Symposium sq'eq'íp st’elti’telem (songs gathering together)
sq'eq'íp st’elti’telem / songs gathering together, brings together a series of complementary events dedicated to Indigenous curatorial and creative practices in new music. Under the direction of Dylan Robinson (Stó:lō/Skwah First Nation)—artist, curator, and writer—this symposium explores how Indigenous forms of gathering, listening, and creation can transform the ways contemporary music is conceived.
At the heart of the program, the public conference látset q'ép / we’re going to gather – initiated with a keynote by curator Candice Hopkins (Carcross/Tagish) and sound artist and composer Raven Chacon (Navajo) – offers two days of reflection on how Indigenous structures shape the presentation of works. Researchers, artists, curators, and cultural professionals will examine how Indigenous values may guide both curation and audience experience.
The highlight of the symposium is sxelxéles te tl'etl'áxel / designs for inviting, a multimedia performance created by Dylan Robinson in collaboration with artists from the fields of dance (Justine Chambers), film (Neven Lochhead), and music (Pamela Reimer, Anna Atkinson, Wesley Shen). Guided by xwélmexw values, it proposes new ways of gathering and listening.
Together, these events open a space for encounter, research, and transformation, grounded in Indigenous relationality and artistic experimentation.
