22 ROOMS is a collaboration between vocalist/composer Jessie Rivest and dancer Hailey McCloskey. Drawing inspiration from a random selection of tarot cards, the artists explore archetypes through sound and movement, bringing them to life, and exploring their depth and interconnectedness. By incorporating structured improvisation and aleatoric elements into the performance, Rivest and McCloskey create an intimate, dynamic experience, positioning the audience as witness. Vocal timbre contrasts with gestural weight and tension; spatial positioning evokes relationships of complicity and power while retaining a degree of abstraction.
22 ROOMS is an interdisciplinary exploration where sound and gesture intersect, overlap and interpenetrate, accumulating meaning without developing a narrative – a sensual, ephemeral immersion in sound and movement art.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Jessie Rivest is a vocalist and composer who creates sound art inspired by contemporary acappella and experimental, interdisciplinary forms. Jessie has opened and performed as a choral singer with artists such as Cadence, Free Play, Rönninge, and Tanya Tagaq. Her experience in choirs and quartets has earned her prestigious accolades, including medals in the World Choir Games and the Barbershop World Competition in Germany. Notable choral performances include Legends of Zelda at the Sony Centre, Game of Thrones: Music is Coming at the Air Canada Centre, the Canadian premiere of Ēriks Ešenvalds’ Nordic Light Symphony, and the Queen Elizabeth II Commonwealth Tour. Her compositions have been performed by Pro Coro Canada, The Choral Arts Initiative, Khorikos, NEO Voice Festival, and Maureen Batt on the Crossing Borders Tour in Colombia. Jessie spent her early years in Woodstock, Ontario, and studied in Toronto, where she earned her Bachelor of Music from York University and an Arts Management Certificate from Humber College. She is currently based in Kelowna, British Columbia.
Hailey McCloskey is a professional dancer and anthropologist, now working as a Registered Massage Therapist in Kelowna, B.C. – her place of birth. She received her formal training at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre and the University of British Columbia. Prior to becoming a massage therapist, some of her favourite projects were working with Karen Jamieson Dance in a community-engaged dance practice in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, collaborating as a dancer in the Body Research experimental dance film Accidental Tourists in wilderness areas along the coast of the U.S., and participating in a multi-artist residency in a canoe on the Yukon River as part of the Canadian Wilderness Residency Program. Hailey works to activate the wild body within culturally structured urban spaces. She has presented and performed work at multiple events and venues in Vancouver, including Vancouver Biennale and BC Buds. Hailey has written for the online arts publication VANDOCUMENT, and for Alex Lazaridis (Fight with a Stick).
22 Rooms at Living Things 2025 is funded by BC Live Performance Network