BWW Interviews: Suba Sankaran Talks FREE Waves Festival

As part of Luminato, the Young Centre for the Performing Arts is going to be transformed into an artistic treasure hunt for The Waves Festival. The award-winning venue will be taken over by twelve Resident Artists who will present an array of new, original fifteen minute works ranging from theatre, dance, and music to innovative mixed media work and installations.

Described last year by the National Post as a "funhouse of play-along theatre" The Waves Festival promises to be fun and entertaining and is a great way to see some of the amazing talent Canada has to offer. In addition to the 12 Resident Artists, 100 Toronto artists from all different disciplines will be joining in to participate in the events.

BWW sat down to talk with Resident Artist Suba Sankaran about what to expect and why young people especially should come and check this unique event out:

You are one of the 12 Resident Artists participating in the Young Centre's Waves Festival this year - is this your first time taking part?

This is my second year as a resident artist at the Young Centre and we started the Waves festival last year (called New Waves, but now, it's no longer new!). This entailed a lot of initial brainstorming, programming and design of the festival, selection of artists...and then the more creative and improvised fun began at the festival itself!

Are you able to share with us a bit about what you will be showcasing?

I will be doing a few things - I am performing as a festival ensemble member and that means I'll be dropped in on many live, improvised situations. I am one of the Singing Structures (we sing songs that address or somehow represent the amazing structures on our heads!). I will be leading a collaboration style jam in which I oversee and facilitate (like a host and a music conductor combined) the live, unfolding of multidisciplinary spontaneous invention featuring many of the artists from the Waves festival. Lastly, and possibly most exciting, I am a member of Retrocity (http://www.retrocity.ca ), an all-a cappella group specializing in the top 40s of the 1980s. We are performing as part of Live Juke n Jive: In a room representing a larger-than-life jukebox, audience members will be able to select a song from a play-list which will trigger live music by Retrocity and a newly-choreographed dance.

The Waves Festival was described as a "fun-house of play-along theatre" by the National Post - what does that mean to you? Do you encourage and support involvement from people who come out to experience the event?

This festival would not be possible without the involvement and open minds of the public. The Young Centre becomes a funhouse in which patrons have a number of unusual and amusing experiences. There are no rules, no maps, no signs. You simply go to the Young Centre and the "vibe" will take you to different areas of the building where you'll see amazing new art unfolding in front of your eyes and ears. A feast for the senses, a free, all-access pass to an all-ages playground - who can resist that?!?

These days it seems harder and harder to get young people out and experiencing live theatre, and one great thing about Waves is that it is free. What else would appeal to the younger crowd? 

I think the festival and its artists are totally relatable. Youngsters can get turned off by things that don't generally appeal to their diverse tastes and needs, but I honestly feel that there's something for everyone here. If you appreciate the arts to any degree, if you enjoy exploring and experimenting, this is the festival for you. And again, it's free, so the experiment of coming and trying it on for size won't break the bank!

Waves is being presented as part of Luminato - is there anything else on the Luminato programme that you are especially looking forward to?

I am performing with my ensemble Autorickshaw (http://www.autorickshaw.ca) as part of Luminato's east-meets-west initiative, and we are putting on an extravaganza called Bollywood and Beyond, featuring a string quartet, a brass septet from the Hannaford Street Silver Band, multi-instrumentalist Dylan Bell, and the Autorickshaw quartet. I will be singing south Indian classical, jazz, contemporary and Bollywood hits. The show is at Queen's Park, also a free event, on Sunday, June 20th, from 2:15pm-3:15pm.

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When and Where?
The Waves Festival
Young Centre for the Arts - Historic Distillery District

Produced in Association with Luminato

Performance Schedule:
Friday June 18th from 7-10PM
Saturday June 19th from 2PM - 10PM
Sunday June 20th from 2PM - 6PM

Admission is FREE

For more information please visit the official website: http://www.luminato.com/2010/events/152

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