Human Library

Human Library, a project entering its second year with Vancouver’s 2014 PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, stands by the expression that one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. In addition, it invites us to redefine what books and reading can be.

As part of this project, festival patrons get an opportunity to ‘sign out’ a human ‘book’, a person who shares with them their unique life story or perspective in a one-on-one session held at the Central Branch of the Vancouver Public Library.

Immersive communication

Dave Deveau, writer and dramaturge, is the project’s curator. He believes that Human Library (HL) has an incredible capacity to open up the hearts and minds of the Vancouver public to individuals and experiences that they may have never had the opportunity to encounter, as well as to challenge their pre-conceived notions.

“Human Library is a very interesting middle-point between the world of contemporary performance and the world of the festival goer. It is pushing boundaries, but also at the same time tapping into something really personal and really emotional,” he explains.

In order to recruit the human books, Deveau reaches out to community organizations and puts out an open call for prospective participants. Once the individuals are selected, Deveau trains them in order to present their stories in succinct and engaging ways.

When the project launches, the public can sign up for 20 minute sessions with the various books, where they are invited to both listen to stories, as well as engage in conversation.

For Antonette Rea, a poet who identifies as a transgender woman, HL is an opportunity to share her experience of healing from the violence and prejudice she has faced in the course of her lifetime because of her sexual identity.

Rea, whose book name in this project is Middlesex, chooses to let her poems tell her story, and was amazed at the supportive responses she received during last year’s festival.

“Many people don’t read poetry, but when they hear mine, it jumps off the page. Poetry was my way of coping with things. That’s the most valuable thing I have: my stories,” she says.

Rea appreciates the project’s capacity to promote respect and appreciation for marginalized communities.

“It’s an opportunity to educate and to have people ask questions they were afraid to ask,” she says.

Conjuring change

Lea Ricketts, a writer working on a memoir about abducting her own daughter in order to flee from the child’s violent and abusive father, is also returning for her second year. Her book title at HL, I Abducted Her, is also the title of her own work.

Ricketts says that last year many festival patrons were afraid to meet her because they weren’t sure of the context of the abduction implied in the title. However, upon hearing her story, many had a very emotional response and could relate because they had also experienced abuse in their lives.

The feedback she gets from the public at HL inspires Ricketts to continue writing in the hopes that her memoir will help redefine Canadian child custody laws.

“When you have something hard to tell, most people keep it a secret, and I am doing the opposite. I am hoping the book will be an inspiration to others to help make change,” she explains.

Deconstructing culture

Filmmaker Devon Cooke views HL as an opportunity to share his criticism of copyright policies. His book title at the festival is Cultural Pirate, and his presentation questions cultural ownership.

Cooke feels that the ability to comment on the artistic works of others without having to worry about copyright is an essential aspect of keeping culture vibrant and functional. He believes in the practice of referencing another artist’s work without paying copyright fees because he introduces it to new audiences and, in a sense, further promotes it.

“The impact you make as an artist is really related to what other people do with what you have [created]. Copyright is an obstacle to using art in a way I see art as being useful,” says Cooke.

Norman Armour, artistic & executive director of PuSh, thinks HL, and the festival as whole, promotes a fresh approach to art.

“We want people to gain a renewed sense of excitement and adventurousness for live performance and gain a great appreciation of how the Vancouver performing arts scene fits in with other creative communities across Canada and around the globe,” he explains.

You can check out Human Library between 12 and 5 p.m. on Jan. 17–19, 24–26, 31, and Feb. 1–2, on the 3rd floor of the Central Branch of the Vancouver Public Library. For more information visit: pushfestival.ca/festival-events/main-shows.