Lulu Sweet: A Gold Rush Tale in 8 Acts 

As part of the public art commission for the City of Richmond (BC, Canada), Faith Moosang and Deanne Achong initiated original research into the mythology of how the main island of Richmond received its name – Lulu. Of the four possibilities, three ended in a lack of archival evidence.  The fourth offered up a rich seam of travelling theatre troupes, the California and BC Gold Rushes and a fortuitous meeting between the man in charge of renaming the territories claimed by Britain and a young actress named Lulu. Through conversations with archivists, historians, Lulu’s descendants and intense archival research throughout North and South America, the artists were able to piece together enough of the framework of her life to be able to hang upon it a compelling narrative and journey; essentially re-introducing Lulu Sweet to the island that carries her name.

Lulu Suite is a collaborative art project by Deanne Achong and Faith Moosang. More information about it can be seen here:  lulusuite.ca

Skills

• Archival Research
• Original Research
• Collaborative Process