GIVEAWAY Urban Ink’s TRANSFORM Festival

by Rebecca Bollwitt Tuesday, October 21st, 2025 — 9:05pm PDT

Urban Ink’s TRANSFORM Festival has five nights of electrifying performances over two weekends in November. In collaboration with The Cultch, the festival is curated by Urban Ink Artistic Director Corey Payette and it features an all-star lineup of Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists across multiple disciplines. You can enter to win tickets!

TRANSFORM Festival

Dates: November 6-8 and 14 & 15, 2025
Location: Vancouver Playhouse (600 Hamilton St, Vancouver)
Tickets: Available now from $19-$59; Festival Pass $150; Free for Indigenous persons

The Opening BASH! on November 6, 2025 at 7:30pm is hosted by season 5 Canada’s Drag Race star Jaylene Tyme and featuring an electrifying fusion of dance, circus, comedy, drag, and mind-blowing performers that defy expectations, with rising opera star Emma Pennell, choreographer Maddi Bulloch, and local award-winning juggler Yuki.

On November 7, 2025 at 7:30pm there is a workshop production of Wolf Cull, an Indigenous thriller by playwright Cheyenne Scott. Set in the near future in an invented Indigenous territory, five young women are drawn by a shared dream to the hunting grounds, where they uncover mysterious tracks that challenge their skills and the group’s fragile unity. Featuring performers Kat Maclean, Teniel Whiskeyjack, Danica Charlie, Marion Jacobs, and Winona Myles, the work explores internalized trauma, the knowledge and power of Indigenous women, and the transformative process of healing.

The world premiere of Where The Rivers Meet is happening On November 8, 2025 at 7:30pm. It’s a powerful musical journey that celebrates the deep connections between Indigenous cultures and water. Hosted by reality TV star and public speaker Suzette Amaya, this one-of-a-kind concert unites Indigenous composers with non-Indigenous musicians. Cellist and composer Cris Derksen, composer Russell Wallace, composer Sherryl Sewepagaham, and operatic soprano Emma Pennell will collaborate to weave ancient traditions with modern harmonies, creating a unique celebration of resilience, identity, and unity.

The world premiere of The Starwalker Experience, produced by Raven Theatre, is November 14, 2025 at 7:30pm. Enjoy a celebratory evening featuring the music of Starwalker, an award-winning musical written and composed by Corey Payette. The vibrant, multimedia experience will bring together a live band, featuring vocalists Conor Parnall, Jesse Alvarez, Jason Sakaki, and Vinnie Alberto with film clips and performances by local drag stars.

The festival will conclude on November 15, 2025 at 7:30pm with the Closing BASH!, hosted again by Jaylene Tyme. The closing celebrations will have exuberant and eccentric performances, including appearances by celebrated singer Rebecca Strong, who is the first Indigenous woman to win Canada’s Got Talent in 2024, capturing audiences with her strong, emotional performances of popular pop favourites, and Vancouver-based Indigenous singer/songwriter, dancer, and visual artist, Raven Grenier, who will share a live performance of her alt pop single, Wolverine.