Inner Fish Performance and O.Dela Arts presents

MATRIARCHS UPRISING

Indigenous Women Dancing Stories of Transformation

Inner Fish Performance presents Matriarchs Uprising – Indigenous Women Dancing Stories of Transformation, a mixed bill of contemporary Indigenous dance works from Vancouver’s O.Dela Arts, and featuring solos by Olivia C. Davies, Sophie Dow, and Samantha Sutherland, on June 15–16, 2026, at the Mary Irwin Theatre in Kelowna. This event is supported by the BC Arts Council.

June 15, 2026 at 7:00 PM – Program (Double Bill):

Performance 1: Journals of Adoption by Sophie Dow

Description: Journals of adoption is a sifting and movement through 2 journals of origin: one text from Sophie’s birth mother's pregnancy & process of offering her up; the other text from her own reflections, queries and ruminations as an adopted child.

Performance 2: ʔa·kinq̓uku by Samantha Sutherland

Description: Fire ignites, grows, burns, and devours. Once it decays, what destruction does it leave behind? How does the earth regrow out of the ashes? - ʔa·kinq̓uku, the word for fire in the Ktunaxa Language, is a solo that follows the life cycle of a wildfire, and the regrowth that occurs after. This piece was created in reaction to the wildfire that burned through the Samantha’s home community of ʔaq̓am in the summer of 2023.

June 16, 2026 at 7:00 PM – Program (Double Bill):

Performance 1: Slip Away by Samantha Sutherland

Description: Slip Away, a solo created and performed by Samantha Sutherland, explores themes of loss and hope relating to the endangered state of the Ktunaxa Language. What happens when individuals are motivated by fear? What work needs to happen to develop a sense of hope for our future? This solo shares accounts of the current efforts toward preservation of the endangered language, and showcases dreams of how it may continue to be enlivened in the future.

Performance 2: Rematriate by Olivia C. Davies

Description: To rematriate is to return to the source. In response to the systems that hold society hostage to continual technological advancement and an ever-growing disconnection to reality, this solo seeks to articulate potential pathways to peace and presence that are grounded in Contemporary Indigenous feminism.

In Rematriate, stars shimmer across a great expanse of darkness marking the first glimmer of life stirring. The universal form moves through her body, shaping the spaces in between, and settling in her softness. She welcomes the Earth to crawl up into her form as the waters rise around her. Gathering strength to carry on. Shape-shifting from this world to the next with each breath.

The Matriarchs Uprising Kelowna program includes a Talking Truths Circle Conversation with Indigenous artists, Syilx Nation Knowledge Keepers, and local arts leaders, as well as two community dance workshops led by the artists. No previous experience is required to participate in the workshops or the Talking Truths Circle Conversation; everyone is welcome. All activities will take place at the Rotary Centre for the Arts.

For more information, please visit www.innerfishperformance.ca

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PRICING CATEGORIES

INCLUSIVE PRICING*
In a spirit of openness and accessibility, we invite everyone to choose the ticket price that best suits their situation.

Supporter Rate - I would like to support inclusive pricing and help make lower-priced tickets available to others.
$48.71 ($40.00 base price + $2.36 CIF + $6.35 service charge)

Regular Rate - I would like to support arts and culture in Kelowna and am able to pay the full price of a ticket.
$34.91 ($28.00 base price + $2.36 CIF + $4.55 service charge)

Reduced Rate - I have a limited budget for cultural activities but don’t want to miss out.
$25.71 ($20.00 base price + $2.36 CIF + $3.35 service charge)

Accessible Rate - I face financial barriers and can rarely afford cultural outings. $19.99 ($15.00 base price + $2.36 CIF + $2.63 service charge)

All above prices are CAD and include GST.

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Mary Irwin Theatre at the Rotary Centre for the Arts event tickets include a $2.36 Capital Improvement Fee (CIF). A service fee is added for box office costs, card processing, and taxes. Matriarchs Uprising tickets and their applicable fees are non-refundable.

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