About & History

The PuSh Festival works on the unceded and traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ first nations, primarily in the territory that was the seasonal and ancestral village of K’emk’emeláy. We want to express our deep gratitude for those who have cared for this land from time immemorial. As settlers on this territory we are striving to build reciprocal relationships with our Host Nations and the Indigenous Urban Communities of artists and audiences on this territory and beyond. 

For more than two decades, PuSh Festival has been the Lower Mainland’s signature, mid-winter cultural event delivering audacious, innovative, contemporary works of live art by acclaimed local, national, and international artists.

Vision

We envision a society fully engaged in empathy and the arts, and activated by a festival that expands our sense of the world.

Mission

The PuSh Festival creates new possibilities for artistic expression and how we relate to one another. We present a performing arts festival that challenges our assumptions, facilitates deeper understanding, inspires the imagination, and fosters meaningful connections.

Values

Inter-cultural connection:

We connect locally and globally across cultures and contexts to promote collaboration, creative and political stimulation, knowledge transmission, and empathy.

Transformative experiences:

We curate culturally urgent and rigorously realized performing arts to create transformative audience experiences.

Innovation & experimentation:

We celebrate creative risk with artistic programming that pushes the possibility of live art, and organizational practices that are adaptive and forward thinking.

Social justice:

In our operations and programming, we use our power and privilege to challenge systemic inequities and to amplify the voices of those who are, or who have been historically, marginalized.

Care & reciprocity:

We engage with people as humans first, nurturing connections built on mutual respect, dignity, and understanding. We strive for sustainable and reciprocal relationships.

Accountability:

Recognizing that innovation carries risk and that we will make mistakes, we foster a culture of psychological safety, continuous learning and accountability.

History

In 2003, co-founders Norman Armour and Katrina Dunn envisioned a vibrant, mid-winter event series where Vancouver artists could forge relationships and opportunities with the rest of Canada and beyond. They saw the potential benefits of a dynamic interplay between disparate disciplines, between arts patrons, and between the city’s venues and creative communities.

The Festival has since grown exponentially and now enjoys a highly regarded Canadian and international profile with approximately 18K+ annual attendees. An important animator of new creation, the Festival commissions groundbreaking work while stimulating dialogue and exchange.

2008 marked the first year of Club PuSh, a new programming stream extending the Festival’s offerings late into the night in venues across the Lower Mainland.

In 2010, PuSh was a major partner in the Cultural Olympiad. Together with the City of Vancouver, PuSh launched the official celebrations of the city’s 125th anniversary in 2011 with an outdoor event in Gastown that drew over 7,000 people.

The years following, the PuSh Industry & Assembly saw considerable growth establishing the Festival as a staple in calendars for Canadian and international presenters and artistic directors. 

In 2018, Norman Armour stepped down as Artistic and Executive Director. Joyce Rosario – whose role as the Associate Artistic Director from 2012 was pivotal in the growth and vision of PuSh – stepped in as the Interim Artistic Director until a new Artistic Director was announced in 2020. 

In 2021, after a period of change and reflection that saw a near complete changeover of staff and board, and in the middle of the Covid-19 Pandemic, PuSh restructured the organization around a Collaborative Leadership team and hired Gabrielle Martin as the Director of Programming, with Margo Kane serving as the Director of Indigenous Initiatives. Keltie Forsyth joined the team as Director of Operations in 2022.

Our work on organizational transformation continues as we explore what PuSh can be moving into the next phase of its evolution.

Curatorial Vision & Community Role

The PuSh International Performing Arts Festival is unique among the region’s festivals. Curated, multidisciplinary, international in scope—the Festival stands alone in its commitment to bring together critically acclaimed work from different disciplines under the umbrella of a single festival. The PuSh Festival highlights new ways of storytelling, new forms of staging, new approaches to combining disciplines, and new views on contemporary themes and issues.

PuSh envisions its leadership role as a catalyst and animator. We foster connections between existing audiences and artists, while providing an occasion for dialogue and exchange between like-minded communities. Premieres by local artists are presented alongside shows that have garnered national and international acclaim. Together, audiences are afforded an inspiring view of trend-setting innovations from across Canada and around the world.

Professional development opportunities at the Festival take many forms and forums. A highlight is the PuSh Industry Series: a performing arts industry initiative that offers global networking opportunities through its specialized programming for the Canadian performing arts.