Pre-show Talk with Aliya Griffin

Presented by the Chan Centre

Ukrainian and Slavic folktales are a rich source for inspiring and creating contemporary artistic work. The metaphors and messages continue to resonate and inform everything from superstitions and celebrations to politics and world views. Theatre artist Aliya Griffin investigates Ukrainian folklore and the role it plays in contemporary concepts of identity and belonging as well as DakhaBrakha’s music.

With special guests Jessica Hood and Emily Villavicencio.

Aliya Griffin is a Ukrainian-Canadian director, creator, performer, and facilitator with a keen interest in political and socially engaged theatre. She is the co-founder and Artistic Director of The Troika Collective, a multi-disciplinary performance collective that uses Eastern European history and culture as a lens to explore universally resonant stories and themes. Most recently, The Troika Collective collaborated with the Association of United Ukrainian Canadians to present Richka: River (2017); an interdisciplinary and community engaged performance exploring Ukrainian culture and heritage in the contemporary, multicultural Canadian context and  created Dva Bratih: Two Brothers (2019); a site-specific piece as part of HIVE 2019 at the Magnetic North Festival inspired by a Mark MacKinnon article about two brothers on opposite sides of the conflict in Eastern Ukraine. Aliya also performs with her own a cappella vocal trio Vostok, specializing in music from Eastern Europe and the Balkans.  Aliya holds a BA in theatre performance and political science and an M.Ed. in Arts for Social Change, both from Simon Fraser University.

https://www.thetroikacollective.com/