Photo courtesy of: Rungh Archive

Rungh came onto the scene in the early nineties, as a quarterly magazine that held its focus on South Asian Culture, Comment and Criticism. It provided an outlet for marginalized communities to express their opinions, experiences and art and held space to challenge dominant narratives. 26 years on, Rungh has relaunched as an online platform that continues to challenge diversity in the arts and create conversations that encourage cultural growth within Canada. We spoke with co-founder and editor of Rungh, Zool Suleman, to learn more!

Can you tell us a little bit about Rungh, for those who may not have heard of it yet?

Rungh is a word which means “colour” in many languages. Our new tag line is “Rungh. Means. Colour”. If you speak one of the languages (Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, Farsi, and more) you will know! Rungh started as a non profit society and a print magazine in 1992. Rungh also hosted and produced arts events like readings, workshops, creative productions, and fostered a variety of conversations. Rungh also protested against how Canada’s arts institutions worked. We still do that! From 1992-1999, Rungh had a print publication which you can still see on our site in the Archives section, or at the Simon Fraser University Digital Library site. Rungh was relaunched as a cultural web platform in 2017. 26 years old and also, brand new.

What inspired you to create the first issue, all those years ago, back in 1992?

Photo Credit: Ali Kazimi

Rungh was inspired by an absence of voices in Canada’s cultural landscape. These voices today are referred to as IBPOC (Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour) – this term, also, does not do justice to the range of absences which exist. Rungh’s relaunch is committed to looking at the intersectional conversations that need to be had on the Canadian arts scene be they defined by race, gender, sexuality, geography, class, power and otherwise.

How, would you say, the conversation in the arts has changed over the last thirty years?

In many ways, the conversation has not changed, sadly. But, in other ways, the conversation now tries to include and centre Indigenous voices. Rungh is an incubation partner with a new set of conversations which are taking place under the heading of Primary Colours/Couleurs Primaires. The focus of PC/cp is to centre Indigenous voices in the middle of the Canadian art system. Rungh is a part of that journey and has published several pieces on this journey. In the future, more content focusing on this necessary transition within Canada’s art systems will be found in Rungh.

Have you seen any firsthand accounts of how Rungh has impacted its audiences?

Rungh has played a vital role in creating and documenting conversations, and creative work around ideas of “multiculturalism”, “race”, “belonging” and more over the past 25 years. I put these terms in quotation marks because the terms themselves are sites of contestation. A significant part of Rungh’s mission, with it’s relaunch, has been to activate it’s archive. Records of what racialized and otherwise marginalized voices have contributed to the Canadian art system continue to be lost, if they are kept at all. These histories are vital and Rungh is working to secure and foster work founded on Rungh’s archive but also to help other similarly situated communities to do so. Our notions of who makes “art” and “culture” in Canada, need to change.

Artistic credit: David Garneau

What are your thoughts on the diversity within Vancouver’s theatre community, as it stands at the moment? Have you seen an improvement in the last few years?

Rungh is about to publish a conversation with Rohit Chokhani, Jiv Parasram, Kathleen Flaherty, Rahul Varma, and Zahida Rahemtulla. If you do not know who they are, look them up. Between them, they encompass different generations, different geographies, and differing views about what we call “theatre”. In terms of what could be called “South Asian theatre in Canada”, this is only one slice of an ongoing conversation. My sense, as the person who asked the questions, is that the ethic of how work is produced about/by/within South Asian communities continues to evolve. The production scenes in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, are quite different. There are many voices wanting to be heard. Avoiding generalities and providing cultural specificity in theatre/performance works about “South Asians”, might be of more use in defining conversations. I urge the readers to read the interview in Rungh when it is published. Join our free mailing list at www.rungh.org

It’s official, the most wonderful time of the year is rapidly approaching. Everything at Starbucks has turned a garish shade of red, and all the drinks are spiked with EggNog. Pacific Centre will soon start lulling their shoppers into a state of hypnotized spending surrender with the repetitive tones of Jingle Bells. And the Ugly Christmas Sweater party season has been in full swing for so long that we haven’t even put ours away from last year yet.

