FREE to attend! All are welcome.

Jerry and Jo-Ann Saddleback

FRI APR 26 | 4pm

Beaver Hills House Park, 10404 Jasper Ave NW

Honouring the deep relations that both Dreamspeakers and Rubaboo have created over the vast years that they’ve engaged artists, community and allies, we invite all to a special outdoor Cedar Smudge at the Dreamspeakers Walk of Honour tribute to artists. Our Elders will guide us in ceremony and both Welcoming and Honour Songs, and an invitation to respond to the welcome to territory…and when the spirit moves we can Round Dance!

Admission – $20

FRI APR 26, SAT APR 27, TUES APR 30 | 7:30pm

MON APR 29, TUES APR 30 | 1:30pm

Alberta Avenue Community Centre, 9210 118 Ave NW

Directed by Barry Bilinsky, designed by Ami Farrow, written and performed by Josh Languedoc.

Meet Nakota. A young boy who is sick in the hospital and trying to write the greatest story ever. One day, Grandpa Rocko comes over for a visit and whisks Nakota away into a world of stories that are right below his feet. Within the land. This show explores the interplay between stories of the present against the long forgotten stories of the past, as Nakota learns to confront his fears and discover who he truly is.

Admission – $20.

WED MAY 1 | 7:30pm

Theatre Lab, Allard Hall, 11110 104 Ave NW

The title of the show, Kaahsinnoniks, in Blackfoot loosely translates to ancestors. The title gives an opportunity to play with the western construct of past, present and future. The Elders say, before we had calendars and clocks, we only had today with our ancestors, only two days behind us and two days ahead of us – which gives us a paradigm that allows us to explore the events of the past, the present and future because for us, everything is integrated.

FREE

THURS MAY 2 | 3pm

Conference Centre, Allard Hall, 11110 104 Ave NW

Indigenous meme workshop led by @dadfights. How-to’s, references, origins, and more. Want to learn more? Stay for the Meme Panel Discussion with Arnell Tailfeathers, Nigel Robinson, and Taran Kootenayoo following the Youth Talent Show later in the evening.

Admission – FREE by registration.

THURS MAY 2 | 5pm

Conference Centre, Allard Hall, 11110 104 Ave NW

Casting Director, Rene Haynes, and her associate, Elise Buedel, provide tips on the DO’S and DONT’S of AUDITIONING – as well as all the secrets to making a successful SELF-TAPE – which is so important in this Internet driven casting environment.

Admission – $20.

FRI MAY 3 & SAT MAY 4 | 7pm

Theatre Lab, Allard Hall, 11110 104 Ave NW

Blood, Water, Earth is a ritual, an embodied incantation, traversing sacred alignment from cosmos to womb to whenua. Weaving performance, video and music/song, it channels the ancestral, elemental and the dream world. The imagery and energies span the wide range of what is woman: warrior, leader, mother, transformer and huntress. Acknowledging inter-connectedness and shared experiences of Indigenous woman, Blood Water Earth places a Konkwehon:we/Mana Wahine (Aotearoa) worldview in the vanguard. The performance is inspired by the concepts and imagery from Kaha:wi Dance Theatre’s triptych series on Re-Matriation: Re-Quickening, Blood Tides and Skennen.

Admission – $10.

FRI MAY 3 | 8:30pm

Betty Andrews Hall, Allard Hall, 11110 104 Ave NW

A tried and true Festival tradition; a mixture of music, dance, spoken word poetry, and film tied together by the excitement to perform. In the spirit of our Michif namesake “Rubaboo Stew”: Come enjoy a bountiful blend of all the artistic flavours available in our community – from festival favourites to talented emerging artists.

Performers:

Arik Pipestem – Hoop and Contemporary Dance

Injun Josephine (Trevor Duplessis and Luann Chalifoux – Blues/Rock Guitar and Drum duo

Jayden Paz – Soaring Vocals and Guitar

Lancelot Knight – Rock Guitar and Vocals

Sky Demas – Hiphop and Contemporary Dance

Tammy Lamouche and Vanessa Beaudry – Contemporary Singer/Songwriter with Guitar Accompaniment

Taren Kootenhayoo – Theatre/ Spoken Word Poetry

Tarene Thomas – Spoken Word Poetry

FREE

SAT MAY 4 | 2pm

ᐄᓃᐤ (ÎNÎW) River Lot 11∞ Indigenous Art Park, 10380 Queen Elizabeth Park Rd

An improvised collaborative performance art piece infusing the lasting impact of the Indigenous public art park. Channeling the stories spoken across these banks for centuries, we take our Fusion formula of combining visual artists with performing artist to create synergistic, dynamic, and wholly collaborative art. MJ Belcourt Moses is at the centre of our work in the park.

