Kevin and Chantal had a fulfilling trip to Nanaimo for a creative residency and community collaboration ahead of the launch of their immersive multi-channel sound installation, The Nature of Us, in June. After engaging in deep creative and relational work on the land, collaborating closely with local choir members (Chrys LoScerbo, Kenton Willem, Brianna MacCrimmon, Tasha Adams, Joshua Holloway, Jocelyn Gamble) and Snuneymuxw Knowledge Keeper David Bodaly, Kevin and Chantal helped weave together choral soundscapes and local ecological knowledge to explore our interconnectedness with each other and the surrounding landscape.
Presented in partnership with Crimson Coast Dance Society and with support from the Canada Council for the Arts, the finished work was installed in the natural setting of Bowen Park as a featured highlight of Nanaimo Pride. Park visitors and festivalgoers experienced a reflective, spatialized auditory experience among the trees, celebrating diversity, queerness, and interconnection with humans and nature in the heart of Snuneymuxw territory.
The Nature of Us was originally developed in partnership with Artio Choir out of Mount Royal University (Calgary,AB). The project travels to different ecological zones and engages local Indigenous knowledge keepers and six vocalists who identify as part of the LGBTQ2S+ community.