Working in a decentralized collective model, Rumble is committed to prioritizing projects and initiatives that utilize art to expand collective imagination, collaboration, and build a deeper understanding of relationality and community. Guiding Values
Curiosity: Maintain an active and open approach to people, thought, expression, ideas, and world views. Courage: Have courage to destabilize norms,
encourage risk, engage in grey areas, respond to need, and to operate irrespective of precedent. Reciprocity: Respect and trust in our collaborations and relationships built on equitably fostering mutual benefit. History
For nearly 30 years Rumble has operated as a chameleon in our local community, with a strong priority on sector development. Though our artistic vision has morphed along with our leadership since our inception, one of Rumble’s core aims has always been to respond to our ecology using our infrastructure to enhance, strengthen, and develop the independent theatre community in Metro Vancouver; located on the unceded and occupied territories of the Coast Salish peoples of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. The company was founded in 1990 by Norman Armour and Chris Gerrard-Pinker with a focus on creating, performing and producing multi-disciplinary work. The ethos of the Vancouver theatre community at the time was one that yearned for more variety in its artistic composition and more young companies creating innovative theatre. In response, Norman lead the company to foster a nascent emerging scene, encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration between artists and promote a national theatre dialogue (with Touchstone Theatre, Rumble founded the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival). In 2006, Craig Hall became the company’s Artistic Producer, along with Laura Efron as Managing Director, at a time when the community was starting to focus on collaboration and cooperation. Craig built long-term organizational partnerships, initiated artistic co-productions and formalized presentation opportunities for promising emerging companies (Tremors Festival of Emerging Talent). In 2012, Stephen Drover became Artistic Director and introduced a new mandate; with Becky Low as Managing Director together they forged a new direction for Rumble in an effort to respond to the ever-evolving artistic climate. In Fall 2018 Rumble entered a new vision lead by a decentralized leadership team: Jivesh Parasram (Artistic Director), Christie Watson (Managing Director) and Kellee Ngan (Operations Director). In 2021 we said goodbye to Kelle as Jarin Schexnider moved in as the Operations Manager. Jiv, Christie, Jarin, and our innumerous associated artists are committed to activating cross-sectoral discussion, to collaborating, and to creating alternative models of presentation and production that support engagement opportunities for underrepresented communities in a larger national artistic dialogue. Rumble aspires to build solidarity within an artistically driven, disruptive and decolonial practice. Rumble has generated productions of great courage and audacity (Clark and I Somewhere in Connecticut, Snowman, Blackbird, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot). We are co-founders and residents of PL1422, a shared theatre production and administrative space in East Vancouver. The company has produced over 30 critically acclaimed shows, including 20 world premieres, and received numerous honours, including 81 Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards nominations.
