Cheryl L’Hirondelle (Cree/Halfbreed; German/Polish) is an interdisciplinary, community-engaged artist, a singer/songwriter and a critical thinker whose family roots are from Papaschase First Nation, amiskwaciy wâskahikan (Edmonton, Alberta) and Kikino Metis Settlement, Alberta. Her work critically investigates and articulates a dynamism of nêhiyawin (Cree worldview) in contemporary time-place with a practice that incorporates Indigenous language(s), audio, video, virtual reality, the olfactory, music and audience/user participation to create immersive environments towards ‘radical inclusion.’

https://whythecagedbirdsings.bandcamp.com

(photo by Nahanni McKay for Banff Centre)

OUR MANDATE is to produce theatre that creates meaningful conversation around current issues and encourages societal awareness and action.

OUR MISSION is to engage artists and the public in theatrical experiences that go beyond intellectual understanding and ignite a heartfelt need for change.

Artistic Director Clare Preuss and Community Programs Director Elsha Yeyesuswork share from the company's recent work, Safe Site.

Confluence Arts Collective creates moments of community convergence, self-determination and self-expression for criminalized people. We recognize that criminalized people are disproportionately those living in poverty, Indigenous, racialized, queer, transgender, women, and themselves victims of crime. We open up humanizing spaces to explore and articulate who we all are outside of, and because of, criminal convictions, social marginalizations, and situations of incarceration. We also have a lot of fun.