The STAND Festival is an arts festival showcasing the works of immigrant and refugee artists with performances in both Vancouver and on the North Shore.
The festival runs from November 1st to 10th in 2025. Visit standfestival.com for tickets and full details.
The STAND Festival
STAND is an acronym for Strength Through Art Network Diversity. The festival has been running since 2021. It celebrates the stories, passion and artistic talents of newcomers to Canada. The festival is a wonderful series of events that gives immigrant and refugee artists a platform to share their talents. Performances include music, dance and live theatre. There are knowledge-sharing workshops and art exhibitions as well.
When & Where
In 2025 the festival runs from Saturday, November 1st, until Monday, November 10th.
Most shows happen at Presentation House Theatre in North Vancouver. Performances also take place in downtown Vancouver at both The Annex and Scotiabank Dance Centre.
Presentation House Theatre is at 333 Chesterfield Avenue in North Vancouver. It’s about a 10-minute walk from the Lonsdale Quay SeaBus Terminal and a block west of Lonsdale Avenue.
The Annex’s address is 823 Seymour Street. It is a cabaret-style venue with two levels owned and operated by Vancouver Civic Theatres.
The Scotiabank Dance Centre, meanwhile, is at 677 Davie Street. It’s home to several dance studios and the Faris Family Studio black box theatre.
STAND Festival Ticket Costs
Tickets for all STAND Festival performances are available online. Prices for each show vary. They offer some shows for $18.00, $25.00 or $30.00 along a pay-what-you-can gradient. Other shows cost $20.60, $28.07 or $33.40.
Visit standfestival.com for tickets and full details.
STAND Festival Shows
The festival lineup for 2025 is below for an idea of what you can expect at this year’s event.
Las Mujeronas
(Saturday, November 1st, 2025)
Las Mujeronas is a flamenco performance with six dancers, a singer and two musicians. Choreographed and directed by Jhoely Triana, the show expresses the influence of immigration on cultural identity and expression. The show starts at 7:30 pm at the Annex.
Collapse & FE
(Sunday, November 2nd, 2025)
Collapse is a performance that demonstrates cycles of resistance and oppression with elements of dance, spoken word and multimedia. Ines Chiha did the choreography for the show and it is performed in Arabic, English and French. It begins at 7:30 pm at The Annex.
After a 15-minute transition period, the theatre is putting on an additional performance of FE with no additional ticket required. Directed and choreographed by Mariem Valdes and Niosbel Gonzales of Quebec, FE embodies migration and exile with two dancers and original music.
Forest / Flux / Frequency & Confusion
(Monday, November 3rd, 2025)
Rafael Zen and Khalil Alomar perform and codirect Forest / Flux / Frequency. They present a multimedia performance depicting the natural world through electronic sounds, textures and visuals. This is meant to give the impression of a future where the natural world is reduced to simulations. It begins at 7:30 pm at the Annex.
After a 15-minute transition period there is an additional performance of Confusion, presented by Hamed Mafakheri. This is a live soundscape performance emphasizing the concept of acoustic ecology. Environmental sounds are introduced into unfamiliar context to evoke an immersive experience.
Confined Spaces, Boundless Movements
(Tuesday, November 4th, 2025)
Performed by Shalaleh Rismani, Ghazal Nikjou and Asal Ahadi, Confined Spaces, Boundless Movements uses Azerbaijani dance to channel modern storytelling. They tell a story of women limited by cultural boundaries in Iran finding their freedom. The show begins at 7:30 pm at The Annex.
The Catrina and the Whispers of Flowers
(Tuesday, November 4th, 2025)
The Catrina and the Whispers of Flowers occurs after Confined Spaces, Boundless Movements at The Annex. It is a contemporary dance inspired by La Catrina of Mexico’s Day of the Dead. Performed by Silene Razo and Judith Colibrí, the performance embodies identity and cultural heritage.
