大象视频

Regina, SK 鈥� 大象视频 (FNUniv) student Tyrone Perreault has made his mark on the international stage as a co-writer of R;LINK, a new musical honouring Indigenous veterans and celebrating cultural exchange between Canada and Korea.

The production premiered in Seoul, South Korea on July 26鈥�27, followed by its Canadian debut at Capilano University鈥檚 BlueShore Theatre in North Vancouver on August 15鈥�16.

Created in recognition of the 2024鈥�2025 Year of Korea鈥揅anada Cultural Exchange, R;LINK is inspired by true stories of Canadian soldiers who played hockey on the frozen Imjin River during the Korean War. The show blends history, music, and movement to commemorate the friendships forged between Canadian and Korean troops鈥攎any of whom were Indigenous veterans.

The title R;LINK reflects this connection: the 鈥淩鈥� references Korea, while 鈥淟INK鈥� symbolizes the bonds created between the two nations. The semicolon emphasizes bridging cultures鈥攍inking history, memory, and collaboration across borders.

Perreault, an Indigenous Communication Arts student, joined the writing team earlier this year alongside students from Hanyang University (Seoul), the University of Saskatchewan, and Capilano University. His involvement took him to Korea not once, but twice鈥攆irst for the project鈥檚 official launch, and later at the beginning of the summer to collaborate on script rewrites and development.

鈥淔or me, the biggest impact of this project has been the opportunity to share Indigenous culture with the Korean team,鈥� said Perreault. 鈥淔rom hosting them at the FNUniv Spring Powwow to smudging and sharing bannock in Seoul, it was an incredibly enriching experience.鈥�

The production combines an eclectic mix of pop, hip-hop, swing jazz, and traditional Korean music鈥攚ith choreography that even includes rollerblading sequences. The performances also featured meaningful musical contributions, including the loan of a song by Elder Joseph Naytowhow, and the use of both Indigenous hand drums and Korean traditional drums on stage.

鈥淚 wanted to ensure the play highlighted the unique aspects of Canadian and Indigenous cultures,鈥� Perreault explained. 鈥淭hrough character development and cultural references, I believe we achieved that.鈥�

With its successful international and Canadian premieres complete, R;LINK has already generated significant interest abroad, with discussions underway about potential future screenings and international tour opportunities.

鈥淩epresenting FNUniv on a global stage has been a huge honour,鈥� Perreault reflected. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been the opportunity of a lifetime.鈥