About

Jasmine is a second-generation Taiwanese-Singaporean immigrant and multidisciplinary artist based in the unceded lands of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations and T’karonto (The Dish with One Spoon Territory).

Jasmine was born in T’karonto (the place in the water where the trees are standing), where from an early age she was immersed in arts based education. An alumnus of the Claude Watson Arts Program, Jasmine studied Music, Art, Dance and Theatre for nine years. She majored as a dancer for four years, training and competing in ballet, jazz and modern. In high school she majored in Theatre, where she was president of the Student Arts Council. Her time spent in extracurricular shows and performances led her to continue her post-secondary training in the Theatre Performance: Acting Program at Ryerson University, graduating with a BFA.

Jasmine has worked extensively as a performer in Theatre, Film/TV, and Voiceover. She is also a director, educator, movement coach, community facilitator, and producer. Jasmine has engaged with audiences across Turtle Island in repertory festivals, independent theatres, immersive experiences, regional theatres and outdoor venues. She has worked with leaders in film, opera, music, theatre, and media, such as: Atom Egoyan, Lido Pimienta, Hawksley Workman, Ins Choi, Aria Umezawa and Amanda Parris. She has taught at Studio 58 Langara College, McGill Schulich School of Music, the Paprika Festival, Festival Players Academy, Canadian Stage, Cahoots Theatre, and the Children’s Peace Theatre. Jasmine is the recipient of the Gina Wilkinson Award for Female Directors, the Jon Kaplan Legacy Award for a Canadian Stage Performer, the Stratford Festival Jean Gascon Award, a Toronto Harold Award, and is a Dora Mavor Moore Award nominee.

At the core of her work is her dedication to community building, storytelling, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Her work often centres multilingual creation, audience interactivity, and diasporic narratives.

Artistic Statement

My work starts with listening. I pay attention. I observe the micro details of everyday life and how a single movement, thought, or action can affect everything around it. I am fascinated by the minuscule grains of earth that when multiplied by the billions create a panoramic vista. Similarly, how one thought can spark a revolution.

I bring my sensitivity to the world into rehearsal halls, classrooms, design meetings, public spaces and any place where people connect. I lead by listening. My strength is in bringing collaborators together and creating an environment where every contributor feels empowered to bring their ideas into the mix. I have learned that the best processes come from conditions where each person is given agency, trust and an active role in the creation of the work.

I feel it is my responsibility as an artist to leave no stone unturned - to take a question and venture into the dark in search of an answer. The artist creates a space where courage, creativity and investigation can flourish. I bring a deep sense of curiosity and discipline to my work. In my commitment to unearthing truth, I endeavour to push myself and my collaborators to discover the edges of our understanding.

I want to get to know discomfort. I want to become adept at sitting inside the unfamiliar with my creative team and feel confident in my instincts to facilitate, even as we explore the unknown.

Artistic Practice

In addition to performing and directing works, I develop multilingual interdisciplinary pieces that push for linguistic and formal diversity on our stages. Jade Circle (Rice and Beans Theatre/Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre) performed in Mandarin and English follows a daughter’s journey of re-learning her mother tongue in order to find her place in the legacy of her matriarchs; A Year of Blessings (Five Blessings Collective) is a series of TYA audio plays in Cantonese/English/Mandarin that celebrate and educate audiences on traditional Chinese Festivals; and The Gateway Language Exchange Gameshow (Gateway Theatre) brought together Chinese and English speaking audience members in a participatory promenade gameshow that bridged linguistic and cultural barriers through play and theatre making.