Anto is a Queer Chinese-Canadian spoken word performance artist, facilitator, mentor, student and writer. He performed his one-person show “Love So Far” at the Montreal Fringe Festival in 2019, his poetry chapbook “Love So Far: Romantic Reflections” released in 2020, and is releasing his full-length album “InnerGenerational” in May 2024. In 2022, he founded the 2-time Canada Council for the Arts funded project “InnerGenerational: Trauma & Healing”, building a community that fosters a safe environment for Asian artists to evolve in their crafts without fear and limitations, deviating from the model minority archetype. 

Currently studying Expressive Art Therapy at The Create Institute, the intersection of mental health and the arts a long-time passion. His humourous and intimate performances nurture dialogue about intergenerational trauma as he shares his complicated family history and takes responsibility in breaking generational curses. He also facilitates groups for LGBTQ2S+ community including Getting Bi+ & Queerscapes, and mentors for the Nia Centre for the Arts supporting Black Artists with creativity, writing, poetry & grant writing. Anto’s life work centres on expansion, intersectionality, and self-love through the page, stage and community. He builds meaningful projects aiming to create and support art that speaks to the journey of soul healing, self-discovery and healing intergenerational trauma.

Busyrawk, a Kyopo (diasporic Korean) from Incheon, South Korea, grew up in Southeast Asia and moved to Canada in 2010, sparking an ongoing exploration of his identity. He is a multidisciplinary artist, drawing from a background in competitive breakdancing, DJing, and graffiti art. His journey as a graffiti artist was ignited by the captivating imagery of New York City’s 1980s subway graffiti art, documented by Henry Chalfant and Martha Cooper in their seminal work “Subway Art.” His endeavors in Hip-hop naturally cultivated his desire to elevate the voices of the marginalized, and he saw an opportunity in muralism’s platform of high visibility and its roots in graffiti art. He aims to have his murals spark dialogue in hopes of bringing about social change one conversation at a time. Currently, he is also channeling his digital illustration pursuits towards the entertainment industry, aspiring to work as a character designer.

Based in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal, Dédé Chen is an author and filmmaker interested in exploring the dynamics of filiation. She holds a degree in anthropology from Laval University and completed a master’s in international relations at the University of Beijing. It was upon her return that she began developing a writing practice, blending poetics and politics, and focusing on themes such as sexual violence, the body as territory, and archival work. She co-edited Les Asiatitudes (2024), the first French-language anthology of authors descending from Asian diasporas in Quebec, and has published autofiction works in literary journals such as Le double de la mère in Moebius (2021), Femmage in Le Crachoir de Flaubert (2022), and Renasiance in Estuaire (2024). Her first short film, Papaya (2022), premiered at the Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival, and was awarded the Prix du Coup de Coeur at the Festival Accès Asie, as well as an honorable mention at the Festival Filministes and at the Vancouver Festival of Recorded Movement. Having grown up between Saguenay and Quebec City, she felt a need to reconnect with her roots in the city and amplify the voices of adopted people. In 2021, she co-founded Soft Gong, the first Francophone organization by and for adoptees from China.

Returning to Vancouver after seven years in Toronto, Kristin Fung’s ferocious, tender, and captivating voice as a lead singer, keyboardist, composer, and improviser traverse musical landscapes of “soulful grace [and] jazzy joy” (From The Intercom), funky R&B, and much more. Her originals are deeply joyful, uplifting, and evocative of self-accompanying piano queens like Alicia Keys and Patrice Rushen, showing off her powerhouse lungs and groovy keyboard chops.

A charismatic performer with playful and elegant stage presence, Fung’s second EP, “Live at The Garden” (2023) was filmed live in-concert at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. Due to rain, the performance was moved inside at the last minute. Fung reflects on the enchanted evening: “I can still see that sunset, the one you chose to miss so that we could play an encore.”

Fung’s current projects in 2024 include the long-awaited studio recording of her electro-R&B single, “Why Don’t You Dance”; the debut of her R&B dueling pianos act with songwriter/pianist/Sing! China finalist, ZiZi called The No Sweet Carolines; and a co-write with JUNO Award winning songwriter Jacq Teh called “Glory Days.”

A soulful innovator who’s always up to something unexpected, Fung is the creator of the outdoor live music and chocolate series, Funk N’ Mink which was one of five selected recipients of DowntownVan’s Public Space Vibrancy program (2021). Other performances include Vancouver International Jazz Festival, Roulette (New York), Ong King (Honolulu) and Viva La Musica! (Kyoto).

Lavounie Doan was born in Saigon, Vietnam. She is a media artist specializing in filmmaking/cinematography, sound design, photography, animation, and illustration. Living in Calgary, AB (Mohkínstsis/Treaty 7 Territory), Lavounie received her BFA in Time-based Media Arts and a Board of Governor’s Graduating Student Award from the Alberta University of the Arts in 2023. Her research focuses on the concepts of dreams and fragmented memories.

Red Lotus Korean Dance Group, led by Eunjoo Jung, is located in Winnipeg, MB. Eunjoo Jung, originally from South Korea, immigrated to Canada in 2014. She has been directing the group since 2018, overseeing dance instruction and performances for the members. In her role as director, she manages the team and teaches. Eunjoo not only performs on the Haegeum but also showcases Ogomu—five drum dance, fan dance, and Janggu dance. Presently, the group’s repertoire includes various performances such as haegeum, ogomu, puppets, mask dance, samulnori, fan dance, performances, and K-pop.

The group’s journey began with the Winnipeg Folklorama festival and has since been actively performing since 2018. Our performances have expanded across Manitoba, including invitations to events such as the Asian Heritage Society of Manitoba’s Asian Canadian Showcase during Asian Heritage Month, Summer in the City Festival in Steinbach, Desi Feast, Chinatown Night Market, FascinAsian Film Festival, and various multicultural days at schools.

About the performances:

Haegeum is one of the traditional Korean instruments, known for its unique sound production method using a bow between inner and outer strings connected to a small soundbox. This string instrument boasts a wide vocal range, suitable for both traditional Korean and modern music melodies.

Ogomu is a traditional Korean 5-drum dance where dancers are surrounded by five drums, employing various drumming and dance techniques.