The Future of the Original Idea: Artistic Innovation in 2022
Toronto, Ontario
Presented by
Harbourfront Centre
A live discussion on the impact the last two years have had on artistic creation. Part of Nordic Talks.
In light of the global pandemic, Nordic and Canadian artists have become inventive in sharing their artistic work with the world and collaborating on ideas with one another. Digital technologies have become the de-facto platform to create and communicate.
Still, are we losing too much when we’ve lost the tangible, real-world ability to connect with audiences face-to-face? Can creativity thrive in this universal pivot to the digital space? Can artists innovate without that shared experience of an audience? What have we lost, but also: what have we gained?
See full list of event participants below.
Watch a replay of this talk here.
Event Supporters
Jingyi Wang, born in Beijing, China, is a performance creator and director based in Bergen, Norway since 2014. She has a background in journalism, advertisement and performing arts. Her works feature interdisciplinary, concept-driven, participatory elements and often integrates curation into her creations. In 2014 she initiated STATIC THEATER, a concept which composes a time flow with artworks instead of performers on stage. Since 2018, she has developed a new series in which she explores social events as frameworks and recreates the rules to challenge the current system and social paradigm. In this series, Wang has created Post Capitalistic Auction in 2018 and JUDGE ME, a performative court trial in 2021. Her works deeply involve local contexts and the participation of local communities and have been invited to several international theater and art festivals.
A Curator and Artistic Director in the fields of digital contemporary art, electronic music and sound art, Alain Thibault is also the founder of two major events in Montreal, ELEKTRA – an annual festival showcasing performances in digital art since 1999, and the BIAN, International Digital Art Biennale, oriented towards exhibitions, installations and public art since 2012. As an electronic music composer, his works have been presented throughout the local and international scene in several contexts, namely contemporary music and digital art festivals in North America (Canada, USA, Mexico), Europe (France, Italy, UK, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Belgium) and Asia (Japan, South-Korea, Taiwan).
Toronto-based stage director Ravi Jain is a multi-award-winning artist known for making politically bold and accessible theatrical experiences in both small indie productions and large theatres. As the founding artistic director of Why Not Theatre, Jain has established himself as an artistic leader for his inventive productions, international producing/collaborations and innovative producing models which are aimed to better support emerging artists to make money from their art.
Jain was twice shortlisted for the 2016 and 2019 Siminovitch Prize and won the 2012 Pauline McGibbon Award for Emerging Director and the 2016 Canada Council John Hirsch Prize for direction. He is a graduate of the two-year program at École Jacques Lecoq. He was selected to be on the roster of clowns for Cirque du Soliel. Currently, Sea Sick which he co-directed will be on at the National Theatre in London, his adaptation of The Indian epic Mahabarata will premier at the Shaw Festival, and What You Won’t Do For Love, starring David Suzuki will premier in Vancouver.
Laura McLeod specializes in producing theatre, events and cultural festivals and has been working in Toronto and the United Kingdom for over twenty years. Her career has allowed her to work with artists from all disciplines: dance to magic, opera to emerging playwrights, musicians to performing artists. She has taught producing commercial and not-for-profit theatre at a post-secondary level and enjoys mentoring young theatre practitioners. In her role at Harbourfront Centre, McLeod hopes to continue the practice of providing resources and space for meaningful cultural dialogues from a local, national and international perspective. McLeod is thrilled to be the lead producer on the national joint cultural initiative, Nordic Bridges.
