Monsoon Festival of Performing Arts welcomes the storm with South Asian flair

This week, the first annual Monsoon Arts Festival kicks off to celebrate South Asian arts and culture.

Running from August 11-21 in both Vancouver and Surrey, the festival features exciting headliners that showcase the vibrancy of the theatre community, both locally and internationally.

The Monsoon Arts Festival’s inaugural year shines a spotlight on South Asian playwrights and performing artists. Taking its energy from the captivating and spiritual force of India’s monsoon season, Vancouver’s largest visible minority group is here to represent with a celebration of innovative and edgy productions.

Honour, Dipti Mehta – Image: Jessica Mentis

The festival’s programming includes both hilarious local sketch comedy masters and critically acclaimed international one-woman shows:

• HONOUR: Confessions of a Mumbai Courtesan (Dipti Mehta – New York)
• I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Chicken (Vancouver)
• Meena’s Dream (Anu Yadav – Washington, DC)
• Kehar Singh Di Maut, performed in Punjabi (Rangmanch Theatre – Surrey)

Aside from the presentations, an Industry Series featuring free multilingual development workshops in dramaturging, playwriting, directing and acting, along with readings are also on offer.

The first workshop with Anita Majumdar sold out in just 48 hours, so make sure to register for the two remaining workshops while space is still available. Join critically acclaimed novelist and playwright Anosh Irani for an all-day writing workshop, or Rohit Chokhani and Jiv Parasram (from Toronto’s Pandemic Theatre) as they dive into the practices of directing and dramaturgy.

In future years, audiences can look forward to a multidisciplinary arts festival inclusive of dance, music, visual, experimental and interdisciplinary arts.

Monsoon Arts Festival

When: August 11 – 21, 2016

Where: The Cultch (Vancouver), Surrey Arts Centre & Bell Performing Arts Centre (Surrey)

Daily Hive is a proud sponsor of the Monsoon Festival of Performing Arts.