Kevin Fraser with Immigrant Lessons

Established in 2016, Immigrant Lessons is a Vancouver- based, international multidisciplinary art collective/platform created to promote cultural pluralism utilizing: dance, theatre, music, fashion, visual media, and visual design. This collective creates, plays, and currently is based on the on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. As underground artists and street dancers, we would also like to express deep love and gratitude for the innovations of black people and black culture. The collective is directed/founded by Queer Black multidisciplinary artist, Kevin Fraser. It’s core associates are artists: Sophia Gamboa, Sevrin Emnacen-Boyd, Simran Sachar, Joshua Cameron, Tegvaran Singh, Hayden Pereira, and Ronald Li. In addition to its core members, Immigrant Lessons’ regularly brings in guest interpreters for its umbrella of work, exploration, and collaborations. With a shared love of movement and art, Immigrant Lessons incorporates their extensive street dance background, experimental practice, contemporary ideology, multidisciplinary skill set, and the investigation of societal norms and intersections to give voice and visibility to marginalized and oppressed communities/individuals. Immigrant Lessons aims to: heal, inspire, excite, inform, motivate, and uplift.

Since its inception, Immigrant Lessons has become a household name within Western Canada. The eclectic, multifaceted nature of the Collective rings true, in the wide array of performances and collaborative work that they have been grateful to take part in. Immigrant Lessons’ festival highlights include: Vancouver Street Dance Festival, Safe and Sound Music Festival, Talking Stick Festival, Vines Art Festival, Basscoast Music Festival, Shambhala Music Festival, Fatcat Children’s Festival, Junofest, Vancouver International Children’s Festival, Indian Summer Festival, Push Festival, Festival of Recorded Movement,  and most recently, Manila Fringe Festival. The Collective has a deep belief in the power of uplifting community through collaborative process and presentation on an ongoing basis. Collaborators include: Pattern Nation, Sleepless Mindz, Kimmortal, Missy D, JB The First Lady, IMUR, Vancity Street, Her Tribal Roots, DIALOG, Van Arts Studio, Anjali, UBC Jump Start, Moments of Movement, Goodneighbour, Chimerik Collective, Smalltown DJs, Shape Shifter Studio, New works Management and Presentation, The Scotiabank Dance Centre, Granville Island, and Rumble Theatre.