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Listening as Activism explores how deep listening can be a form of resistance and social engagement in our noise-saturated world. In what ways might our individual and collective listening be aimed towards activism, and what might this look, sound and feel like? The evening opens with a roundtable discussion with Renae Morriseau, Harsha Walia, Hildegard Westerkamp and Freya Zinovieff, moderated by Laura Netz, followed by performances by M’Girl and Soul Sessions.
M’Girl Music is an Indigenous women’s vocal and hand drum ensemble that’s been together for over 20 years. Managed by Renae Morriseau, she has been gifted songs through ceremony and composes hand drum songs in Cree and Saulteaux languages, her families’ language(s). As an interdisciplinary and inter-tribal artist, she has worked in the arts for most of her life. She currently teaches Indigenous film studies at Capilano University’s Indigenous Film program.
The collective of Indigenous women that sing with Renae are from different First Nations. Through loss of land, and the impact of residential schools that minimized Indigenous matrilineal lines, M’Girl celebrates the restoration of cultural practice of storytelling and song with, for and about Indigenous women.
Currently there are eight Indigenous women from Cree, Anishinaabe, St’at’imc, Tsimshian, and Mohawk peoples.
Renae’s hand-drum songs have been licensed to film, television and web series productions and she continues to celebrate Indigenous resurgence practices in reclaiming the joy and love of Indigenous languages, and stories of land, water, food and home.
Soul Sessions is a soulful, gospel-rooted band that brings rich grooves, raw vocals, and deep musical connection. With the arrival of a phenomenal new guitarist whose feel, flair, and fire have taken their sound to new heights, Soul Sessions is stepping boldly into a new chapter.
A versatile artist, vocalist Kiki has collaborated with a variety of musicians, contributed to celebrated recordings, and graced stages ranging from cozy local venues to major theaters. She is a soloist, songwriter, and collaborator who continues to hone her artistry while embracing her roles as a mother and independent creator.
Drummer Esau left home in Veracruz, Mexico at 18 with drum in hand, and finding purpose on the road in music, in friendships, in the pulse of performance. Esau has spent over 15 years immersed in percussion — from djembe to cajón to congas — and has led classes, repaired instruments, and played across borders.
Inspired by her Irish father’s singing and gift on the keys, bassist Tia Delaney began on piano at five, then explored violin, alto sax, and a little French horn before finding her true voice in the double bass at sixteen. Tia has performed in orchestras, jazz and concert bands, local fundraisers, and on stage at Rogers Arena for Me to We Day in Vancouver.
Mike has been playing guitar and bass for over 30 years, with a deep love for blues, jazz, country, and classic rock. His playing is versatile and rooted, shaped by the sounds of Tony Rice, Grant Green, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Bob Dylan. Whether laying down rhythm or taking a solo, Mike plays with feel, intention, and a whole lot of heart. From jazz collectives to local gigs on the Sunshine Coast, Mike brings a steady, soulful presence wherever he plays.
Freya Zinovieff is an interdisciplinary scholar, sound artist and curator of British and Russian descent, currently completing her PhD at The School of Interactive Arts and Technology, Simon Fraser University. Her thesis, Situated Praxis: Activist Listening in Violent Times, examines the political potential of sound, alongside decolonial and ethical listening as critique to hegemonic systems of power. Freya’s MFA, awarded by The University of New South Wales, questioned different conceptions of infinity through the medium of graphic notation, and she holds a First-Class Honours degree from Cambridge School of Art at Anglia Ruskin University.
Freya’s curatorial practice seeks to challenge both colonial hierarchies and aesthetic sensibilities, and foregrounds collaboration as an act of resistance. She is interested in work that that engages decolonial and anti-imperial thinking in radical ways, and especially through the amplification of voices that seek disruption for the purposes of justice and community building. Freya’s curatorial projects range from conceptual art trails in Cambridge (UK) that utilize non-gallery spaces, challenging colonial value judgements around what is considered art, or beautiful, and where ‘beautiful art’ should be shown; to an online sound art gallery that commissioned new works from five BC-based sound artists of marginalized gender, to explore the potential of accessible sound art.
More information on these projects and Freya’s work in general can be found in the below links:
