Music in the Streets
SNOWY OWL DRUMMERS
Thursday November 3, 12:30pm-1:30pm
Starts at Pigeon Park, Carrall & Hastings
A committed group of Aboriginal women playing hand drums and singing traditional songs. See Wed Nov 2 for details. Free
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Digital Stories
A KEEPER OF MEMORIES
Thursday November 3, 1pm-3pm
Carnegie Learning Centre 3rd floor, 401 Main
The participants of the Shire Project, a digital storytelling success of the Carnegie Learning Centre present stories and discuss their work, both past and present. Adrienne, a recent recipient of a DTES Small Arts Grant, talks about new works-in-progress and the experiences she has had since she embarked on her journey with this new and exciting medium. Bob will show his new project about Elders of the community and talk about the techniques of putting a story together using different computer programs. This is a great opportunity to learn about digital storytelling and see how this new art form can help just about anyone keep their own memories alive. Free
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Music & Story
AN EVENING WITH BEVERLY DOBRINSKY AND ZEELLIA
Thursday November 3, 7:30pm-9:30pm
Ukrainian Hall, 805 E. Pender
This evening of extraordinary music, musicianship, song and history begins with Dolya, a solo show of spoken word, song and hurdy gurdy music played by Beverly Dobrinsky. ‘Dolya’ means fate or destiny in the Ukrainian tongue. During this profound show Beverly reflects on her life’s journey, her recent trip to Ukraine, and the storied and tragic history of Ukrainian hurdy gurdy musicians. The second half of the show features Beverly with her group Zeellia, Vancouver’s own Slavic soul band. Zeellia specializes in Eastern European traditional music, playing songs and dances from Ukraine, the Balkan states and the Canadian prairies. The music is rooted in the traditional with a contemporary edge, connecting the past with the present and the old country with the new. Nothing can prepare you for the beautiful vocal harmonies of Zeellia. $10 suggested donation at door. All welcome!
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Workshop
DREAM CATCHERS with Sandra Pronteau
Thursday November 3, 2pm-4pm
EWMA Art Studio, 54 E. Cordova
Here’s a chance to make your own Dream Catcher – now is the time! See Thurs Oct 27 for details. Free
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Workshop
BREAKING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE
with Irwin Oostindie
Thursday November 3, 4pm
W2 Media Café, 111 W. Hastings
Irwin Oostindie, W2 Executive Director, presents and discusses why W2 believes communication is a human right. Join in on this regular workshop offering DTES residents an orientation to social media, mobile, and web-based tools and strategies to engage in the information society. For more information call 604-689-9896 or visit www.creativetechnology.org. Free
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Opening Reception
CARNEGIE PORTRAITS Wende L. Davis
Thursday November 3, 5pm–7pm
Carnegie 3rd floor Gallery, 401 Main
Exhibition November 2 to 30
In 2008 Wende Davis visited the Carnegie Centre on Fridays to make use of the drawing sessions and the models who were the visitors to the Centre. Her sketches were done on manila paper and sketched with conte crayon. The resulting portfolio consists of sixty portraits. Seen as a whole, this series represents a larger portrait of some of those who live in the Eastside of Vancouver. Sadly, Wende passed away in August 2009 at the age of 63. Everyone welcome. Free
Clothing Show & Long Table Dinner
CHINDI NATION, CHINDI REVOLUTION Karenza T. Wall
Thursday November 3, 6pm-8pm
W2 Media Café, 111 W. Hastings
In hindi dialect “chindi” means scraps or rags, and rags is the traditional name for clothing. In this tradition Downtown Eastside resident and instinctive artisan Karenza T. Wall presents original surface designs on reclaimed clothing modeled by “real” women who live or work in the neighbourhood. The designs are one-of-a-kind hand-worked on clothing and accessories using recycled and remnant materials. Two garments will be raffled off. For more info visit www.needleworkdesign.blogspot.com. We are pleased that W2 Media Café is partnering with the Festival on this community long table dinner centred around a single heritage. While we enjoy a gourmet South Asian menu the models will present the wearable art. Sliding scale for dinner $3-20
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STORYWEAVING PROJECT
The Heart of the City Festival is excited to announce the Storyweaving Project (working title), produced with Vancouver Moving Theatre in partnership with the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Association.
