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On Native Land, A New Musical from Corey Payette.

A lawyer, a Chief, and a rising singer-songwriter—whose paths converge in a powerful tale of identity, land, and love.

Enjoy the show trailer for On Native Land on stage NOW at the York Theatre in Vancouver!

There are only 5 performances left for what has been described as " one of the most beautiful productions ever to grace the York Theatre stage" (Jo Ledingham), you can get those last tickets from the link in our bio 🪶

On Native Land, a musical written and directed by Corey Payette, Set Design Alaia Hamer, Costume Design Stephanie Kong, Lighting Design Jonathan Kim, a Raven Theatre and Urban Ink co-production, presented by The Cultch. Actors: Amanda Trapp, Dustyn Forbes, Hailey Christie-Hoyle, Jacob Woike, Jenna Brown, Jera Wolfe, Jesse Alvarez, Nathan Coburn, Sharon Crandall, Taninli Wright, Wahsontí:io Kirby, Zac Bellward.

JUST ANNOUNCED: Tickets for On Native Land at the York Theatre are now available!

@thecultch has released their new season, which includes the new, original musical by @coreypayette. Produced by Raven Theatre in collaboration with Urban Ink and presented by The Cultch, On Native Land intertwines the lives of three seemingly disparate characters; a lawyer, a Chief, and a rising singer-songwriter; whose paths converge in a powerful tale of identity, land, and love.

A dive into the heart of contemporary Indigenous narratives, On Native Land is a sweeping love story with a focus on urban Indigenous communities, offering solace and solidarity.

Corey Payette’s contemporary score has a driving force rooted in the drum, grounding the music in Indigenous tradition while soaring melodies echo groundbreaking Broadway scores such as Company and Dear Evan Hansen. Richly textured and emotionally charged, his compositions bridge ancestral and modern tonalities, creating a soundscape that is both timeless and boldly innovative.

Secure your tickets today! On Native Land plays at the York Theatre, begins previews on April 8, 2026

#onnativeland #theatre #vanarts #vancouvertheatre #indigenous #indigenoustheatre #arts #localarts

💫 OFFICIAL TRAILER for STARWALKER 💫

Star, an Indigi-Queer Two-Spirit lonesome call boy, has become newly entranced by The House of Borealis, a popular drag house in East Vancouver. Blending drag with their grounded cultural spirit, a new, powerful persona emerges on stage: Starwalker.

Starwalker, a new musical film by @coreypayette

Starring @dillychibz @jeffreymichaelfollis @smckensy @jessejossef @jasonsakaki @connorparnall @ralphescamillan @august_isover

Original Music & lyrics by @coreypayette
Producers @coreypayette @fabiaspellmorales
Executive Producers @coreypayette @melissajtsang
Directors of Photography @ian.mroz @parhamshay
Production Designer @annashearingdesign
Costume Designer @alaiahamer
Editor @christiandd8
Choreography @ralphescamillan
1st AD @epptri
Gaffer @krystal.chn
Hair & Makeup @victoriadoingmakeup @facesbybrandon @lbmb.artistry @devonbreeperez
Sound Mix @wesswales 708 Sound Studio

An @urbaninkvan Production

#starwalkerfilm

Starwalker à Montréal! 💫

The movie will screen as part of the Canadian Independent Film Festival on May 22nd at 5 pm at the Casa D’Italia Cultural Centre. Thank you to @filmfestciff for selecting and sharing Starwalker with their audience 🪶

For more information and tickets head to the link in our bio and follow @starwalkerfilm for upcoming screenings 💃🏽✨

#starwalkerfilm

“Loons” by Cris Derksen 💛

Video of Cris Derksen performing at the Vancouver Playhouse for the TRANSFORM Festival in November 2025.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Cree cellist, composer, and visionary artist Cris Derksen.
Cris was a powerful force in Indigenous and contemporary music; an artist whose work continually expanded the possibilities of music, collaboration, and storytelling. Her generosity, boldness, and unforgettable music left a profound impact on communities around the world.

We had the honour of collaborating with Cris over the years, including co-curating Connective T/issue, an initiative exploring collaborations between Indigenous composers and circus artists. Most recently, Cris joined us at Transform Festival for Where the Rivers Meet, a concert gathering Indigenous composers in celebration of music, community, and the water that connects us.

We extend our love and condolences to Cris’s family, friends, collaborators, and all those grieving this tremendous loss.

From our Artistic Director Corey Payette:
“I’m heartbroken by the loss of my friend Cris. She was a fearless leader, bold artist, and generous person. She created work that was completely unique, all while always making space for other Indigenous artists around her. Cris will be deeply missed. Her spirit and music changed so many of us.”

Photo of Cris Derksen by Alberto Velasco Ramos at the TRANSFORM Festival in Vancouver.

Excited to share that Starwalker is an Official Selection at Reel Out Charlotte 2026, part of Charlotte Pride, happening this weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina ✨

So grateful to continue sharing this story with new audiences and communities across Turtle Island. Starwalker is a celebration of Indigi-Queer joy, music, drag, resilience, and chosen family, and it means so much to bring the film to Charlotte.

