Disciplines:
Valerie is a multidisciplinary artist who performs, writes, directs, dramaturges, and produces. She was artist-in-residence at Shadbolt Centre and Urban Ink for her 2012 playwriting debut, CONFESSIONS OF THE OTHER WOMAN (Urban Ink, Vancouver Playhouse, Visceral Visions); and artist-in-residence at National Arts Centre to develop her 10-actor play, IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOUNTAINS, which centres 3 generations of an Indigenous (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh), Chinese-Canadian, and Japanese-Canadian family. Her writings have appeared in Canadian Theatre Review, alt.theatre, and online publications. She is currently co-directing an animated film adaptation of a chamber operetta, DID I JUST SAY THAT?, for which she wrote the libretto; and collaborating with Chroma Mixed Media on VOICELESS, an opera-based augmented reality project. With a background in critical writing, studio dance (ballet, tap, jazz), B.Mus degree (distinguished honours), editorial training in magazine publishing and dramaturgy (Arts Club Theatre Dramaturgy Lab), and 25+ years’ experience performing onstage, onscreen, and voiceover, Valerie brings an interculturally-informed and interdisciplinary lens to storytelling. She is the founding co-artistic producer of Visceral Visions, and founder of CultureBrew.Art. Awards: Enbridge playRites Award; John Moffat + Larry Lillo Prize; UBCP/ACTRA International Women’s Day Award; 2022 BC Lieutenant Governor’s Platinum Jubilee Arts & Music Award for exceptional contributions to the arts.
