The Rhubarb Festival: part II, "nudity, noise, lights and emotionally charged work"

09 Feb 2020

Being the big sprawling extravaganza that it is, Rhubarb is full of surprises. So are the collective of curators who put the festival together. Shortly after festival director Clayton Lee answered a series of questions, others in the collective wanted to chime in with their own passionate thoughts, answering the same questions. We heard from Vanden Boomen, the self-described "crafty, bratty, lady-boi who loves performance and rebellion," and Victoria Mata, who is "in movement, in creation and collectively charged."

Drew Rowsome: What does Rhubarb mean to you?

Vanden Boomen: Rhubarb takes a moment to disrupt the predominantly white, gay, liberal, theatre arts scene in Toronto. It's a chance to hear more voices in the 2SLGBTQ+ community. It's political, it's messy, it's real and it's important to our queer fight.

Victoria Mata: It means a space to be once's self, a place to let the inner wild weirdo have a dance party. I means creating space and continuing to building community with art.

What is the most important factor that merits a piece’s inclusion in Rhubarb?

Vanden Boomen: For me, I wanted to see artists that were going to be just as passionate about the process as they were the project. I was interested in artists who were motivated by imagination, collaboration and growth in their practice.

Victoria Mata: This year's festival was curated with a frame of inclusion and expanding artistic boundaries. This, to me means re-imagining the fusion of artistic forms and centering the festival to be as accessible, as inventive and as raw as possible.

Rhubarb’s umbrella covers “theatre, dance, music and performance art.” Were you, and please feel free to cite examples, conscious of being inclusive of all disciplines or do you hope to break down labels?

Vanden Boomen: One benefit to having a curatorial team is t hat we all come from different arts and performance backgrounds. This broadened the range of communities we were able to invite to apply this year. I feel we have a lovely mix of artists from different disciplines, but there's always room for more!

Victoria Mata: Each and every performance has been curated with a conscious effort to breakdown labels and manifest collaboration across identities, disciplines, borders, race, gender and generation. What Guillermo Gomez Pena calls “an act of citizen diplomacy and as a means to create ‘ephemeral communities’”

Which show are you personally most interested in seeing during the festival?

Vanden Boomen: There are so many! The Art Party on Friday, February 21 is going to bring a range of super queer performance. Plus I love a party!

Victoria Mata: That’s a really hard question. All of them.

Which show do you think will surprise audiences?

Vanden Boomen: The Parasite happening the first week of the festival has a lot of fun twists and turns.

Victoria Mata: Oooo, I think Violeta Luna's Frida and Art Party will definitely bring a lot of surprises.

Rhubarb is traditionally a boundary pushing festival in terms of form, sexuality, gender and expectations. Which festival artists are testing the limits the most?

Vanden Boomen: Boundary pushing is difficult to measure when all artists are working through their own experiences to define their own unique identities. Everyone does it in such a brave, distinct way. It's truly invigorating to witness.

Victoria Mata: Art Party, Violeta Luna, Eat Me, and Nickeshia Garrick's To All My Past, Present and Future Lovers . . .  I'm Sorry. But truly all the pieces are testing boundaries that’s why we curated them

What advice would you give to an audience member trying to decide which pieces to attend?

Vanden Boomen: Don't. Just go on a night when your schedule is free. Walk into the space that speaks to you in that moment. This whole festival is a big, queer, radical moment in time. So just don't miss it.

Victoria Mata: Come to the entire festival. If that's not possible, pick a name you’ve never heard before and experience something new.

What content or trigger warnings will this year’s Rhubarb have to post?

Vanden Boomen: See Clayton's answer ["Nudity, among others"]. We have a specific list of content warnings . . .

Victoria Mata: Nudity, noise, lights. Emotionally charged work.