📍 Independent Picture House
🗓 Saturday, May 16
🕦 11:30 AM

Hope to see you there ❤️ @reeloutclt @cltpride @urbaninkvan

#Starwalker #CharlottePride #ReelOutCharlotte #IndigenousCinema #QueerCinema TwoSpirit IndigiQueer LGBTQFilm

How does the creature manifest within and how do we track, hunt, and transform it?

We are thrilled to announce the Vancouver premiere of Cheyenne Scott’s Wolf Cull at the Historic Theatre from April 1-11, 2027 as part of The Cultch’s Warrior Festival🐺
Wolf Cull, is an edgy modern thriller where young Indigenous women utilize their traditional knowledge and relationship with the land to overcome their internal trauma. In the near future five young women – Rebel, Leader, Brawn, Wildcard and Skeptic – 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. A story of hope that empowers the women to defeat the shapeshifting creature.

Wolf Cull has been in development with Urban Ink since 2019 which has included a workshop production of the show as part of the 2025 TRANSFORM Festival at the Vancouver Playhouse, and we’re so excited for Vancouver audiences to experience it! Photo by @wildroan.photoco

After 12 years of visionary leadership, Corey Payette will conclude his tenure as Artistic Director of Urban Ink in October 2026.

Corey’s time with the company has helped shape Urban Ink into a nationally recognized platform for Indigenous and culturally diverse performance. As he transitions from the role, Corey will focus on composing, directing, and developing new work across theatre, music, and film.

Urban Ink will begin a national search for its next Artistic Director in the coming months.First Photo by @mattreznekportrait

After 12 years of visionary leadership, Corey Payette will conclude his tenure as Artistic Director of Urban Ink in October 2026.

Corey’s time with the company has helped shape Urban Ink into a nationally recognized platform for Indigenous and culturally diverse performance. As he transitions from the role, Corey will focus on composing, directing, and developing new work across theatre, music, and film.

Urban Ink will begin a national search for its next Artistic Director in the coming months.First Photo by @mattreznekportrait

After 12 years of visionary leadership, Corey Payette will conclude his tenure as Artistic Director of Urban Ink in October 2026.

Corey’s time with the company has helped shape Urban Ink into a nationally recognized platform for Indigenous and culturally diverse performance. As he transitions from the role, Corey will focus on composing, directing, and developing new work across theatre, music, and film.

Urban Ink will begin a national search for its next Artistic Director in the coming months.First Photo by @mattreznekportrait

After 12 years of visionary leadership, Corey Payette will conclude his tenure as Artistic Director of Urban Ink in October 2026.

Corey’s time with the company has helped shape Urban Ink into a nationally recognized platform for Indigenous and culturally diverse performance. As he transitions from the role, Corey will focus on composing, directing, and developing new work across theatre, music, and film.

Urban Ink will begin a national search for its next Artistic Director in the coming months.First Photo by @mattreznekportrait

Starwalker comes to Calgary! 💫
And this screening will be followed by an in-person conversation with actor @jeffreymichaelfollis (stunningly pictured here by @sydwonphotography)

Thank you to @queerartsyyc Fairy Tales Queer Art Film Festival for selecting Starwalker to open the festival on May 13 at 6:30pm!

Share with your friends in Calgary the link in our bio for tickets and we hope to see you there for the movie and the talkback, moderated by host @mvielle

#starwalkerfilm

What an incredible journey it has been. As we look back on the final performance of Corey Payette’s powerful new musical, On Native Land, we at Urban Ink want to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who joined us at the York Theatre.

Thank you for coming out, sharing in this world premiere, and engaging so deeply with these vital stories of identity and connection to land.

We also want to celebrate the remarkable creative team and artists, from the visionary story and music by Corey Payette, to the beautiful design, to the stunning performances by our cast and musicians. This production was made possible through the collaboration of Raven Theatre, The Cultch, and every individual who poured their heart into bringing this vision to the stage over the last 7 years of development.

Tell us in the comments what you enjoyed most about On Native Land, we’d love to hear from you!

Thank you for being part of this story. We look forward to seeing you at our next production 🪶

Photo credits: On Native Land a musical written and directed by Corey Payette, Set Design Alaia Hamer, Costume Design Stephanie Kong, Lighting Design Jonathan Kim, Produced by Raven Theatre and Urban Ink presented by The Cultch, Actors: Amanda Trapp, Dustyn Forbes, Hailey Christie-Hoyle, Jacob Woike, Jenna Brown, Jera Wolfe, Jesse Alvarez, Nathan Coburn, Sharon Crandall, Taninli Wright, Wahsontí:io Kirby, Zac Bellward. Photos by David Cooper.

Starwalker is coming to Bracebridge, Ontario!
Thank you to the @mqffca1 Muskoka Film Festival for making us an official selection screening on their first night of the festival!

If you are in the area don’t miss Starwalker on April 21st at 7:30pm. More information and tickets in our bio 💫💃🪶

#starwalkerfilm