Through the voices of lived experience the Storyweaving Project attempts to make sense of contemporary and historical relationships with land, water and community to address physical, mental, emotional and spiritual concerns of today’s Aboriginal urban community in Vancouver. When completed, the interdisciplinary theatrical presentation will combine Aboriginal traditional symbolism of the medicine wheel with music, dance and stories from the West Coast.
The Storyweaving Project is a community-supporting event for here and now to help make sense of urban Aboriginal experience. Over the next eight months the Festival and our partners will undertake a series of workshops and events, three of which are presented at this year’s festival. These events culminate in a full production early May 2012 at the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre. The cast will include Aboriginal performers and elders from the Downtown Eastside community and lower mainland, and groups associated with the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre.
The lead artists on the team are Renae Morriseau (Script Director), Rosemary Georgeson (Artistic Coordinator), Savannah Walling (Artistic Director), Terry Hunter (Producer) and Sherry Small of the Aboriginal Friendship Centre (Cultural Liaison).
Script Reading
STORYWEAVING PROJECT SCRIPT READING
Thursday November 3, 2pm-4:30pm
Aboriginal Friendship Centre Theatre Room, 1607 E. Hastings
The Storyweaving Project weaves together original material with poems, testimonies, personal memories, and selections from the Downtown Eastside Community Play (2003). The script is co-written by Renae Morriseau with Rose Georgeson and Savannah Walling and contributions from urban Aboriginal artists, James Fagan Tait, and Adrienne Wong. The script reading features elders Sam George and Marge C. White, Wes Nahanee, and DTES Aboriginal community members Sue Blue, Stephen Lytton, Kat Norris, Brenda Prince, Priscillia Tait, Herb Varley, and Muriel Williams. (update: Marge C. White is not able to join the reading today. Gloria May Eshkibok will take her place.) Please come and listen to this new script in development, and join the post reading discussion to provide your thoughts on how we can develop a strong and truthful script. Refreshments. Free
Two other Storyweaving events during the festival are the Burning Issues workshop, and a presentation and discussion of the film The Squaw Hall Project – A Community Remembers. For more details see Sat Oct 29 event page.
Reading
WRITING ACROSS BORDERS:
An ESL-Based Creative Writing Group
Thursday November 3, 6pm-8pm
UBC Learning Exchange, 612 Main
A premiere of readings from a unique creative-writing group, along with an opportunity to explore your own written-word creativity. What happens when the goal is to tell stories in English, but the writers’ experiences and personalities have always been expressed in, and formed by, languages other than English? The result is border-crossing, and innovative creative writing. Join us and find out how surprising and playful the English language can be when freed of traditional boundaries and expectations. For more info: www.learningexchange.ubc.ca. Free
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Workshop
PREPARING FOR AN EMERGENCY:
FOOD STORAGE
Thursday November 3, 7pm-9pm
Strathcona Community Centre, 601 Keefer
For a minimum level of preparedness, every family should have at least three days of food on hand (three weeks according to the US FEMA!). What kind of food? How much? What kind of storage and how long? This workshop will cover all these topics along with resources to help provide sufficient food for your family with some extra for neighbours. Instructor: Ann Pacey. This session is part of Cultivating Food, Cultivating Community, a fall workshop series at Strathcona Community Centre. To register, please call 604-713-1838. Free
Fundraiser
PASSION FOR JUSTICE
Thursday November 3, 8pm
District 319, 319 Main
Passion for Justice is Pivot’s annual charity auction and one of Vancouver’s hottest events. This year Passion will feature an expanded drag show, DJ K-Tel, amazing live and silent auction items, and much, much more. Passion is an amazing evening of fun, celebration, and social change – with all proceeds supporting Pivot’s community legal work for residents of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Licensed event/adults only. Tickets: www.passionforjustice2011.eventbrite.com. $25
Radio Play
ARTS RATIONAL
Thursday November 3, 9pm-10pm
Live Broadcast Co-op Radio CFRO 102.7FM
On the long lasting Arts Rational Co-op Radio program, Theatre In the Raw comes up with an original live radio drama. Chosen from TITR’s Biennial One-Act Play Contest chest of scripts – and directed by Jay Hamburger – hear local actors do their thing along with special radio sound effects over the airwaves. The broadcast will take you back to the times when radio was the popular medium. A radio play not to be missed. For your listening pleasure.