le colibri STUDIO was born out of a need for a new way to share, create and hold stories — a way that honors the storyteller and their vision.
Since time immemorial we have been sharing stories.
Storytelling is fundamental to the human experience and an avenue for moving deeper into discovering and expressing who we are in the places we reside.
Uplifting stories that matter is critical for our wellbeing, imagination, and capacity for transformational movement in the world.
Too often, stories that originate outside dominant media culture or mainstream narratives get lost, or are simply ignored.
There is much to uncover — great stories to be told, wonderful solutions to be shared. However, amplifying the stories of communities outside of the mainstream requires a depth, care and nuance often ignored.
It requires a new era of storytelling and a new way of stewarding stories.
That’s the role of le colibri STUDIO.
Practicing Stewardship of Stories
Honoring the Integrity of the Voices we Uplift
Shifting the Paradigm of Storytelling
Practicing Stewardship of Stories
Honoring the Integrity of the Voices we Uplift
Shifting the Paradigm of Storytelling
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A NEW ERA OF
le colibri STUDIO cultivates a new era of storytelling by facilitating and producing full spectrum, unfiltered and authentic Stories, acting as a catalyst for healing and unity.
STORYTELLING.
We shift the paradigm of stories through sacred story facilitation.
We use intentional, safe practices to preserve the authenticity and integrity of the Stories we support.
We create brave spaces for story sharing and production, which amplify voices who are imagining and building a new way of being.
We facilitate stories!
From development and consultation to creation, whether that be video, podcast, photos, workshops or events.
OUR APPROACH
Joy.
le colibri STUDIO integrates
joy into all of our
endeavors, fostering compassion and unity to fuel movements of change and growth.
Connection.
le colibri STUDIO builds lasting relationships and deep connections within communities by supporting the sharing of authentic stories.
Honouring.
le colibri STUDIO
uplifts voices by facilitating a brave space where storytellers can fully embody their narratives.
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THE INSPIRATION.
le colibri STUDIO team acknowledges that our work spans many unceded territories and treaty areas. We recognize and honor that we are facilitating stories on land stewarded by Indigenous Nations since time immemorial. We are grateful for the traditional Knowledge Sharers, Storytellers and Elders who are with us today, those who have gone before us and the youth that inspire us.
The studio is located on the unsurrendered traditional territories of the Multnomah, Wasco, Cowlitz, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Bands of Chinook, Tualatin, Kalapuya, Molalla, and many other tribes along the Columbia River.
Olivia Leigh Nowak is a story facilitator, filmmaker and founder of le colibri STUDIO.
She is renowned for the warm, genuine relationships she builds and the depth of care she brings to her work.
Olivia connects people, builds community, and nurtures creative collaborations that uplift the many diverse voices working to address some of society’s most critical issues.
Recently, her work has included directing and producing documentary content focused on broader awareness and transformation around racial and gender inequality, climate and environmental change, and efforts to build sustainable local communities.
Two of these projects, Black Rock and Pandemic Elementary, have been featured as CBC short docs. In addition to film, she has spent time working, and learning in Indigenous communities in South America and BC, collaborating with Centre for Indigenous Fisheries, Watershed Futures Initiative, Kitasoo Community School , Peace & Unity Summit and Aya Healing Retreat.
These experiences and relationships have shaped her values, priorities, and vision for how we can live well in place, and work collectively to heal Mother Earth.
GET IN TOUCH
Michael McCrary (he/him) is a vision amplifier, an art director, a designer, a photographer, and a branding expert.
As a multidisciplinary art director with over 15 years of experience in developing visual language, campaigns, and digital creatives, Michael is known for his ability to tell stories through images. He is highly adaptable, strategic-minded, and detail-oriented. He prides himself on creating compelling work that achieves results for those he collaborates with.
After years of honing his marketing skills in agencies with a corporate focus, he now seeks to apply his expertise as a vision amplifier to projects centered on social and environmental impact. In today's world, the messages we convey in the dominant narrative must be meaningful, originating from communities and initiatives dedicated to a better future for our planet and society. Michael excels at distilling complex stories and missions with humility and respect into final products that maintain the authenticity of the voices he represents. He thrives on the collaborative process inherent in creative problem-solving and believes that design and can have a real impact and make the world a better place.
GET IN TOUCH
PROJECTS.
Salmon Stories in collaboration with Magic Canoe
Role: Story Mentorship, Activating stories in Communities, Saving Wild Salmon.
The core idea of ‘Salmon Stories’ is to uncork a strong, steady and relentless stream of stories about salmon as told through personal narratives from Indigenous people, fisherman, scientists, journalists, mothers, bankers, urban foodies, artists, farmers, entrepreneurs, sex workers, energy workers, tourists and tourism operators, mechanics, preachers, bureaucrats, bus drivers, loggers, teachers, children, politicians. From everyone.
These stories aren’t necessarily showcasing the declines and mistakes we have done for salmon, but rather peoples deep and personal connection to salmon, the lessons they have learned from them, the stories they’ve cherished with salmon and the reason they have deep connections to salmon.
