2023 Commissioned Artists

Joanne Park (they/he/she) is an emerging artist residing in Vancouver, currently attending the University of British Columbia. Their first film "Skinship" debuted with the Shooting Gallery in 2021. In their dance practice, Joanne trains in funk styles such as Popping and Waacking, as well as other branches of street dance like Krump. She has also trained with Modus Link for one season.

Photo by Nicole Yen

Satya Mari (she/her) is a good weird individual and emerging artist that’s excited/curious about experimental theatre and dance. They are based in so called “vancouver” on the unceded, ancestral, and occupied xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ lands where they will go into their 3rd year of training at Modus Operandi in September 2023. Latley Satya has been playing with character development, emotional availability, storytelling and object manipulation to translate personal experiences and the dynamics of diffrent relationships. One of her big loves is an afternoon nap with an unforgettable dream.

Marisa Gold (she/her) is an intuitive multidisciplinary dance artist with a passion for all things soulful. She has trained in a variety of Modern/Contemporary styles, with a BFA in dance (SFU), certificate of completion from The Ailey school Independent Study program (NYC), and The Graham school (NYC). She is an expressive dancer, poet, vocalist, choreographer, stylist, and actor whose work is embedded in self reflection, a deep love for humanity and reverence for our planet earth.

Darryl Ahye is a collaborative filmmaker from Trinidad and Tobago, now based in Vancouver. Darryl holds degrees in Film and Video Production from both the Vancouver Film School and the International Academy of Design and Technology. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with various organizations and independent artists to refine his craft. Currently, Darryl is immersed in projects that reflect his passion for wellness, personal development, and creative expression.

Raven (she/her) is a fourth year First Nations Indigenous Studies student at UBC, Artistic and Administrative Assistant for the Dancers of Damelahamid and an emerging multidisciplinary artist. With a background in traditional Gitxsan dance, and pow wow she is a contemporary Indigenous dance artist, song composer, and visual artist in formline design.

Adam Smith (he/him) is a Calgary-born, interdisciplinary artist. He is a founding member of the Calgary-based All Styles Dance crew Blasé, and part of the art collective Show Us Your Tits Productions. He is currently enrolled in the Music & Sound program at SFU, and writes music under the pseudonym Godfreed.

Ripcode (he/him) has been a developing professional dancer in Calgary for the past 5 years. Specializing in the style of Krump he has focused primarily on teaching, battling, and expanding the community and culture throughout Calgary and western Canada. He is one of the founding members of the Calgary-based All Styles crew Blasé and is a member of the largest Krump crew in western Canada Empirical Freedom. He is a teacher and a community leader who promotes diversity and inclusion within any dance community while also striving to educate those willing to learn and learn from anyone he can.

Aerial (she/her) is a ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐤ (Nēhiyaw, Plains Cree) multidisciplinary artist from Whitefish (Goodfish) Lake First Nation #128 in Treaty 6 territory.

Jada Chang is a 17-year-old Vancouver-born dancer. Jada is an aspiring creative who hopes to grow as an artist and create meaningful movement with the ability to impact individuals through the Mini Commissions Program. Growing up in the competitive dance world, she is excited to explore a different approach to dance and movement as it’s captured on camera.

Ryan is an experienced street style dancer with over 10 years of training in performance, freestyle, and choreography techniques. After learning from the pioneers of this dance and moving forward with teaching and creating, I intend to pay respects to the creators of this dance by prioritizing the foundations & sharing my knowledge of freestyle with the next generation.

Larkin Miller is an internationally-based aspiring screenwriter and filmmaker. They have a passion for theatre, the written word and long, rambling media analysis. Their previous works include 'A Highway Psychological', a stage play about guilt and escapism, as well as a few independent short films and music. In the future, they hope to write and produce a full-length screenplay based on their own personal experiences with the creative process.

My name is Bona Lee (she/her) and I am currently a 17-year-old student living in Toronto.

I have a passion for all mediums of art, but particularly music, film, and photography. I spend my free time playing the piano, watching films, creating zines, and taking portraits of others.

I am often inspired by the people I surround myself with, and I look forward to bringing these inspirations and ideas to life through the 2023 Mini Commissions Program!

Thivya Jeyapalan is the passionate founder of YouSpoken, a youth organization dedicated to empowering individuals to explore their inner triggers and traumas, facilitating healing through storytelling. With a deep love for writing and music, Thivya recognizes the power of intersecting these art forms to express personal narratives. Now, she eagerly ventures into the realm of film, embracing its potential to amplify voices and foster understanding. As a staunch advocate for mental health, Thivya's vision for YouSpoken extends globally, supporting youth worldwide who endure PTSD and related struggles, inspiring them to share their stories and embark on transformative journeys of recovery.

Hi! I'm Tanisha/Tanu Kumar. I go by she/her pronouns. I am an artist based in Toronto, focused on film, visual arts, and fashion. This summer, I am working on creating a film that takes part of my intersectional and evolving identity, using a movement-based medium. Feel free to follow me on Instagram @tunadoola23 Excited to join Mini Commissions for 2023!

Hi! I'm Ash, I use any pronouns and I've been a creative for as long as I can remember. I especially enjoy metafiction. I love film because it portrays human experiences in a way everyone can connect to. I'm from Hong Kong and I started out making 'animations' on Google Slides, using any resources that I had—Now I'm here! I'm happy to dive deep into my passion for filmmaking, and my dream is to make something that impacts someone the same way my favourite works have done to me.

Hello! My name is Era Bothe and I’m a 16 year old filmmaker from Vancouver, BC. My biggest hobbies are; writing, drawing, watching hockey, playing in my school band and going on train rides. My personality type surprisingly is a INFP (most expect me to be an extrovert). My favourite directors are Wes Anderson, Wong Kar-wai, and Quentin Tarantino all whom I take my filmmaking style from. I am also a very big fan of the NHL and the Vancouver Canucks and will take any chance to talk hockey. Anyhow, I’m a very kind person and love to make connections.

Hi! My name is Theresa Truong and I'm an artist based out of Vancouver, British Columbia. I've been dancing for the past 5 years and I've always loved witnessing a choreographer's creative process and then later seeing the final version. I'm super excited to be apart of Form's 2023 Mini Commissions Program because it's now my chance to experiment with all the other layers that come into creating a video.