PuSh International Performing Arts Festival facts for kids
| Location | Vancouver, Canada |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2003 |
| Founded by | Katrina Dunn, Norman Armour |
| Type of play(s) | Multidisciplinary (theatre, dance, multimedia, music, film) |
| Festival date | January–February |
| Website | http://pushfestival.ca/ |
The PuSh International Performing Arts Festival is an exciting event held every January in Vancouver, British Columbia. It's a festival that brings together many different kinds of live performances. You can see amazing shows like theatre, dance, multimedia art, music, and even film.
The festival is a great place to see artists from all over the world, from Canada, and from right there in Vancouver. It's a chance to experience new and creative performances!
Contents
How the Festival Works
Norman Armour is a key person at the PuSh Festival. He is the Artistic and Executive Director. This means he helps decide what shows are performed and how the festival is run. Norman Armour also helped start the festival.
A Look Back at PuSh Festivals
Starting the Festival: 2003
The PuSh Festival began in 2003. It was co-founded by two creative people: Katrina Dunn from Touchstone Theatre and Norman Armour from Rumble Productions. They wanted to create a special place for performing arts.
Growing Stronger: 2005
In 2005, the festival became more official. It set up a formal board of directors and advisors. It also registered as a charitable organization. This helped the festival grow and get support.
Big Audiences and Global Reach
Over the years, the PuSh Festival has welcomed many people. In 2008, more than 23,000 people attended. Artists and presenters from around the world also came to see the shows.
The festival continued to grow, bringing in more international artists.
- In 2009, shows came from Canada, England, Japan, and New Zealand. Over 24,000 people attended 136 performances.
- By 2012, artists from ten different countries participated. There were over 160 performances, with many shows selling out.
- The 2013 festival was even bigger, with over 34,000 attendees. Artists from 11 countries shared their work across 16 venues.
Celebrating 10 Years: 2014
The 2014 PuSh Festival marked its 10th anniversary! It featured artists from Canada, England, Germany, Ireland, Lebanon, Portugal, and the United States. There were over 150 performances and events.
The festival also started new programs. These included the PuSh Youth Passport, which gave discounted tickets to young people aged 16 to 24. They also offered free tickets to community groups through the Accessible PuSh program. Many volunteers helped make the festival a success, working over 2,400 hours!
Recent Festivals
The festival continues to be a popular event.
- In 2015, over 28,000 people attended shows from 12 different countries.
- The 2016 festival featured works from 7 countries, with 125 sold-out performances.
- In 2017, there were 200 performances and events, with 97 selling out.
- The 2018 festival showcased 96 Canadian artists and 79 international artists.
The PuSh Festival is a fantastic way to explore new and exciting performing arts from around the world!
