We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Fairlith Harvey a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Fairlith, thanks for joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I’m happiest when I’m actively bringing one of my ideas to life. My projects tend to wait in my head fully formed; it’s less about discovery and more about finding ways to communicate my vision to others and to break it all down into steps. That’s the real challenge.

I’ve never been great with regular jobs because I constantly yearn to work on my art. Corporate structures frustrate me; they often feel to me like ‘The Emperor Has No Clothes’ . We could cooperate and speak to each other as equals, but these institutions are hierarchical, exploitative, and resistant to genuine collaboration. As an autistic person, I function best outside of those rigid systems.

That said, I see my art as my real job, so when I’ve taken day jobs, I’ve chosen ones that expand my understanding of the world. I wanted to learn about wind energy and the natural world in our province, so I gave tours of the wind turbine on Grouse Mountain. I wanted to understand the death care industry, so I worked at a funeral home. Each experience has fed my work in unexpected ways.

For most of my life, I’ve made a living as an artist. The pandemic disrupted things, but I believe we’re at the beginning of a creative revolution. In theatre, if you have a willing group of people and an audience, you can make something happen. There’s no corporate gatekeeper deciding if your work is worth making. Unlike in the film industry, where funding and industry politics can be demoralizing, especially as studios prioritize AI over artists and the ‘big players’ maintain a monopoly, live performance can remain pure and grassroots.

That’s what keeps me inspired. Theatre, especially immersive theatre, makes me feel wild and free. It’s rebellious. It’s direct. It lets me exchange ideas with people, make them feel seen, and create on my own terms. In a world where control over artistic production is slipping away, I believe it’s more important than ever to build our own spaces for art.

I feel like a cowboy outlaw. And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m Fairlith Harvey, a theatre artist, playwright, immersive creator, and director based in Vancouver. I became a creative because I had to: traditional theatre spaces didn’t have room for me. In theatre school, I was typecast and told what I could or couldn’t be based on my appearance. I’d already spent my childhood being bullied for being neurodivergent, so I just decided I was going to reject being defined. Instead, I built my own spaces. I create theatre that ignores societal beauty standards, rejects bigotry, and invites audiences to experience stories the way I want to experience them… fully immersed in my world, full of wonder, with absolute suspension of disbelief.

My company, Dreamqueen Collective, is dedicated to making immersive theatre that feels rebellious, magical, and deeply personal. I believe art should be accessible, visceral, and unbound by gatekeeping, which is why I’ve always prioritized creating work on my own terms.

Whether I’m crafting a Victorian revenge fantasy, an ephemeral carnival that happens to be a fae trap, or a tropical resort in Purgatory, my goal is the same: to create spaces where people feel transported, seen, and free. I want my audiences to experience the kind of escapism that allows them to step into something bigger than themselves. That’s what I’ve always needed, so I build worlds for myself and invite you along.

I’m most proud of the community I’ve built through my work… artists, audiences, and dreamers who want to escape into their imaginations. For anyone searching for theatre that’s ferocious, fearless, and unlike anything else, that’s what I do.

Otherwise, I’d get bored.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I think people need to search for art that resonates with them. Picking the first thing offered to you by a streaming service is not the same thing as sitting down with yourself and asking yourself what you truly want. What do you love? Find that. Support that. Third spaces have largely disappeared in our society, and our isolation and division benefits no one. Being together and sharing ideas benefits everybody. Leave your home. Find people. Support those who are trying everything to be heard by you.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I pursue joy, peace, and stability. I’m not after fame or being the best, just having a nice life. I don’t compete against anyone, even myself… I just want to see what I can do while I still have time to do it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://fairlith.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/fairlith

Image Credits

Photos of Alice in Glitterland, Kill the Ripper, and The Neverland Night Circus by Zemekiss Photo.
Photos of Loki and The Last Resort by Chelsey Stuyt Photography.