The Opposite
(Wednesday, November 5th, 2025)
The Opposite is inspired by the resettlement of over 40 000 Syrian refugees in Canada during the Syrian Civil War. Directed by Sleman Aldib, the performance uses role reversal to put the audience in the place of so many refugees who have come before to ask the question “where would you find refuge?” The show begins at 7:30 pm at the Presentation House Theatre.
The Voice of Ruan & Liham: A Song Cycle
(Thursday, November 6th, 2025)
The Voice of Ruan is a musical performance incorporating instrumental and vocal components. It utilizes the Ruan, an instrument traditionally only used in Tang dynasty courts 2000 years ago. The show begins at 7:30 pm at the Scotiabank Dance Centre.
After a 15-minute transition period there is an additional showing of Liham: A Song Cycle. This show is a Filipino song cycle concert that bridges classical music and modern storytelling. Using music and spoken word, this musical performance speaks of strength and cultural resilience.
To Be or Not to Be Chica Chica Boom Chic
(Friday, November 7th, 2025)
To Be or Not to Be Chica Chica Boom Chic is a solo performance by Luciana S. Fernandes. The performance is a dance through a Shakespearean verse lecture. Humour, movement and spoken word all work together to illustrate the experiences of immigrants. The show begins at 7:30 pm at the Presentation House Theatre.
A Dictionary of Emotions in Wartime
(Saturday, November 8th, 2025)
A Dictionary of Emotions in Wartime, written by Olena Astavieva and performed by Anastasiia Konstantynova, is a fusion of documentary and experimental staging. It depicts the early days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and focusses on the trauma and displacement of the conflict’s victims. The show begins at 7:30 pm at the Presentation House Theatre.
Mami
(Sunday, November 9th, 2025)
This piece is written and performed solo by isi bhakhomen. Inspired by the poem Me gritaron negra, Mami is a monodrama that confronts the plights that pass from mothers to daughters. The play uses storytelling, visuals and sounds to explore the black identity. The show begins at 7:30 pm at the Presentation House Theatre.
Banana Musik
(Monday, November 10th, 2025)
The final show of the STAND Festival in 2024 starts at 7:30 pm at Presentation House Theatre. Banana Musik is a three-performer piece created by Kris Alvarez. It speaks about aging through the eyes of an “immigrant kid” watching their parents lives through their belongings.
Stand Festival Workshops
The STAND Festival in 2025 features five different workshops. They mostly take place at 6:30 pm on different days at North Vancouver’s Presentation House Theatre. Below were the workshops presented.
- Intro to Flamenco: a dance workshop led by Jhoely Triana where participants are introduced to the basics of flamenco. No prior experience is required. (October 27th, 2025)
- Fundamentals of Contact Improvisation: an introduction to contact improvisation working individually and in partners led by Natalie Tin Yin Gan. No prior experience is required. (October 28th, 2025)
- Dancing our Identity: an Indigenous dance workshop spanning all sorts of Coastal Indigenous dance led by Margaret Grenier. An all-level movement-based exercise. (October 29th, 2025)
- Between The Lines – Building Theatrical Action: a practical workshop about grant guidelines and funders guided by Mary Ann Anderson. This workshop takes place remotely online. (October 30th, 2025)
The above knowledge-sharing workshops were not only for immigrant artists but also for immigrants, refugees and members of the public who enjoy art and wanted to build connections.
The Migration of Objects Art Exhibition
There is an art exhibition with the Vancouver STAND Festival this year and it takes place at the Presentation House Theatre Studio on the North Shore.
2025’s exhibition is The Migration of Objects, curated by Gabriela Rosillo. It was a showcase of belongings of primarily immigrant women. The exhibition asks “what do we carry when we leave home, and what carries us forward?”
The exhibition is only open from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm from November 7th to 10th.
Other Information
Visit standfestival.com for more information about the festival.
See our articles about Presentation House Theatre or the Scotiabank Dance Centre to learn about the venues where the festival takes place. See the Vancouver Civic Theatres website for information about the ANNEX.
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