted performance traditions in the world, the Balinese traditional performing arts are unique, rich, and complex.
April 2025
Rural Curation & Creation
Through my role as Creative Producer for the Summerland’s Ryga Arts Festival, the year saw a deep commitment to fostering the arts in rural British Columbia. This work encompassed diverse activities, including the curation of touring theatre productions like DEAFY, championing new works through play commissions, new play and translation development workshops, hosting author readings and Q&A sessions, and offering a free skills development workshop for young artists (Ages 17-29). This effort successfully showcased diverse, powerful voices and supported the development of new work in the rural community.
Theatre Curation – Rural Arts
DEAFY
Created & Performed by Chris Dodd
Summerland’s Ryga Arts Festival
Saturday, September 20, 2025 | 7 PM
Centre Stage
(9518 Main Street, Summerland B.C.)
New Play Development – Rural Arts
WINGS (WORKING TITLE)
By Isobel Rondeau
Summerland’s Ryga Arts Festival
Sept 16-21, 2025
Author Reading & Workshops – Rural Arts
C. E. GATCHALIAN
Reading: Double Melancholy: Art, Beauty, and the Making of a Brown Queer Man
Workshop: Writing the Unraveling Self
Friday, September 19, 2025
Ssummerland’s Ryga Arts Festival
Author Reading & Q&A – Rural Arts
BRIAN THOMAS ISAAC
Award-Winning Author of “All the Quiet Places”
Hosted by Jack Paterson
Summerland’s Ryga Arts Festival
Friday, September 19, 2025 | 1 PM
New Translation Development – Rural Arts
FACELIFT
By Nathalie Boisvert
Translated by Johanna Nutter
Summerland’s Ryga Arts Festival
Sept. 18, 2025 | 1 PM
Skills Development Workshop (Ages 17-29) – Rural Arts
CREATING THE WORLD OF THE PLAY
Lighting, Projections & QLab
FREE WORKSHOP
Summerland’s Ryga Arts Festival
Saturday, September 21, 2025 | 11 AM
Centre Stage
(9518 Main Street, Summerland B.C.)
New Play Commission – Rural Arts
WINGS (WORKING TITLE)
By Isobel Rondeau
“..a play that centers on forgiveness, within yourself and with others. Armed with this base knowledge, you can continue learning the Seven Grandfathers’ Teachings.” – Isobel Rondeau
Summerland’s Ryga Arts Festival
Research & Access
A significant portion of 2025 was dedicated to creative access research, focused on breaking down barriers in creation and participation for artists and audiences. This work included developing new approaches for senior artists in rural touring, undertaking in-depth creative research on Active Access Design for Senior Artists, and conceiving new pathways for disability-identifying creators. This research is central to ensuring equal and full participation in the independent performing arts.
The Ballad of Georges Boivin – Ignite the Arts Festival
“…explores with great insight thematic territory I’ve never seen covered before…”
– Colin Thomas, colinthomas.ca
Sunday, March 30 | 2:00-3:00pm
Tempest Theatre
125 Eckhardt Ave E, Penticton BC V2A 1Z5
Active Access Design for Senior Artists
CREATIVE RESEARCH
PAL Theatre
Western Gold Theatre
Oct.- Dec. 2024 & March 2025
Towards an Inclusive Theatre (Vancouver CAN)
AAD+ LABS: REMOTE ACCESS FOR DISABILITY IDENTIFYING (& OTHER) CREATORS
Conceived of by Jack Paterson & Hannah Siden
Aug. / Sept. 2024
Presentation House Theatre
(North Vancouver BC)
Knowledge Sharing
The year included significant knowledge sharing, with research and practices presented at major national and international forums. This work included the innovative approaches to Active Access Design for Senior Artists, Cross-Cultural Devised Creation, and Creative Translation.
The Creatus Project featured at CART2025 Conference (CAN)
Julia Henderson presents a paper on The Creatus Project at Canada’s leading Theatre Research conference.
May 26-27, 2025
Sharing Creative Access Practices at The All Inclusive Kongress (DE)
Conference on the state of contemporary disability & inclusive performing arts in independent theatre in Europe.
May 22.- 24, 2025
Sharing in Each Other’s Songs at the flausen+ kongress (DE)
Artistic Freedom, Cultural Political Resistance, and Self-Empowerment through International Alliances in Times of Crisis.
May 20 – 22, 2025
New Translation Canada featured at 2nd CRLCC International Conference
New Translation Canada invited to speak on “Creative Translation” in theatre and our interprovincial work.
May 9-10, 2025
Glendon College, York University (Toronto, CAN)
National Catalyst: New Translation Commissions
Co-founded with Johanna Nutter (QC), Yolanda Ferrato (PEI), New Translation Canada is a national project celebrating great Canadian theatre in both official and other Canadian languages. This independent project works to ensure that the leading voices in Canadian playwriting are translated and promoted to create a truly national theatre community. This year, we were thrilled to commission the following creative translations:
Arts Across Canada – New Translation Commission
carried away on the crest of a wave
By David Yee
Translated to French by Maryse Warda
New Translation Canada
Arts Across Canada – New Translation Commission
Offensive to Some
By Berni Stapleton
Translated to French by Sonya Malaborza
New Translation Canada
Arts Across Canada – New Translation Commission
blood.claat
By d’bi.young anitafrika
Translated to French by Djennie Laguerre
New Translation Canada
Arts Across Canada – New Translation Commission
Granite
By Mishka Lavigne
Translated to English by David Gagnon Walker
Thank you to all the collaborators, organisations, artists, and audiences who made 2025 such a fruitful and inspiring year. I look forward to sharing more about what’s next in the new year!