Performers:

MJ Belcourt Moses – Stretched Hide Painting

Arik Pipestem – Dance

Amanda Lamouthe – Traditional Flute

Darryl Bretton – Men’s Fancy Dance/Flute

Jackson Rolling Thunder – Chicken Dancer/Flute/Singer

Rebecca Sadowski – Dance

Tarene Thomas – Spoken Word

Jerry Saddleback – Storytelling, Drum and Singing

Admssion – $20.

SAT MAY 4 | 8:30pm

Betty Andrews Hall, Allard Hall, 11110 104 Ave NW

The power of womanhood and Indigenous sexuality are unabashedly celebrated in our gathering of local in national Burlesque artists. Vancouver favorites Virago Nation, with local artists Iskotew Iskwewak and Audra Dacity, film by Janet Rogers.

FREE admission. Tattoos by donation to artists.

SUN MAY 5 | 10am-4pm

Theatre Lab, Allard Hall, 11110 104 Ave NW

A gathering to empower and lift up the virtues of our Indigenous warrior societies. To uphold the strength of our defence of Indigenous Land, Food, and Bodies. Live tattoo sessions utilizing hand poke and skin stitch techniques, political discourse, live entertainment and Art.

FREE

SUN MAY 5 | 11am

Betty Andrews Hall, Allard Hall, 11110 104 Ave NW

A curious comedy where an Indigenous and Caucasian family meet for dinner. Oilers vs. Canucks. A live, laugh, love type of vibe. Prepare yourself to live in the uncomfortable feeling of conversations we all find difficulty having. Followed by a talk back about Indigenous dramaturgy, facilitated by Lindsay LaChance.

Sun May 5 | 2pm

Shumka School of Dance, 10515 111 St NW

www.viragonation.ca

@viragonation

Join Virago Nation for an afternoon of exploration into the sensual with their Dangerous Curves and Decolonial Self Love workshops. Founded in May 2016, Virago Nation is an award-winning collective of First Nations burlesque performers on a mission to rematriate Indigenous sexuality. The Viragoes believe that all people, especially Indigenous women, deserve a healthy and fun relationship with their bodies. Virago Nation has been featured at festivals and events across Turtle Island, in cities like Vancouver BC, Calgary AB, Ottawa ON, Toronto ON, and Las Vegas NV. They have been internationally recognized in the burlesque industry as a leading troupe in the burlesque arts community.

Each workshop – $15 or pay what you can.

Both workshops – $20.

FREE

MON MAY 6 | 6pm

Galerie Cité, 8627 Rue Marie-Anne Gaboury

Witness a stunning display of Indigenous visual art and join us to celebrate artwork from the Stoney Nakoda Morley AV Club, along with artist Dawn Saunders Dahl on May 6 from 6:00 to 8:00pm. The gallery is located on the main and second floors of La Cite Francophone.Galerie Cité provides unique opportunities for participants to explore the history of the area through visual art exhibitions, workshops and events. All community members are encouraged to attend Galerie Cite exhibits and events, located at La Cite Francophone in the French Quarter of Edmonton. For the last four years we have partnered with the Rubaboo Arts Festival to present visual art exhibits created by local Indigenous artists. This year we have expanded our reach and invited artists from the Stoney AV Club, based out of Morley Alberta. We plan to continue to invite Indigenous visual artists from across Alberta to exhibit in Galerie Cite during the Rubaboo Arts Festival. To participate, please contact galeriecite@lacitefranco.ca

Admission – $20

TUE MAY 7 | 7pm

Triffo Theatre, Allard Hall, 11110 104 Ave NW

Celebrating 25 years of Dreamspeakers and 10 years of Rubaboo we bring together artists and audiences who have helped build and bridge these two festivals. With performances from Caleigh Cardinal, Virago Nation, Arik Pipestem, the Edmonton Symphony Youth Orchestra of Norther Alberta, and a powerful excerpt of Shumka’s Ancestors and Elders, we also recognize this year’s Outstanding DIFF Achievement awards.