The “Battle of the Birds” took flight at the Talking Stick Festival in Vancouver with a performance at the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre. This ground-breaking community engagement theatre creation led by of Kevin Loring and his Savage Society theatre troupe is based on a traditional Nlakap’amux story. The production featured an award-winning cast and is full of songs derived from collaborations with professional artists working with community members.
The “Battle of the Birds” debuted at the Lytton River Festival in September 2016 following a series of community workshops to develop the piece. Loring and a team of talented First Nations artists worked with communities to bring renewed life to this ancient Nlakap’amux story. It involves a community confronting the issue of domestic violence. Set in the mythical time before time, the Bird nation is alarmed because Bald Eagle is abusive to his wife and takes action.
The story is one of dozens captured at the turn of the last century on wax cylinders by renowned anthropologist James Teit. Savage Society and the New Pathways to Gold Society have been collaborating since 2013 to bring these stories to contemporary audiences as part of the “Songs of the Land” project.