The Living Things International Arts festival is a celebration of the sensuality, pleasure, and power of live performance.

The third annual festival runs from Jan. 11 to Feb. 9 and includes performances from the United Kingdom, the USA, Montreal, Vancouver, and the Okanagan Valley.

READ MORE: Living Things International Arts Festival returns for another year

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 connected to the idea of puppetry, where you have objects come to life. The festival is focused on theatrical devices, the kinds of things we do on stage which are kind of (magical), I call it, when something comes alive,乌鸦传媒� said artistic director Neil Cadger. 乌鸦传媒淎lso, the idea of living things to me is philosophically interesting of what is animated and what is not乌鸦传媒� the festival is also about the place we live in and things we surround ourselves with.乌鸦传媒�

The festival falls in line with two others in Western Canada, one in Vancouver and Calgary, so the festivals are able to share performers. It乌鸦传媒檚 set in the heart of winter, as Cadger said there乌鸦传媒檚 not much going on for people in Kelowna.

Cadger is passionate about the performing arts and said there乌鸦传媒檚 a need for the live audience to connect the people onstage.

乌鸦传媒淚 think the live presence being in the room with people sharing the same experience is something that we need. The more time we spend in the weird public solitude of the cellphone乌鸦传媒� I think we need to balance that.乌鸦传媒�

For first-timers, he recommends the MacBeth Muet, which runs Jan. 19 and 20, as the Francophone group will tell the story of Macbeth through objects without words.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 very funny and at times, absolutely disturbing. It乌鸦传媒檚 funny what you can do with objects sometimes that you just can乌鸦传媒檛 do without people,乌鸦传媒� Cadger said.

Ideas Robert! by Candice Roberts for the kids is very interactive, he said. Four shows are scheduled between Jan. 18 and 19.

乌鸦传媒淭he things that the children get to see that comes through the school system, can sometimes be really good, but sometimes乌鸦传媒� it can be not particularly engaging for students (in theatre classes,) and it乌鸦传媒檚 important for children to see stuff that乌鸦传媒檚 playful and entertaining and exciting. The kids show we had last year was amazing and the children were so delightful and the word delight, it乌鸦传媒檚 getting a sense of collective delight is so rare.乌鸦传媒�

Throughout the festival, live, free public installations will take place in the FINA Gallery in the Creative and Critical Studies building on campus at UBCO, and student and faculty exhibitions will be at the Alternator Gallery.

For the first time Living Things will also be offering performance workshops led by visiting international artists: Politics in the Room, led by Palmyra performers Bert & Nasi (UK), makes the stage a space for artistic and political negotiation; Naked Comedy led by Deanna Fleysher (USA) explores the performers乌鸦传媒� unique connection with the audience, the bravery required to be vulnerable and the gratification that comes from letting go. For information and registration, as well as the festival lineup, visit the Living Things website at .

carli.berry@kelownacapnews.com
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