Faces of VLACC: Marco Esccer

Meet Marco Esccer, an interdisciplinary queer artist, creator, and educator from Mexico. Through his practice and in collaboration with VLACC, Marco has deeply enriched Vancouver’s arts scene, materializing one of his dream projects: a culturally rooted embodiment workshop in honor of el día de muertos. From attending events to becoming a donor and co-facilitating workshops, his involvement with VLACC has come full circle. In his words, VLACC’s programming “enriches the city by celebrating diverse narratives, advocating for change, and fostering meaningful cultural exchange.”

As an immigrant to Canada, Marco’s relationship to his culture has undergone many changes. However, through VLACC, a community with which he could share and celebrate his origins:  “When I first arrived, I feared that my language, colors, and ways of expressing myself would have to conform to what was considered a ‘right fit’ for Canada. VLACC changed that perception. It is a bridge, bringing Latin American heritage into events that resonate with Vancouver’s social landscape. Seeing other artists welcomed here affirms that I, too, can belong without abandoning my roots.” From his perspective, not losing touch with the rawness of Latin American culture—the warmth, the humor, the spontaneous gatherings– is an act of resistance against assimilation. 

For him, language and music play a key role in keeping his cultural roots alive: “Speaking Spanish, listening to Latin music, and dancing as if I were at a party in Mexico keep me connected. Whenever I attend a VLACC event, I feel a sense of home. The ability to express myself in my native language, surrounded by people who understand the cultural nuances of our laughter, our grief, and our joy, is invaluable.”

Uplifting the work of fellow artists and fostering a sense of collectivity are foundational principles of his creative practice. Marco has been working alongside Carla Alcántara, collaborating as TEMPO Dance & Visual Arts, to curate a line-up of performances to celebrate Rosario Castellanos’ centennial –a 20th-century Mexican writer and feminist trailblazer. Below, he shares how he came into this project and details its creative process:  

“VLACC and Nancy Ross approached me in the summer of 2024 with an incredible proposal: to bring to life an event celebrating the centennial of Rosario Castellanos, a Mexican writer and feminist trailblazer. Being entrusted with this project is a tremendous honor. Rosario Castellanos is a monumental figure in Mexican literature and feminism, and this opportunity affirmed that my work in Vancouver is valued and respected.

To create this performance, I partnered with Carla Alcántara (a very talented artist and dear friend, collaborator and human), and together, as TEMPO Dance & Visual Art, we curated a phenomenal team of Latin American performers and Canadian artists allies. We are co-producing this interdisciplinary work—from concept to execution—over the course of five months. The production will feature live performance, text, music, video projections, lighting design, and an installation!”

This remarkable anniversary is an invitation to bring Castellanos poetry to life through two dynamic and participatory events: 

• Preguntas a Rosario → a free interdisciplinary, bilingual embodiment workshop guided by Marco Esccer, Carla Alcántara, and Ome Dance Collective on May 11, 2025.  
• Seeds of Resistance → a night of performances and live installations on May 15, 2025 (tickets available through Eventbrite). 

Both events will be hosted at the Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre. Join us as we reflect on Rosario Castellanos’s enduring questions, guided by Marco and other brilliant collaborators! Keep supporting Latin American Arts in Canada by donating to VLACC, attending our events, and following Marco on Instagram @marcoesccer. 

April 2025
[Text edited by Mirella Livoti]