As you know, here at The Cultch, we like to put our own twist on the holiday season. In fact, we like to turn it completely on its head with our incredible winter programming (can you say Little Dickens?!?). And this year marks the sixth anniversary of on of our favourite holiday treat: Theatre Replacement’s East Van Panto.

So, what better time to take a look back at the last few years of glorious pantomiming? Let’s reminisce about all the weird and wonderful ways that Theatre Replacement has created a home-grown East Van tradition that just keeps getting bigger and better every year.

Okay, here we go…

2017

2017 brought us the delightful Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Written by Mark Chavez, directed by Anita Rochon, with music and lyrics by Veda Hille. The Georgia Straight described it as “a hyperlocal and wonderfully creative reimagining of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.” It featured some of the years biggest hits including Despacito and Can’t Stop This Feeling – all rewritten to have a more East Van flair, of course.

Spotlight on: The Dame

With every panto comes a Dame – an over the top female character always played by a man. Snow White’s Dame was played by Alan Zinyk in the role of The Evil Stepmother – the Real Housewife of West Vancouver.

2016

2016 Panto audiences were enthralled with Little Red Riding Hood, whose adventures took her along the Adanac bike path on the search for Grandma’s house, at the Woodwards Building.

Spotlight on: the Studio 58 students

Every year, the East Van Panto plucks three, willing, Studio 58 students from their highly regarded conservatory style performance program, and plops them onto the York stage in the most ridiculous costumes. The aim is to flesh out the cast with three up and coming, pre professional actors and give the students some stage time in a professional, Vancouver production. In 2016, the lucky three were: Stephanie Wong, Elizabeth Barrett and Mason Temple who donned their brussel sprout and hot dog costumes with the upmost of professionalism.

2015

Hansel and Gretel stole the show in 2015 with a Vancouver version of their perilous plight. After being dropped off in the wilderness of Stanley Park by their evil food-blogger stepmother, the sibling duo ran into a hippie witch who captured them and fattened Hansel up in preparation to consume him. Naturally, hilarity ensued.

Spotlight on: The Kids

Pantomimes are traditionally a family affair. And not just in the audience, but also on the stage. Each year, the East Van Panto enlists fifteen kids, in five groups of three, to take it in turns to don adorable costumes and make their stage debuts. In Hansel and Gretel, the children appeared as cute, fluffy woodland creatures as well as an army of gingerbread men (still cute, but also slightly ominous).

2014

The East Van version of everyone’s favorite Disney movie came to life on stage in 2014. With a saxophone playing Cinderella, ugly stepsisters with vinyl collections, and a suspiciously Trump like King, this version was perhaps slightly ahead of its time.

Spotlight on: The Music

Since the East Van Panto’s conception in 2013, local musician, composer, and genius: Vede Hille has provided the score. Vede is infamous for taking well loved pop songs and giving them an East Vancouver flavor. Check out how she spun this T-Swift classic.

2013

And so we come to the end of our journey through time. Back to the OG East Van Pantomime. One thing we can say for certain is our graphic design has come along way. Jack And The Beanstalk, the first production of its kind here in Vancouver, also marked the first production in the newly renovated York Theatre. It was a huge hit that would go on to spark a new tradition in East Van that would last for (at least) six years.

Spotlight on: The Set

Since the beginning of the East Van Panto incredible local artist, Laura Zerebeski, has provided the backdrops. Her incredible, impressionist interpretations of East Van’s landmarks provide the weird and wonderful worlds that our characters live in.

And there we have it, some blasts from the past of the East Van Panto. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed taking this stroll down memory lane with us. If you can’t get enough of the East Van Panto, there’s another lane that you can stroll down with us very soon – and this time, it’s yellow! Get your tickets for the East Van Panto: Wizard of Oz right here. 

By Charlotte Wright

Community Outreach and Marketing Intern