Rather than outside storytellers extracting what they think are the most valuable stories in a community, with Salmon Stories we flipped the dynamic and made room for a deeper and more authentic perspective that allows individuals embedded in a community to explore and uplift the stories that their community wants to be heard.
Festival of What Works in collaboration with Alluvium Gatherings and Salmon Nation
Role: Production, Hosting, Media and Art Direction/Visioning
The Festival of What Works was a unique, days-long, online celebration of community-led approaches to living well in place here in Salmon Nation—from the northern California coast to the slopes of Alaska and between. We spotlighted who and what you need to know to build a bioregion where people, culture and nature all thrive.
Peace & Unity Summit in collaboration with Alluvium Gatherings
Role: Production, Live Streaming, Media and Visioning
The movement's goal is to deliver stories, content and facts to catalyze unity between First Nations, including Indigenous and non Indigenous folks in opposition of the Coastal GasLink pipeline. We helped put on 3 separate events that spanned over 2 days live streaming stories from elders, chiefs and Indigenous land defenders.
A groundbreaking event with thousands of online attendees and deep, in-person relationship building. Peace and unity are fundamental to the human experience and are avenues for moving deeper into systemic change. Sharing stories, gathering and rebuilding once-held alliances can help bridge the divide and bring unity for a better world and a better future for generations to come.
Artificial Intelligence, Meet Indigenous Weir Fishing Technology in Collaboration with Wild Salmon Center & Heiltsuk Integrated Resource Management Department
Role: Filmmaker/Editor
Developed by WSC in partnership with the Gitanyow Fisheries Authority and Skeena Fisheries Commission, see how Salmon Vision operates on a weir managed by the Heiltsuk Nation on British Columbia's Koeye River.
A first-of-its-kind, “Salmon Vision” combines artificial intelligence with ancient fishing weir technology. The Salmon Vision computer deep learning model leverages rapidly emerging artificial intelligence tools to identify and count fish species. This will enable real-time salmon population monitoring for First Nations fisheries managers and beyond.
COLLABORATORS.
This Work Wouldn’t Be Possible Without Our Collaborators. Thank You For Trusting Us:
Centre for Indigenous Fisheries
Watershed Future Initiatives
Salmon Seas Symposium With Se’si’le
Alluvium Gatherings
ZG Stories
Peace & Unity Summit
Moccasin Footprint Society
Wild Salmon Center
Magic Canoe
Festival Of What Works
The Weather Network
In Collaboration With The Narwhal
A NEW ERA OF STORYTELLING / A NEW ERA OF STORYTELLING / A NEW ERA OF STORYTELLING / A NEW ERA OF STORYTELLING / A NEW ERA OF STORYTELLING / A NEW ERA OF STORYTELLING / A NEW ERA OF STORYTELLING / A NEW ERA OF STORYTELLING / A NEW ERA OF STORYTELLING / A NEW ERA OF STORYTELLING / A NEW ERA OF STORYTELLING / A NEW ERA OF STORYTELLING / A NEW ERA OF STORYTELLING / A NEW ERA OF STORYTELLING / A NEW ERA OF STORYTELLING / A NEW ERA OF STORYTELLING / A NEW ERA OF STORYTELLING / A NEW ERA OF STORYTELLING / A NEW ERA OF STORYTELLING / A NEW ERA OF STORYTELLING / A NEW ERA OF STORYTELLING / A NEW ERA OF STORYTELLING /
- TESTIMONY FROM CENTRE OF INDIGENOUS FISHERIES
Our team recently collaborated with Olivia Leigh-Nowak to develop video content for a workshop that brought together Indigenous Peoples to discuss environmental concerns on traditional lands and waters. Olivia facilitated the production of three video-recorded story sessions with prominent individuals and community members.
She was efficient, professional, flexible, and generous, engaging deeply with the storytellers and their work. Olivia has an incredible talent in drawing out and weaving together powerful narratives through a process of listening, re-listening, and checking in with the interviewees along the way.
Her work was very positively received during the workshop with one participant commenting: “My heart is so full from these interviews” during the screenings. This speaks to Olivia’s capacity for story facilitation. Olivia approaches her work with openness, warmth, and a clear social and cultural awareness and sensitivity.
We look forward to working with her again soon.
- Testimony from Alluvium Gatherings
Le Colibri Studio and Alluvium Gatherings have had the pleasure of working together on several projects, both films and events.
Olivia has a deep passion for her work, showing up with authenticity and care. She does work with a high level of integrity, always staying true to her values and never afraid to do what she believes.
Le Colibri's commitment to honoring the stories they facilitate while balancing their creative expression is a true and rare art form. Olivia has a unique way of facilitating interviews that allows people to open up beyond what they normally would with most people. She then finds a way to present that story to the world in a way that makes it beautiful and resonant.Her years spent learning to develop trust and honest relationships with diverse audiences clearly shows in her work.
Working with Le Colibri Studios has challenged me to go deeper, push beyond, and get out of my comfort zone. I am better off for it!
"Olivia engages in work that she cares about as much as whomever she is collaborating with. She has a wonderful way of blurring the line between being a professional provider - which she does to the utmost - while also providing friendship and hosting capabilities." -Melanie Taikupa Brown
