O.Dela Arts values creativity, integrity, and kinship.
The mandate of O.Dela Arts Society is to support the creation and production of contemporary Indigenous choreography by women through community-engaged projects, creative collaboration across discipline and generation, new project commissions, and Matriarchs Uprising.
O.Dela Arts is committed to undertaking projects that support the research and creation of Managing Artistic Director, Olivia C. Davies and the company’s artistic associates, and support the development of production and touring of O.Dela Arts’ creations and collaborations. O.Dela Arts supports the development of educational workshops, community-engaged and interdisciplinary projects offered by its artists with a view towards sharing open-access knowledge and lived experience. Guided by Anishinaabe cultural teachings based on the principle of mutual respect, the company prioritizes a working environment that encourages collaboration and courageous creative expression.
Creativity. At the heart of all we do is the pursuit of creative storytelling through movement that carries out an honoring of individual expression and collective co creation.
Integrity. We strive to engage in reciprocal exchanges that are rooted in an honoring of our diverse natures while expanding the possibility for excellence.
Kinship. Our work is grounded in a passionate desire to uphold meaningful connections, nurture trust and offer mutual respect.
Founded in 2017, and registered as a not-for-profit organization in 2018, O.Dela Arts seeks to develop audiences for contemporary Indigenous dance and interdisciplinary arts.The organization is built upon peer exchange, professional development and performance presentations.
Our organization has persevered in curating captivating live performance, creating and commissioning new works and fostering partnerships with other Indigenous and Non-Indigenous artists, presenters and producers. We continue to build capacity in our administrative and fundraising efforts, and develop new goals and objectives for our future with live performance, online activation, and creative engagements with visionaries in the fields of dance, digital design, augmented and virtual reality, music and poetry.
Our vision encompasses a future where dance can flourish in the arts ecology and live performance can take new paths to reaching a widening circle of witnesses.
O.Dela Arts takes us beyond arts and into the heart-shaped space of our spirit. (Olivia C. Davies)
The company’s Contemporary Indigenous and interdisciplinary dance creations are presented across Canada and broadcast online to reach audiences around the world. Outreach initiatives such as the company’s Talking Truths series of artist conversations hosted by Olivia and featuring Indigenous and choreographers and interdisciplinary creators from across Canada, New Zealand, and Australia engage audiences in witnessing artists speak with one another about their creative process, hopes and dreams for the future.
O.Dela Arts is grateful to be supported by past and present partnerships with The Scotiabank Dance Centre, DanceHouse Vancouver, Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival, DanceWest Network, Crimson Coast Dance, Fluid Fest, Talking Stick Festival, ArtsSpring, and NAC Dance with NAC Indigenous Theatre.
Matriarchs Uprising Festival
O.Dela Arts has successfully produced the annual Matriarchs Uprising festival in Vancouver, BC on unceded Coast Salish territory since 2019. We have presented over 20 different live performances of Indigenous women’s works in Contemporary Indigenous dance and presented over 20 different short dance films through our Indigi-Dance on Screen digital program. We are excited to partner with other regional and national arts organizations to bring the Matriarchs Uprising series of performances, masterclasses, workshops, and circle conversations to a broad range of communities with fresh curatorial perspective and an honoring of our diverse backgrounds and cultural heritage.
Knowledge Exchange
O.Dela Arts is committed to amplifying Indigenous women’s voices in dance. We initiated our artistic associates program in 2021 by inviting emerging choreographers Samantha Sutherland and Sophie Dow into our company and providing each with mentorship, career development, and artistic commissions. Both choreographers share in co-creating the future of the company as they develop their skills in arts administration, dance creation, and curatorial practice.
We value the transmission of lived experience and nurture intergenerational knowledge exchange. In 2021, we initiated the Harvest Moon Showcase to support the development of new dance film works by Indigenous women and provided seed funding, mentorship, and digital platform for on-demand presentation of the commissioned works. In 2022, we launched the Downtown Eastside Grandmothers Collective to form a continuity of residencies in partnership with Odd Meridian Arts to seed new performance offerings in the spirit of “Gathering Hope”. Davies initiated the “Home: Our Way” creative residencies with Coast Salish storyteller, Rosemary Georgeson, to offer trauma-informed movement and storytelling workshops to groups of women and youth across BC since 2016.
Current Stage Productions
O.Dela Arts’ current list of stage productions include Crow’s Nest and Other Places She’s Gone (2017), Gateways (2018), Rematriate (2018), Directions (2018), Gidaashi: The Wind That Takes Us (2019), Wishing Well (2020), Where You Go (in collaboration with music intima) (2022), Maamawi: Together Through The Fire VR (in collaboration with Peppers Ghost New Media Collective) (2022), and Zaagidiwin: Our Mothering Heart (2023).
For more information and to connect with us about upcoming programming opportunities, please email info@oliviacdavies.ca
O.Dela Arts Team Members:
Olivia C. Davies Managing Artistic Director
Daisy Thompson Lead Administrator
Sophie Dow Artistic Associate
Samantha Sutherland Artistic Associate
Mutable Subject / Deanna Peters Website
2024-2025 Board of Directors
Tony Lanier chair
Sheldon McRae director
Neville Joanes director
Lily Sutherland director
Rosemary Georgeson director
Dianna Johansen director
Opportunities for Artists and Supporters:
Artists / we engage collaborators from across the arts: write to Olivia
Volunteer at Matriarchs Uprising: write to Olivia
Support O.Dela Arts donate via Paypal
We are thankful for support received from our partners:
