Bato Festival 2026
A Place to Breathe
Presents
Tuesday-September 01, 2026
Show Starts at 7:30 pm
Richmond Hill Centre of the Performing Arts
A Place to Breathe is an intimate live experience of storytelling, music, sound, and reflection; an interdisciplinary collaboration featuring Raha Etemadi, Ehsan Motouri, and Greg Ellis.
This is not a traditional concert. It is a shared space for pause, listening, release, and reconnection, a place where audiences can step away from the noise and pressures of everyday life and reconnect with memory, grief, hope, and the simple act of breathing.
The inspiration for this project comes from the ancient qanats of Iran, hidden underground channels that carry water and life from the depths of the earth to the surface. Here, the qanat becomes a metaphor for the unseen pathways that connect us through memory, struggle, love, hope, and breath.
In A Place to Breathe, Raha Etemadi’s storytelling intertwines with the music of Ehsan Motouri and the healing, evocative percussion of Greg Ellis, creating a deeply human and contemplative atmosphere.
It is an invitation to listen, to feel, and to breathe together.
Meet The Artists
Ehsan Motouri
Ehsan Motoori is a musician, composer, producer, and santur virtuoso whose work bridges Persian classical traditions with contemporary global music. Rooted in the rich heritage of Iranian musical modes, his compositions are shaped through an ongoing dialogue with diverse cultures, sounds, and artists from around the world. Through his projects, Ehsan reimagines the santur and Persian music within a contemporary, emotional, and cross-cultural landscape. In A Place to Breathe, Ehsan creates an immersive sonic world through the santur and atmospheric soundscapes, weaving music that supports the narratives and invites audiences into a space of reflection, release, and presence.
Raha Etemadi
Raha Etemadi is a writer, storyteller, media artist, and a well-known voice among Persian-speaking audiences worldwide. His work often explores themes of memory, migration, identity, collective grief, and the shared human experience. Through his intimate language and thoughtful perspective, Raha crafts narratives that move fluidly between personal stories and collective memory. In A Place to Breathe, Raha serves as the project's principal writer and narrator, guiding audiences through stories, imagery, and reflection toward a space for pause, listening, and breath.
Greg Ellis
Greg Ellis is an acclaimed percussionist, composer, and sound artist whose work spans rhythm, resonance, ceremonial music, and immersive sonic experiences. Drawing from a rich palette of percussion instruments, Tibetan singing bowls, bells, gongs, and healing sound tools, he creates environments that are both deeply embodied and meditative. In A Place to Breathe, Greg's evocative percussion and healing sound elements intertwine with Ehsan's music and Raha's storytelling, creating a profound, calming, and transformative experience for the audience.