FOR THIS PERFORMANCE INSTALLATION, COME FOR AN HOUR ANYWHERE BETWEEN 7:30PM - 9:00PM (OR 1:30PM - 3:00PM).

WALK BETWEEN THE INSTALLATIONS, HEAR THE WORDS OF REAL HEALTH CARE WORKERS.

IN HONOUR AND RESPECT TO THE HEALTH CARE WORKERS’ STORIES, WE ASK YOU TO WEAR MASKS INSIDE THE INSTALLATION OF UNSUNG.

ARTISTS’ STATEMENT:

Theatre reflects the past and dreams of the future. Drawing from what we experience and witness, we create theatre to tell stories that have not yet been told. The Covid-19 Pandemic is a defining event of our time. We wanted to provide a space where we could acknowledge and honour the contribution of the health care workers who risked their own safety to guard ours.   

UNSUNG is comprised of stories drawn from the lives of real Edmontonians, who stared into the very real face of the pandemic in our hospitals and care homes. This living art gallery documents the experience of our health care workers and honours the importance of one of Canada’s defining institutions: Public Health Care.

Over the months of October – December 2022, we interviewed Edmonton health care workers from diverse sectors, asking them about the myriad challenges they faced during the Covid-19 pandemic. The identities of the interviewees remain anonymous, to protect their confidentiality. Each interview was edited down to a 2000-word story, which was then read by our fine cast of actors, then edited further until what remained was a 5-minute monologue. These distillations are what you will experience during UNSUNG. 

These unique and powerful interviews displayed a wide range of eyewitness observations and insights into the impact of the global pandemic on our already-struggling health care system. Moving, hopeful, and sometimes shocking, the stories opened our eyes to an experience that the media coverage and the polarizing political debates hadn’t addressed. 

We find ourselves in continually turbulent times. We have collectively endured a crisis and—in the wake of the storm—have not had an opportunity to take stock of what has happened, to collectively mourn the passing of those we’ve lost, to assess what needs to happen to rebuild our lives and our communities.

We wanted to offer the opportunity to begin this process by making art. In the end, our stories are all we are. And … we never really understand something until we view it through the eyes of someone who has seen it first-hand. 

From descriptions of the looming danger of an advancing virus, to the isolation and fear of being tasked to stand against the many waves of illness as it washed over us, to being elevated as reluctant heroes, these humans faced death daily, just by virtue of their career. Months of fear, frustration and nonstop stress were some of the hallmarks of a pandemic spent on the front lines. But there were also countless moments of humanity, compassion, vulnerability, and courage—in the face of the unknown.  

We hope that UNSUNG provides a window into an event we all experienced, but still struggle to understand.

~ Heather Inglis & Darrin Hagen, Co-Creators