International artists to push boundaries at Kelowna festival

The fourth annual Living Things Festival began this week and will offer 18 “boundary-pushing” shows and events in theatre, dance, music, animation and art until Feb. 2.

“We team up with presenters from across North America to bring the most exciting, internationally-celebrated performances to Kelowna,” said Neil Cadger, festival founder and UBC Okanagan professor, in a news release.

“This year, Living Things will welcome artists from Vancouver, Montreal, and South Korea via Amsterdam.”

Performances are as varied as the artists’ addresses. There’s an overthe-top drag bingo show, talking rice cookers, a hilarious one-woman show that explores four generations of indigenous women, and two armies of French baguettes battling for Poland’s fate amongst a backdrop of exploding tomato bombs.

“The work we present is powerful, sometimes deliriously funny, sometimes challenging, but always, somehow, a question of life and death,” Cadger said.

Living Things is partnering with the Kelowna Art Gallery to bring internationally-acclaimed interactive visual art to their downtown space during the festival.

Living Things also includes live public installations in the FINA Gallery in the Creative and Critical Studies building on the UBCO campus, and exhibitions of student and faculty artwork at the Alternator Gallery.

Tickets range in price from $10-35 per show with admission for select events available for free or by donation.

The Festival Pass offers more than 50% savings.

For tickets, schedules and more information, go online to livingthingsfestival.com