ArtRAGEous is bringing it’s creative art-meets-music act to Stephens Auditorium Sunday Sept. 24 at 3 p.m.

ArtRAGEous began in the 1980s with a small group of performers on the streets of Vancouver, Canada. They eventually took their puppetry, clowning, and music on the road. Transitioning into a band, ArtRAGEous formed from all of the different facets of the troupe.

“ArtRAGEous is kind of a culmination of everything we have done on stage … It is kind of like everything rolled into one. It is kind of our baby that way,” said Lauri Francis, one of the main performers.

“It is a magical journey through the arts where people really just like to have fun together.” Francis said. While Francis is one of the main painters for the troupe, she also sings, choreographs, creates the costumes, and more.

Audience interaction is what really sets ArtRAGEous apart from the rest. According to Francis, “We couldn’t do it without the audience … It is really a unique show each time because of the audience is involved.”

“I know that there are other musical troupes that do audience participation, but I think that we take it to another level,” Francis said.

ArtRAGEous travels around the world performing at a wide variety of events ranging from festivals to formal galas, educational performances to art centers. They create communities as they go, making each show unique.

“The neatest thing is meeting all of the people in the different communities. Just seeing their passion for the arts and their love of the art,” Francis said “There are so many people who just have such a love for the arts … It is kind of like we have built these families all over the country. It is just like a family in arts.”

“I also think that the camaraderie and the friendships on stage, because we have been together for a long time since the 80s, and that we just like doing things together really come across on stage,” Francis said.

While the future for the group is never fully set, they would like to continue performing. They want to continue building communities, building the love, inspiration, and the importance of the arts in hopes that it will catch on.

When asked what advice she would give to future aspiring artists, Francis said,“I would say, and i think the troupe would agree with me, is to find some people that you really love to hang out with, that you are really able to work well together. Do something that you love and then just start sharing it.”

Tickets range from $22-$47. Tickets can be purchased at the Stephens Box Office or online via Ticketmaster.com. For more information, visit the Stephens website.