Meet Theatre SKAM’s New Co-Artistic Producers! Hannah Mariko Bell and Logan Swain assumed their new roles as Co-Artistic Producers as of April 1st, 2023. Read a little more about who our new Co-Artistic Producers are and what they’re excited about bringing to SKAM below.
Meet Hannah Mariko Bell
Q: What is your favourite production that you have worked on?
A: In 2018, I created a production called Kansha which was inspired by the article “Of Kimono and Cultural Appropriation” by Shaun O’Dwyer. The article caught my eye immediately as it discusses the importance of the kimono in Japanese culture and how Japanese people want to share their culture. Since clothing is an important indicator of culture, the kimono became the lens to look at Japan’s cultural history and its connection with Western culture. Kansha was dedicated to my late grandmother (who passed away on the first day of rehearsals). I was very thankful to get to create a production about my Japanese Canadian heritage and honour my grandmother. It was my first time leading a production as a facilitator and it made me realize how much I enjoy collaboration and working with folks to bring out their best talents.
Q: What brought you to SKAM? What do you love about SKAM?
A: When I was attending the Phoenix Theatre, I was a part of the Theatre Course Union and was the treasurer for a year. I also spent many hours working on marketing for the mainstage shows and realized that I had a passion for theatre administration.
In 2019, I worked as a Production Intern through the Canada Summer Jobs program. I love Theatre SKAM’s playful nature and the way that SKAMpede helps explore site specific work and helps create new, original works. There is something to be said about the idea of having fun at any age and I think that’s what Theatre SKAM thrives at; giving opportunities for joy for folks of all ages.
Q: What are you looking forward to in your role as Co-Artistic Producer/what are you excited about?
A: I’m looking forward to bringing my Japanese Canadian perspective to the role and sharing my love of my culture and my intersectionality with the Victoria community. I am hoping that through SKAM’s accessibility and equity work that we can invigorate our theatre community and show Victoria what wonderful artists we have here. Though Victoria is small, there are many creative and talented artists who have not previously had the opportunity to showcase their work.
Q: When you aren’t working, what do you like to do?
A: I love cooking and baking; if I hadn’t gone to theatre school, I think I would have pursued a career in the culinary arts. I thoroughly enjoy going hiking and spending time in nature, especially when I have time to go camping. I am also an avid movie and TV lover. I also enjoy playing board games.
Meet Logan Swain
Q: What is your favourite production that you have worked on?
A: In 2022 I was fortunate to Sound Design two community-focused productions that featured professional artists working alongside community members, many of who were performing for the first time. The first, Bury The Hatchet, presented by the Culture Den Society at the Belfry Theatre in June 2022, was a cultural performative offering that expressed diverse Indigenous and POC concepts of peace-building. It helped me experience first-hand the power of performance as an act of resistance, resurgence, and healing. The second, im:print2022, presented in October 2022 as a collaboration between the Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria and UVic’s Phoenix Theatre, was a multidisciplinary performance that wove the personal stories of multigenerational Indigenous, settler, immigrant, and refugee artists. It was an opportunity to witness the impact of creation as a medicine when artists are given space to speak their truth, build community, and tell stories often left untold.
Q: What brought you to SKAM? What do you love about SKAM?
A: I stumbled upon SKAM accidentally in November 2018 when they were a last-minute addition to a Co-op meet and greet at UVic. At that time, all I really knew about the company was that they did theatre with bikes. I quickly learned that SKAM offered so much more, and I have been an employee in various capacities ever since. I fell in love with the way SKAM does shows differently, often producing shows in site-responsive environments. I value the way the company allows me to balance working as an administrator and an artist. At University, I was often told I would have to choose between being a designer/creator, and working behind the scenes in production; at Theatre SKAM, I’ve found a home to do both.
Q: What are you looking forward to in your role as Co-Artistic Producer/what are you excited about?
A: I’m excited to continue the Theatre SKAM tradition of creating innovative and unconventional performances while supporting emerging artists in gaining valuable early-career experience. I look forward to pushing the boundaries of ‘traditional theatre’ while putting a new spin on the cheeky, inventive antics that helped establish Theatre SKAM as a mainstay in the Victoria Theatre community.
Q: When you aren’t working, what do you like to do?
A: I’m a bit of a nerd and spend a lot of time following technology (gadgets, gear, and exciting software) while contemplating how to use it in a theatrical setting. I care about my fantasy hockey team a little too much. When not in a dark theatre or at my desk buried in spreadsheets, I’m an avid outdoorsman that likes to hunt and fish.