Cultural Sharing
STORY SHARING CIRCLE
Wednesday November 4, 1pm-4pm
Aboriginal Front Door, 384 Main
The 2009 Festival theme is Illuminating the Four Corners. In keeping with this theme Karenza T. Wall – facilitator, artist and storyteller of Anglo-Indian descent born and raised in India and now a Canadian – will share a traditional Divali story combined with her personal experiences of this Indian festival of lights. Join the story circle and share stories of celebrations of light from your own culture or your own experience. Or perhaps you would like to share a story on a completely different topic. The Aboriginal Front Door is an accessible storefront that assists Downtown Eastside Aboriginal people to walk through life with love, honour, respect and compassion for all things in creation, including themselves. Everyone welcome. Free
Radio
WAX POETIC
Wednesday November 4, 2pm-2:30pm
Live Broadcast Co-op Radio CFRO 102.7FM
Join S.R. Duncan for poetry and spoken word readings with special guest, DTES poet and artist Richard Tylman, just for the festival. Tune in for a good listen!
Community Celebration
FIRST UNITED CELEBRATION
Wednesday November 4, 6pm
First United Church, 320 E. Hastings
Join in this regular weekly Celebration of life: be part of creating a new kind of community in old town Vancouver with supper, music and an inspirational talk. Tonight’s celebration welcomes a special festival guest Isabel Ramirez, longtime neighbourhood favourite and “folklorista.” Isabel is in fine voice these days and loves nothing better than sharing her traditional folk songs. The First United Church has been a strong long-time community presence in the Downtown Eastside with outreach services that include advocacy in mental health, housing and meal programs. Everyone welcome. Free
Community Celebration
COMMUNITY PLAY REVISITED
Wednesday November 4, 6pm-8pm
Carnegie Community Centre Theatre
401 Main
Take a stroll down memory alley, back to 2003 when In The Heart Of A City: The Downtown Eastside Community Play pumped so much energy into the creative juices of our community. Hundreds of DTESers and friends joined together to present our history and expose our soul, “a hundred years of laughter and tears.” Let’s get together again and celebrate. Share memories, catch up and enjoy performances by Priscillia Tait, Stephen Lytton, Wendy Chew, Robyn Livingstone, Dakota Prince and Paul Decarie, with host Leith Harris. Watch some videos. Toss the magic ball. Look into the future. Talk about the impact of arts funding cutbacks. Eat a sausage roll. Everyone welcome. Free
Music
ISKWEW
Wednesday November 4, 8:30pm-9:30pm
Carnegie Community Centre Theatre
401 Main
The Heart of the City Festival is thrilled to present Iskwew (is-kway-yo) at this year’s festival. Iskwew is Sandy Scofield (Metis), Brenda Hanson (Klahoose, Coast Salish) and Niska Napoleon (Cree), and all come from long lines of singers and musicians. Each is a seasoned performer in her own right. These three women create and perform songs of oral traditions from the territories of the west coast to the northern interior to the plains. Their voices weave a sonic dance in celebration of ancient and new songs that tell stories of our connection to the earth, the Creator and each other. Iskwew songs are from long ago as told by the grandmothers. The heartbeat of Mother Earth is heard from their hand drums underscoring a message of community and culture—people who have survived the impacts of colonization and are reclaiming their rightful place as the original stewards of the land. Free