Inspired by Caroline Hebert's life story, the performance sheds light on stereotypes and difficulties that many Deaf Canadians may face. With stunning lighting design by James Proudfoot, the stage is transformed to reveal glimpses of memories that have impacted Caroline’s life. The performance will also include an animation created by a team of five talented artists from the Vancouver Film School. Recently, we have expanded our team to include Landon Krentz - A Bilaterally profound Deaf artist who is completely bilingual in American Sign Language (ASL) and English. Landon will step into the position as personal coach to Caroline Hébert as well as assistant director for the SOUND OFF Festival.

Built over a two year period, When the Walls Come Down stemmed from our admiration and curiosity for ASL. The initial phase introduced us to Caroline and her compelling life-story. Through this process, she helped educate us on Deaf culture and what it means to be a Deaf Canadian. We are excited to continue sharing WTWCD so that everyone may experience an imaginative, thought provoking journey that educates them and potentially connects them to a community outside of their own.

This work has challenged us to approach our creative practice with communication and representation at the forefront. This inspired us to experiment with multiple mediums to connect with wider audiences and become more accessible. Working alongside James Proudfoot, we developed a lighting design that utilizes emotional textures and rhythms to immerse the viewer. Composer, Brandon Lee Alley built a score that was then translated into sub-frequencies. To assist us with sharing this score with more audiences, we partnered with SUBPAC - A technology that accurately transfers deep bass frequencies to create an immersive, physical, full-body experience.

When The Walls Come Down

©iiiiportraits

©iiiiportraits

Project Details

Project created by: Dance//Novella (Racheal Prince & Brandon Lee Alley)

Key Collaborators:

• Choreographers: Racheal prince, Brandon Lee Alley • Storyline creation and development: Racheal Prince, Caroline Hébert, Anna-Belle Hébert, Brandon Lee Alley. • Performers: Caroline Hébert, Racheal Prince, Brandon Lee Alley, Anna Belle Hébert • Lighting designer: James Proudfoot • Assistant Lighting Designer: Chengyan Boon • Music: Brandon Lee Alley • Mentor + Coach: Chris Dodd, Landon Krentz • Costume + Set design: Racheal Prince

Audience: General

Length in minutes: 55 Min with no intermission - Full length

Our Collaboration with The Vancouver Film School

While developing WTWCD, We wanted to include animation as another form of communication and expression. We knew that this could be something that could tell a story without words - similar to dance. After reaching out to VFS, our project was taken on by talented young animators who brought the characters and motifs to life. We will always be grateful for the hard work and devotion of this entire team.